Generation 'Laban'

Before Gleeks made viral the "Loser" sign, Filipinos made symbolic (to the whole world) the "Laban" sign. That was 25 years ago when most of the generation "Loser" weren't born yet. 

Let's sit back in retrospect, we the generation "Loser," and ask ourselves, what do we know of EDSA 1?

These are the answers my mind COULD muster: It took place in EDSA. It happened during the fateful days of February 22 to 25, 1986. Filipinos rallied to the streets and made big protests against the iron-fist ruler, late President Ferdinand Marcos. The Church participated too in the protests. All flashed the "Laban" sign associated with former President Corazon Aquino, wife of assassinated Ninoy Aquino. His death, which happened three years before the People Power movement, is believed to have triggered the people's uprising because Ninoy is one of the bravest opposer of Marcos' leadership. The people also held hands to block the Army and put flowers on the tanks' nuzzles. Then the ruler stepped down from his Malacañang chair to "avoid bloodshed." Thus EDSA 1, indeed, brought back to Philippines its democracy, and it was its people's doing.

 

That's about what I can remember from my history lessons in early school. 

We all probably can talk more about Facebook/Twitter, Glee, Lady Gaga, cosplaying, American Idol, K-Pop, etc. I could go on naming things that consume most of our young life, but do these things really matter to us as Filipinos?

I don't say that let's all be masters of EDSA 1. After all, we were born in this age. But most definitely than not, EDSA 1 matters more than the above mentioned. 

So at the very least, let's be thankful for the Filipinos during those times, because if not for them, who knows, rights might still be abused, Filipinos still vanished and killed, elections postponed, media restricted, etc. We could have been born to a Philippines that had no democracy, no freedom.

I wish somehow we could be like the Filipinos back then and there. The Filipinos who placed in their own hands the will to change. But this time, it doesn't have to be the darkest days to demand for change. 

Always, lets make it a point to have the power in our hands because 25 years later, even without martial law, there's still corruption in the government and the country remains a poor country. BUT we have our freedom. We are free to change the system. It's not an easy thing to do. But are we not the same people who showed the world that when working as one, we could do great changes. 

Let's always remember, we the young generation, that no matter how distant EDSA 1 is to us, we are still the Filipinos who won a peaceful revolution through "people power." We should be proud of that. 

Then prove we're not generation "Loser," but generation "Laban."