By Akbayan Nominee Francis Isaac
EDSA I is remembered as one of the turning points in Philippine history—when we as a people overthrew the yoke of oppression and put to an end Marcos’ lupus-infested dictatorship.
But 24 years after the said event, the euphoria that has once been EDSA I have long dissipated and its memory greatly diminished.
While the state and a number of EDSA veterans continue to mark the event every last week of February, the People Power Revolution no longer has the same level of appeal for our people. Even today’s younger have difficulty identifying with the First EDSA and the ideals it stood for.
This can be seen in the survey results of the Pulse Asia released last February 12, 2010 which placed the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos as the second most beloved Filipino leader or politician at 15%.
Lately, the concept of “People Power fatigue” has been introduced into our political discourse, after the failure of various attempts to dislodge President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo using EDSA-type methods. This phrase does not only reflect the seeming resiliency of the Arroyo administration, but also the growing pessimism of our people in the capacity of EDSA-type uprisings in ushering in fundamental and radical reforms in politics and society.
Such sentiments are hardly surprising. For while EDSA I may have dislodged a dictator, it has failed miserably in addressing issues like poverty and rural landlessness.
EDSA I may have “restored” the institutions of democracy, but the democracy that is gave is a truncated and procedural one—with elites competing for elective posts every three years while the rest of the population look on.
It is in this context that the EDSA Revolution should be seen as an unfinished project—that is it not destination that we are striving for, but a mere landmark as in our collective journey as a nation.
Hence, EDSA as a historical continuum from 1896 (which gave us independence) to 1986 (which secured democracy as the cornerstone of Philippine democracy).
How we transform our truncated, procedural democracy into something more substantive is in the hands of next generation.
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