UP declares Feb. 25 an alternative learning day to commemorate EDSA People Power anniversary
The University of the Philippines (UP) has declared Feb. 25 an Alternative Learning Day to commemorate the anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
The memo, signed by UP president Angelo Jimenez on Feb. 19, said that all administrators, faculty, REPS, students, and staff across the university system "are encouraged to participate in meaningful and peaceful activities that honor the spirit of unity, freedom, and civil liberties."
Chancellors, meanwhile, shall determine suitable work and class arrangements for their respective campuses.
Ultimately, UP said through the order that it reaffirms its commitment to upholding democratic values, human rights, and the spirit of People Power.
"Let this occasion serve as a reminder of our shared responsibility to protect and strengthen these principles within our campuses and beyond," UP concluded.
Meanwhile, UP Cebu has suspended classes on Feb. 25.
"This day serves as a tribute to the countless Filipinos who bravely stood against an oppressive regime to reclaim democracy, reaffirming our collective commitment to freedom, unity, and social justice," its announcement read.
"UP Cebu recognizes this day as an opportunity to reflect on the lessons of history and the continued struggle for truth, democracy, and human rights," it added.
Social media users react
On social media, UP elicited mixed reactions, with some showing appreciation for the declaration while others highlighted the delay of the announcement.
"The university imparts not only knowledge and skills but values too. Congratulations to UP," one user said.
"#NeverForget #NeverAgain," added another.
"Finally… you should have been the first to declare though," another user commented.
"'Better late than never,'" a Facebook user also wrote.
The UP Diliman Department of English and Comparative Literature, meanwhile, said that "there is no alternative to history."
"We protest the Marcos Administration's erasure of EDSA. The DECL will hold NO CLASSES on Feb. 25," it wrote in a statement.
The Edsor Consortium, an association of schools in the EDSA-Ortigas area, similarly announced it would mark the day as a special nonworking holiday and suspend classes, saying it would “reaffirm the continuing significance" of Feb. 25.
The EDSA People Power was a series of bloodless demonstrations from Feb. 22 to 25, 1986, that toppled Ferdinand E. Marcos's 20-year dictatorship.
Last October 2024, his son and namesake, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., via Proclamation No. 727, issued a list of regular holidays and special non-working days.
This year, the EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary was declared a special working day, falling on a Tuesday.
It marks the second time Malacañang didn't declare the EDSA People Power a holiday.
Here is a list of other schools that declared class suspensions on Feb. 25 for the EDSA People Power anniversary.
