25/02/2025
๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐ธ๐ป: ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐ฑ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐พ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐
EDSA was never just about a single family, a political party, or a color. It was about the Filipino peopleโordinary citizens who, in a time of uncertainty, chose to stand together and demand change. It was the courage of students, the prayers of nuns, the determination of workers, and the quiet defiance of countless others who believed that their voices mattered.
EDSA is still a topic of discussion decades later. Some contend that its promises were never fully fulfilled, while others claim it was only a political conflict between opposing groups. There are even those who try to dismiss or rewrite its significance. Beyond all of these stories, one thing is certain: EDSA was a period when Filipinos proved that change can be brought about without bloodshed, that democracy must be gained through effort, and that the might of the people transcends that of any leader.
The removal of February 25 as a special non-working holiday by the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signaled a shift in how the nation acknowledges one of its most defining moments. Taking EDSA off the list does not erase what occurred in 1986, but it raises questions about how history is acknowledgedโor ignored.
To remember EDSA is not to dwell on the past or glorify its flaws. It serves as a reminder that democracy is fragile, and that history is only as powerful as we are willing to learn from it. Regardless of whether it remains a holiday, its memory must live onโnot just in history books, but also in the values we hold dear as a nation. Because democracy is not a one-time victory; it is a responsibility that each generation must carry forward.
โ๏ธ Dana Hernando
โ๏ธ Gwyneth Sagun
