Holding our ground: EDSA’s enduring lessons

Holding our ground: EDSA’s enduring lessons | Daily Tribune

On a day in February 1986, I found myself together with my law school classmates sitting on Santolan Road in front of the gate of Camp Crame. We were young, idealistic, and driven by a belief that ordinary citizens could help safeguard the future of our country. When word spread that armed soldiers were advancing toward the camp, panic rippled through the crowd. Yet the instruction passed down to us was simple and firm: hold your ground.

We braced ourselves. For a moment, fear overwhelmed courage. It was good that the report turned out to be untrue, and the danger never reached us. Still, in those few minutes, I learned something profound: courage is not the absence of fear — it is choosing to stay put even when fear arrives uninvited.

That moment, small in the scale of history but immense in my memory, remains one of my deepest lessons from the EDSA People Power Revolution. Forty years later, what continues to matter are not the grand images of crowds or tanks, but the quiet truths that emerged from those days.

First, People Power was never about a single hero. It was about a nation discovering its collective strength — proof that unity, when anchored in moral conviction, is more powerful than force. It was a reminder that the Filipino, long tested by hardship, carries within a deep well of hope.

Second, democracy is not self-sustaining. The euphoria of EDSA, inspiring as it was, could not guarantee lasting change without vigilance, participation, and accountability. Over the decades, we have seen our democracy tested repeatedly — by corruption, disinformation, political division, and economic inequality. People Power gave us a restored democracy; it did not promise that democracy would forever remain strong. That responsibility rested on us.

Third, institutions matter. EDSA succeeded because individuals inside the government and the military made principled choices. But institutions must be continually strengthened so that the fate of the nation does not depend solely on individual bravery. Transparent governance, a professionalized bureaucracy, and a justice system worthy of trust — these remain the unfinished business of our democracy.

Finally, EDSA taught us that aspirations must outlast moments. The dream that brought millions to the streets was simple yet profound: a Philippines built on freedom, dignity, and justice. But dreams fade when not nurtured.

The challenge today is to reclaim that clarity of purpose, especially for the younger generation who know EDSA only through textbooks and commemorations. Our task is not to romanticize the past but to translate its lessons into present action.

Our continuing aspiration is not merely for a “better Philippines,” but for a nation that fulfills the promise we glimpsed in those extraordinary days — a country where leadership is accountable, citizens are empowered, and institutions serve with integrity.

EDSA was not the end of a journey. It was the beginning of a long trek. And as long as we aspire, participate, and hold our ground — just as we did outside Camp Crame decades ago — that dream remains within reach for the whole of the Philippines.