People Power 1986: The hope and promise of EDSA

The cries reached up to heaven. The impoverished millions, legion. The privileged and powerful, a minority. The abuse and corruption, rampant, unchecked.

Stolen wealth, stolen gold, stolen public funds, the Filipino people stripped of their dignity and humanity.

Critics jailed, killed, silenced. Martial law imposed. Freedom curtailed, protest suppressed.

The conjugal dictators and their cronies lived as if they would reign forever and thought the Filipino people would remain submissive forever. Many Filipinos also thought the dictatorship would go on and on and on.

Until February, 1986.

Our young should be taken back to journey through the dictatorship, to the days and events leading to the historic People Power of 1986.

Starting with a few individuals and groups, from February 22 to 25, suddenly, unexpectedly, the sectors converged, and millions were out in EDSA. Our country’s glorious contribution to the world: peaceful revolution, the toppling of the dictatorship by people power!

Elsewhere throughout this nation, those who believed and shouted “tama na, sobra na, palitan na” added to the millions in EDSA!

What happened? How and why did millions of Filipinos who were silent, docile for years suddenly turn to the streets, displaying their power as a people from February 22 to 25 of 1986?

There was unity and strength in numbers, yes. There was faith despite the fear, yes. There was hope despite the despair, yes. There was the promise of a better tomorrow beyond the dictatorship, yes.

The millions experienced a genuine change of heart among their kababayans with them in EDSA, within themselves as well.

For days, everyone in EDSA experienced a taste of heaven.

There was no poor nor rich, there was so much sharing and caring. Everyone experienced the reality of the multiplication of loaves and fish as all shared what they had with all others in EDSA. While the tanks and the planes threatened to advance against the millions in EDSA, all felt safe being with one another.

There was so much prayers, so much singing, real, palpable love, and so much peace despite the real danger of dying.

Yes, those in EDSA were prepared to die. They had surrendered their lives to God, to Mama Mary. Even the pregnant were ready to give up their own life and that of their child in their womb for the promise and hope of a better nation beyond the dictatorship.

The religious nuns must have felt fear as the tanks advanced and as they offered flowers to the soldiers. Despite their fear, however, like the rest of the millions of Filipinos in EDSA then, they were ready to die with, for their fellow Filipinos.

Faith for fear, hope for despair, now or never. Complete surrender and peace, with God and fellow Filipinos.

That was 35 years ago. Then, People Power sent the dictator away, yes.

However, did the promise and hope of EDSA 1986 live on?

Sadly no.

Through the years, and beyond 1986, people power dissipated.

The powerful and privileged back once again. And like déjà vu, although we are now 35 years beyond 1986, are the Filipinos once again where they were before, long before the liberating days of February, 1986, long before People Power?

Like a broken record, are we again back to where we were before where “ the cries reached up to heaven, the impoverished millions, legion, the privileged and powerful, a minority, the abuse and corruption, rampant, unchecked, public funds continue to be stolen, the Filipino people stripped of their dignity and humanity, critics jailed, killed, silenced and freedom curtailed, protest suppressed?”

Remembering 1986, will Filipinos unite in faith, not fear, in hope, not despair, and again, be amazed by God’s power?