EDSA from a GenX viewpoint

Classes might be cancelled on the 25th, everyone.”

That’s what one of my professors said during our last meeting. I stopped listening after the word “everyone.” I was too thrilled by the possible cancellation of classes. For once, a holiday is not going to be moved to the nearest Monday, as has happened in recent times.

Only later did I wonder why classes were to be cancelled. The 25th of February holds little meaning to us in the Gen-X and –Y brackets, although we know its significance — after all, we were bombarded by it countless times during grade school, high school and even in college.

The problem is, as with most of our lessons, it entered one ear and flew out the other. I’m ashamed to admit it, but my case is especially unforgivable. I had just reviewed this very topic for an exam days before my professor made his announcement; yet I still could not remember its significance.

To those who still have no idea what I’m talking about (I know there’s a lot of you, don’t lie!), Feb. 25 marks the anniversary of the EDSA revolution, the first-ever People Power demonstration that put the Philippines on the global map in a grand show of democracy.

Being a ‘90s baby, I know next to nothing about the EDSA revolution. What I do know is that nuns were among the protesters, and that they had hung rosaries on guns and tanks, and had given flowers to soldiers — enough to stop the Marcos loyalists in their tracks. If this had happened in another country, those nuns would have probably ended up as tank roadkill.

What other information I have on the EDSA revolution can be gleaned from any decent Philippine history book. My history teachers should be proud of me — I haven’t totally forgotten everything concerning the Marcos regime and the succeeding uprising that led to his ouster.

I vividly recall groaning as my teachers announced that the time had come to take up this topic. There were so many dates, people and decrees to remember. Memorizing all those facts and having a test on them was torture. I think I got my lowest grade in history because of this.

These events were on my mind as I was driving along EDSA earlier today. I stared long and hard at the statue of the Virgin Mother at the EDSA Shrine, thinking of the thousands of people who had formed a human shield for a priest, a martyr’s widow and a dictator’s cousin.

Every time I see that statue, my eyes are always drawn to Mary’s hands. Has anyone else noticed that they are huge? My dad says that the artist made it that way to represent how the Virgin Mother is giving, nurturing. It’s a nice thought, really. Or maybe the artist simply made a mistake. Who knows?

I also can’t help wondering why the Shrine had to be built at a mall complex, as it’s the noisiest area for prayer and meditation, amid unruly and smoke-belching buses and jeepneys. Is this any way to honor the memory of People Power or the divine hand behind it?

I’m curious at how the demonstrations affected traffic. This is ancient history, but there were already a lot of cars back in 1986! How many apathetic motorists complained about the disruption of their lives? Did they ignore the inconvenience because they believed in the people’s cause?

The nearest image that comes to my mind is the one of snarled traffic caused by Manny Pacquiao’s victory parade. I remember hearing in the news that some of the drivers did not mind because Manny was a hero, after all, while others were complaining that they were losing a day’s income because of the traffic.

In that 1986 event, I imagined my dad’s blood pressure would probably have skyrocketed — that is, if he even decided to brave the traffic that was building up everywhere. But, as it turns out, he did join the throng of people that turned up at EDSA during that fateful moment in our history. He’s more patriotic than I thought.

Of course, assembling a crowd of that magnitude in EDSA is no walk in the park either. Some people who were actually part of People Power say that society is different now, especially the youth. I know I speak for myself when I say that I am somewhat politically apathetic. It’s not that I’m not concerned about important issues; I am. Perhaps, I just prefer to let activism be done by the expert, well, activists.

Times have changed. More students are hitting the books, rather than the pavement. More importantly, many people are just too busy making ends meet to exercise their freedom of speech or their right to assemble. We are in a global recession and the last thing we want to see is a bunch of students — the future of the nation — skipping their classes to protest the latest increase in gas prices.

But, as much as things change, some things remain the same. The Lady of EDSA’s hands are still big, and the image itself remains a symbol of freedom and power for our country. EDSA is often still jam-packed with people; the only difference is the people are not protesting but simply going about their daily lives. Some of the people kicked out of government and out of the country are back in the country, and even back in government. If there’s one thing that should change, it’s our people’s short-term memory.

Whether we celebrate the anniversary of People Power on Feb. 25 or 23, it’s all the same. We will be celebrating the triumph, the miracle that our parents made possible through the helping hand of a higher power. I hope that all of us will take time next week, maybe while stuck in EDSA traffic, to remember the great events that gave us the freedoms we enjoy today, including the freedom to drive along EDSA without a protesting crowd obstructing our way.