How to Celebrate National Heroes Day at Home

25 August 2021

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National Heroes Day or Araw ng mga Bayani, is a regular national holiday that commemorates the valor of all Filipino heroes who have battled and sacrificed for the country's independence. The heroes include not just well-known figures but also individuals whose names have already been lost to history.

According to Republic Act No. 9492, National Heroes Day is a holiday with an annual celebration every last Monday of August of every year. It is an official holiday in the Philippines that honors all known and unknown Filipino heroes who have fought for the country's freedom. And for 2021, National Heroes Day will be celebrated this August 30, since it is the last Monday of the month.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, National Heroes Day as one of the regular holidays in the Philippines and is usually commemorated through parades and the laying of wreaths and flowers to remember Filipino heroes who died in the service of the Philippine nation. There were also events in local shrines and even fireworks displays. But surely, as the daily tally of Covid-19 cases increases, mass gatherings will be restricted.

National Heroes day celebration at home

Having a long weekend by having Monday as a holiday, your kids will surely be curious about why do we celebrate national heroes day in the Philippines. And answering this question will probably be more remarkable when you commemorate National Heroes day at home through these activities:

1. Watch Filipino movies about Philippine National heroes.

Here are some movies you could binge-watch this National Heroes Day:

National Heroes Day is about the country's independence by our historic heroes

Jose Rizal- a 1998 film about Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda and his romance, dignity, camaraderie, valor, and revolution. It's a classic narrative of our national hero's life as a writer, lover, son, brother, companion, doctor, propagandist, and revolutionist. Jose Rizal's life as a versatile Filipino turned nationalist, martyr, and revolutionary leader that fights for political and social reform.

Supremo- a 2012 film that highlights the revolutionary life of Katipunan leader, Andres Bonifacio.
Heneral Luna- a 2015 film showcases General Antonio Luna's stern and focused leadership during the Philippine Revolutionary Army's service in the Philippine-American War. While it began with the mighty general fighting alongside his fellowmen against the American colonizers, the iconic ending of the film, and the dark reality, stunned viewers as Luna was shot and stabbed to death by armed men.
Goyo- a 2018 film that features the story of Gregorio Del Pilar, a young general who served and died during the Philippine-American War at the historic Battle of Tirad Pass. This is also a sequel to the movie, Heneral Luna.

2. Enjoyably learn about Philippine history.

Put your knowledge of Philippine history to the test! Get everyone into a quiz bee to answer trivia questions about Philippine national heroes that you've compiled! Have the winners take some Filipino Candies that will also bring you back to childhood, such as Mik-mik, Hawhaw, White Rabbit, Potchi, or Choc Nut!

3. Spend quality time with the family to celebrate National Heroes Day.

Enjoy the public holiday with your children.

As our heroes dedicated their lives for us to enjoy freedom, let us spend it wisely by having quality time with our little heroes of the future generation, our kids. Celebrating National Heroes Day at home can be Pinoy recipes cooking. Try any of these cuisines to add a fun and savory Filipino flair to your meal!

Adobo- using soy sauce and vinegar creates the adobo signature acidity and you may use chicken or pork for meat.
Lumpiang Shanghai- ground meat mixed with carrots and onions stuffed in egg roll wrappers and deep-fried until golden, usually dipped in a sweet and sour sauce or banana catsup will do.
Kare-kare- a rich and thick peanut sauce-based Filipino stew with ox tripe o tail along with vegetables like string beans, eggplant, banana blossoms, and more.
Tinolang Manok- great tasting chicken soup with malunggay leaves.
Ginisang Monggo- Even if it's not a Friday, monggo will surely be best paired with fried fish. Pro-tip is to soak monggo beans for several hours to soften their texture.

All of these viands are best partnered with sinangag, the Filipino garlic rice, and a glass of fresh buko juice! And, of course, Filipinos are food lovers and there are many other Pinoy recipes cooking that you may check on the internet anytime. Ingredients and other materials needed for your kitchen is just a click away.

Or take some time to do artworks like drawing the Philippine flag, dressing up with Baro at Saya, and maybe learn dance steps on one of these Filipino folk dances:

Filipino people love the folk songs and folk dance of our country

Tinikling- kids will surely enjoy the challenge of dancing in three basic steps: singles, doubles, and hops in between two bamboo sticks that create rhythm will surely be fun and exciting. This Filipino folk dance imitates the movements of the tikling bird as it walks through tall grass and between tree branches.
Itik-itik- as the name says, also imitates the movement of itik or ducks.
Maglalatik- using coconut shells as part of the costume and hitting it as the dance step will also create music and rhythm. Taking a glance, this folk dance is entertaining but this dance surprisingly has a deeper meaning with four parts: two devoted to the battle and two devoted to reconciling. It's a mock war dance depicting a fight over coconut meat, a highly prized delicacy.

Another family bonding to celebrate National Heroes day at home can be playing tumbang preso, sipa, trumpo, piko, luksong baka, luksong tinik, taguan, sungka, and other Filipino games.

5. Celebrate our modern heroes.

Staying at home is a big help to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Our everyday heroes, the frontliners, will also be helped if we choose to be protected through vaccination.

Encouraging your family members to be vaccinated too is a big help as well. You may also send appreciation to our modern heroes since different organizations are also open to donating to and help them.

6. Be a hero in your own simple way.

Teaching kindness to our kids will surely make a long way. You can take this time to declutter at home and instead of throwing toys, clothes, and other reusable items can be donated to those in need. You can also participate by giving food to areas with community pantries or similar activities.

National Heroes Day is an amazing opportunity to commemorate known and unknown heroes that fought for our full independence and reflect on true heroism. Instill the essence of true kabayanihan this rainy season with the whole family and hone them to become a hero in our own simple way!

Lumina Homes celebrates 9th Pambansang Araw ng Bahay ni Juan this August

Lumina Homes also celebrates a month-long anniversary called 9th Pambansang Araw ng Bahay ni Juan. To help our OFW modern heroes choose a wise investment for their hard-earned money, Lumina Homes started the celebration with OFW Sessions, a property investment seminar with a discussion of bank financing as a housing loan option. There will also be a webinar called Luntiang Lumina this August 28. It is Lumina Homes' second year of having a nationwide urban gardening campaign that encourages Lumina residents and homeowners to grow food plants indoors or in their mini-gardens. Luntiang Lumina webinar will also be dedicated to plantitos and plantitas as a licensed agriculturist will share his expertise about urban gardening at home.

And for prospective buyers, Lumina is offering a discount of up to 1,000 pesos on your reservation price when you present your vaccination card through the promo, “Good JAB, Kabarangay!” The amount deducted from your reservation fee will be donated to a chosen charity. Aside from that, 9 Years, 9 Wins Raffle Promo for homebuyers and sellers, where nine prizes of household appliances, grocery packages, and AllEasy loads will be given out. For both home buyers, every reservation is equivalent to a raffle entry.