WE are supposed to be celebrating National Heroes’ Day today.

There is reason why it is in the plural form: There were many brave,  brilliant, and fiercely patriotic men and women who loved and served their country and paid the ultimate price for such devotion.

Today we remember them and should be reminded of their nationalism, the fruits of which we continue to enjoy – liberty, democracy,  justice, and progress.

The other reason why “heroes” was used was that these patriots also included women, the latest we lost recently being Dr. Fe del Mundo, the great pediatrician, national scientist, and humanitarian.

And quite interestingly, a socio-civic organization of women is also celebrating the birth of its founder this week – Soroptimist.

Indeed, there is much reason to celebrate and reflect on the heroism of not only departed patriots but also present-day individuals, professionals, and socio-civic organizations helping others help themselves like the Soroptimist.  

And so we join Soroptimists all over the country  in celebrating Soroptimist Week, to commemorate the August 30 birthday of their founder, Mariquita S. Castelo, a remarkable woman who dedicated her whole life to volunteerism, reaching out to marginalized women in barangays, and mentoring Filipino women  executives, honing their skills for leadership positions in the largest and most proactive women’s  volunteer organization in the world .  

Soroptimist membership, comprising over 100,000 women in management and the professions who are leaders in their communities, spanning 127 countries in seven continents — are women of all ages, cultures, and ethnic groups drawn together by a common unique mission: to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world, a goal and aspiration to which they lend their vast energy , resources, insights, and compassion.

Soroptimist is reputed for its SERVICE orientation. Throughout its 90-year existence internationally ( 45 years in the Philippines), hundreds of women and girls worldwide have become beneficiaries of Soroptimist caring and sharing.

In the Philippines Region, 80 Clubs nationwide simultaneously deliver volunteer services to their adopted barangays and adopted National Police-Women’s and Children’s Desks throughout the year. Services  range from livelihood skills training for barangay women and female inmates in city jails , breast-cancer screening and treatment, integrated health programs, feeding programs for girls three to eight years old, raisng sex-trafficking awareness campaigns and rescue operations for women and girls/victims, rehabilitation of female drug-abuse victims, educational scholarships for poor but deserving female students, lobbying for environmental concerns, conducting and funding disaster-relief operations, and related initiatives and interventions.

Whew! Such a broad spectrum of advocacies makes Soroptimists the most hard-working women’s organization. In fact, its mission and organization make it almost a government unto itself!    

Soroptimists are passionate proponents of human rights with special focus on women’s rights. They continue to be catalysts of change, transforming the lives and circumstances of abused, marginalized women  and girls, empowering them to once again live their dreams and chart  their own future.

Take a bow, ladies. A grateful nation applauds you.