1986 People Power: Filipinos Gift to the World

By Chester B Cabalza

At age seven, I learned the iota of people power and democracy, concocted by revered Mahatma Gandhi of India, which in its true spirit and essence, gradually sowed in the smiling Pearl of the Orient's motherland.

After the successful, peaceful, and cheerful EDSA People Power I, my parents told to me and to my brothers the significance of this "revolution" in our future. And so they started to instill in us patriotism and nationalism - the love of country and to be always proud as Filipinos.

As obedient sons of our parents and future leaders of this country - we studied very well, obtained degrees from reputable universities, became professionals, now building our own young family, and live and work in the Philippines despite massive diaspora and exodus happening in current times.

They taught us that time will come we will teach the lessons of EDSA I - the first and only true People Power in the country, to succeeding generations. And now, celebrating its 25th anniversary, I am re-telling the story of this yellow revolution to my kids.

Twenty-five years ago my parents were also reformists. My father as member of security forces fought insurgents in Marrag Valley while my mother as dean of the largest college that recently became university in Region II advocated change and democracy for our country. They stood up and defended democracy in their own little ways while their contemporaries rallied at the main artery that crossed the north and south points of Manila.

In 1986, mammoth of people gathered together in Highway 54 to fight what they called the living in dangerous years. The terror of martial law, once engulfed the entire nation, had given birth to a new Filipino soul, and bred the People Power Revolt.

My parents recalled those defining moments and shared with us belonging to the Facebook/Twitter generation about their struggles and victories during those dreadful years. However, they sometimes accused us of our social irresponsibility; blamed our present age of taking for granted the much liberties and excessive lifestyle they fought for in 1986.

Inspite of my idealistic years in College at UP Diliman as a frat member and among the many hopeful people from different walks of life who flocked the vibrant intersections of the infamous EDSA shrine and held nightlong merry street party cum revolution to topple another corrupt leader during the EDSA II People Power using gadgets and text brigades in mobile phones.

That period of January 2001, youths in my generation's new dawn of the millennium, saved history from its downfall, inspired by the 1986 bloodless revolt in EDSA. But three months after a promising call for total change in our society, wrath of the people erupted in May 2001 because of unfulfilled promises of the popular second uprising.

The seeds of my parents time of peaceful upheaval against martial law when compared later on with my own generation's techie uprising against corruption showed that both similar people power revolutions fueled with religious and nationalist songs remained a Filipino trademark.

My parents time of People Power that ousted a dictator believed to be a pandorax box that spread like viral across the globe to help solve other countries own democratic upheavals - from South Korea to Myanmar, to Poland, to China, to Indonesia, to Hungary and to the success of Germany’s East and West reunion. More so, former European communist countries marched and fought for democracy.

It was indeed a miracle.

In 2001, I thought this miracle bounced back to where it originated. But by the time I experienced People Power, our generation failed to see the fruits of EDSA One's pure and life-changing revolt my parents experienced and sowed in us in 1986!

I participated in two other People Power - EDSA II and III where we ousted a thief president but installed a false leader (both became damaged revolutions that produced a syndrome of people power fatigue!)

But in my solomonic judgment, EDSA I in my parents generation, remained powerful and lasting that every Filipino should be proud of! Worth re-telling to the next generation.

My kids loved it as their best and well-loved bedtime story!

Celebrating today the 25th anniversary of the People Power Revolution or EDSA I, the hope it brings to myriad peoples, creed, and nationality, is now transported to Arab and African Muslim countries as they successfully expel abusive dictators and overthrow greedy monarchs.

Forever I will etch in my heart and deem that the true spirit of People Power is our precious gift to the world!

Let us relive the true spirit of People Power! Thank you, my fellow Filipinos!