Rewritten & Forgotten: The 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution
The 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution marked one of the most significant events in Philippine history, with its effects felt globally. Not only did it reshape the nation but it also inspired other countries to stage their own peaceful revolutions against oppressive regimes, including the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
The first anniversary of the EDSA Revolution was celebrated with fireworks, musical performances, flowers, and balloons. However, after 37 years of commemorating the Filipinos' hard-fought freedom from the Marcos regime, the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution was officially removed as a national holiday through President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s Proclamation No. 368. The said proclamation listed down all the holidays of 2024, with the yearly celebration of the EDSA uprising conspicuously absent from the list.
With the removal of the February 25 holiday, the former festivity is now nothing more than a memory slowly eroding with time.
Spanning more than 20 years from 1965 to 1986, the Filipino people endured unspeakable brutality under former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s reign due to the administration’s imposed abuse and corruption. Not only did the dictatorship’s theft of over 10 billion dollars contribute to the country’s current debt-ridden state, but its human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, vote buying, and oppression of the freedom of speech have left lasting impacts on our society. Its lingering memory stands as a reminder of a time when citizens lived in constant fear and uncertainty–martial law.
Under Proclamation 1081 signed on September 21, 1972, the Philippines was thrown under the infamous reign of martial law. The country faced unimaginable forms of oppression, ranging from gruesome penalties for simply defying set curfews to unwarranted imprisonments and murders. Amnesty International, a human rights organization, estimates that 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 tortured, and over 3,200 killed during the decade of martial law. The press was seized and silenced, along with anyone who dared to voice statements of opposition or concern against the government.
The tyranny’s dominance pursued further heights – the depletion of our economy, the assassination of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, and culminating with the 1986 snap election. It was then the Filipinos decided they had enough. On February 22, 1986, Filipinos gathered in Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and different parts of the Philippines, and began the four-day protest against the Marcos regime. Presently commemorated as the EDSA People Power Revolution, it stands as a crucial milestone symbolizing the hard-fought battle for freedom and autonomy that united the nation.
To this day, some perceive the Marcos regime as the “Golden Years” of the Philippines, claiming that the former president’s term was the peak of our country’s economy and infrastructure. Regretfully, in a country heavily influenced by social media, historical revisionism and disinformation are rampant. Before his assumption to the presidency, Marcos Jr. expressed his disapproval of Philippine textbooks, claiming that they are “teaching the children lies.” Just a year after his inauguration, the public’s criticism sparked when the Department of Education (DepEd) revealed that the new Matatag Curriculum would remove the Marcos name from “Diktadurang Marcos” in Grade 6 textbooks—one of the many efforts to romanticize the former president’s governance.
The February 25 holiday was intended to honor the EDSA People Power Revolution and recognize its role in the Filipinos’ reclamation of sovereignty. Its removal conceals fragments of the country’s rich past and leaves future generations ignorant of the heart-wrenching sacrifices the nation has gone through.
Our nation should not be deprived of its momentous triumph over oppression that greatly impacted Philippine history and continues to be echoed in society today. The EDSA People Power Revolution is not a simple event that can easily be stripped from history. Its effects have rippled into the hope that we Filipinos can cling to— we are no longer bound by the tight clenches of fear but have the opportunity to step into a brighter tomorrow.
As the descendants of those who tirelessly fought for the sovereignty of the people, it is our solemn duty to keep the memory of their sacrifices alive and never allow their efforts to fade into insignificance.