A brief timeline: EDSA 25 celebrations

People gathered at the People Power Monument yesterday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the People Power movement, which overthrew the Marcos dictatorship.

Contingents from all over the Philippines marched to the monument from the EDSA Shrine, and a contingent from the Philippine Sports Commission, walked all the way from Ultra (PhilSports Complex) in Pasig City.

A program was the highlight of the celebrations, with performances from Maharlika Cultural Group, and appearances by various celebrities. Singer Jim Paredes, television personality Maan Hontiveros, and President Benigno Aquino III's nephew Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV came onstage to "annotate what happened 25 years ago."

Jim Paredes told the crowd how EDSA I influenced the succeeding popular revolts in Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and now the Middle East.

A brief timeline of yesterday's happenings:

3:40 PM: The speakers announced that there would be a reenactment of the “Salubungan,” of the confrontation and eventual unity of action of the civilian and military forces, beginning with the stopping of the tanks by the religious.

4:15 PM: President Benigno Aquino III arrives onstage.

4:30 PM: From the north of EDSA (going to SM North) came the Salubong’s military forces with armored personnel carriers (APCs), from the south (going to SM Megamall) marched the civilian forces led by Butz Aquino , with the August 21 Movement (ATOM) waving their flags, and the nuns, priests, seminarians, college students and civilians. In their midst was one of EDSA’s iconoclastic images, that of an APC carrying on its top the statue of the Virgin Mary surrounded by soldiers.

The two contingents met in front of the People Power monument, as the yellow crowd started flashing the Laban sign. By this time, the crowd, including the soldiers, grew to an estimated 8,000.

4:40 PM: A ceremonial passing of the following symbols, the torch of peace, the Philippine flag and the Virgin Mary statue, respectively one after the other, commenced. Each symbol passed hands from representatives of various sectors, and always ended significantly in the hands of a representative of the Filipino youth.

An all female quartet sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” Jason Gonzales recited a “Panata sa Pagbabago,” by which he committed “sa pagtulong sa pamumuno upang umunlad ang lipunang Pilipino.”

Dingdong Dantes spoke, saying, “Nanawagan sa mga kapwa ko EDSA babies, na tugunan ang hamon sa pagtatayo ng isang marangal na lipunan (I am asking all my fellow EDSA babies to help in building a good society).”

Then the De La Salle and Ateneo College Choirs together sang “Magkaisa.”

The Spirit of EDSA Foundation gave a posthumous award to the family of the late Muelmar Toto Magallanes, who died at 18 years of age after saving more than 30 people from his neighborhood in Quezon City, during the flood wrought by typhoon Ondoy on September 26, 2009.

5:00 PM: PNoy delivers his speech. Highlights are:

“Bagama’t nahaharap sa iskandalo, hindi matatawaran ang dedikasyon ng ating militar noon at hanggang ngayon…para protektahan ang mga sibilyan.” (While it is under fire because of scandals, we cannot doubt the military's dedication from then until now to protect civilians.)
“Umaabot sa 77 % sa hanay ng mga sundalo’t kapulisan ang walang tiyak na tirahan. Ang National Housing Authority ay may programang pabahay sa ating mga pulis at sundalo at nagtatayo na ng 20, 000 housing units. Nangako ang mga opisyal ng NHA na kapag sa loob ng walong buwan ay hindi pa naipamahagi ang mga ito, sila ay magreresign.” (Up to 77 percent of the police and military do not have homes. The National Housing Authority has a program for housing the police and soldiers, and it is currently building 20,000 housing units. NHA officials promised to resign if they are not able to build these homes in eight months.)
“Ang mga sundalo’t pulis ay nadadama ang nararamdaman ng nakararaming Pilipino. Ang kanilang pangako ay hindi sa isang tao lamang (ostensibly referring to Ferdinand Marcos) kundi sa buong bayan, at tinalikuran ang taong tumaksil sa kanilang bayan.” (The police and military know how the majority of FIlipinos feel. Their promise is not just to one person, but to the whole country, and they turned their backs on the person who betrayed their nation.)
“Magkaisa tayo sa pagtulong sa pag-unlad ng bayan, sa marangal na pagtaguyod ng kalayaan at demokrasya. Huwag sayangin ang nakaraan, tandaan na inaayos na ang mga problema ng lipunan at sana’y makamit ang mga ipinanagako ng EDSA.” (Let us unite to help along our country's progress, by honoring freedom and democracy. Let us not waste the efforts of the past, but remember that society's problems are being fixed. We hope that the seeds planted by the EDSA revolution will finally bear fruit.)

5:15 PM: Renz Verano sang a medley of the following respectively: “Bayan Ko,” “Ako ay Pilipino,” “Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo,” and “Magkaisa.” In the middle of his performance, a helicopter flew overhead and poured yellow confetti on the crowd.

The program ended with Butz Aquino and Fidel Ramos holding hands, and facing the crowd, reenacted their victory jump, which was captured in photos 25 years ago when they learned that Ferdinand Marcos had left.

Walking towards Robinson’s Galleria, I found the closed northbound lane of EDSA strewn with booths of various businesses, e.g. food, shirts, personal effects, etc. leading to Ortigas. Also, fronting the gate of the Corinthian Gardens, which is equidistant from the People Power monument and the EDSA Shrine, a concert was also being held. I chanced upon the band Shamrock performing.

A concert featuring Ogie Alcasid and Apple de Ap will start 7:00 PM near the People Power monument.

-- With reports from Karlo Sevilla III

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