Events lined up for the 30th commemoration of People Power

The year 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution of 1986, when millions of Filipinos flocked along the iconic Epifanio de los Santos Avenue clamoring for democracy. Their efforts were not futile, for the EDSA Revolution put a stop to the martial law era of the Marcos administration and brought forth a new sense of freedom for the Filipino people.

The EDSA People Power Commission (EPPC), the primary body tasked to “perpetuate and propagate the spirit of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution” through Executive Order 82 Series of 1999, has a lot in store for this year’s EDSA commemoration.

The 30th anniversary of the Revolution will revolve around the theme “Pagbabago: Ipinaglaban N’yo, Itutuloy Ko!” The EPPC has conceptualized the theme to center in on the spirit of social change and how the millennial generation who benefit from the freedom borne out of the People Power Revolution can participate in social transformation.

February 15, 17, 19: TalaKalayaan

From the Filipino words “Talakay” (discourse) and “Kalayaan” (freedom), TalaKalayaan is a series of dialogues promoting shared learning. Patterned after the World Cafe format, participants of TalaKalayaan will come from different sectors of society, such as students, religious (seminaries), military, government, and non-governmental organizations, among others. Those who were engaged in the 1986 Revolution will be invited to attend the sessions for the youth to be able to converse with them directly.

February 22: Wreath-laying at the Libingan ng mga Bayani

To honor heroes who fought for the nation’s freedom, a wreath-laying ceremony will be held at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio.

February 23: EDSA Storybook for the Youth and the Online Memory Museum Launch

The third and final installment of the EPPC’s storybooks for the youth, 12:01, will be launched on February 23. Published in partnership with Adarna Publishing House, the book is a graphic novel aimed at teenagers, penned by Palanca finalist Russell Molina and illustrated by comic book artist Kajo Baldisimo. The other books in the series include EDSA, a counting book for toddlers, and Isang Harding Papel, a children’s story book.

An online memory museum will also be launched to immortalize the story of and behind the EDSA People Power Revolution.

Martial Law Chronicles Music Video

Together with the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), the EPPC produced videos that aim to counter propaganda materials used during martial law. Because millennials or those born in the 1990s are the ones who have had little access to the facts surrounding those years, the project is aimed at them. Through social media, the project aims to resist historical revisionism.

Led by author Susan Quimpo, the FMA team, together with Palanca award-winning director Rody Vera, will shoot the main feature of the project, “Martial Law Chronicles,” using a 360-degree point of view to allow the viewer to watch the scenes from different angles.

February 25: Salubungan Program at the People Power Monument

The traditional EDSA re-enactment and Salubungan program will feature children and grandchildren of EDSA heroes who played active roles during the 1986 People Power Revolution.

February 25-26: People Power Experiential Museum

White Plains Avenue in Quezon City will be transformed into an Experiential Museum, which has elements of theater, cinema, photography, performances, and installations, to recreate the experience of martial law. The site will enable visitors to journey through the different phases of the martial law and the subsequent EDSA Revolution. In each phase, an actor will assume a role, imagined or based on history, to guide the audience through the experience.

Outside the Museum, the rest of White Plains Avenue will become a festive strip where people can gather with EDSA veterans, play EDSA-themed games and contests, and listen to songs and watch plays that portray the EDSA Revolution.