The PCIJ asks college students what they know about the 1986 People Power revolt. Results were surprising. Is EDSA Revolution even in our history books?

Here is how some remember what EDSA revolution was like:

(Inihayag sa People Power Monument, EDSA noong ika-25 ng Pebrero, 2011)

Nang idineklara ni Ginoong Marcos ang martial law noong Setyembre 21, 1972, hindi naman lahat ng Pilipino ay nagimbal sa ideyang ito. Sa katunayan, may mga sumang-ayon pa dito dahil sa tingin nila, ito ang tatapos sa lumalaganap na kaguluhan daw noon.

Alam naman po natin kung ano talaga ang nangyari. Sa halip na maging maunlad, naging kaliwa’t kanan ang nangyaring patayan. Lumobo sa 25,000 ang mga namundok at sumali sa iba’t-ibang mga kilusan. Nagsiksikan sa mga kulungan ang oposisyon na hinabol ng militar at kapulisan. Ang dapat na sumasaklolo para sa kaligtasan, naging sila pa ang kinatatakutan.

Bahagi ng mandato ng mga pulis at sundalo na sundin ang anumang utos ng kanila pong “boss”. Kapag may ipinadakip si boss, “sir yes sir” agad. Kapag may ipinasarang istasyon ng telebisyon o radyo si boss, hindi mo pa napipihit ang lipatan ng channel, wala na ang pinapakinggan mong balita. Miski Voltes V nga po ay pinatulan pa. Namayani ang ganitong madilim na sistema sa loob ng 14 na taon. Nangyari ito dahil nakalimutan na sa anumang sistema, ang taumbayan ang dapat na kinalalagyan ng kapangyarihan. Ang Pilipino ang nararapat na boss at hindi si Ginoong Marcos.

Ngunit hindi po manhid ang atin pong mga sundalo at kapulisan. Nagsimula silang magtanong: Ginagawa ko ba ito para protektahan ang taumbayan? Ang mga utos ba sa amin ay may mabuting naidudulot? Nakita nila na ang lipunang nilalapastangan ng diktadurya ay lipunang saklaw din sila at ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay.

Mas lalo namang hindi manhid ang taumbayan. Ang mga dating tagasunod ni Ginoong Marcos ay unti-unting namulat sa katotohanang hindi ang kinabukasan nila ang itinataguyod niya kundi ang makasariling interes lamang ng kanyang pamilya. Unti-unti, napansin ng mga Pilipinong habang nababawasan ang pagkain nila sa mesa, parami naman ng parami ang mga sapatos sa kabinet ni Ginang Imelda. Nang naging sukdulan na ang kamay na bakal, iisa ang naging tanong ng mga sundalo, ng mga pulis, ng mga madre, ng mga estudyante, at ng buong sambayanan: Hahayaan ko bang manaig ang ganitong sistema? Iisa rin ang naging tugon nila: Hindi.

People Power ang naging tugon ng milyun-milyong Pilipino. Nanindigan ang mga sundalo sa kanilang prinsipyo: Taumbayan ang boss ko, hindi ang nagpapakasasa sa pwesto. Nagsalubong sa EDSA ang nagkakaisang mithiin ng mga sundalo at sibilyan; dagdag pa rito, pareho nilang kinilala na hindi mareresolba sa dahas ang mga problema ng bayan. Kaya naman ang dating takot at pagdududa sa pagitan ng ordinaryong Pilipino, sundalo, at pulis ay bumuo ng higit na matibay na pagtitiwala at pag-asa. Ito ang pambihirang pamana ng mga Pilipino sa mundo: isang mapayapang rebolusyon.

Ang pagtitipon natin ngayon ay patunay na buhay ang pamanang ito sa bawat isa sa atin. Naniniwala tayong sa halip na magkawatak-watak, maaari tayong magkaisa; sa halip na magnakaw, maaari tayong maging tapat sa katungkulan; at sa halip na matakot, maaari tayong magtiwala sa ating pamahalaan. Ang tanong ngayon: Paano natin mapapanatili ang ganitong matiwasay at nagkakaisang samahan? Ang sagot: responsableng pamamahala, at tamang paggugol sa pera ng taumbayan.

Sa kasamaang palad po, ayaw man pong aminin ng ilan, hindi nangyari sa nakalipas na dekada ang dalawang bagay na ito. May mga naging taksil sa kanilang katungkulan. May mga nanlimas sa kaban ng bayan.

Kaya naman todo-kayod ang inyong pamahalaan sa pagpapatupad ng reporma upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng taumbayan, saklaw na ang kasundaluhan. Nagbubunga na po ang mga repormang ito. Ang halimbawa po nito ang pagpapatayo ng hindi bababa nga po sa 20,000 housing units para sa atin pong mga sundalo at pulis sa sobrang abot-kayang halaga nitong taon na ito. Kung dati ang sundalo ay nagbabayad ng aabot sa 5,000 piso kada buwan para sa upa, ngayon 200 piso na lang ang ibabayad ninyo, para sa bahay na kayo mismo ang magiging may-ari. Ang matitipid po ninyo, mapupunta sa inyong hapag-kainan, sa edukasyon ng inyong mga anak, at sa iba pang mga bagay na karapatan naman ninyo bilang malayang Pilipino.

Hindi natin ito hinugot sa kung saang pondo. Walang hokus-pokus po dito. Dahil sa tamang pamamalakad at sa masinop na paglalaan ng pera, nakatipid tayo at nakabuo tayo ng pabahay para sa atin pong mga kawal at kapulisan. Kung walang nanlilimas sa kaban ng bayan, aasenso ang mga Pilipino. At nagawa po natin ito sa loob lamang ng walong buwan sa puwesto.

Iyan din siguro ang diwa ng demokrasya. Tumitibay ito kung ang taumbayan ay nagsisimulang maniwala sa kanilang gobyerno; kung lalo silang nakikilahok, kaysa itakwil ang sistema. Halimbawa, ‘yun pong 25,000 na sumali sa kilusan noong panahon ng Batas Militar, problemang minana ng aking ina, bumaba po ito sa 6,000 bago matapos ang kanyang termino. Hindi po kumplikado ang batayang prinsipyong ito. Ang nangyari lang, nagtaguyod ang pamahalaan ng isang sistemang mas ginusto ng taong salihan, kaysa buwagin.

Ngayon, sa pagtahak natin sa iisang direksyon, ganyang klase ng sistema ang itinataguyod natin. Kapag may isinampa kang kaso, may aasahan ka dapat na katarungan. Kapag nagtapos kang mag-aral, may aasahan ka dapat na trabaho. Ito dapat ang bunga ng demokrasya. Ito ang hamon sa atin ng EDSA.

Ngayong umaga, ipakita nating buhay ang People Power at hindi ito nagtapos sa apat na araw noong Pebrero 1986. Sa tuwid na pamamahala, at sa pagsugpo natin sa kurapsyon, palayain natin ang bayan natin mula sa kahirapan. Mga minamahal kong kababayan, ang mas maliwanag na bukas ay ginagawa na natin sa ngayon. Sama-sama natin itong isakatuparan.

Magandang umaga po. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

Source: Official Gazette
(Photo by: Gil Nartea/ Ronald Navarro / Jay Morales/ Malacañang Photo Bureau).

Today is the 25th anniversary of People Power celebration. On my hand is the People Power Commemorative coin (10 pesos) that I kept after all these years. Holding this commemorative coin is quite symbolic. The hope of the country lies in our hands, the power of an active citizenry. The spirit of EDSA 1 showed our capacity for greatness and willingness to sacrifice for the country’s good. It is inherent in each one of us. I thought it was enough to have a wonderful president and let her do the job. I failed to be vigilant, remaining apathetic about politics. I know now that the hope of our country lies in an empowered citizenry.

I was eight months pregnant with my first baby, Lauren when EDSA 1 happened. She is an EDSA 1 baby.

Too bad I was not able to join the People Power in EDSA. But this time…25 years later, I am given media access together with some #Blogwatch bloggers to cover the 25th anniversary of EDSA 1 People Power celebration . Schedule is here. I will live blog here if I can but for now, here is what Twitter is talking about #EDSA25

Here is the Updated Traffic Plan from @MMDA for tomorrow’s #EDSA25 People Power Anniversary Celebrations. See map below

Here is NBN4′s #EDSA25 Programming.

(The official Facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/tatak.EDSA and the official Twitter hashtag is #EDSA25)

February 23, 2011 (Wednesday)

TIME

PROGRAM
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

EDSA: The World Remembers

01:00 PM – 02:00 PM

The Challenge of EDSA

05:30 PM – 06:00 PM

Kalayaan (People Power)

10:05 PM – 11:30 PM

Winning the Peace

February 24 (Thursday)

09:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Kalayaan

12:00 NN – 01:30 PM

Puso at Diwa ni Ninoy

01:30 PM – 02:00 PM

Kalayaan

04:00 PM – 05:00 PM

Challenge of EDSA

07:00 PM – 09:00 PM

Ninoy: The Heart and the Soul

February 25, 2011 (Friday)

07:30 AM – 04:30 PM

EDSA Coverage

06:00 PM – 07:00 PM

EDSA: The World Remembers

February 26, 2011 (Saturday)

10:30 AM – 01:30 PM

Puso at Diwa ni Ninoy

02:00 PM – 03:00 PM

EDSA: The World Remembers

04:00 PM – 05:30 PM

Winning the Peace

February 27, 2011 (Sunday)

02:00 PM – 03:00 PM

EDSA: The World Remembers

February 28, 2011 (Monday)

09:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Puso at Diwa ni Ninoy

01:00 PM – 02:30 PM

Ninoy: The Heart and the Soul

04:00 PM – 05:00 PM

Winning the Peace

Schedule of Events

25^th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution

February 17, 2011

Exhibit of the Inaugural

6:00 P.M., SM The Block

This exhibit showcases the coffee table book that documents the events from President Cory Aquino’s funeral to the Aquino campaign up to the inauguration of Benigno S. Aquino III as President.

February 21, 2011

NoyNoy: Triumph of a People’s Campaign

5:00 P.M., Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4

A book written by Ambassador Wilfrido Villacorta will be launched. The book chronicles the success of the Aquino campaign in capturing the Presidency.

Exhibit of the Revolution Revisited by Kim Komenich

6:00 P.M., Ayala Musuem

An event co-sponsored by the Ayala Museum, this exhibit features 60 photographs taken by Kim Komenich during his assignment in the Philippines at the time of the People Power Revolution. Fourteen of these photos were given the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography.

Sonny Camarillo Exhibit

February 21 to 27, 2011

Thirty iconic pictures taken by Sonny Camarillo during the EDSA People Power Revolution will be displayed along EDSA and White Plains Avenue. The pictures tell the story of the revolution as seen through a photographer’s lens.

February 22, 2011

Tree Planting Activity

9:00 A.M. to 12:00 NN, Camarines Sur

The Local Government of Camarines Sur, led by Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr., has organized a tree planting activity wherein 50,000 trees will be planted on government-acquired land. In an attempt to feature the value of Pagkakaisa, this area, now called the “Community of Hope”, serves as a home for rebel returnees and military families.

Inauguration of the AFP Museum and Blood Letting

2:00 P.M., AFP Grounds, Camp Aguinaldo

The room where Former President Fidel V. Ramos and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s announced their withdrawal of support has been converted to a museum. This event will feature the inauguration of this historic place. A blood letting will simultaneously be conducted in the AFP grounds as well.

PEOPLE-POWERED MARKETS: Sa Bayang Umaasenso, Sama-Sama Tayo

4:00 P.M., NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City

The Ninoy and Cory Foundation in coordination with the Makati Business Club organized this event in order to guide and educate Filipinos on how people and private companies can use the market to address social problems in the country.

Yes Pinoy Symposium – Trainer’s Training (until the 22^nd)

Venue: Kabayan Hotel, Cubao, Time: 10:00 A.M.

Participants will be trained in facilitating the EDSA Babies Speak Symposiums so they will be able to cascade the symposium in their respective regions.

February 23, 2011

Pilipinas Got Bukas

7:00 – 8:30 A.M., Rizal High School, Pasig

In order to engage the youth towards volunteerism, the YesPinoy Foundation organized this event that will showcase a human mosaic composed of 2,500 students. A passing of the torch by the EDSA Veterans to the EDSA Babies will also take place.

EDSA Babies Expo

9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., SM North Sky Dome

Exhibitors will provide avenues by which EDSA Babies can join in nation building through volunteer and other socio-civic programs. Exhibitors will be composed of student organizations and NGOs.

Program and Awarding: Best Entries in Bright Ideas and Bold Initiatives for a Better Future

3:30 P.M. to 5:00 P.M., SM North Sky Dome

Winning projects and entries for the Bright Ideas and Bold Initiatives for a Better Future program will be given.

EDSA Babies… Congrats Mga Sikat!

7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., SM North Sky Dome

This is a pre-graduation treat to high school and college achievers. Various artists will perform for the students and the winners of the Bright Ideas and Bold Initiatives for a Better Future program.

EDSA 1 Clips Film showing in schools nationwide

Documentaries and films about the revolution will be shown in various schools across the country.

40-Hour Vigil in 25 Churches

8:00 P.M.

A 40-hour vigil will be held starting on the 23^rd up to the 25^th will be held in 25 churches across the country.

Freedom Tour will begin (will run until the 25^th)

8:00 – 9:30 AM, 9:30 – 11:00 AM and 5:00 – 6:30 PM

This is a tour that will tell the story of the revolution. The tour will cover the following areas: La Salle Greenhills, the EDSA Shrine, the People Power Monument, and Club Filipino.

February 24, 2011

Eucharistic Celebration

5:30 P.M., EDSA Shrine

A mass will be celebrated at the EDSA Shrine on the eve of the 25^th Anniversary of the success of the revolution.

Freedom tour will continue.

February 25, 2011

Honors and Flag Raising Ceremony

7:30 A.M., People Power Monument

A flag raising ceremony at the People Power Monument will kick off the celebration. An Ecumenical Prayer will also be held after the ceremony.

Unveiling of the Cardinal Sin Statue

and Flower Offering at the Ninoy and Cory Statues

9:30 A.M., Rizal Park

This event is spearheaded by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.  In attendance will be residents of Manila, the religious including twenty-five bishops and Catholic school students.  After the unveiling, flowers will be offered at the Ninoy and Cory statues.

Job Fair

7:30 A.M. – 3:00 P.M, POEA Building

The POEA will hold a job fair featuring thirty licensed employment agencies who have committed to offer a total of 25,000 job openings.  This job fair is open to the public and thousands of job seekers are expected to come.

EDSA Strip

7:00 A.M. to 12:00 midnight

The north bound lane of EDSA will be transformed into a festive strip where people who will attend the celebrations will be able to see the actual tanks used by soldiers during the revolution. People will also be able to register and make commitments for the country at Tatak Edsa Registration tents. Food will be available at P25 at food stalls put up by the Philippine Franchise Association.

Medical-Dental Mission

9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., Camp Aguinaldo Gate

A medical and dental mission will be held throughout the day at the Camp Aguinaldo Gate in front of EDSA.

Unveiling of Marker

11:00 A.M., POEA Building

A historical marker will be unveiled in the exact location where former President Cory Aquino delivered a speech during the EDSA People Power Revolution.

Boodle Lunch

12:00 Noon, EDSA

There will be a boodle lunch along EDSA for 2,500 people including CEOs, LGU representatives, student leaders, and others.  This activity seeks to rekindle the spirit of sharing that transpired during the EDSA People Power Revolution.

Salubungan Program

3:45 P.M., EDSA

This will reenact the “Salubungan” that happened 25 years ago when then General Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile joined forces against the dictator. The forces will converge at the People Power Monument.

DTI Trade Fair
7:00 AM – 12:00 midnight
The Department of Trade and Industry has spearheaded a trade fair featuring food and nonfood products along the EDSA strip.

Live Musical Variety Show

8:00 P.M., White Plains Avenue

A live concert will be held that will showcase various Filipino artists from the Kapuso, Kapamilya, and Kapatid networks. The variety show is divided into five (5) suites: “Simulain, People Power History 101,” “Ang Diwa, the Spirit of EDSA People Power,” “Mga Simbolo, People Power Lives On,” “Mga Bayani, the Heroes of Today,” and “People Power Ngayon, Nation Building Today.”  The PANA Ad campaign will also be launched at the concert. A fireworks display will follow the concert.

LGU Participation

LGUs across the country will hold events that will include medical missions, tree planting, monitoring of smoke belchers, and other projects to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution.

Freedom tour will continue. (VIP tour at 1:00 PM)

February 26, 2011

Unveiling of the Kalayaan Marker

10:30 A.M., Kalayaan Hall, Malacañang

During the Marcos regime, the hall was called Maharlika Hall. When former President Cory Aquino assumed office, it was renamed Kalayaan Hall. A marker will be unveiled at the hall to commemorate this event.

People Power Awards

11:00 A.M., Heroes Hall, Malacañang

This event is in recognition of the personalities who played significant roles during the EDSA People Power Revolution.  The awardees are: (Living) Fr. Reuter, Nat Rama and William Esposo, and (Posthumous) Don Chino Roces, Rep. Stephen Solarz, and Teodoro Benigno.  Lunch will be served and the film entitled “The World Remembers EDSA” will be shown.  Music will be provided by Mr. Ryan Cayabyab.

February 27, 2011

People Power Run

The route of the run will be from the People Power Monument to Ortigas, Greenmeadows, and C5. Simultaneous runs will be held in Bicol, Cebu, Zamboanga, Dipolog and Angeles City.

YesPinoy Foundation Relaunch

7:00 P.M., NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

The event will be attended by members of the YesPinoy Foundation and various artists.  During the Relaunch, the EDSA Babies shall articulate their commitment to carry on the Spirit of EDSA – the spirit volunteerism.

Visit the Facebook Page/tatakEDSA

Edsa 25 Anniversary