• CHERYL G. CRUZ
At least four private universities and colleges in Bacolod City will have no classes today, Feb. 25, to commemorate the 39th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
The University of St. La Salle, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, La Consolacion College Bacolod, and St. Scholastica’s Academy of Bacolod have joined more than 50 schools and campuses all over the county in declaring a special non-class, non-work day to “honor the spirit and commemorate the anniversary” of the EDSA revolution.
“Let us take this time to remember the spirit of unity, courage, and democracy that shaped our nation’s history…and to pay tribute to those who fought for our nation’s freedom,” the LCC and St. Scholastica’s advisories stressed.
The Marcos administration earlier declared the celebration of the EDSA People Power Revolution this year as a special working day, unlike before when it was a non-working holiday.
Several groups, meanwhile, have accused the Marcos government of “downgrading” the commemoration.
The Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP), in a post Feb. 23, said “the removal of Feb. 25 from the list of non-working holidays is a calculated move to erase history, cleanse the Marcos family name, and weaken collective memory.”
“But we refuse to forget, we refuse to comply, and we refuse to stand down,” the SCAP said as it called on student councils in all universities and colleges to take the lead in mobilizing students and ensuring that EDSA’s legacy is upheld.
“We call on all student councils—whether your school declared or not—to turn Feb. 25 into a day of action. Organize forums, walkouts, creative protests, and educational discussions. Hold exhibits, film screenings, and performances that expose the crimes of the Marcos dictatorship and highlight the continuing struggle for democracy,” it added.
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the lessons of the 1986 People Power uprising continue to shape students’ education and moral formation.
“Philippine and Catholic education shall never be without it,” the CEAP, an umbrella organization of Catholic schools, colleges, and universities in the country said as it encouraged its 1,525 member-schools to commemorate the historic event.
“The EDSA spirit is a shining moment in our life and history as a people. It showed the world what is best in the Filipino, how we can transcend ourselves and sacrifice for our country, how we choose peace over violence,” CEAP said in a statement posted by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. “CEAP shall push back all attempts to deny, distort, downgrade, and devalue it in our schools, in our communities, and in our life as a nation.” | CGC
