Heroes

On January 30, 1994, thirteen-year old Aris Canoy Espinosa, from Lanao del Norte, sacrificed his life for his friends. Aris jumped over a grenade on the ground which was about to explode and covered it with his body to protect his friends who were playing nearby.  He sacrificed his life to save them (see <http://www.txtmania.com/trivia/models.php>).

On May 26, 1996, eight-year old Rona Mahilum rescued her five brothers and sisters from the fire which razed their house to the ground in Divina Colonia, Sagay, Negros Occidental. She sustained third degree burns on her back in doing so (see <http://www.txtmania.com/trivia/models.php>).

On July 12, 2000, eight-year old Enteng Tagle saved the lives of his one-year-old brother and eight-year-old playmate when a 50-foot garbage mountain collapsed on the houses in Payatas, Quezon City. More or less 500 people were buried alive because of this tragedy (see <http://www.txtmania.com/trivia/models.php>).

On June  23, 2007, nine-year-old Antonio “Dan Boy” Fernandez, Jr. rushed into their house in Sitio Cambuntan, Bolinawan, Carcar, Cebu, to rescue his five-year old brother from the raging fire that consumed their house (see <http://www.rdasia.com/philippines_through_the_fire>).

  On July 26, 2011, twelve-year old Janela Arcos Lelis braved through the floodwater while holding the Philippine flag which she had saved from her house in Malinao, Albay. The flag was entrusted to his brother by their school. Their house was already submerged in floodwater when she retrieved the flag (see <http://globalnation.inquirer.net/10317/albay-girl-honored-for-saving-philippine-flag>).

 

These stories are real life adventures of five extra-ordinary young people. Difficult circumstances have tested their virtues; instead of running away, they met them with life-giving determination.

Heroes rise up to the challenges of the time. They know no age but the younger they are, the more meaning they give to the term “hero”. Living heroes awe us while the unlucky who died rise up in our hearts.

Heroes are needed today. The cynicism and hopelessness are deeply planted in the lives of our people. Poverty robes them not only of their dreams but their dignity as well. Corruption and deception are everywhere—honesty and good faith are no longer the rules but the exceptions in public and private spheres. Worse, crimes committed with impunity cow people them into submission to less meaningful discourse about their community life. Indeed, these are the times that should try men’s soul.     

We need heroes. We need them now.  We need people whose lives are testimonies to the resilience of good. We need people who can show us how life can be meaningful in the context of our time.

Movies and telenovelas may entertain us but heroes will do more for us. They will show us how faith should prevail in the midst of hopelessness. They will quench our thirst for justice and will ransom the future so that it can be redeemed from the past.

We need heroes. No doubt about it, we need to hope again. We need to find them; we need to search for them. Should we look within ourselves or should we tread elsewhere?