Photos and text by ALEX CULLA

MANILA — Filipinos have been accustomed to seeing yellow ribbons, flowers, and shirts in the streets every 25th of February.

But as time goes by, the vibrancy of this color is gradually fading alongside the significance it holds.

To keep history alive, Filipinos from different multi-sectoral groups gathered in Epifanio Delos Santos Ave. (EDSA) on Tuesday, Feb. 25, to commemorate the 39th anniversary of the first People Power uprising.

Among the thousands of Filipinos present, we have talked with several individuals who continue to live out the spirit of EDSA that they have witnessed before.

Their stories are not only words. They make the remembrance of the Filipino uprising more colorful as EDSA knows no single color.

Bro. Bernard Oca

When he heard about the brewing gathering in the streets, 31-year-old Br. Bernard Oca walked to EDSA. From La Salle Green Hills where he lived at the time, he went to EDSA for four days to be with the Filipino people in ousting dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

He felt nothing but joy as a Filipino when he participated in EDSA. He saw his countrymen uniting to free the nation from an oppressive regime, even in the smallest ways like motorists giving way to the people in the streets, and the protesters keeping EDSA free from trash.

Br. Bernard is the current president of De La Salle University. Along with other De La Salle Brothers, he returned to EDSA to “strengthen” the spirit of the People Power.

Wilfredo Villanueva 

When the uprising broke out on Feb. 22, 34-year-old Wilfredo Villanueva prepared for any scenario he and his fraternity brother might face when they went to EDSA.

He assumed that the ouster of Marcos Sr. would be as bloody as the Prague Spring where many citizens died to prevent tanks from entering Czechoslovakia.

Now an insurance agent, Wilfredo shared that he was surprised at the “peaceful” scene he witnessed at EDSA in 1986. More than three decades later, he set foot on EDSA again, embracing a Philippine flag that he waved in front of the People Power Monument.

Joan Yu

Together with her family, 12-year-old Joan Yu was at EDSA during the People Power to sell balut and chicharon.

She still vividly remembers witnessing nuns and soldiers who held each other’s hands to protect the protesting Filipinos from violence.

After 39 years, Joan is now a public school teacher. She came back to EDSA, now carrying calls for the betterment of the welfare of teachers and public services.

Atty. Tony La Viña

Tony La Viña, 27 years old at the time, was one of the Filipinos who headed to EDSA when protests started on the longest highway in the country in 1986. 

But on the evening of the last day of the uprising, Tony went to Malacañan Palace after the Marcos family escaped the Philippines. Cheers and screams were the only music that filled his ears when the Marcos dictatorship was finally toppled.

Almost 40 years later, Tony is a lawyer and professor of constitutional law at the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, and other universities in the country. He heard the collective voices of Filipinos once again, with various sectors registering their calls to hold the Marcos-Duterte regime accountable.

Sr. Evelyn

While many Filipinos were in the streets on Feb. 25, 1986, 30-year-old Sr. Evelyn was inside the Holy Cross School, together with fellow members of the Missionary Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) in Abra.

Since they cannot go to Manila due to road closure, she and other nuns remained inside their campus and prayed for the safety of Filipino people. Their prayers were answered instantly when one of the SSpS sisters was able to stop the transportation of tanks to EDSA when she negotiated with a general.

In the 39th year since People Power 1, Sr. Evelyn was delighted to be in EDSA to see the “very much alive” spirit of the uprising. She is now serving as a coordinator of Justice Peace & Integrity of Creation and working with Talitha Kum Philippines.

Edna and Alex Aquino

Tears dropped from the eyes of 34-year-old Edna Aquino when the news of the ouster of Marcos Sr. broke out. She heard about it at home, when she returned to take care of her three children.

She first experienced the cruelty of the oppressive regime when she was hit in the back by a police officer during the First Quarter Storm. By participating in succeeding protests, she met Alex, and they established the Student Alliance for National Democracy together. Due to the threats to their safety, they hid for several years during Martial Law.

Edna and Alex, now her husband, returned to EDSA as part of the organizations Seniors for Seniors and Clergy and Citizens for Good Governance. She beamed at the sight of the younger generation taking the lead in commemorating the People Power in the streets this year.

Karl Suyat

Karl Suyat was not yet born when the Filipino people removed Marcos Sr. from power. But, the 23-year-old student grew up listening to the story of his father who participated in People Power in 1986.

With this, he learned about the societal issues that existed during the Marcos Sr. regime. He realized that the problems currently experienced by Filipinos are the “systematic” obstacles that EDSA promised to resolve.

Now that the dictator’s namesake and son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. became president  in 2022, Karl is one of the founders of Project Gunita. It is an organization working on combating historical distortion, especially about the Marcos dictatorship.

On Feb. 25, Karl rose in the same thoroughfare where his father stood 39 years ago. He held a copy of a newspaper detailing the 1986 People Power to remind his fellow youth what truly happened in EDSA. (RTS, DAA)