Hero of D Day: Because There's A Hero in All of Us

Wazzup Pilipinas!

I do believe that man is basically good. We are not war freaks that wreak havoc and chaos whenever we feel molested or treated badly. We are mostly reserved, modest and humble in both our attitude and our action. But what triggers us to do evil ways is an enigma that continues to puzzle me every time I hear a crime committed by a man against his fellow human beings.

I would like to believe there are more good news rather than the negative ones. Media has a way of being attracted to the terrible stories of hatred, lust and greed, sometimes extreme depression or passion, or that need to survive in a world where the rich continue to flourish and the poor remains an "isang-kahig-isang-tuka" living being whose only hope for survival means to cheat, rob, or kill.

This is why we also need to highlight the heroes within our midst. They need to be recognized and rewarded with even just a simple "Thank You", a handshake or a smile. We need more heroes to become an example so that others may follow their traits. We need more heroes to shine and be remembered so that this world will be more grateful of their efforts.

The Hero of D Day (HODD) organization aims to tell stories of heroism of even ordinary citizens doing what seems to be simple yet significant. Every simple act should be recognized and appreciated to encourage more people to do the same.

At a meetup dubbed as "Hero of D Day Huddle: Zero to Hero: A Hero Sharing Boot Camp"
held at the Commune Cafe and Bar in Makati, we set upon a task to share stories of these heroes for everyone to acknowledge.

According to the Facebook page, Hero of D Day aims to be a multi-talented and diversified community of heroes for, with, and to heroes. It also would like to be a recognized media leader of transformative action through stories, programs, and alliances, and a conscientious and consistent catalyst of social change that brings out the hero in all of us.

"Hero Of D Day (HODD) is a social media organization driven by the belief that there is a hero in all of us. Focusing the lens on the everyday hero, HODD recognizes acts of heroism, great or small, by collecting stories and publishing them online."

To help us share the great stories about heroes around us, the HODD team invited three speakers to talk about different topics that could help us in creating better articles by way of incorporating better photos and content.

Andy Samaniego

Andy Samaniego, a commercial lifestyle photographer and visual artist, gave tips on taking artful photos using a smart phone.

Since smartphones have become so high-end especially in the quality and resolution of photos, some people are using it as a handy and more convenient alternative to take photos. Andy shared a few tips and actual demonstrations using one of the HODD members as subject.

Eric Melendez

Eric Melendez, a writer and researcher for non-profit organizations, a contributor for Esquire Philippines, and a renowned fictionist, spoke about writing for social causes and how to creatively tell a story.

Our stories need to be as creative as possible to attract more attention and reach a wider audience.

Karen Galarpe

Karen Galarpe, the City Editor for GMA News Online, presented social media writing tactics.

Since social media is very engaging especially for us Filipinos who spend most of our time online due to easy connectivity via our Internet-capable smartphones, we should take advantage of the power of social media to share our stories to the world.

Thank you to Andy, Karen and Eric for sharing their knowledge to the fellow heroes of the day, and to Tim, the founder of HODD, for creating this organization.

HODD was founded by passionate professionals from media, marketing, social enterprise, and information technology wanting to affect change. Helping with the cause are student volunteer groups from academic institutions and various concerned citizens from different industries and sectors."

The HODD organization aims to broaden our mindset "for people to recognize the hero in all of us and become everyday heroes themselves by being mindful of the abounding good around them, being grateful for these, and being inspired to pay it forward."

More than 20 heroes were pr4esent that day and we do hope that more and more people will join us in bringing out the heroes around us. We start to find heroes by being heroes ourselves. In this little way, we are actually becoming heroes out to do a good cause for the betterment of the community.

I appreciate the certificate given to each one of us as a reminder that we have been part of a noble goal.

Thank you HODD for the opportunity to make our first move towards more fruitful acts in finding heroes among us.

Let us visit HODD at www.heroofdday.org to share your story or be inspired by acts of heroism and kindness through their HODD stories.