The Christmas season in the Philippines is often called the longest and most festive in the world. It’s a time when lights twinkle brighter, music is louder and the Noche Buena table is filled to bursting. But the true, pulsating heart of this celebration isn’t the carols or the endless parties; it’s the quiet, digital chime confirming a foreign exchange transfer — the holiday remittance sent home by our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

This annual surge in remittances, which consistently peaks in December, is the financial lifeblood of countless families and a critical anchor for the national economy. More than that, it is a testament to the colossal sacrifice of over 10 million Filipinos who carry the weight of their family’s future on their shoulders, thousands of miles away.

We hail OFWs as Bagong Bayani (Modern Day Heroes), a title well-earned but often too easily spoken. True heroism isn’t just measured by the dollars they send; it’s measured by what they endure and what they willingly lose.

It is the mother in Saudi Arabia watching her child’s graduation video on a tiny phone screen, tears running down her face for the milestone she missed. It is the seaman on a lonely vessel crossing international waters, using his last moments of slow internet to send a quick “I love you” before the signal dies. It is the construction worker in Dubai enduring grueling heat, masking his homesickness with a forced smile when his family calls.

Theirs is a collective life of displacement, often navigating workplace discrimination, cultural isolation and the constant psychological toll of being absent from the life they are funding. They are the ultimate embodiment of Filipino love: leaving the comforts of home so that home itself can be better.

This holiday season, as the abundance of OFW remittances softens the blow of rising costs and ensures gifts are under the tree, it’s time for those of us enjoying the festive glow back in the Philippines to honor their sacrifice in a meaningful way.

Our tribute must go beyond empty praise. It is an unspoken contract with our heroes. We must value their contributions not just as money, but as materialized love, sweat and years stolen from their lives.

For the recipients, this means a shift from immediate consumption to responsible stewardship. Every peso sent must be treated as sacred: invested in education, used to pay down debts, or saved to build the sustainable future they are working toward. We must educate ourselves and our children on financial literacy so that their ultimate sacrifice — the years of separation — does not go to waste.

For the nation, it means demanding better governance and creating an economy robust enough that migration becomes a choice, not a necessity. It means building the infrastructure and opportunities that allow our highly skilled nurses, engineers and teachers to work with dignity in their own country, where they belong.

To our Bagong Bayani, you are the true champions of the Filipino spirit. Your resilience is awe-inspiring. For every tear shed and every lonely night spent, know that you are loved, you are remembered and your sacrifice is the foundation upon which our future stands.

May the love you send home this Christmas be returned to you tenfold in peace and strength. And may we, your loved ones, finally live up to the greatness you deserve.