PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION IN THE PHILIPPINES 2022

What is the People Power Revolution?

People Power Revolution is a special non-working day in the Philippines observed every 25th of February each year.

It is also known as the EDSA Revolution and the Philippine Revolution of 1986 was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines that began in 1983 and culminated in 1986 with the overthrow of President Marcos.

History of People Power Revolution

President Marcos assumed power in 1965. His main political rival was Senator Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino, Jr. In August 1983, Aquino was returning from the United States after medical treatment. Upon arrival at the Manila International airport, he was shot dead.

The killing was a turning point in the country, and a potent opposition movement gathered around Corazon Aquino, the wife of Ninoy Aquino.

Threatened by the growing opposition and in an attempt to win back his popularity among the people, Marcos held a snap presidential election on February 7th, 1986, in which he was opposed by Corazon Aquino.

The election is seen as the most corrupt in Philippine history, with clear evidence of electoral fraud. This led to some of Marcos' former ministers, the army, and Church leaders all calling for his removal from office. These calls drew people from all over the country to join mass peaceful protests against Marcos.

The protesters blocked Manila's main thoroughfare, the Epifanio de Los Santos Avenue (EDSA), a scene repeated in cities all over the country. In defiance of repeated threats from President Marcos, they refused to end the protests.

On the afternoon of the protest's second day, the president sent in tanks to clear the street. But the troops refused to fire, prompting one of the most iconic images of the revolution - nuns kneeled in front of tanks with rosaries in their hands and uttering their prayers.

After just four days, President Marcos stepped down and fled the country. On February 25th, 1986, Corazon Aquino has proclaimed the 11th President of the Republic of the Philippines. She was the first female president of the country.

The bloodless revolution is a source of pride for all Filipinos and is seen as a template for similar non-violent uprisings around the world.

For several years, this has been a holiday for schools. It was a nationwide holiday to mark the 30th anniversary and since 2019, it has been declared a special non-working day.

Summary

Despite all the bad write-ups about President Ferdinand Marcos, many Filipinos especially the elders, believe that he was the best President the Philippines ever had. He made some world-class, remarkable, and useful projects up to the present. In fact, he made the Philippines known across the globe during his reign. 

Many believe that the 1986 EDSA was the start of the fall of the Philippines. During her reign, many government-owned companies were privatized. Capitalization led to grave abuse amongst businessmen up to the present.