EDSA REVOLUTION 1986

Mid of the night when my father advised me that we will be going out of the house. We lived in Pasig then so we just walked from Pasig to Edsa! Too many people were in the streets. Mostly occupying a space as if they were expecting a longer stay in their respective post. Some have foods shared for every one. Some have flowers. Some are praying. No body have to know ones name or line of work or social status. It was as if every one knows every body. My father lead the way as we walked from Ortigas, Edsa to the front gate of Camp Aguinaldo. We stayed there for a while then we walked some more. I was not sure where we were headed but I had been sure of one thing though..that was the night when my eyes had been opened to the political crisis that had been continuously smoldering my poor country. It was 1986. It was the first People Power Revolution. I know that if my co-workers would have the chance the read this entry, I can already imagine the mockery I might receive..”Mommy She…your age is showing!! You are one certified old woman”. Sometimes, when they joke about age, I felt them indirectly saying “Mommy She, you are already obsolete, depreciated and extinct”… No offense, I just smile. Filipinos, in general, and in some jokes, used to say that a woman, when she reaches 40s’ is already depreciated. I suppose it is only in the western countries where they do not consider being old as being “depreciated”. Anyways, since 1986, I had been emotionally engaged in the developments that transpired in our country. One president replaced by another. I went down to the point of getting involved in the social issues of our country. I suppose that lead me to the orphanage and the few non-profitable organizations who tried to reach out to the less fortunate and too much exploited sector of our society who, mostly, belong to the poverty level. Why? because they are the victims and the end point of the empty promises of some of our politicians. One does not need statistics to know that the rich is out numbered by those who are struggling and are on the poverty level. In the course of such work, I also realized and witnessed one thing. We can not always blame every thing to the government. It must be an individual effort to create a nationwide progress. Ordinary citizen should exert effort to make progress on their respective lives and officials should break the habit and the temptation of corruption. Well, one man or woman alone can not change the system. However, this does not mean we have to stop standing for our beliefs. It is a continuous fight. The concept of the First Revolution in Edsa does not stop there. One missionary once told me “ There is only one thing that could make chaos ultimately prevail, that is for the caring men and women to stop and do nothing”

It is 2009, I am not sure if the greater number of our younger generation feels the impact of matters such as this one!! I know one thing though, I only have one country and this is the core of my nationhood, never to be forgotten, demise here even.

Source Of Picture: http://www.stuartxchange.com/EdsaContents.html