Finding the Filipino.*

Picture taken from www.pinoyfactsandtrivia.wordpress.com

There in the midst of the humdrum of our everyday existence lies honest and good folks who still matter. They are a rare breed, almost dying, but they provide the ember to an otherwise fading light.

We hear stories of a nameless taxi driver who returns a bag full of cash, or the volunteer firemen who neither gain fame nor money in saving lives, or the social worker who dabbles into threats and rejection just to cut crucial information across social boundaries.  

We have heroes amongst us who stand up when we need them to. We are never short of the common tao with the makings of a hero. But why can’t they dream as heroes dream?

We picture our heroes as those who are larger than life. Then again, there are Filipinos who ensure that we shall never lack heroes. There are those Filipinos who stand up in unyielding moments just because we need someone to look up to.

They are out there. But the media shoves them away from the spotlight, and makes us addicted instead to the wrong kind of aspirations. In the process, we take the shortest cut, even if it will lead us nowhere.

What then should we do to find pride in our heritage? Rizal waited a hundred years to have his legacy of a movie. Are we to force the heroes of our past and present to waste away in historical limbo as well? 

We need our media to focus more on our real heroes. We need to encourage the great Pinoys of our time to raise the bar and once more prove our lineage right. We need to point the spotlight once again, from the false heroes of today to the ones truly deserving of the honor and glory.

*This post should have been made on the celebration of Independence Day.