THE HANDS THAT HEALED A NATION

Some heroes fight with guns, some write with all their might, and others heal through the gift of their hands. Amidst battles of life and death, heroism is not always found in gunfire but in compassion’s strength. From the beacon of hope, Josefa Llanes Escoda, to the Angels of Bataan who stood strong, history reveals a kaleidoscope of courageous forms in the name of service. Today, one question still lingers: what really makes someone a hero?

Travelling back in time, National Heroes Day was first mandated on October 28, 1931, under R.A. No. 3827 during the presidency of Manuel L. Quezon. Years later, Former President Elpidio Quirino moved the observance to the last Sunday of August through Administrative Order No. 190, s. 1952. Eventually, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Republic Act No. 9492, shifting the holiday to the nearest Monday or Friday—giving Filipinos time for leisure, a moment to become a tourist of our own country, and most importantly, time to honor the sacrifices of those who shaped our nation and helped define our Philippine identity. 

One answer can be found by looking back to World War II, in the story of a remarkable Filipina heroine—Josefa Llanes Escoda, or simply Pepa. Not only was she a great member of the suffrage movement, but she was also an advocate for education and women’s rights. She was coined as the ‘Florence Nightingale of the Philippines’ and was also remembered for founding the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. But, beyond these recognitions, her heroism was seen in her passion to help her countrymen. Through the National Federation of Women’s Clubs (NWFC), she trained women on setting up emergency aid centers and food preservation. She, along with her husband, also created a line of communication between war prisoners and their loved ones by establishing a coffee shop near the Cabanatuan prison to secretly gather information. In one of her last statements, she said: “I have done my duty to my country and God!… If you happen to survive, and I fail, tell our people that the women of the Philippines did their part also in making the ember sparks of truth and liberty alive till the last moment.” Today, Escoda’s visage appears on the 1000-peso bill as a lasting reminder of her bravery and a legacy of inspiration that continues to live on through generations.

One is good, many are better, but many united with one goal are unbreakable. Together with Escoda were the women from the Army Nurse and Navy Nurse Corps, remembered as the Angels of Bataan and Corregidor. Even after being captured in 1942 at the Santo Tomas Camp and held as prisoners of war, the light in their hearts never dimmed. Day and night, they endlessly provided care and spread hope, while quietly fighting their own battles. As Lieutenant Mildred Dalton Manning, one of the Angels of Bataan, once said: “I have always known that if I could survive that, I could survive anything.” These words echoed in Manning’s heart and gave her strength to overcome hardships under the Japanese regime, which served as a reminder of their heroism until the end.  It was later in 1980 that they were honored with a bronze plaque at the Mount Samat Shrine in Bataan for their noble service to the nation.

Today, the enduring legacy of Josefa Llanes Escoda and the Angels of Bataan is not trapped in history, but it breathes in our present. It should not just be remembered today, but commemorated every day. Heroism does not always look like soldiers on the battlefield; heroism can also be seen in nurses and medical professionals standing tirelessly on the frontlines, teachers passing on knowledge to today’s youth, OFWs working far away to provide for their families, and writers using pens and paper to ignite revolution. Sometimes, it even reflects in strangers we pass by, in small or grand ways that touch our lives forever. And most of the time, it could even be the person we see in the mirror–someone who remains strong despite everything, who may not fully know their own purpose, yet, in one way or another, has touched another person’s life. True heroism is not about the names written in history, but in the lives changed, and in people's courage to be heroes for themselves and for one another.