Catholic schools nationwide are being urged to declare Feb. 25 an “academic holiday” to mark the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
In a joint statement, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines and the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education said the day should focus on reflection, commemoration and civic formation.
“Students and the youth, as heirs of democratic space, must cultivate the knowledge, values and resolve to challenge injustice, misinformation and authoritarian tendencies,” they said in a Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) post Feb. 8.
Catholic schools were encouraged to hold masses, youth fora, and activities that promote ethical discernment, critical thinking, and active citizenship rooted in democratic values.
Church leaders recalled how millions of Filipinos gathered along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in 1986, uniting faith and peaceful resistance to reclaim freedom.
“EDSA reminds us that the great power of the people surpasses any force of oppression,” the statement read.
Forty years later, the groups warned democracy remains fragile and requires vigilance, active participation and fidelity to truth to prevent the erosion of hard-won freedoms.
“To forget the lessons of Martial Law, tolerate corruption, or allow historical distortion and disinformation to prevail jeopardize the very freedoms that were peacefully won,” they said.
The statement also urged civil society groups, media practitioners and public institutions to defend human rights, press freedom and accountable governance.
They described EDSA as an unfinished movement, calling on all sectors to resist revisionism and strengthen democratic principles through collective action.
“EDSA is not only a commemoration; it is an unfinished movement that demands vigilance, active participation and collective resolve from all sectors,” the statement said. ||
