Catholic educators and Church leaders urged schools to declare Feb. 25 an academic holiday for reflection and civic formation as they warned that democracy remains fragile, four decades after the EDSA People Power Revolution.
In a joint statement marking the 40th anniversary of EDSA, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education said the commemoration should go beyond remembrance and confront present-day threats to democratic freedoms.
“Democracy is never self-sustaining,” the statement said, warning that it “demands vigilance, active participation, and fidelity to truth.”
Recalling the events of 1986, the statement described EDSA as a moment when “millions gathered in faith, prayer, and determination to reclaim our freedom,” highlighting the role of Radio Veritas, the Catholic hierarchy, and reformist soldiers who chose constitutional loyalty over allegiance to dictatorship.
EDSA was described as a “Rosary miracle,” and “a triumph of peaceful resistance over dictatorship,” when ordinary citizens, religious leaders, and young people “stood between tanks and violence, armed with a collective will.”
Forty years later, the Church-backed educators said the moral vision of EDSA remains urgent amid continuing governance challenges. “Governance must be anchored in accountability, respect for human rights, transparency, and service to the common good,” the statement said.
It warned that forgetting the abuses of the past carries serious consequences. “To forget the lessons of Martial Law, tolerate corruption, or allow historical distortion and disinformation to prevail jeopardize the very freedoms that were peacefully won,” the statement said.
As part of the commemoration, CEAP and the CBCP commission called on Catholic schools and educational institutions “to declare February 25 as an academic holiday for reflection, commemoration, and civic formation.”
Schools were encouraged to organize liturgical celebrations and educational activities, including Masses and youth forums, that would help students develop ethical judgment and civic responsibility.
The statement said students and young people, “as heirs of democratic space,” must cultivate the values needed “to challenge injustice, misinformation, and authoritarian tendencies.”
The statement also addressed multiple sectors of society, calling on civil society groups, human rights advocates, and the media to continue defending democratic freedoms.
Media practitioners, it said, are urged “to defend press freedom and truthful reporting as pillars against abuse of power.”
The military and police were reminded to remain faithful to their constitutional mandate “to protect the people and uphold the law,” while business leaders were urged to promote “transparency, ethical practices, and inclusive growth.”
Lawmakers were likewise called to action, with the statement urging Congress and the Senate “to act decisively against political dynasties, dismantle massive corruption in government, and commit to people empowerment through sustainable investment in education.”
The educators stressed that EDSA should not be treated as a closed chapter in history. “EDSA is not only a commemoration, it is an unfinished movement that demands vigilance, active participation, and collective resolve from all sectors,” the statement said.
“To honor it authentically,” it added, is “to combat revisionism, defend democratic principles, and build a nation where justice, dignity, and peace are lived realities.”
