Remembering the People Power

The 80’s saw the early beginnings of great technologies that eventually would dominate our lives today. Shoe sized cellphones and floppy disks drew wonder from us. We were entertained by console games, the Betamax/VHS tape recorders, and the synthesizers that made famous the New Wave songs. Other than these, tumultuous events brought the nation on the brink of civil war.

Davao City, 1983… We were typical teenagers who thought we had it so good until then. Ninoy Aquino was assassinated. It was the only time we researched who he was. The reaction of the people was instantaneous. A mobilization of the civilian population was on its way. Protest actions were new to us. The shouts of “Tama na, Sobra na!” were tempered by the reception we got from the bystanders. Confetti showers from torn PLDT Yellow Pages were a visual delight. The festive mood was exhilarating! Yet, one wonders if the yellow shirts we don, the shouts, and boycott of Marcos affiliated companies would ever topple the dictator entrenched for twenty years. There was a sense of urgency, proud of our actions, yet, we wouldn’t want to do anything further than protest actions. We were also scared.

In the midst of the explosive awakening of the country borne out of anger and frustration for the current administration, another dark force loomed in the countryside – the Communists. They too, were gathering strength. Their mass base apparently was reminiscent of the “Long March” of Mao Zedong which culminated in the defeat of the Chinese Nationalists in the cities. The numerous industrial strikes in the urban centers were low-hanging fruits ready to be plucked by their armed cadres for the laid off workers had very limited options especially in their grinding poverty.

Davao was one of the cities where policemen, soldiers, media men, and suspected sympathizers of the government were frequently gunned down, even in broad daylight. In time, the people grew weary of the killings and the kangaroo courts established by the Communists. Eventually, the “AlsaMasa” movement drove out the “Sparrow units” from their urban nests. The year 1986 was also a turning point for the nation when President Marcos fled the country. The peaceful manner the Filipinos rid a tyrant was a blessing from God. We felt proud to be a Filipino, again. The EDSA People Power Revolution attained its purpose but getting back on our feet would not be that easy. There were setbacks like the several coups against Tita Cory and the strengthening of our government institutions, economy, culture, education, infrastructure, and etc. still continues today.

The youth of today must learn to “connect the dots backward in order to move forward,” as Steve Jobs once said or words to that effect. It also pays to be weary of ideologies or movements that offer paradise here on earth without God. Neither the “New Society”of Marcos nor the Marxist ideology worked. The nuns praying with their rosaries in front of the tanks at EDSA did more in dispelling evil. Take heed.

By Johnny Sulit/Contributor