HER father has served the army even before she was born and because of that, Grade 5 student Harleen Parreno considers him her hero.
Harleen, 11, said she understood her father’s role in society, why he was often deployed to far-flung areas full of rebels and why he was not always home for a long period of time.
“Mahadlok ko basta muadto siya’g layo (I feel afraid when goes to a far place),” she told Sun.Star Cebu.
She said she was proud of Staff Sgt. Harold Parreno, her father, for his service to the country for 19 years under the 53rd Engineering Brigade.
“Proud ko niya because he’s serving the people of our country, specially sa among family,” she said.
Her father had carved a lesson to Harleen and that is to study hard and to be good to anyone she will meet.
For all the soldiers in the country, Harleen has two wishes for them: to take care of themselves in the deliverance of their duty and to serve our country well.
Today, the Philippines is celebrating National Heroes’ Day and for most people, they saw Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini and Andres Bonifacio in the faces of the brave men and women who contribute to the welfare of society.
Mel Ebo, 21, a 5th year Accountancy student defined heroism as the true essence of a human being when they are stripped off of their uniforms.
“Every person who wakes up everyday to contribute their share in building again this dying society through their own microcosmic mediums is my hero,” he said in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu.
He added that heroism is portrayed beyond what uniforms portray just like what PO1 Jilbert Cabajar, an off-duty cop had shown when he helped a store manager from a robber in Colon St.
Cabajar, a personnel from the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) 7 who will be awarded for his act, disembarked from a jeepney when he witnessed a robbery.
The policeman immediately responded and managed to neutralize the robber who shot Jordan Dico, a branch manager of a local clothing store.
Real heroes
For a 10-year-old who is fond of watching cartoon characters save humanity from impending doom in television, Alexander Augustus Teves said real heroes don’t wear capes and more importantly, don’t need disguises to seal their identities.
The Grade 4 pupil told Sun.Star Cebu that while he enjoys superhero films, it’s the ordinary people exerting extraordinary efforts in their everyday lives that he aspires to be.
“My heroes are the police and President Rodrigo Duterte. We always see policemen around, but it’s not easy to not only fight bad guys, but also illegal drugs. They’re just like other people, but with a bigger call for responsibility,” he said in Cebuano.
He said they are heroes because they’re ridding the country of bad elements that continuously destroy lives if not stopped.
This passion for building a better nation reminds him of National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal, he said.
For Teves, kids like him could also be heroes in their own way by studying hard and achieving their goals to help those in need.
“Even if we’re still kids, we can be heroes in our own ways because it’s not just about saving, but inspiring. I want to inspire kids, too, that’s why I’m doing my best in school,” he said.
He said he’d like to be a chef someday and build a diner for the less fortunate.
The thought came after an encounter with some street children who were smiling from ear to ear when his older cousin gave the kids some fast food meal.
“I told myself I’ll do good in school so that I can help future kids who have nothing to eat. My heroes will save them by eradicating drugs and I will inspire them by giving hope through free food,” Teves said.
Davide
For Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, everyone of us is a hero, especially farmers who provides us food on the table.
“Para nako I think everyone of us here, in our own little way, duna man ta sa atong pagkatawo (as persons), we are heroes,” Davide said.
He said a hero is someone who is selfless, who makes sacrifices for others, and not necessarily at the expense of one’s life.
Someone, he said, who makes contribution to the community regardless of the size of the community.
“Ang atong mga farmers, last year we declare (them) heroes of the land as they are the ones feeding us, they are the ones producing food,” the governor said.
Even members of the media, Davide considers them as heroes.
“In the job that you do, sakripisyo mo, magtukaw mo magpaabot sa balita, mag-interbyu, di baya sayon inyo trabaho (you make sacrifices, you wait for news, interview, your job is not easy),” he told reporters.
“Unya ‘tang tanan mangamatay adto ta sa Libingan ng mga Bayani tanan, di ta maigo, mao nang naa tay Cempark (When we die, we can’t all be at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, so there are private cemeteries),” he said.
Davide said we are all heroes, saying “Its how you carry your life, how you live your life.”