As we look back to our history, it is imperative to mention certain individuals, groups and

organizations that were influential to the development of our nation. These people are those we
consider as heroes. This was the focus of the weeks NSTP. The gist was that certain people or groups of
people took initiative to fight for what they thought was right and best for our country. The trend in our
history is that when Filipinos felt the oppression, selfishness and ignorance of rulers, they made their
voices be heard and took action for the sake of the majority.
As we all know, the Philippines was subjected to a lot of barriers that curtailed the rights and
freedom of the people. During the Spanish 300 year colonization, an individual that stood out was
Andres Bonifacio. As we celebrate his 150
th
year of birth, we also remember his patriotism and
contributions to our independence. In spite of his lack of education and low social class, Bonifacio did
not let his personal handicaps hinder him from fighting for our independence. He taught himself the
ideals that enlightened him to start the Katipuneros, the successful anti-colonization organization that
not only freed us from the Spanisards but also influenced other countries to start their own revolution
against colonizers. Others such as Jose Rizal, the Illustrados, and Filipino priests fought for equality with
the Spaniards. These people were persecuted by the Spaniards and though they did not fight for our
independence, they were still instrumental in kindling the hearts of other Filipinos such as the
Katipuneros. In a more recent occurrence, another oppressor that the Filipinos experienced was Marcos
the dictator. Though a very effective president, Marcos, much like our colonizers, also curtailed the
rights of the Filipinos and silenced all those who opposed him. We honor the martyrs of the People
Power in the Bantayog ng mga Bayani located in Quezon Avenue. A shining example was Ninoy Aquino
who fought for democracy in the Philippines and was persecuted for his nationalistic ideals. He was
imprisoned and later on assassinated. His death initiated the People Power, a revolution that aims to
fight for democracy. Though this revolution was threatened by the Marcos administration with its
militaristic ways, it was successful in overthrowing the government and gaining democracy.
Clearly, the Filipinos would not let themselves be oppressed by others. We can expect heroes to
retaliate when there is a need to defend our people. This was seen through the actions of our National
heroes that stood out in our fight for independence and democracy. Though we recognize leaders and
initiators such as Bonifacio, Rizal and Aquino as true heroes, we should not forget those who fought
along them. These people may not have been as famous as our National Heroes, but they were still part
of the revolutions and therefore heroes that fought as hard as our famous heroes.