MARKING FOUR decades since the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) People Power Revolution, the Ateneo engages in a month-long commemoration featuring University-led events and student activities throughout February.
Aligned with this year’s theme “Laging Manalig, Patuloy na Magtaya,” Ateneo Martial Law Museum and Library Director Oliver John Quintana highlighted that the commemoration draws from Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ’s call to be “persons for others.”
Moreover, Sanggunian Commission on Socio-Political Development Commissioner Yannah Guda explained that the theme underscores the need for sustained civic action amid corruption issues.
Marked in memory
Echoing the significance of active engagement, Quintana expounded that the University’s annual EDSA commemoration emphasizes the need to not only recall the revolution but also to critically reflect on its relevance.
“The responsibility [of remembering is] for us to collect […] the memories, values, [and] learnings […] from EDSA, contextualize them in today’s society, and […] find ways to uphold transparency, accountability, and greater people participation,” he elaborated.
Moving towards this goal, he highlighted some commemoration activities, including “EDSA Recall Youth Summit,” as well as a rosary and procession held alongside the University-wide mass on February 24, among other events.
In particular, the mass commemorated the revolution, emphasizing the ongoing duty to make democratic institutions that genuinely serve the people.
Additionally, the Ateneo declared February 25 a University holiday to encourage community participation at the People Power Monument, where the Ateneo community joined the third iteration of the Trillion Peso March.
Notably, the Office of the Assistant Vice President for Social and Environmental Engagement for Development and Sustainability and the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo-Manila, in partnership with the Commission on Elections, facilitated an on-campus voter registration initiative to “encourage civic participation.”
EDSA today
Reflecting on what People Power means today, Guda emphasized the role of the youth and ordinary citizens in toppling the dictatorship four decades ago. She also called for a renewed resolve to uphold EDSA’s values in the face of widespread corruption issues.
Expressing a similar stance, David Bejarin (4 AB POS) stressed that Filipinos must carry People Power’s legacy forward, adding that such commemorations push students to engage beyond their usual circles.
For Alexandra Ros (2 AB Dip IR), commemorating EDSA means not only honoring the restoration of democracy, but also critically confronting the historic revolution’s unfulfilled promises while urging the youth to remain vigilant in safeguarding the freedoms it secured.
Ultimately, Quintana and Guda both emphasized that the commemoration is not merely an act of remembrance but a call for solidarity with marginalized sectors and a commitment to uphold truth in the pursuit of social justice today.
