Everyday heroes: The people who help make the world a better place

On National Heroes' Day, we remember and celebrate the men and women who stood up and made a difference in a difficult time, and helped liberate the Philippines.

But people do not need to make noble sacrifices on a national scale to be heroes. There are heroes among us—they live with us, work with us, commute to work or school with us every day. With no fanfare or recognition, they help make society a better place through their work and the positive way they live their lives.

Here are some of them.

From beneficiary to aid worker

Camarines Sur native Evelyn Asaldo, known by her nickname Nay Belen, made pawid (nipa shingles) to supplement her husband's meager income as a fisherman. They made P150 a day combined.

When Typhoon Reming hit in late 2006, Nay Belen's family was chosen as a beneficiary of projects implemented by CARE Nederland and non-government organization Assistance and Cooperation for Community Resilience and Development (ACCORD).

Intrigued by ACCORD's capacity-building projects in the barangay, Nay Belen volunteered her services. She helped prepare workshop materials and encouraged neighbors and friends to attend the activities. Seeing her potential, the ACCORD staff asked Nay Belen to undergo further training as a community facilitator.

In 2011, with ACCORD ending its projects in the area, Nay Belen became a community organizer for the municipality's solid waste management program.

A year later, though, ACCORD offered Nay Belen a full-time job. According to a press release from the organization, Nay Belen recalled asking herself, "Why me? Can I do it?" But she accepted the job with her family's blessing, and left Camarines Sur for the first time in her life.

Since then, Nay Belen has worked in Isabela province on ACCORD's Scale Up Build Up (SUBU) project and in Aklan as part of emergency response aid for victims of Typhoon Yolanda. One of her tasks was to validate the selection of beneficiaries.

"I enjoyed it, because I was able to go house to house and meet people like me. To be able to help them was a blessing," she says.

Worth all the hardship

Christian humanitarian advocacy and relief organization World Vision has helped victims of calamities worldwide, including the Philippines. Its aid workers have seen things and lived through events that have taken a physical and emotional toll on them—from seeing the devastation up close to risking their own lives and seeing people die of starvation or disease.

"Sometimes, I had to go to a corner to catch my breath and fight away tears. There’s no getting used to sharing tales of destruction, of seeing children and families suffer. Relief workers are not insulated from the difficulties of our people—we feel their hunger and thirst, their pain and loss," emergency communications specialist Aaron Aspi said in a press release from World Vision.

But seeing the difference their help makes is what makes it all worthwhile. "Every relief pack we distribute means one less worry item for the thousands who were displaced," he says. "To me, it meant hungry children won’t have to beg in the streets and work in peril to help their families. Since we distribute enough to last them for two weeks, it meant that at least for that period of time, they won’t have to worry about what to eat or drink. I also know how important it is for someone who has lost his home to have a decent mat and blanket to sleep in. It is imperative that we make them feel that even if they’re survivors, their dignity is still of utmost value to us."

World Vision field communicator Crislyn Felisilda sees her work as "a calling."

"Your safety is at risk all the time. But, this job motivates me to genuinely help," she says. "For me, being a humanitarian and development worker is a calling, not just a job. Sometimes, there seems be no sharp distinction between work and life, between my interests, passion, and job description. There is an upside to a work that you are passionate about, not simply doing it because you are getting paid for it."

Despite the hardship, Crislyn adds, being a relief worker is "the best job in the world."

"It’s interesting, challenging, exhilarating, and fulfilling. In my humble way, I believe I contribute in making children and families to live better. That’s tremendously powerful and motivating, and it’s what keeps me doing this. This kind of work is unique and does not happen every day."

Helping poor kids get an education

Edward Labuguen was an overseas Filipino worker for 10 years. While working in Japan in 2010, he organized a charity concert for typhoon victims in Abra. It was also during this time that he decided to focus his charitable work on helping poor, rural children get an education.

In 2012, Edward, now back in the Philippines, was hired by Convergys Makati as a call center agent. However, he has continued his advocacy work, helping underprivileged students using his own resources and those of friends and colleagues.

According to a press release from Convergys, Edward has organized the donation of school supplies to primary and elementary schools in La Paz, Abra; feeding programs and financial assistance for students in remote barangays in the same province; and a Christmas celebration for street children in Pasay City.

It’s not about money, says Edward. "It’s the desire to give and share blessings to others that counts. Whoever you are, whatever your status, you can always do your share."

Being a hero also means living a productive, meaningful life with a positive attitude, as demonstrated by Edward's fellow Convergys employees Mildred dela Cruz, a polio-stricken single mom who is raising her 18-year-old son and whose mantra is "never give up"; and Abigail Boie, who has a sunny, "can-do" outlook as she hosts events and sells baked goods while also working at the call center. Even seemingly little things can make all the difference in the world. — BM, GMA News