EDITORIAL - Acts of heroism

Today the nation marks the 158th birth anniversary of a man whose poverty and oppressed circumstances did not prevent him from improving himself and pursuing revolutionary ideas for change. Andres Bonifacio unfortunately became a victim of his own compatriots, and was executed together with his brother Procopio in an internal power struggle that weakened the revolution against Spain.

A century and a half later, Bonifacio’s yearning for change that could lead to a better life for Filipinos particularly the working class continues to resonate. While the armed struggle that he espoused is frowned upon in a democracy, the pursuit of social justice continues.

Like the other heroes of the revolution, his readiness to risk his life for a higher cause also continues to provide inspiration. Today, 158 years since Bonifacio’s birth, there is no more colonial power needing to be ousted through a heroic armed struggle. But an unprecedented global health crisis is raising the need for heroic acts on a day-to-day basis.

COVID-19 has sickened, debilitated and killed millions around the world. At the forefront of the battle against COVID are the heroes of the pandemic: the doctors, nurses and other health workers who put their lives and those of their loved ones on the line to save others.

Ordinary people, however, can also be heroes of the pandemic. Health experts have detailed the protocols that can prevent coronavirus transmission, regardless of the variant: masking, physical distancing, hand hygiene and vaccination. These protocols complement border controls as well as aggressive and efficient testing and contact tracing.

While masking is uncomfortable and social distancing abnormal and disastrous for many businesses, people have become used to these protocols. With vaccination rising and infections going down in Metro Manila and other high-risk areas in the country, people have become lax in both compliance with the safety protocols and enforcement of basic rules particularly masking and distancing in public places.

This laxity can put the nation at risk as the world confronts a rapidly spreading new variant called Omicron, which experts warn could be more transmissible than the deadly Delta strain. COVID containment has always been about saving both lives and livelihoods. By avoiding acts that put oneself and others at risk of sickness and even death, every person can be a hero. It would be a good way of paying tribute to heroes like Andres Bonifacio.