LIST: Places to visit to commemorate EDSA People Power Revolution
Enough was enough after years of dictatorship, the assassination of former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, and then a rigged snap presidential election.
The Filipino people responded with the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. In a peaceful uprising, the people decisively drove the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos out of power and Corazon "Cory" Aquino, wife of Ninoy, into the presidential office.
This important piece of the country's past continues to be studied in schools nationwide given its continuing relevance 37 years later. Aside from these educational institutions, the country has avenues outside of the academe to popularize its extensive history.
Go back in time through these places that commemorate People Power.
Bantayog ng mga Bayani
The Bantayog ng mga Bayani (Shrine of Heroes) is a memorial established in Quezon city in honor of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for freedom. It features a black granite structure known as the Wall of Remembrance, where the names of hundreds of heroes are inscribed.
Moreover, the site includes a museum that displays the resistance's memorabilia during Martial Law, an amphitheater, an auditorium, multipurpose rooms, and a reflexology garden.
Organizers of Bantayog ng mga Bayani Memorial Foundation include Dona Aurora A. Aquino, former Senator Jovito R. Salonga, Dr. Pedro L. Yap, Atty. Abraham F. Sarmiento., Ms. Josefa M.Jopson, Ms. Cecilia C. Lagman, Bishop La Verne Mercado, Bishop Tito E. Pasco, Ms. Lydia dela Paz, Rev. Cirilo A. Rigos, Sis. Christine Tan, Atty. Ramon M. Osmena, Ms. Nievelena V. Rosete, Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, Dr. Ledivina V. Carino, Ms. Pearl G. Doromal, Mr. Victor Barrios, Atty. Delilah V. Magtolis, Mr. Solomon Y. Yuyitung, Mr. Benjamin Guingona, Ms. Domini Torrevillas Suarez, and Ms. Thelma Arceo, among others.
EDSA People Power Monument
The People Power Monument is a structure that Eduardo Castrillo sculpted in 1993 to commemorate the EDSA revolution.
A total of 37 figures comprise the structure to depict different sectors of Philippine society that ultimately joined forces for the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
This is located on the corner of White Plains Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, better known today as EDSA.
EDSA Shrine
The EDSA Shrine is formally known as the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA), in dedication to Our Lady "who has miraculously interceded to oust the dictatorship in a peaceful and bloodless uprising that is now world-renowned as the People Power Revolution of 1986."
It was established on Dec. 15, 1989 with Rev. Fr. Socrates B. Villegas as Rector. To summarize, the Ortigas and Gokongwei families were approached and they subsequently donated the prime corner lot. Architect Francisco Mañosa had undertaken the architectural and structural design for the church, alongside preparatory work from fellow architects, National Artist Leandro Locsin and William Coscolluela.
This is located at the crossroads of Ortigas Avenue and EDSA.
Museum of Courage and Resistance
The Museum of Courage and Resistance is located at 45 Saint Mary Street, Cubao, Quezon City.
Also known as the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines' Martial Law Museum, it was organized to serve as a "constant reminder to its victims and today's generation so that no repeat of the atrocities and repression under martial law, in any of its forms, could ever occur again."
Among its features is a replica of a "bartolina," a cell where those arrested during Martial Law faced solitary confinement for as long as a month, often without food, ventilation, or light.
Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center
On a lighter note, try visiting Quezon City's Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, which hosts a range of educational, scientific, civic, religious, and recreational activities.
The center's active urban biodiversity consists of different endemic and introduced plant species, on top of animal life that includes birds, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians. Its artificial lagoon even houses many fish species like tilapia, catfish, and snakehead, among others.
Under the Ministry of Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 4 series of 1986, the park was actually renamed as “Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center” in honor of the late senator, whose assassination was one of the primary factors involved in the EDSA People Power Revolution.