EDITORIAL— The silent heroes

The Cebu City Council recently approved a resolution honoring a homeless woman who was known for feeding stray animals but who was killed in a vehicular accident in Barangay Labangon earlier this month.

Those who are familiar with Cebu City’s streets may have seen an old woman always walking steadily despite her back bent with age, always dragging a trolley behind her with a sack full of cat or dog kibble to feed any stray animal she comes across.

She was Ana Garcia, 94, known by her acquaintances as “Nanay Ana”. And while she was homeless, she wasn’t helpless or idle; she was always up and about to carry out what she considered her work.

That ended after she was struck by a driver in Sitio Lower Bonbonan, Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, around 1:20 A.M. last June 12. She was hit by the vehicle and dragged several meters.

The driver said he mistook her for a cat; something which can be considered ironic, tragic, yet somehow fitting all at the same time.

Now the tributes are pouring in, including this resolution from Councilor Pablo Labra.

"Her life stands as a powerful reminder that compassion knows no social status and that even those with the least resources can make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of others, whether human or animal,” part of the resolution read.

However, some netizens also said she should have been honored while she was still alive and doing her work.

Yes, they are right. We should have recognized her work while she was still alive. But we are all human and prone to mistakes, and one mistake that too many of us make too often is not valuing or recognizing those who deserve it until they are gone.

Indeed, not all heroes wear capes, or rush into burning buildings to pull people out, or make sure those involved in accidents get to the hospital immediately, or fight against the worst criminals society has to offer. Some heroes quietly walk around the city, feeding animals that have been abandoned, lost, or have never known how it feels to be taken care of.