Loving our country

Yesterday, our nation marked the 129th anniversary of the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal at Bagumbayan.

- DR. JUN YNARES

We mark this event at a time when many of our countrymen are experiencing serious disappointment over the unfolding saga of infrastructure project-related controversies, where several national government agencies, political personalities, and prominent contractors have been linked. As a result, we have seen a good number of social media habitues posting the comment, “Pilipinas, ang hirap mong mahalin. (Philippines, it is so hard to love you.)”

This sentiment invites us to reflect on the character and role of Filipinos like Dr. Jose Rizal, whom we consider “heroes.” In the midst of our collective disappointment, our “heroes” show us that we must love our country no matter how difficult that task might be.

We ask, at the end of the day, what is a hero? Dictionaries define a hero as one who is admired for his or her courage or for his or her noble traits.

We honor one who is considered a hero for either one of two things: for what he or she has done, or for what he or she is - or was - in life. Both show their unconditional love for the country.