ENDEAVOR
One of the ways in which the spirit of EDSA may be understood better is to reflect on the significance of the EDSA Shrine, one of the monuments to the epic events that changed the course of Philippine history in a span of four days in 1986.
Allow me to share my recollection of those events as published in a book I co-authored, KAPWA: Filipino Management Ethos for Workplace Excellence and Global Competitiveness (PMAP, 2017):
At around noon on Sunday, Feb. 23, 1986, word spread that Mr. Marcos had ordered an assault on the Enrile-Ramos forces that were holed up in Camp Aguinaldo. Hordes of people massed at EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue as tanks coming from Fort Bonifacio were reportedly moving towards the two camps along EDSA. Photos of that historic moment abound, the most prominent of which feature nuns standing at the frontlines, clutching rosaries and talking with the advancing soldiers. Around them were people carrying statues of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
That assault was stopped — undoubtedly on account of the great reluctance of the armed and armored soldiers to use force against the masses of unarmed and prayerful civilians imploring them not to proceed.
What made them do what they did? What made them disregard the orders of their superior officers? What made them ignore their President’s command to disperse the crowd and dismantle the nascent resistance? Might it be said that the masses’ faith in God that materialized before their unbelieving eyes instilled in them, too, the fear of God? These questions linger in the minds of those who continue to reflect on the historic events that transpired in EDSA in 1986.
Consider the following faith-related data on the 1986 EDSA revolution, as presented in a major Philippine broadsheet:
Cardinal Sin was the one who led the Catholic Church’s participation in the revolution.
It was only after Cardinal Sin’s announcement in Radio Veritas that thousands of people, responding to the Cardinal’s appeal, began gathering outside rebel camps, bringing supplies and food for the soldiers.
Radio Veritas was the only radio station which covered events that government-owned stations didn’t.
When General Artemio Tadiar warned the crowd that he would open fire if they don’t disperse, people responded by singing, “Bayan Ko,” praying and offering soldiers cigarettes and bread. (Alixandra Caoile Vila. “29 interesting facts about the EDSA revolution,” Philippine Star. Feb. 25, 2015).
Humility and compassion characterized the demeanor of many of those who participated in the EDSA people power movement.
The faith element of the EDSA spirit is embodied in the Bible passage now inscribed on the façade of the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, or more popularly, the EDSA Shrine, that was built and completed in 1989:
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
It was not the brute, physical force of tanks and firearms, but the quiet power of prayer that ruled the four days of EDSA. Offering flowers and bread to the soldiers who had been called out to quell their uprising, the common folk shared their innate warmth and goodness with one another, as if they were elevating their offerings as prayers for divine intercession. This was in marked contrast to the strident and shrill sloganeering that characterized most of the protest rallies during the first quarter storm and in the aftermath of the Aquino assassination.
Reflecting on those events as he said mass at the EDSA Shrine last Feb. 17, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas pointed out that there are two vital elements to consider: piety and activism. It could be that the pious are not sufficiently engaged in addressing contemporary issues – or that the activists are not prayerful enough.
Prayer must be accompanied by social engagement. The scourge of poverty and corruption must be confronted. But activists need to realize, too, that not everything could be changed by marching on the streets and conducting protest rallies. Faith cannot be reduced to a private conversation with God. Piety and activism are not contradictory but complementary.
He recalled his involvement in establishing the EDSA Shrine in 1989. He conceded that “mistakes were committed; those were not perfect years.” He said the church “could not play blind for the sake of making peace with the government; moral principles could not be compromised.”
He urged the faithful to undertake not just the physical renovation and upgrading of the EDSA Shrine, but also the updating of their faith and activism to be more responsive to the call of the times. For this to be achieved there must be openness and transparency. These are symbolized by the wide glass panels that enable the faithful to witness the hustle and bustle of EDSA while praying inside the church.
The EDSA Shrine is truly emblematic of the spirit of EDSA: the confluence of faith and activism toward uplifting and transforming the lives of a faithful people.