ILOILO City – Filipino freedom fighters in the past offered their lives for the country’s liberty.
The present time, however, does not require one to die to become a hero, stressed Joyce Christine Colon, history professor at the West Visayas State University.
“It is not only about dying for our country when the occasion calls for it but also how we live for our country,” Colon said during the Dec. 30, 2019 commemoration here of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal.
Rizal showed the Filipinos that everyone has the capacity of becoming a hero, said Colon, by giving his or her best service to the community.
The professor also hailed as a good sign the increase of participants in the yearly commemoration of Rizal’s martyrdom.
On Monday, Ilonggos from all walks of life gathered at Plaza Libertad in front of the hero’s over a century-old life-size statue.
“Ilonggos do not forget to celebrate the greatness of our national hero and based on my observation, we have a lot of attendees. This simply means that this celebration is important to us Filipinos, especially to us Ilonggos,” said Colon.
Present during the event were war veterans from this city and the province of Iloilo, educators, youths, and socio-civic organizations, among others.
“Even the ordinary people are here. This is an occasion where we can gather together regardless of our status or our educational attainment. This is something that we Ilonggos actually look forward to,” said Colon.
She challenged the attendees to look beyond the names, dates, and places in history and reflect the significance of heroes like Rizal in the 21st century.
Rizal was executed by firing squad in Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park) in Manila by Spanish authorities on Dec. 30, 1896.
He was widely deemed to have inspired the revolution seeking to free the Philippines from Spanish colonization. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
