Whilce Portacio comments on "Looking for Heroes"
Hey,
I for one thank you for sharing your thoughts...even tho' I was raised here in the US, I as a Filipino also share your final thoughts. Where are our heroes? In fact, I have been trying to no avail to convey in words and thoughts that a Filipino audience could understand some of these same thoughts that you have shared with all of us.
My perspective would be mostly concentrating on the view that I wish that Filipino's as a culture, as a people would take to heart the lesson in hero cherishing that America is showing to the world and has been showing to the world for decades. The one thing that motivates every American whether you are born to it, or naturalized to it, or are in the process of gaining that status is the love and value of heroes.
From the second America realized that those video images we watched live on TV were actually real, America went actively hunting for Heroes. Throughout its history this has been a country which takes value time in looking for heroes amongst its population to put on that pillar of praise. The movie "Saving Private Ryan" actually happened. There actually was (in the middle of wartime) a division in the US military whose only purpose was to find and publicize our war heroes. When they found an actual hero and he was still alive, he was given a medal and they sent him back home before he could get killed, so that he would bring back the honor and pride of his accomplishments back to his fellow Americans. That kind of an example is powerful and is personified in all those firemen who were killed at the WTC's and those still struggling to find the bodies of those still buried there. They know as they go about their dangerous jobs that they might not make it thru the day and they do it willingly because they know that they will be remembered. For some who had imperfect lives here was a chance in one fell swoop to erase all the bad and mistakes and bath in the good of all. For a vast majority it was just like second thought to wallow into danger because they grew up on this mythos, this living mythos that America honors, cherishes, and loves its heroes.
You watch TV and news now and you see everywhere praise for the fallen and prideful stories of bravery, and honor being bestowed on all of them. All the news crews in the country are hungry to find the best, the bravest hero.
I look back to the recent flashpoints in Philippine history and find little evidence, not of heroes (I am sure there are countless everyday hero's) but what I find little of is the hunger to find and recognize those heroes. What is missing is the desire to find heroes amongst our own. I even remember the few instances of people recollecting the bravery of so-and-so but that followed immediately by derogatory remarks and jokes. When someone makes it big or becomes famous the person is toted as being "kuripot", "mayabang", or "bakla". In other words he made it big only by becoming one of the three. Talent, perseverance, and hard work had nothing to do with it.
This shows in the fact that retired writers, actors, politicians, doctors, policemen, etc. are not sought after to give up of their experiences to train the young, but instead are thrown away and left to wither and die. Thereby teaching the lesson that to strive, to become the best is not worth it.
It shows in the fact that other than Jose Rizal we have no books proclaiming to the whole world who our worthy are. Even the books on Jose Rizal make him out to be a superman, so much so that how can the everyday Filipino ever hope to become like him. To strive for his life.
I rattle on but let me end with my hope. That creative people like you and I never stop to create the hero's, to praise the hero's and their lives. I would only hope (since we are such a small voice) that the editorial newspaper writers and the anchor newspeople, and our current historians
start to realize the importance in nation building a "hero" serves. Hero's are the foundation of national pride. History bears me out. Look at all the countries and civilizations that have achieved greatness and you will find countless heroes. Every country that you may think of as weak you will find an absence of heroes. The strongest of countries you will find a history filled with heroes and an eagerness to proclaim them.
We Filipino's are a proud and thoughtful people respected around the world for our kindness and respect we have for other peoples and cultures...when will we respect ourselves enough to find and proclaim our own real everyday hero's???
...Whilce...