‘Elders must educate disconnected youth on EDSA’
Barely a week before the 30th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA people power revolution, former president Fidel Ramos urged the country’s elders and leaders to help cultivate in the youth the values learned from the popular uprising.
Ramos said instead of faulting the “disconnected youth” for sympathizing with the martial law era, elders and leaders should help the younger generation understand the hardships and lost freedom during those dark times.
“It is not the fault of the youth that they don’t understand. It is the fault of their elders and leaders. We are the ones who should exert effort to give lectures to the youth. Let us show the youth the values learned from EDSA,” he said in Filipino.
Ramos is urging the younger generations of Filipinos to foster the values of peace, development, cooperation, education and international friendship, which were seen during the peaceful revolution.
He said all Filipinos should continue to uphold these values and recapture the spirit of people power, especially with the
upcoming national elections in May.
“EDSA in 1986 must be seen as just the beginning and the People Power Revolution, which was peaceful, as still continuing,” he added.
For vice presidential candidate Sen. Gregorio Honasan, one of the key people in the military uprising that led to the people power revolution, the important lesson learned from EDSA is that “when the Filipino people unite, change is possible.”
He also said that there are more reasons to commemorate the revolution “to find out what we did wrong.”
Honasan has served as senator for four terms. “This is probably my last talk with the Filipino people. I still dream of a government with continuity and stability,” he said.
As part of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the revolution, the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation yesterday launched Ramos’ book “2030: One World, One Community, One Family” at the Kamuning Bakery Cafe.
The book is a compilation of essays, articles and other writings of Ramos.
The EDSA People Power Commission will also hold various activities to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the event, with the theme “Pagbabago: Ipinaglaban N’yo, Itutuloy Ko!”
A wreath-laying celebration, student forums, an experiential museum and the annual Salubungan program are among activities for this year’s celebration.