EDSA at 25

Four hundred years later and Shakespeare still says it best: “Something’s rotten in the state of…” well, in a lot of states actually. Over the past few weeks, the world’s eyes have been turned in anticipation and fascination over Middle East and North African countries. Just last week, the world whooped with collective joy as Egypt, through an 18-day protest, caused the ouster of their president. And the surrounding countries of Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen joined in with their own struggles for freedom from some form of oppression, corruption or poverty.

And ironically enough, we Filipinos will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1986 People Power revolution over the weekend. And what would we tell those people, I wonder. We, who went through what they are going through. What could we possibly tell them about life twenty-five years after we lived through a bloodless revolution?

Could we tell them that it’ll be all right? That the hardest part is over? That twenty-five years later we have finally freed ourselves from self-serving and corrupt politicians? That we are finally moving in the same direction as a country, ready to stand among the giants of the world to proclaim our national integrity? That after that moment, we were so united in our efforts at nation-building, we never again protested against our elected officials? That the son of the former dictator could not have possibly won an election to the senate? That the son of another deposed president could not have been re-elected to the same senate?

Ha.

We could tell them that I suppose. But then they would know we were lying through our teeth. Because 25 years later, we are still struggling. We are still wary of government of officials. We are still sick and tired of being made fools of by the very people who are supposed to protect us. We are still in need of a revolution. Only this time, we no longer know who to protest against.

And if they ask us if we would do it again, knowing what we know now…would we?

In a heartbeat.

We are not a perfect country and we’ve a lot of things to work for but the mistakes were ours to make, ours to learn from, ours to repeat or reject. No country should have to endure the iron grip of one man or woman. No citizen should ever have to live in fear of being silenced permanently simply because he has spoken out against those in power. No one should have to endure what those who came before us had to endure.

But sometimes we forget. Unfortunately, Filipinos have a tendency to have short memories. And so we need to remind ourselves, every once in a while. And we need to tell the story to those who were not born yet. That 25 years ago, with prayer and sacrifice and courage, we marched through the streets to take destiny into our hands for the love of our country. That we were once are a proud nation. And we can still be. If we pray hard enough. Work hard enough. Sacrifice hard enough.