Explain the following.
Criteria for National Heroes: Executive Order No. 75, 1953
The notion of recognizing heroes began at 1900 when Philippine Commission approved Act No. 137 combining the Morong and Manila were known as Province of Rizal. For giving the honor for Dr. Jose Rizal from then on, some heroes commemorated everywhere in the country.
During the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, he tasked the NHC to come up with the criteria for national hero. After many years then President Fidel V. Ramos on March 28, 1993 issued Executive Order No.75 means to study and recommend the proclamation of National Heroes. After a series of through discussions the commission came up with new criteria comprising 10 points or standards:
1. The extent of person's sacrifices for the welfare of the country.
2. The motiveandmethod employed in the attainment of the ideal.
3. The moral character of the person concerned.
4. The influence of the person concerned on his age/generation and/or the succeeding ones.
5. Heroes are those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire and struggle for the nation's freedom.
6. Heroes are those who define and contribute to a system of life of freedom and order for a nation.
7. Heroes are those who contribute the quality of life and destiny of a nation.
8. A hero is a part of people's expression.
9. A hero thinks of the future especially the future generations.
10. The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or events in history but also the entire process that made this particular person as hero.
After two years of lingering debates and deliberations, the National Heroes Committee recommended the following figures as national heroes: Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Emilio Aguinaldo, Melchora Aquino, Juan Luna, Gabriela Silang, Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat
Neither Pres. Fidel V. Ramos nor any member of the administration acted on the committee’s recommendation.
Selection and Proclamation of National Heroes and Laws Honoring Filipino Historical Figures– stated that this was probably because this might trigger a flood of request for proclamations and the proclamations can trigger bitter debates involving historical controversies about the heroes.
There is no law, executive order or proclamation has been officially enacted or issued proclaiming Rizal or any other Filipino historical figures as a national hero. Thus, there were laws enacted and proclamations issued honoring some names because of their substantial roles in the process of nation-building and contributions to history.
Even Rizal was not officially proclaimed as a national hero; nonetheless, he was given an implicit recognition as his day of execution, December 30 has been made a national holiday.
Aside from him, Andres Bonifacio’s day of birth, November 30 has also been declared a national holiday, too.
In spite of the absence of any official proclamation, these historical figures remain admired and revered for their role in the Philippine history.
Historians said that heroes should not be legislated. Their appreciation should be better left to academics.
Rizal holds the status of being a universally-acclaimed Philippine national hero, partially as a tribute to the sustained veneration or acclamation of the people as acknowledgment of his contribution to the major social transformations that took place in the Philippines.
The criteria for national heroes, as outlined in Executive Order No. 75 in 1953, were established to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the welfare and development of the country. This notion of recognizing heroes started in 1900 when the Philippine Commission approved Act No. 137, which combined the provinces of Morong and Manila into the Province of Rizal and honored Dr. Jose Rizal. This act set the precedent for honoring heroes, and over time, more heroes were commemorated across the country.
During Ferdinand Marcos' presidency, the National Heroes Committee (NHC) was tasked with creating criteria for national heroes. President Fidel V. Ramos then issued Executive Order No. 75 on March 28, 1993, which aimed to study and recommend the proclamation of National Heroes. After extensive discussions, the NHC established ten criteria for determining national heroes.
These criteria include evaluating the extent of the person's sacrifices for the country, the motives and methods they employed in pursuing their ideals, their moral character, their influence on their generation and future ones, their dedication to the concept of nation and struggle for freedom, their contributions to a system of life and order, their impact on the quality of life and destiny of the nation, their representation of the people's expression, their consideration of future generations, and the overall process that made them a hero.
After two years of deliberation, the NHC recommended several figures as national heroes, including Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Emilio Aguinaldo, Melchora Aquino, Juan Luna, Gabriela Silang, and Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat.
However, despite these recommendations, neither President Fidel V. Ramos nor any member of the administration acted on them, possibly due to the potential controversies and flood of requests that might arise from proclaiming national heroes. As a result, there is no official law, executive order, or proclamation declaring Rizal or any other Filipino historical figures as national heroes.
Nevertheless, Rizal and other historical figures are still widely admired and respected for their contributions to Philippine history. Rizal, in particular, holds the status of being a universally-acclaimed national hero due to the sustained veneration and recognition of his role in the country's social transformations. Though not officially proclaimed, certain days associated with these figures, such as Rizal's day of execution (December 30) and Bonifacio's birth (November 30), have been declared national holidays to honor their significance. Ultimately, the appreciation and recognition of heroes are best left to academics and historians rather than legislated.