CEBU CITY, Philippines— Modern day heroes.
What comes to mind when you think of heroes? And what do you appreciate most about them?
Is it their gesture to somehow help save humanity?
A hero is described as someone who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good.
We may not always notice their contributions to society, but many started to take the challenge of making self-sacrifices for the greater good when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The medical frontliners are the most visible heroes that we see in our fight against the pandemic.
We salute them and we give them a lot of credit for all the sacrifices that they have so far made.
But there are also those, who are not often recognized for the sacrifices that they make.
As we celebrate National Heroes Day, let’s give a round of applause to our “invisible” heroes.
Farmers— without these hardworking modern-day heroes, we would not have anything to put on our tables on a day-to-day basis. They have endured poverty and the ill effects of the pandemic to make sure that the country will continue to have a stable food supply and for them to be able to feed their respective families.
Delivery truck drivers and helpers— there is a need to move produce from the farms and fish ports all over the country to our markets. Without our delivery truck drivers and their helpers, food and other essential products will not reach its destinations and will not be made accessible to consumers.
Ambulance drivers and paramedics— even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, these heroes have been working on the sidelines with other medical workers. Ambulance drivers brave even the wee hours to save lives. Paramedics, on the other hand, provide emergency medical care especially to those who are fighting for their lives or those who are in need of immediate medical attention.
Sanitary personnel— we need them to ensure cleanliness in our hospitals, medical facilities, and isolation centers. They too are unsung heroes who take care of the mess left behind by those who are working to save lives.
Garbage collectors— to ensure cleanliness, we need to properly dispose garbage. And our garbage collectors make it a point to do their daily rounds to collect our trash.
Teachers— many of our teachers have been struggling when the shift from face-to-face to online classes was implemented. But they continue to strive to adopt to this new normal and make learning still fun for their pupils. 
BPO employees— they may not be directly involved in frontline services, but they continue to work to help their families and the economy during the pandemic. They risk their health as they continue to brave their respective shifts in order for them to serve their clients.
Content creators— admit it, they may not fit the usual description of a hero but content creators have been helping us lessen our anxiety. The blogs, vlogs, podcasts, and even Tiktok videos that they produce are able to provide temporary relief from all our worries.
Fitness instructors— by shifting to online classes or private classes these fitness instructors continue to make sure that we remain fit and healthy while under home quarantine. From stationary biking, yoga, boxing, they made looking good and feeling good possible even during a pandemic. 
The contributions that our ‘invisible heroes” make have been helping us survive this pandemic.
So, never forget to give them a smile and say thank for the things that they do for us. / dcb