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Opinion

EDITORIAL - People empowerment

The Philippine Star
EDITORIAL - People empowerment

Classes in about 200 mostly private Catholic learning institutions around the country along with state-run University of the Philippines are suspended today. The schools declared their own holiday after the Marcos administration classified Feb. 25 as a “special working holiday” to mark the 39th anniversary of the people power revolt.

School administrators have said the self-declared holiday aims to preserve the nation’s memory of the 1986 people power revolt. The administrators are encouraging their students and faculty to use the one-day break to learn more about the historic events that transpired during the four-day peaceful uprising that put an end to the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

His only son and namesake, who has admitted that he wants to remake the Marcos image, has made an effort to show that while he adores his late father, he is no authoritarian. Ferdinand Junior has also moved to overturn the iron-hand approach of his predecessor to law enforcement. While the current administration also faces complaints related to human rights, it is a vast improvement from the bloody crackdown carried out under Rodrigo Duterte.

The restoration of democracy did not put an end to gross human rights violations. Since 1986, hundreds of activists, journalists and legal professionals have been murdered in connection with their work.

And there is much to be done beyond promoting human rights. Today, Filipinos are bewailing that plunder has become institutionalized and graft endemic. The country, which half a century ago was second only to Japan as Asia’s most progressive, has become a regional laggard in terms of economic and human development indicators.

People power was not just about mass protest, but also about united action to effect change. Beyond the leadership change in 1986, there were so many broken structures that needed fixing to nurture the newly restored democracy. In her final years, Corazon Aquino kept the spirit of people power alive by supporting programs for people empowerment.

The country has had several leadership changes since 1986, but the institutional reforms needed to strengthen the fragile democracy are still a work in progress. Today the nation has come full circle, with the only son and namesake of Ferdinand Marcos winning the presidency by a landslide in 2022.

That stunning comeback must also result in a comeback of sorts for the country, in terms of progress and sustained improvements in the quality of life for all instead of just the ruling elite. This is best achieved by harnessing the power of the people to effect lasting reforms – a collective spirit that is commemorated today.

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