Exactly 39 years ago, democracy won when the phrase “Marcos Exiled” was written in huge bold letters all over the newspapers. The stretch of Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) roared in celebration. People praised the Lord, hugged one another, and shed tears of joy. It was a glorious moment for everyone as the long agonizing years of dictatorship and injustices were now over—the odds finally favored the Filipinos' side.
Almost four decades later, is the torch of the People Power Revolution still burning? The President of the Philippines once again carries the name of the very man that the Filipino people once ousted. History is being distorted left and right, injustices are everywhere, and the democracy that the people once fought for continues to be threatened. Is the spirit of the EDSA Revolution still alive amongst the Filipino people?
Four Days to Freedom
For four restless days, Filipinos stood as guardians of liberty. From Ortigas to Cubao, EDSA was transformed into a sea of humanity equipped with rosaries, prayers, determination, and a strong will to reclaim the democracy of the country from the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Over 70,000 human rights violations were recorded during the regime, thousands were tortured and killed, sacrificing their blood for this four-day bloodless revolution to happen.
More than two million Filipino citizens from all walks of life, including activists, students, employees, nuns, priests, and journalists, united on the first day, February 22, 1986, and demonstrated what true unity looked like. They had enough of the tyranny and impunity and knew that to revolt was the only way out.
The peaceful protest only grew stronger as days passed. The movement was alive, and so was the people's resolve to reclaim their freedom. More and more people swarmed the streets of EDSA, and the call for change got even louder it persuaded armed forces to back down and join the people. To say the least, the dictatorship was crumbling, and it was only a matter of time until it fully collapsed on February 25, 1986, the last day of the People Power Revolution.
This success is a testament to the people’s power to create change and protect the democracy of the country. It was in this extraordinary moment that Bob Simon of the US TV network CBS spoke words that would echo beyond that fateful day: “We Americans like to think we taught the Filipinos democracy. Well, tonight they are teaching the world.”
Post-Edsa In Economic Lens
Subsequently, the revolution’s legacy extended beyond the streets and into the very framework of the nation’s laws. The 1987 Philippine Constitution was a direct result of the EDSA Revolution. Professor Ed Garcia, one of its framers emphasized how it was written and ratified to ensure that there will never be a dictatorship again, that our democracy survives and the Bill of Rights is respected. “It’s a beautiful country but it can only be safeguarded by young people, like yourself,” he added.
Beyond political freedoms, the revolution also marked a turning point for the country’s economy. Government records indicate that during Martial Law, the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) hit highs and by 1976, it reached an annual growth of 8.8%. However, the same dataset also demonstrates how fast as lightning these "achievements" vanished. Towards the end of the Marcos regime, the economy completely fell into the depths with a record of -7.3% with widespread poverty across the country.
Economic growth reclaimed its strength only after the success of the EDSA People Power Revolution. Although it has fallen a few times as a result of various financial crises, these never surpassed the records of economic crises during Martial Law. At present, the Philippines continues to experience economic growth, a gradual recovery that began during the administration of former president Corazon Aquino.
While the historic protest dismantled a dictatorship and restored democracy, successive administrations, starting with Aquino, struggled to fully protect and expand its gains. The triumph presented an opportunity to build stronger institutions—from justice to education to healthcare—and establish a more inclusive economy that could lift millions out of poverty. Yet, decades later, the same elite-driven economic structure persists, leaving the most vulnerable Filipinos behind.
Despite recent economic growth, inequality remains deeply entrenched. In 2022, the Philippines recorded a 7.6% GDP growth rate—the fastest in four decades—yet poverty also worsened. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the number of Filipinos living in poverty rose to nearly 20 million in 2021, an increase from 16.7% in 2018. Economic progress, it seems, has yet to translate into real change for those who need it most.
And now, history appears to have come full circle. A Marcos is once again in power, elected by a nation continuing to struggle with the very problems the revolution sought to eradicate. Perhaps the campaign jingles and hymns that once blared from speakers in the 1980s were never truly left behind—only replayed, repackaged, and repeated.
While Filipinos ousted a dictator and reclaimed its democracy, abuse of power, human rights violations and media suppression are still evident in the country.
Press Free-doomed
"May bagong silang, may bago nang buhay, sagong bansa, bagong galaw, sa Bagong Lipunan!" A hymn of renewal, a promise of change during the first Marcos in the president’s palace. Yet decades after the fall of the dictatorship, another Marcos now sits in Malacañang, proving that not every bago is truly new.
Back in the 1970s, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. tightened his grip on the nation, as state-controlled media became his orchestra, playing a well-rehearsed symphony of progress and stability while silencing the defiant undertones of unrest. Yet, amid the deafening propaganda, a swarm of tiny but relentless voices emerged—the mosquito press. And as the saying goes, not all heroes wear capes, and the same goes for journalists. Like the insects they were named after, these underground publications were easy to swat but impossible to silence.
While the regime’s media machine dominated Manila Bulletin and Daily Express, We Forum and Malaya stood out and buzzed with the inconvenient truths of human rights abuses, corruption, and resistance. Established by no other than the brave periodist Jose Burgos, it was dismissed as insignificant and small at first. Not long after, their persistent sting eventually infected the Marcos regime with something it could not cure: public outrage. And as history proved, even the smallest creatures, when they come in numbers, can bring down a Goliath.
However, years later, the very forces once exposed by the mosquito press resurfaced. "Ang iksi ng alaala ng tao sa Pilipinas. Ano na nangyari sa puhunan natin na dugo at buhay? Parang walang saysay iyong mga namatay para sa kalayaan." These were the haunting words of Jose Burgos in his final years, as recalled by her wife, Edith Burgos. He watched in dismay as those who once thrived under the Marcos regime returned—not as outcasts, but as rulers once more.
Decades may have passed, but the threats against press freedom today are no less alarming, especially with the 2025 elections fast approaching. The shocking shutdown of ABS-CBN in 2020 during the Duterte administration—a move that echoed its closure in 1972 under Martial Law—served as a haunting reminder of how easily power can silence the press. The denial of its franchise renewal was widely seen as political retaliation by the Duterte administration for its critical reporting, leaving a gaping hole in independent news coverage, particularly in far-flung provinces where the network was a primary source of information.
Now, as the country nears another crucial election, journalists face an increasingly hostile environment. For many journalists, the dangers are no longer abstract. Kat Domingo, an ABS-CBN News multimedia journalist covering Philippine politics, shared a chilling threat she received on her birthday: “Hindi ka aabutan ng bukas… pupugutan kita ng ulo.” As she noted, election season fuels heightened emotions, but there should never be an excuse for such threats. Yet, in today’s climate, these kinds of messages have become disturbingly common.
EDSA: Stuck in Time
Traffic is jam-packed, stagnant, and never-ending. EDSA. It may seem like just another artery of Metro Manila—buzzing with red lights, the hurried footsteps of workers, and the muffled sighs of exhausted workers. But beyond the daily chaos, one corner of this road nestles the People Power Monument, a stone-and-bronze testament to the nation’s triumph against tyranny. Built to commemorate the 1986 revolution that ousted Ferdinand Marcos Sr., it immortalizes the period when Filipinos stood as one to reclaim their freedom and democracy.
Yet today, traffic is not only in the streets; it is also in the stance of the people, who now find themselves stuck at a crossroads—witnessing a vast number of citizens still rally behind politicians who echo the very values of the dictator they once overthrew. On November 26, 2024, a pro-Duterte candle-lighting protest attempted to reclaim the spirit of 1986, but instead of standing for democracy, it became a feeble attempt to uphold another brand of authoritarianism carrying the banner that says: "Protect Sara Duterte!!!"
Unlike the millions who once flooded EDSA to fight for freedom, this gathering amassed around only 100 people, camping overnight before dispersing, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP). The irony is striking—supporters of the vice president, who now faces the threat of impeachment and had long aligned herself with the Marcoses, attempted to carry the same torch as the People Power Revolution. Yet, the protesters stood for the very ideals that revolution once rejected. After all, it was the same faction that embraced extrajudicial killings, silenced the press, and undermined democracy under the strongman rule of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Article: Jan Amarila, Lovelie Risha Camilao & Lian Joy Magano
Graphics: Kent Bicol
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