MTV’s Edsa People Power Book “Silver Linings” – When You Write History, Remember It’s Never Finished!

-

Friday, 30 Dec 2022, is the 126th year after the Spanish authority in the Philippines executed the “subversive” Jose Rizal, whose death quickly made him the National Hero and turned the tide against the colonizers. Today, I celebrate not a Death but a Birth, the “New Philippines” that emerged after the Edsa People Power Revolution of February 1986. This time, the tide turned against dictator President Ferdinand “FM” Edralin Marcos;today, I ask: That “New Philippines” – where is it?

(“Edsa 1986” from capcsi.com)

My friend JAQ just sent me a new copy of Melandrew T Velasco’s book Silver Linings subtitled “25 Years Of The 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution,” published 2012. A total of 488 pages, paperbound, no color pages except the PH flag on the cover.

Color is what Mr Velasco’s book lacks – figuratively and literally!

What is lacking in Mr Velasco’s book – co-written with Rafael Alunan III and Gen Reynaldo V Velasco (Ret) – is the “Silver Linings” promised in the title.

My online dictionary has this on the subject (TheFreeDictionary, idioms.thefreedictionary.com):

Silver lining – The potential for something positive or beneficial to result from a negative situation... (A silver lining on a cloud is an indication that the sun is behind it.)

So now, I'm asking Mr Velasco – “Where is that Sun? More directly, where is that Vision? Your book does not present it in any way, shape or form, and it’s not your failure. After the Marcoses fled to Hawaii, the leaders of Edsa People Power failed to gather and discuss what to do next, how to make this nation not regret again!

What we Filipinos need to do now is proceed to the next phase of Edsa People Power; Edsa saw the silver linings but not a Vision for a brighter Philippines! “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV).

I say: “Edsa People Power failed to solve/resolve “The 3 Poverties” – Poverty of Thinking, Poverty of Leadership, and Poverty of Followership. Thinking: The Edsa Leaders failed to define/refine the Vision after the Fall. Leadership: They failed to define/refine Leadership after Martial Law. Followership: They failed to define/refine the Followership from the Leadership.

A writer & editor with decades of experiences in the typewriter and digital universes, Roman Catholic, I see the first unforgivablesin of Mr Velasco’s book is the non-inclusion of the major role that Jaime Cardinal Sin played in rallying the people and encouraging them to physically gather along Edsa to show support for the breakaway leaders: Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel V Ramos.

This time, now that the son has also risen, President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr, we Filipinos should ask the same question: “Where is that New Philippines?!” Where is your vision of your country apart from a “P20/kg rice”? I Filipino citizen expect: “The Son Also Rises”!

“Silver Linings” is a book that is unfinished – and that finishes it with me. If all BBM dreams of is 20 pesos per kilo of rice, the buck stops here?@517

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What We Are Witness Of Is All Unlove – Where Is The Love?”

-
Image
Just browsing Facebook posts and sharings, you will note insistent & persistent efforts from many sources inviting people to join their churches other than Roman Catholic – that is to say, they are the true church and not the Catholic Church. Today, as a Catholic, I ask, “Where is the love?”  (“Where Is The Love?” image from pxleyes.com ) We humans need the loving, not the dividing. “Love is the Only Path To Christian Unity, Pope Says” ( Cindy Wooden, 26 Jan 2024, ncronline.org ). L’Osservatore Romano says Pope Francis says ( osservatoreromano.va ): Jesus can thus conclude that the right question is not: “Who is my neighbor?” but “Do I act like a neighbor?” Only a love that becomes gratuitous service, only the love that Jesus taught and embodied, will bring separated Christians closer to one another. Only that love, which does not appeal to the past in order to remain aloof or to point a finger, only that love which in God’s name puts our brothers and sisters before the iron
Read more

To Celebrate People Power Revolution, I Am Calling For A Media Power Revolution Starting Now!

-
Image
February 1986. We were watching TV and listening to the still-bravely-broadcasting single radio station. The Philippines’ historic 4-day “EDSA People Power Revolution” in Manila happened 22-25 February 1986. Me, I wasn’t there on EDSA in the first few days because of fear for my life, but on Friday, 24 Feb, listening to the radio I thought that FM’s soldiers were winning – and so I conquered my fear and joined the throng of people walking EDSA. I walked from Guadalupe Bridge to the gate of Camp Crame . When helicopters hovered over the building near the gate, I thought they had come to bombard Crame to kingdom come. No. Yes, they were sympathizers of the leaders of the rebel soldiers: Fidel Ramos and Juan Ponce Enrile .  (“Anniversary EDSA” from bing.com ) I then walked to Channel 4 of the government’s TV station, already captured by EDSA people. I don’t remember what the fellow being interviewed said, but I was happy. When I got out of Channel 4 and returned to the gate of Camp Cra
Read more

Life Lessons You Learn As You Go – Here I Go!

-
Image
I’m 83, a happy blogger among other things, and why should I now be learning “8 Life Lessons I Wish I Knew Earlier” from Brian McEntee, an animation and Art Director known for Ice Age (2002), The Brave Little Toaster (1987, and Beauty And The Beast (1991) (IMDb, imdb.com ), published 24 Jan 2024, source quitandconquer.com )? The list is shared by Ramon Rivera on Facebook (image of “Life Lessons” from bing.com ). And yes, I can identify with all 8! Brian McEntee is an animation art director; here is his list ( Quit & Conquer , quitandconquer.com/ ): 1. Time is your most valuable asset. 2. It’s okay to fail and make mistakes. 3. No one is coming to save you. 4. What you aren’t doing is just as important as you what you are doing. 5. Spend time thinking about what you want your life to look like. 6. If you don’t know what to do, pick something and adjust your plans as you go. 7. Don’t compare yourself to others, compare yourself today to who you were yesterday. 8. D
Read more