THE government has declared Tuesday, February 25 as a “special working holiday” in what appears to be a grumpy concession to numerous groups of Filipinos who wanted to commemorate the 39th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
Through the years, and most especially during the time of President Rodrigo Duterte and in this present dispensation headed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the observance of the day when Cory Aquino declared victory over Ferdinand E. Marcos following the US-supported putsch, has considerably waned.
It was a big deal in 1986 when the Marcos family was ousted from power and sent to exile in Hawaii. Most of the nation was euphoric then, believing that freedom, democracy, and justice have been restored following the end of the Marcos rule.
Many Filipinos — especially those who experienced the years immediately before and immediately after 1986 — are now tepid about such a celebration, maybe because they have been given false hopes for the return of democracy and human rights, economic growth and security, solution to poverty and the like, by Cory supporters and leaders.
‘The UP regents said even after 39 years of People Power, there are still threats to democracy.’
A genuine revolution that should overhaul the social structure and systems, ending the culture of impunity and corruption, did not happen after EDSA. To this day, not much has improved in terms of governance. Official graft and corruption, meanwhile, persists while a few clans and families dominate the political and business fields effectively marginalizing a huge majority of Filipinos.
The schools, especially colleges and universities, are at the forefront of teaching contemporary history to our youth, and at the center of this task is the correct analysis of historical facts surrounding the EDSA People Power Revolution. Our books and lecture series should present a complete and unredacted view of the EDSA narrative.
But even on this question, the country’s key institutions of learning are divided.
Upon Bongbong Marcos’ declaration of February 25 as “special working holiday,” the De La Salle University countered with its own declaration of a suspension of classes and work on all its campuses. The university said the move “also reaffirms our commitment to the enduring values of freedom and justice. It celebrates the power of an awakened and united people in uplifting Philippine society to its better and nobler self.”
The Dominican-run University of Santo Tomas will have no classes too on Feb. 25, as well as Catholic schools under the EDSA Ortigas Consortium, which is located near the EDSA Shrine.
Interestingly, the University of the Philippines, the bastion of the anti-Marcos movement in the 1970s, was the last to declare a full holiday. This was after a big group of students, faculty and the offices of the sectoral regents wrote University president Angelo Jimenez, urging him to declare February 25 a non-working holiday and Alternative Learning Day in the UP.
The UP regents said even after 39 years of People Power, there are still threats to democracy. They stressed that “as we face worsening economic conditions and the abandonment of social services such as education, while the culture of impunity and corruption continues to plague our political landscape, we must continuously be reminded of the true power of the people.”
After considering the arguments of those in the UP community who desire to give the 1986 People Power Revolution its rightful place in Philippine society, Jimenez relented and made the declaration of non-working holiday and Alternative Learning Day on February 25 in the University of the Philippines System nationwide. The announcement was made yesterday.
Finally, the UP community can join the scheduled activities commemorating the day the country was freed from tyranny and oppression by a dictatorship.
