EDSA 25

Friday, February 25, 2011


What is the true spirit of EDSA?



I wasn’t there at that time to begin with, I just remembered how my mom and my grandmother told me how People Power was like during that time. Indeed, it was the most peaceful revolution the world has ever seen. Up until now, people around the world were inspired to unite and do something for their country especially if their country is at stake.
Thanks to the internet and some videos that I have watched in you tube together with the pictures and newspapers that recounts what really happened that monumental day, I can imagine how amazing the power of unity, prayers and hope can do.


The headline that says, “It’s all over” meaning, Corazon Aquino was then declared as the new president and former president Ferdinand Marcos was ousted, caused the whole nation to celebrate. Frankly, I was a little biased, although of course I can understand why people felt the way they do before, but as my mom and my grandmother recounted, life were easier, more productive, even to the extent of glorious during the Marcos era. The Marcos clan was so popular since they were like the Kings and Queens of Scotland.
Imelda Marcos, the wife of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, has landed on Newsweek’s list of “greediest people of all time.” According to the newsmagazine, Marcos “saw it as her duty to provide ‘some kind of light, a star’ for the impoverished Filipino people over whom her husband presided. So she took $5-million shopping sprees to New York and Rome, reportedly owned the world’s largest collections of gems and 3,000 pairs of shoes.” But you know what, I can categorize Marcos as the Robinhood of our country, granted he “stealed”, but our country was also benefiting from it, our economy was,’t that bad during those times.


And what about the Marcos and Mubarak  comparison? I find it insulting. Tunisia’s Ben Ali, Egypt’s Mubarak and Libya’s Gaddafi are tyrants -- they could easily be compared to Marcos.  I don’t think Marcos is any way worth comparing to them. Yes, they both cling to power for how many years, but they are different people.
They say, after Marcos flee, it marked the end of dictatorship and and the birth of new hope and freedom for the Filipinos, is it really? or it just marked the start of greediness of other people to take over the weak? the people who are hoping for change? the naive way of thinking that there will be a change if we can just trust…but can we trust them?
FEBRUARY 25, 2011 Marks the 25th anniversary of Edsa Revolution, but honestly, where are we now? what happened to our country ever since the revolt happened back then?

25 years and 5 presidents later..are we really considered free? Idealistically speaking? are we learning and going to the right direction towards being a great nation?
The fact that second revolution happened when we ousted former president Joseph Estrada only proves that we are still back in our good old days, greediness is still out there..or maybe, it didn’t leave after all.
It may sound pessimistic but after how many years, the story never changed..it is still the same. The events occur and only the characters change…are we getting used to this?
I don’t want to lose hope..I still want to believe that our race is worth dying for….
I really wish the true spirit of EDSA will not only be alive today but everyday..

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