Celebrating our Homemade Heroes

MANILA, Philippines – With faith, passion, and support from a loving home, anyone can be a hero.

This is what we learned from those who joined the We Are Homemade Awards, a crowdsourcing initiative launched by Tang and Rappler.

From December 23, 2016 to January 25, 2017, Tang invited Filipino families to share stories of how effort, love, and sacrifice can transform child into a Homemade Hero.

Hundreds posted anecdotes on overcoming challenges, illnesses, or financial difficulty.

 

From these, five were chosen to receive P70,000 each and P5,000 worth of school supplies.

Get to know the inspiring stories of the winners below.

Herpha Tejero Obod-Relativo: A story of hope

Herpha Tejero Obod-Relativo, a Civil Engineering graduate, founded the HOPE Scholarship program for indigent children.

Growing up in a poor household, Herpha witnessed all the sacrifices her parents made just to put her and her brother through school. She says that her father, Clarito Obod, inspired her to be a hero in her own way.

“Our situation molded me to be strong,” Herpha wrote in her entry. “Dad [would] always say, ‘I am not smart, I barely passed my English subject. But you are gifted with a heart and a brain, Anak. You will graduate, be successful, and help others someday.’”

Now married and with a daughter of her own, Herpha looks forward to helping more children break free from the cycle of poverty.

Skye Laurel: A small girl with a big heart 

9-year-old Skye Laurel was nominated by her mother, Sheila Laurel, for displaying selflessness and unconditional love at a young age. 

“[She’s] the hero of our household, a source of great inspiration to many of our customers, friends, and family members,” Sheila says.

When Skye was only three years old, her older brother was diagnosed with an illness. Even then, Sheila recounts how Skye was able to grasp the situation like an adult, and make sacrifices of her own.  

Now, Skye helps her mom mix colored yarn threads. They call the product SkyeLine and they sell it through a crochet community on Facebook. The earnings fund her brother’s medical expenses.

“She has contributed a lot to her kuya’s health,” Sheila says.

Through her daughter, Sheila says that she learned how to be forgiving, selfless, and to put family first.

The Valdez Family: Love is enough

“Our children are our homemade heroes, because they continue to remind us that love and understanding are enough,” writes Farrah Valdez.

Two of Farrah’s children, Jansen and Johan, are diagnosed with autism. Together with her husband, an MMDA employee and musician, she’s determined to provide the best for them, every day. But it’s not always easy, and there are times when resources and patience would run short.

At the end of the day, her children show her that parenthood doesn’t have to be so hard. 

“They taught me to be patient, to be grateful, to smile, to love no matter what, and to reach out to God,” Farrah says.

Djade Neri: Keeping compassion alive

Patrick Neri’s family used to spend Christmas Day out on the streets, giving out bags of food and materials to the less fortunate.

It was an activity started by his father, until he passed away in 2004 – on the day after Christmas, no less.

“For seven years we shunned Christmas celebrations,” Patrick says.

It was his sister, Djade Neri Cardona, who took up the lead in reviving the family tradition five years ago.

Patrick considers Djade as his Homemade Hero because she inspired her whole family to keep the spirit of giving alive.

“Djade has taken on Papa’s compassion, and has honed her daughter Icy and her younger brother Zaki in serving the less fortunate children of their neighborhood,” Patrick says.

Djade has also put up an education center in their hometown, where school children can do their home work and receive free school supplies. Some of these kids also receive stipends from a para-church organization so they can go to school.

The Placio Family: Fear nothing

Lorenzo Espiritu Placio grew up in a perya where his parents, Lorenzo Sr. and Rosemarie, ran a haunted house attraction.

Together with his four brothers, he learned to do his fair share of work on the site, scaring visitors with various costumes or sound effects.

“We saw it as a way to entertain people, and at the same time, pursue our studies,” Lorenzo says.

Lorenzo is proud of the fact he and his siblings were all able to finish school and land good jobs. He says that they owe it all to their parents, who strived to teach them the right values on the job. 

From being peryantes, Lorenzo and his brothers now lead better lives as a chemist, programmer, software engineers, and a journalist.

“Now, all five of us are in a good place in life,” he says.

The stories of Herpha, Sheila, Farrah, Patrick, and Lorenzo prove that every child has the potential to become a hero, with the support of a loving home.

Tang and Rappler invite families to continue sharing their Homemade Heroes stories to inspire fellow Filipinos. 

The Homemade Hero entries appeared on a special Rappler microsite, along with personal stories from CNN SuperHero finalist Efren Peñaflorida  and celebrity moms Melissa Ricks, Dimples Romana, Melai Cantiveros, Karla Estrada, and Denise Laurel. – Rappler.com