CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – A relative of national hero, Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, enumerated ways on how Fernandinos can become “everyday heroes.”
During the 120th Independence Day celebration held at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center last week, Desiree Ann Cua Benipayo said love for country can be shown in many ways and we need not be jailed or executed or hang in the gallows just to show this.
“Let’s try to do a daily dose of heroism by simply following the law and helping the country in any way we can,” Benipayo, a relative of Abad Santos, said.
“The small things we do in our everyday life like not littering, planting a tree for Mother Nature, helping save electricity; and buying Philippine made products will definitely add up to our heroic deeds,” she added.
Benipayo narrated the story of Abad Santos, a Kapampangan who stood out among the rest during the Japanese occupation with his martyrdom.
“His death, though very heroic, is just the icing on the cake. Long before the Japanese came and years before his heroic execution, he was already an everyday hero by doing his best in all the tasks he undertook including couriering messages to our fighting troops and dedicating his life to the service of the nation,” Benipayo, who is also the author of the book entitled, “Honor: The Legacy of Jose Abad Santos,” said.
She also told the story of Zahara, whom she described as a “no-read, no-write Filipino” she encountered at the immigration, who is set to work abroad as a domestic helper.
“How many Zaharas do we have in the community who are brave enough to take the risk to support their families and make their lives better? For me, those are our everyday heroes,” Benipayo said.
She urged everyone to let the stories of wellknown and unsung heroes be our inspiration as we all try to be heroes of this nation in our own small ways.
“Let the lives and sacrifices of our heroes be instilled in our hearts and minds for in honoring them, we also honor ourselves. Let us strive to emulate their values and virtues for they are what define us as a nation,” she said.
