We should promote BAYANIHAN in the country by empowering ordinary people to be responsible citizens, who are willing to help others in need in times of crisis, to achieve a common goal, more so to save lives.

Bayanihan is an excellent traditional practice that actually happens when we see common people join forces to help a member of the community, the whole community, or the nation in troubled times.

These extraordinary people do not really expect something in return, or to be celebrated as heroes for they believe helping others is what they ought to do best.

Coming from the word bayani, Bayanihan is essentially inviting everyone to do a hero’s work collectively as a team, for a hero is someone who truly loves his people, his bayan, the community, and the nation. We often hear the phrase Bayanihan spirit in times of catastrophes.

This occurs when we know about other people who instantly became heroes as they have helped victims of disasters. In the spirit of Bayanihan, don’t people feel good when helping others with no strings attached? Or, when we see the tremendous outpouring of support for each other in the most difficult moments?

What if there’s a fire in your neighborhood? The unsung hero sees the incident and acts on it quickly before it gets worse. By instinct, that hero rushes to communicate directly with the nearest emergency responder – the fire station, in the hopes of rescue arriving at the quickest possible time.

Indeed, empowering the people through Bayanihan will be a game-changer not only for the community but the entire nation as well. Isn’t it time to help save more lives faster with everyone getting involved in the spirit of Bayanihan?