You Can Be Heroes

By Ruel S. De Vera Associate Editor Heroes are a personal constellation. Every person chooses his or her own celestial bodies to revolve around. There are more public personages and more public allegiances—but even those are marked by personal commitment. Our heroes reflect what we aspire for, what we seek perhaps in ourselves, surely in others. The old heroes were a bit easier to spot. They were usually in front of an army, or in front of a court of some sort, or even in front of death. They were poet warriors and trailblazers, be it by leading a brave last stand at Tirad Pass or by refusing to get up from the seat of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. In these complicated times, even our heroes get complicated. But everyone should have a personal guide to personal heroes. Here’s mine: Whistleblowers: Definitely the most thankless kind of heroism, simply because it is actually much more difficult to not turn away from wrongdoing. Sometimes, or as recent history shows us, all the time, a whistleblower will wind up raised on charges, living in virtual exile, while those whose malfeasance was uncovered get off scot-free, even with ill-gotten gains intact. Just ask Jun Lozada, or, in a case of justice really miscarried, Acsa Ramirez. Martyrs: This is what happens when we don’t protect our whistleblowers. Yet many martyrs die for causes obscured by routine and duty. The soldiers in the Mindanao conflict never get noticed until they’re returning in flag-covered coffins. And that’s not to forget those who return maimed. A country can be a cause, and if one lived an entire life in the service of a nation, just like Cory did, then they’re martyrs in a very real sense. Inspirations: There are people out there who overcome mighty adversity. Just by their example, we find the strength to go on. They overcome everything from mighty odds to terrible sickness and even mind-boggling tragedy. They don’t have to be famous. They just have to live—and teach us by that living. Voices in the Wilderness: They speak even if people do not want to hear what they have to say. Sometimes, they are unpopular, but they are rarely wrong—and never rash. The Internet has made their voices easier to hear—but it’s also harder to find the true Voices. Gerry Alanguilan continues to treat Filipino comics as something important. Manolo Quezon thinks everything through for us. Conrad de Quiros says it with fire and ice. Mentors: This goes beyond teachers, though they are the perfect example of mentors. Mentors watch over us and direct us without killing our spirit. Quite the contrary, they fill us up with spirit. Sometimes just knowing that there is someone who really does believe in you will be enough. For me, it will always be my freshman English teacher, Doreen Fernandez. She taught me more than how to write. To this very day, I try to live my life based on what Doreen would have done. Who is yours? Read about Efren Penaflorida and other Filipinos who made us proud in the October 26, 2009 issue of the Sunday Inquirer Magazine.