Historically ‘anti-Marcos’ Cebu prepares to mark 40 years of EDSA People Power

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu civic groups, known for opposing authoritarian rule unveiled plans for the 40th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power uprising, with church-led events highlighting the province’s anti-dictatorship identity.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu, in partnership with the Cebu provincial and Cebu City governments, is organizing the activities through Sugboanong Pakigbisog Kontra Korapsyon (SuPaKK), a coalition of church and civil society groups focused on anti-corruption and civic participation.

Cebu’s anti-Marcos identity is rooted in decades of activism, stretching back to the 1960s. When Martial Law was declared in 1972, prominent Cebuanos were among the first 70,000 political prisoners nationwide, including scholars, labor leaders, and student activists. (READ: [ANALYSIS] Why Cebu is historically renowned as anti-Marcos country)

SuPaKK volunteer Brenette Abrenica said the February 25 commemoration begins with a Holy Mass at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño Pilgrim Center at 1:45 pm, followed by synchronized tolling of church bells across all parishes at 3 pm.

“Since we are commemorating four decades, there will be [representatives of] four generations who will speak. They will speak briefly and directly, with a call to action to encourage fellow Filipinos and Cebuanos not to forget what happened in 1986,” Abrenica said during a press conference at the Archbishop’s Palace on Saturday, February 21.

Participants will then march from the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño to Plaza Independencia for the “Panagtagbo” floral offering, with 1,000 rosaries and flowers prepared for distribution. The commemoration will conclude with “Yukbo: Ang Konsiyerto,” featuring performances by a lineup of local musicians.

‘Memory over forgetfulness’

Archdiocesan Chancellor Msgr. Renato Beltran read a message from Cebu Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy, who urged Cebuanos to join and highlighted three key reasons to participate.

First, he said, EDSA remains part of the Filipino moral identity, “a moral stand that showed the world Filipinos, guided by conscience, prayer, and unity, could reject dictatorship, corruption, and abuse of power without violence.” 

“For Cebuanos, joining this anniversary is a way of saying: We still believe that what is right is worth standing for. We still believe that truth matters, integrity matters, and the dignity of every person matters,” said Uy.

Second, he warned that freedoms restored by EDSA are still under strain. “Forty years after EDSA, corruption and abuse of power remain real. Poverty persists. Trust in institutions is fragile,” he said, reminding participants that “freedom is not automatic” and that EDSA was “the beginning of a responsibility” to protect democracy through daily actions.

Third, Uy emphasized the role of the next generation in preserving memory and values. “Our children and young people are learning from what we choose to remember — or forget,” he said. “If we do not show them that EDSA still matters, they may grow up thinking that corruption is normal, that abuse of power is acceptable, and that silence is safer than courage.”

He added that joining the activities is a way to choose “memory over forgetfulness, courage over indifference, and hope over cynicism.”

Strictly non-partisan

The coalition emphasized that the February 25 commemoration is strictly non-partisan. This means that no public officials will take the stage.

Association of Consecrated Men of Cebu president Fr. Jose “Baggy” Bagadiong said visible political participation could create perceptions of partisanship and discourage broader public support.

“When activities are interpreted as partisan, people tend to withdraw, and the credibility of the cause is affected. If we truly want to win as many people as possible to support a noble cause, we must avoid political coloring,” Bagadiong said.

Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) president Jay Pujanes also clarified that the activities will not include calls for any public official to resign, stressing that the event is focused on issues rather than personalities.

Pujanes said repeated demands for specific officials to step down tend to create division and shift attention away from broader structural problems. He described it as problematic when public discourse immediately turns to resignation calls whenever allegations of corruption arise, as this may encourage shortcuts instead of allowing proper legal and institutional processes to take their course.

“We want to teach the people to be responsible in voting because their votes have consequences. Dili naman pwede shortcut lang. Maanad na lang ta nga okay ra mga mobotar ta without thinking nga corrupt ba or not because in a way, later on pwede ra man nato paresignon,” said Pujanes.

(We should not get used to voting without thinking about whether a candidate is corrupt or not, assuming that we can simply ask them to resign later.)  – Rappler.com

Marjuice Destinado is a senior political science student at Cebu Normal University and an alumna of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2025.