TAKING a cue from its National Capital Region (NCR) chapter, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) yesterday expanded its call for its member schools to cancel work and classes on February 25 to commemorate the EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary.
In a statement, CEAP said it is encouraging all its 1,525 member schools to adopt creative ways to celebrate the anniversary of the event that toppled the Marcos dictatorship in 1986.
CEAP said this is their way to keep the spirit of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution alive among their students.
“CEAP shall push back all attempts to deny, distort, downgrade, and devalue it in our schools, in our communities, and in our life as a nation,” said CEAP.
Before Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was elected in 2022, February 25 had been a public holiday.
Proclamation No. 727, however, declared the EDSA People Power Revolution for 2025 only as a special working day.
In response, the CEAP-NCR urged its members to designate February 25 as a non-academic, non-working day
“The EDSA spirit is a shining moment in our life and history as a people. It showed the world what is best in the Filipino, how we can transcend ourselves and sacrifice for our country, how we choose peace over violence,” said CEAP.
“CEAP schools, therefore, recommit to the EDSA spirit. We shall be courageous, creative, and community-centered in our celebration,” it furthered.
The organization of Catholic schools said among the ways to observe the 39th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution is via suspension of classes and work on February 25 or holding of alternative classes.
CEAP said they may also hold Eucharistic celebrations, commemorative conferences and fora, and reflection sessions and conversations.
Lastly, they said Catholic schools may hold community outreach and socio-cultural events on February 25.
