Forty years after EDSA People Power Revolution, the event still finds a place among common people, especially the youth.
At a portion of Plaza Independencia in Cebu City, a marker was erected over 10 years ago to honor individuals who perished during the Martial Law era.
For the commemoration of the 40th EDSA People Power anniversary, a floral offering and tribute will be carried out before the said marker.
The site may be at open space but is inconspicuous; plaza visitors were observed to have hardly noticed it.
Parking aide Teresita Torrejas was very young during the Martial Law period, but she remembers her mother tagging her along to rallies.
“Akong mama to, kung asa ang rally, ako man bata ko, iya ko kuyogon… kung ako, di gyud angay makalimtan,” Torrejas said.
A college student, John Pastorfil, said that he may not be familiar with the struggle but he knows well the price of freedom.
"Gilaban ang Pilipinas…nag-ampo ra sila [bloodless revolution] didto sa EDSA,” Pastorfil said.
GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak asked high school students who spent time for a school project near the marker on the significance of the 1986 popular uprising.
The students recalled that it was about the strength of the people.
“People Power,” said Elea Panis, one of the students.
Another said it was about the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos [Sr.].
“Si Ferdinand Marcos, napapahawa sa pwesto,” Glian Carlo Pantonila, another student said.
Meanwhile, Francisco (Bimbo) Fernandez, former Cebu City administrator and former DILG undersecretary, was one of activitists imprisoned during the Martial Law regime.
He said he assisted in organizing sugarcane plantation workers in Negros Island during the said period.
He hopes that the lessons of EDSA will endure despite the multiple challenges the country is going through.
“Dili lang sa EDSA, hasta sa Cebu, sa laing lugar, ang importante pamalandong kung kaya nato si Marcos ug iyang diktaturya nganong di nato makaya ang dynasty o corruption sa flooding, ug uban pa,” Fernandez underscored.
