By Jaron Betic

As a child, hearing stories about the EDSA Revolution made it out to be the epic and climactic final battle of the Filipino people against tyranny, corruption and all other oppressive forces that existed then. The Filipino people were able to act as one and use their collective power to vanquish all that was evil and wicked from our country, and this was how I perceived the EDSA Revolution. The Philippines I always imagined after EDSA was one that was completely purged of oppression and tyranny; to me it was a miraculous event in our history. However, growing up and becoming enlightened about the reality of our country shattered my notion of EDSA as the ultimate conclusion of our people’s fight towards a better nation. In doing so, I have been able to appreciate the true legacy of the EDSA Revolution and of those who fought for it. As much as it was a struggle for a better Philippines and against tyranny, it was also a struggle for reclaiming our power as a people to steer our country’s destiny towards the common good and progress, an undertaking we fight for to this day. 

While the EDSA Revolution allowed us to take back control of our country, it was the very administration it toppled that took hold of that control. The declaration of martial law on September 21, 1972 by President Marcos was the document that allowed him to seize full control over the government and the country. His absolute power and control of the military allowed him to suppress any hint of rebellion and silence anyone who spoke up against his administration, leading to the imprisonment, torture, and deaths of many. The Philippines and its people were under the absolute control of one man, and this man could unilaterally decide the fate of both with the power he wielded. Marcos maintained this absolute power and grip on the nation for 14 years. For this period in our history, our nation was not our own and its direction was not for us to decide. 

It was not until the EDSA Revolution that Filipinos would begin to reclaim the power to steer their nation’s destiny. Previously, the makings of the revolution were already brewing with the rigging of the Snap Elections, the assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr., and the eventual defecting of several of Marcos’s military officials. It all culminated on February 25 when millions flocked to EDSA in order to protest against the authoritarian administration. The revolution ended with the toppling of the Marcos regime and the establishment of a new democratic republic. With Marcos gone, the Filipino people were finally able to decide their own destiny and exercise control over the country’s affairs. The EDSA Revolution gave people back their freedoms which had been taken from them for 14 years. 

Despite restoring our freedoms, the EDSA Revolution did not fully eliminate all of our country’s problems. Even now, 36 years after the historic revolt, our nation is far from the perfect and free society envisioned by those who joined EDSA. Looking back now, the true legacy of EDSA is not a perfect society but the means, freedom, and responsibility to build one, especially given the circumstances surrounding it. There was simply no way for there to be genuine progress and development for the Philippines under a dictatorship, unless it suddenly became benevolent overnight. The reins of power had to be returned to the Filipino people for progress to be feasible, and through the EDSA Revolution it was. It paved the way for the establishment of a democratic government that would allow the people to have a say in the affairs of the government and its policies that affected the lives of Filipino citizens. This system was with its fair share of flaws, but it was able to successfully restore lost freedoms, rights, and democratic control of the nation. 

The enduring legacy of the EDSA Revolution is felt to this day by us as citizens of the Philippines, but this legacy also comes with a heavy burden. EDSA allowed us to regain a hold on our country’s destiny, but this destiny is not always agreed upon and is not without challenge in attaining. This can be plainly seen in upcoming 2022 elections. Each presidential candidate has their own conceptions of progress and their own vision for the Philippines and all of them are in competition with one another to win over the Filipino people. Considering the current situation of our country, the EDSA Revolution can be considered as the “easy part” of our struggle towards progress as a nation. This revolution was not the end we had in sight after all but simply the means to attaining it. Just like the highway where it occurred, EDSA alone cannot get us where we need to go. The fight towards progress continues as does the legacy of freedom of the EDSA Revolution. It is up to us as the inheritors of this legacy to strive to continue this fight and not to yield in the face of adversity and tyranny. For a Filipino, a more noble undertaking there is none.  

Sources:

Francisco, K. (2016, September 22). Martial Law, the dark chapter in Philippine history. Rappler. Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/146939-martial-law-explainer-victims-stories/

The Fall of the Dictatorship | GOVPH. (n.d.). Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/the-fall-of-the-dictatorship/