NHCP codifies criteria for 'hero'

MANILA – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Board of Commissioners has issued a resolution adopting the criteria for an individual to be declared a "hero."

In a public advisory on Monday, the NHCP said it recognizes the codified criteria of a hero set by the Philippine Historical Committee and the National Heroes Commission in 1965, and by the Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee in 1993 and 1995.

"The Commission has been using the said criteria in identifying personages of historical significance, which the Board of Commissioners have officially codified in a resolution signed on December 13, 2023. It should be noted that while it was inspired by the criteria set by the predecessor committees, modifications were also made by the Board of Commissioners," it said.

However, NHCP underscored the adoption of the criteria would not lead to the officialization of heroes.

It also maintained the philosophy that the hero is a product of public acclaim and time, and should not be legislated.

The criteria include the person's sacrifices for the welfare of the country, the motive and the methods employed in the attainment of the ordeal, the moral character of the person concerned, and the influence of the person concerned on his age and/or the succeeding age.

"Heroes are those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire and struggle for the nation's freedom," the NHCP said.

"Heroes are those who define and contribute to a system or life of freedom and order for a nation. Freedom without any order will only lead to anarchy."

The NHCP said heroes contribute to the quality of life and destiny of a nation; think of the future, especially the future generations; and are part of the people's expression.

"The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or events in history but of the entire process that made this particular person a hero," it added. (PNA)