Remembering the departed on the Net

Who are the Filipinos who have made a difference?

Their ranks are legion. From Lapu-Lapu to the 10,000 desaparacidos of martial law, Filipinos great and small have offered their services and sometimes their lives for the good of the nation.

A website was launched this week dedicated to commemorating Filipinos who have passed away. Lest they be forgotten, those who log on can read a brief history of the exemplary lives they lived.

The site is apolitical. The martyrs of martial law, for example, share the same space as outstanding military men and women who served with distinction. Some names like Benigno Aquino Jr. will never be forgotten. Others will be recalled with fondness only by those who lived through a certain period, like Voltaire Garcia.

Who were Jose Torres Bugallon, Restituto Javier or Pedro Bukaneg? The site will say.

For those curious why a school, park or street was named after a seemingly unknown individual, the site will give a necessary backgrounder. The list includes politicians, civil servants, artists, athletes, businessmen, soldiers, the whole gamut of society.

Nor is it limited to those who fought great causes.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are often referred to as the Philippines’ modern-day heroes. Those who worked with distinction have a place in the site. Among the more memorable, at least to the public, are the likes of the Hong Kong-based OFW who gave her life to save her ward. Her sad fame was short-lived.

The website Cyberpantheon.com was launched precisely so that Filipinos will not forget.

It was created to provide in cyberspace a place to pay tribute to honorable Filipinos who have passed away.

Biographies, eulogies, poems, letters and mementoes of and for the departed will be available for all interested parties. One of the most memorable: "The Filipino is worth dying for."

Like a newspaper or a magazine, space is offered for families to remember their departed at affordable rates. The advantage of being listed is that cyberspace spans the world.

Filipinos abroad can still link up with their past and their heritage via the website.

The site is not limited to mere listings, though. It also provides a wide range of related services. For those who recently passed away, it provides an online obituary page.

Referrals such as funerals, caskets, cremation services, florists and everything related to this turning point in one’s life are also listed. Ditto with dedications, advertisements, sponsorships and pre-need planning.

Assistance in website designing is offered, too, at Cyberpantheon.com, as well as registration of separate domain names.