See parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

Epifanio delos Santos Avenue

EDSA stands for Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, formerly known as Highway 54. The name of Highway 54 was changed in 1959, pursuant to a law (Republic Act 2140), in honor of Don Epifanio de los Santos, a son of Rizal province and the foremost Filipino scholar, jurist and historian of his time. EDSA is the main thoroughfare in Metro Manila, stretching from Monumento (Caloocan) all the way to Mall of Asia (Pasay).

People Power

There was an EDSA I and an EDSA II. Some say there was an “EDSA Tres”, although this is still subject to debate. Some say that the real People Power happened in EDSA I, and that EDSA II was a far cry from its predecessor. There are a number of distinctions between People Power I and People Power II. Read more on EDSA People Power or see Remembering the EDSA People Power: 25th Anniversary.

The Monument

The monument, which is found at the intersection of EDSA and Temple Hill Drive (Quezon City), was sculptured by Eduardo Castrillo. The figure in front is Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, with the people at the back.

It is a tribute to Filipinos who braved tanks, guns and the dictatorship’s military power on the streets of EDSA. Thousands of Filipinos flooded Metro Manila’s central thoroughfare, standing their grounds when tanks rolled towards them, with nothing but faith clinging to their hearts and nationalism burning in their veins.

The photos were taken at night and reflect unaltered colors. Noticed anything? If you simply pass through EDSA by night like I do, without stopping for a while, you wouldn’t notice the shift of colors flooding the People Power monument. There’s blue, red and yellow. The colors of the Philippine flag.

To be sure, I was not in Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, EDSA for short, during that time. I was not there when thousands of people flooded Metro Manila’s central thoroughfare. I was not there when tanks rolled towards the military camps, stopped by fellow Filipinos with nothing but faith clinging to their hearts and nationalism burning in their veins.

(Photo courtesy of Tatak EDSA. See schedule of events.)

Growing up, however, I became aware, perhaps just like you, of the central personalities and important dates. President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972. An opposition Senator, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, was assassinated in 1983. Ninoy’s wife, Corazon “Cory” Aquino, was sworn in as President in 1986, a product of what the world now knows as EDSA People Power (read more). Incidentally, one year shy of EDSA’s 25th anniversary, Ninoy and Cory’s only son, Noynoy Aquino, was elected president.

Of course this is a simplistic depiction of EDSA I, just like the logo above. There are thousands of other Filipinos who  fought the dictatorship together with, even way ahead of, Ninoy. Many Filipinos offered the supreme sacrifice of death, just like Ninoy, in fighting for our freedom.

We should remember them. While many of us have no memory of what we were doing in February 25, 1986, we must not forget what EDSA stands for.

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Here are the two songs that emerged immediately after EDSA I. It may not evoke any emotions if you’ve never heard of this before. Both songs still bring tears to my eyes . . . every time.

“Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo” (APO Hiking Society)

“Magkaisa” (Sung by Virna Lisa; composed by Tito Sotto)

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Instead of arguing why the People Power Holiday on February 25 is limited to schools (see list of 2011 holidays), let’s talk about EDSA People Power. Where were you when it happened? Please use the comment section below.

It just so happened that I was at the Capitol Medical Center, around two blocks away from the Ninoy monument. It was 2:00 a.m. and I was dead bored. I know, men’s clubs abound in the area, good antidote for boredom. Let’s just say I have a better chance of coming back to a men’s club here than taking time to visit the Ninoy monument (labeled as a “shrine” by some).

It’s not a place that, on its own, you purposely visit. This is not really a “shrine” in its grand sense. Perhaps you could drop by the monument on the way to the wide array of restaurants and gimmick places in Timog Avenue and Tomas Morato Avenue (or, at night, the men’s clubs that abound along Quezon Avenue, literally a stone’s throw from the Ninoy shrine . . . I guess this still falls within the ambit of the freedom that Ninoy fought for.)

The Ninoy monument seems to be totally out of place in this area. The location (at the intersection of two major roads, Quezon and Timog Avenues, and surrounded by commercial establishments) and the way the statue looks (with right arm raised, as if hailing a taxi or bus), a public transport driver will mistake it for a commuter one of these days.

Apologies for the blurred photograph. It was way past midnight and the “shrine” was not lighted. Either they’re conserving electricity or they’re not giving enough importance to this monument. Compare this to the well-lighted memorial known as the 11th World Scout Jamboree Memorial Rotonda or simply the  “Boy Scout Circle“, also located along Timog Avenue intersecting Tomas Morato Avenue, in honor of the 22 Filipino Boy Scouts who died in a plane crash on the way to Marathon, Athens during the 11th World Scout Jamboree.

You won’t  really mind, though, that  the Ninoy Aquino monument is not well-lighted — the statue does not resemble Ninoy anyway (at least he’s wearing the iconic pair of glasses). It may be fitting to light up this monument, a symbolic beacon in the middle of the night, seemingly out of place, surrounded by establishments that cater to the flesh (then again, talking about contrasts, at the next block lies the Saint Paul The Apostle Church).

You’ll know that this is dedicated to Ninoy Aquino by the marking at the foot of the monument, with a plaque which reads:

“Quezon City dedicates this monument in honor and lasting tribute to BENIGNO Ninoy AQUINO JR, whose life embodied that of a fiery fiscalizer who lived an exemplary patriotic life.

In 1950, 17-year old Ninoy became a Manila Times War correspondent in Korea. In 1952 when he was assigned to Indo-china covering the last moment of French colonialism in Asia at Dien Bien Phu. Three years after, at age 22, he was elected as the youngest mayor of his hometown, Concepcion, Tarlac. He was Most Outstanding Senator in 1957 and voted Man of the Year in 1971. He manifested heroism in leading his party in Plaza Miranda as he survived the bomb blast to continue his fight for democracy.

On September 22, 1972, a day after the declaration of Martial Law, Ninoy was arrested, detained and imprisoned at Fort Bonifacio and in Laur, Nueva Ecvija for 7 years and 7 months in solitary confinement. He went on a protes hunger strike while in prison from April 4 – May 13, 1975. On May 8, 1980, he was released from Fort Bonifacio to undergo tripe bypass operation at Texas, U.S.A.

On August 21, 1983, Ninoy returned in his homeland and was assassinated at the airport after disembarking from the plane. This was the event that changed the course of Philippine history. Ten days after his death, a funeral march from Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City to Manila Memorial Park was joined by around two million people. This was considered the longest funeral march in world history.”

The QC government unveiled the monument during Ninoy’s 77th birth anniversary. Added: We happened to pass by the monument when we were discharged from the hospital, so here’s a clearer view:

Incidentally, the inauguration of Ninoy’s only son, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, as the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines is on June 30, 2010, which has been declared as a national holiday (see also, list of 2010 and 2011 holidays; Cory Aquino Memorial Shrine and Ninoy Aquino Monument (Manila City); EDSA People Power Monument).

Ninoy is the husband of Corazon “Cory” Aquino. Ninoy was assassinated when he returned to the Philippines in 21 August 1983. Cory later became the President of the Philippines. President Cory died in 1 August 2009, a few days short of August 21, which is the Ninoy Aquino Day. Read more about Ninoy from iamNinoy.com or see the Ninoy Aquino Monument.

This year, 2009, August 21 (Friday) to August 23 (Sunday) is a long weekend (click to see other long weekends for 2009;the declared holidays in 2010 or 2011). August 21 is a special non-working holiday, to commemorate the death of Ninoy. Incidentally, the burial date of Pres. Cory Aquino, on August 5, 2009, has just been declared as a special non-working holiday (Proclamation 1851).

What comes to your mind with the celebration of Ninoy Aquino Day? Please use the comment section below.

(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

The most surprising scene in the middle of a concrete jungle, however, is not any of those. It’s the lush green area, with a body of water in the middle offering a serene medium to soothe frayed nerves. It’s not the granite or steel columns of skyscrapers in Makati or Ortigas, but the tree trunks that have withstood the test of time. Imagine my surprise when I stepped into the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center, in the middle of Quezon City, just across the Quezon Circle and a stone’s throw from the Quezon City Hall (if you’re a mall rat, perhaps it would be better to describe it as one block away from Trinoma or two blocks away from SM City North EDSA, along North Avenue). It’s near the University of the Philippines (Diliman), another green patch in the middle of the city, but that’s another story.

It may appear that there’s really nothing extraordinary with a green patch in the middle of Quezon City. Would you consider a green patch of earth extraordinary? Everyone has an opinion, of course. For me, it’s one of the major differences between Ayala malls and SM malls — the open spaces, the green patches where weary shoppers could sit down and relax. The good thing, though, is that SM appears to be slowly adopting this concept.

There’s an aviary, wildlife rescue center and other sights (just go to its site to read more), but I never had the chance to go see any of them. It was enough for me to enjoy the time spent at the edge of the peaceful waters of the lagoon. Just like the eye of a storm, it’s amazing to experience tranquility in the middle of hurried time, unforgiving reality and harsh grind of life forward.