AS THE 38th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution approaches on February 25, and with it no longer being a public holiday for 2024, the youth of Mandaue City reflect on the event, which ended a dictatorship and restored democracy in the Philippines, and believe it should remain ingrained in their collective memory.
Often only discussed in history classes, the enduring influence of the two-decade-long dictatorship under former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and how people came together to peacefully end it, continues to shape the perspectives and aspirations of today's youth.
“When I think of the People Power Revolution, it's a thing nga dako gihapon og impact today. People before struggled a lot, and it should never be forgotten,” said a Grade 10 student.
(When I think of the People Power Revolution, it still has a significant impact today. People before struggled a lot, and it should never be forgotten.)
“The presence of the Edsa Revolution will always be alive, although gina-celebrate ni siya kada tuig, pero murag ma-feel gihapon nato ang spirit sa revolution,” said a college student.
(The presence of the Edsa Revolution will always be alive, even though it is celebrated every year, but we still feel the spirit of the revolution.)
Edsa 38
From February 22 to 25, 1986, millions of Filipinos peacefully massed on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) in united opposition to the Marcos dictatorship, leading to the fall of the regime and the restoration of democracy.
The people went to Edsa to heed the call of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin over Radio Veritas to show their support for then-defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile and then-Armed Forces of the Philippines vice chief of staff Gen. Fidel Ramos, who had broken away from the Marcos regime and holed themselves up in Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame located along Edsa in Quezon City.
Earlier in the day of February 22, 1986, fearing he would not survive the day after learning that Marcos had gotten wind of the coup plot led by Enrile and then-Col. Gregorio Honasan's Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), Enrile had sought Cardinal Sin's help.
Later, in the early evening of February 22, Ramos and Enrile held a press conference to announce their withdrawal of support from President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., whose 20-year rule had been marked by human rights abuses and allegations of corruption.
Ramos and Enrile said the will of the people in the February 7, 1986 snap election to elect a president must be respected. Enrile had admitted there was cheating during the elections that saw Marcos proclaimed as the winner.
According to a transcript of the press conference posted in the Official Gazette, Enrile said: "Because in my own region, I know that we cheated the elections to the extent of 350,000 votes."
In essence, they acknowledged that Corazon Aquino, widow of assassinated opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., and not the dictator Marcos, was the rightfully elected president in the February 7 election.
Following the press conference, Cardinal Sin called on citizens to go to Edsa to form human barricades to protect the defectors in the camps against an anticipated assault by forces still loyal to Marcos.
The Marcos forces did come, but they were met by citizens, including nuns, who gathered peacefully on Edsa, smiling, singing and offering them rosaries and flowers. Marcos’ soldiers did not have the heart to shoot the unarmed civilians.
The peaceful revolution led to Marcos fleeing to Hawaii with his family, including his son and future President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The dictator died in exile.
The future
Ancie, an Araling Panlipunan (AP) teacher at a public school in Mandaue City, shared with Sunstar Cebu how she teaches about Edsa in school, aiming to equip students with knowledge to avoid the mistakes of the past.
“I teach about facts in history. The events that happened in the past will help us understand the present and prepare for the future,” said the AP teacher.
“We should continuously learn from history, and I continuously pray that history will not repeat itself,” she added.
The teacher also said that the country needs a dedicated leader today with an extreme passion to serve.
“I always tell my students do not ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” she said.
No longer a holiday
Based on Marcos Jr.'s Proclamation No. 368 released on Friday, October 13, 2023, the nation will no longer observe the Edsa People Power Anniversary as a holiday in 2024, despite its traditional celebration on February 25.
Some critics of the Marcos Jr. administration believe that removing the commemoration of Edsa as a public holiday is one step towards "historical revisionism."
The Office of the President, however, earlier stated that it maintained its respect for the commemoration of the event in 1986.
"However, such was not included in the list of special non-working days for the year 2024 as February 25 falls on a Sunday,” a statement said.
Critics noted that the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on December 8, 2024 also falls on a Sunday, and yet it was declared a special non-working day. (CAV, CTL)