Heroes are humans, too.

This was how historians described heroes during the symposium “Bayani Ba’to?: being x becoming” on Aug. 29 at the DL Umali Hall.

The symposium, attended mostly by students taking up history courses, brought to the fore the humanness of heroes and broke stereotypes about them.

“Tao rin ang mga bayani: kung minsan nagkukulang, kung minsan nagkakamali,” said Dr. Roderick Javar, head of the History Division of the Department of Social Sciences of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS-DSS).

“Ang mahalaga ay ang oras at talinong kanilang ginamit para sa kapakanan ng nakakarami,” he said.

“May takot din ang mga bayani. Hindi nga lamang nila hinahayaang mangibabaw ang takot na ito,” Dr. Javar added.

Guest historian John Ray Ramos, who advocated critical thinking in looking at the past and at the present, also urged the audience to recognize the flaws of heroes.

“Ang gagawin natin ay kukuha tayo ng aral mula sa kanilang mga ginawa – mula sa mga tagumpay,  mga kabiguan, at maling desisyon ng ating mga bayani,” Ramos suggested.

Ramos also cited the known imperfections of popular heroes, such as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Antonio Luna, and Gregorio del Pilar.

Del Pilar, a young general during the Philippine-American War and commonly known as the “Hero of Tirad Pass,” is the featured hero in the upcoming film “Goyo.”

“Goyo” is the second installment of the trilogy of films that feature leaders and milestones during the American colonial period. The first was the critically acclaimed “Heneral Luna.”

During the symposium, “Goyo’s” trailer and its prequel entitled “Angelito” were shown to the audience.

“Bayani Ba’to?: being x becoming” was organized by DAKILA, Active Vista, and TBA Studios, in cooperation with the DSS-CAS and Upsilon Sigma Phi. It was also held in different universities in the country.

Present during the symposium were Assoc. Prof. Dwight David Diestro, chair of DSS; Khrisma Soliven, education director of Active Vista, and Cha Roque, organizing director of DAKILA. (Mark Jayson E. Gloria)