Solons file bill to revert Feb. 25 into a regular holiday

Progressive solons have filed a bill seeking to revert Feb. 25, the anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, to a regular holiday.

Akbayan party-list lawmakers Chel Diokno, Percival Cendaña, Dadah Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene Bag-ao proposed House Bill No. 7911, declaring Feb. 25 as a regular holiday to "commemorate the peaceful 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that ousted President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr., toppled the authoritarian regime that he established, and restored democracy in the Philippines.”

“The EDSA People Power Revolution demonstrated to the world the sovereign will of a united people committed to freedom, constitutional government, and the rule of law,” the bill read in a copy provided to members of the media.

The lawmakers explained that the observance of the EDSA People Power anniversary has been inconsistently classified, diminishing the full recognition of its historical and civic significance.

"It restored democratic space, revived independent institutions, and paved the way for the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, which enshrined safeguards against tyranny and strengthened the protection of civil liberties and human rights," the bill's explanatory note read.

The lawmakers added that it is the duty of the State to preserve historical truth and honor the Filipino people's collective courage by recognizing the EDSA revolution's profound impact on the nation.

“Institutionalizing EDSA People Power Day as a regular holiday is a declaration that the spirit of People Power Revolution remains central to our national identity. It is a reminder that democratic institutions endure only when citizens remain vigilant and engaged,” the lawmakers concluded.

Under Proclamation No. 167 in 2023, President Bongbong Marcos declared Feb. 24 as a special non-working holiday pursuant to the principle of holiday economics, moving the EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary celebration to that date instead of the usual Feb. 25.

In the years that followed, Marcos declared Feb. 25 as a special working day.

The bill also called for the necessary appropriations to support commemorative and educational activities on the supposed holiday through the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Despite the lack of a holiday, several Philippine schools have suspended classes on Feb. 25 to mark the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education and the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines issued a joint statement urging their 1,500-member Catholic schools nationwide to suspend regular classes on Feb. 25, and instead organize activities that help students gain a deeper understanding of the historic event.