February 24 declared a special non-working day
SWS: 62% of Pinoys say spirit of EDSA still alive
— President Marcos has declared Feb. 24 a special non-working day throughout the country, applying the holiday economics principle on the anniversary of the EDSA people power revolution, the uprising that ousted his father and namesake.
The declaration is contained in Proclamation No. 167 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
Because of the Marcos administration’s decision to adopt the holiday economics principle, the holiday will be observed a day before the 37th anniversary of the historic popular revolt.
“To enable our countrymen to avail of the benefits of a longer weekend pursuant to the principle of holiday economics, the celebration of EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary may be moved from 25 February 2023 (Saturday) to 24 February 2023 (Friday), provided that the historical significance of EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary is maintained,” the proclamation read.
The labor department was directed to issue the appropriate circular to implement the proclamation for the private sector.
The latest issuance amended Proclamation No. 42 issued on Aug. 22, 2022 and Proclamation No. 90 dated Nov. 11, 2022, which had declared Feb. 25, 2023 as a special non-working day.
The Marcos administration adopted the principle of holiday economics through Proclamation No. 90, which adjusted some holidays this year.
According to the President, the adjustments were meant to encourage domestic tourism and to give Filipinos time to be with their families.
“There is a need to adjust these holidays pursuant to the principle of holiday economics, wherein a longer weekend will help encourage domestic travel and increase tourism expenditures in the country,” Proclamation No. 90 read.
The EDSA people power revolution anniversary was one of the special non-working days listed in that proclamation but the holiday then was scheduled on Feb. 25.
The administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had adhered to holiday economics to strengthen domestic tourism. Her successor, the late president Benigno Aquino III, discontinued the policy, saying particular dates should be honored to focus on the importance of a particular holiday. Aquino was the son of the late president Corazon Aquino, who assumed office after the elder Marcos was ousted in the 1986 revolt.
Malacañang has yet to respond to queries on whether Marcos will participate in activities commemorating the 1986 revolt.??But in an interview with a news website, Ilocos Norte provincial tourism officer Ian Ree Raquel confirmed that the President and his sister Sen. Imee Marcos would be in their hometown on Feb. 24, eve of the anniversary of the EDSA uprising
Marcos, Jr. offers ‘hand of
reconciliation’ as PH marks 37th anniv of EDSA Revolution
Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on said he is offering his “hand of reconciliation” again “to those with different political persuasions” as the country commemorates the 37th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
Marcos is the namesake son of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. who was ousted by the peaceful revolt after being in power since 1965. The country is commemorating the event under a Marcos presidency for the first time.
“As we look back to a time in our history that divided the Filipino people, I am one with the nation in remembering those times of tribulation and how we came out of them united and stronger as a nation,” Marcos said.
Marcos Jr. leads Ilocos Norte festival, assures support for PH tourism industry
“I once again offer my hand of reconciliation to those with different political persuasions to come together as one in forging a better society — one that will pursue progress and peace and a better life for all Filipinos,” he added.
Marcos also said people are “free to speak their minds and challenge realities that shake their convictions and beliefs” as the world grows and matures.
Democracy, he said, will only truly be possible when people abandon ideas of “individualism” and “embrace our infinite love for humanity.”
He also stressed the importance of unity.
“If we truly stand for democracy, let us face the future by making our sense of community and patriotism the defining cornerstones of our society and the overarching goals of all our efforts in nation-building,” he said.
“To obtain our aspirations moving forward, we must compose ourselves and appropriate our actions towards settling our differences and identifying collaborative ways to nurture our society,” he said.
“By accepting our diversity, we deepen our interpersonal relationships and discover how to make things work better for all.”
Marcos was not present at the event’s commemoration at the People Power Monument in Quezon City.
He was in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte for the Tan-ok ni Ilocano: Festival of Festivals on the eve of the People Power anniversary.
Malacañang had said Feb. 25 is a regular working day after Marcos signed a proclamation moving the special non-working day to Feb. 24 in line with the “principle of holiday economics.”
About 6 in 10 Filipinos believe the spirit of the EDSA Revolution is alive, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll showed.
According to reports from human-rights watchdog Amnesty International, there were 100,000 victims of Martial Law, with 3,000 killed, 34,000 tortured, and 70,000 arrested.
Aquino family says,
EDSA spirit is alive 37 years on
The EDSA spirit remains alive 37 years since it fueled a peaceful revolt that ousted the late President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. from power, the Aquino family said on Saturday.
“Today, we remember the heroism of the Filipino people who fought to end the Marcos dictatorship, thus restoring democracy in our country,” the family said in a statement posted on the Ninoy & Cory Aquino Foundation Facebook page.
The People Power Revolution, culminating on Feb. 25, 1986, installed Corazon “Cory” Aquino, widow of the assassinated Marcos political nemesis Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., into the presidency.
Ninoy was killed upon return from exile at the country’s main airport in August 1983, while Cory, who served until 1992, passed on in 2009. They have been hailed as democracy icons.
Their son, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, became president from 2010 until 2016. He died in 2021.
The Philippines marks the 37th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution with a Marcos at the helm of Malacanang following the election last year of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., son and namesake of the late president.
The older Marcos served from December 1965 until February 1986. He died in 1989.
“The EDSA People Power Revolution showed the world that it was possible for a courageous and truly unified people to reclaim the freedom that a dictatorship had denied them. We believe that the indomitable spirit exemplified by one Filipino nation 37 years ago remains alive to this very day,” the Aquino family said.
‘EDSA Revolution needs to be remembered all the more’
Nora Aunor narrates near
death experience
“I was dead for three minutes just recently”. said Nora.
“Hindi alam talaga ng mga tao. Sorry po, napag-usapan at hindi naman siguro masama na sabihin ko ang totoo sa talagang nangyari sa akin,”
“There were times that she was going back and forth to the hospital when one day her blood pressure really went down so she asked to be taken back.
“Pagkahiga ko (sa hospital bed), hindi ko na alam kung ano ang nangyari,” said Ate Guy. At ang sabi nga raw sa kanya ng doktor nang magkamalay sa ICU, tatlong minuto siyang namatay. “Sabi nga sa akin, ‘Suwerte mo, mahal ka ng Diyos,’” pagbabahagi ni Nora.
The second miracle that happened to her was when she met a car accident while shotting “Himala” in Ilocos Norte in 1982. “Naaksidente po ako. Ako ang nagda-drive, wrong lane yung pinasok ko, nagbanggaan. So, yung sasakyan ko, talagang accordion. Talagang hindi na nagamit,” she recalled.
“Ang sabi nila, nagdasal sila (mga kasamahan sa trabaho). Akala nila baka namatay na ako, saka yung tsinelas kung saan-saan napunta.
“Ang maganda po nito, nu’ng maaksidente ako, ang narinig, ‘Boss, yung kasama ko.’ Pagkatapos noon, wala na akong narinig.
“Ang nangyari pala, yung salamin sa harapan, natanggal sa sasakyan pero buo, hindi nabasag. Yung manibela naman, imbes na tamaan ako sa dibdib, lumihis yon sa akin, so wala talaga akong naramdamang sakit.
“Ang naramdaman ko lang yung nauntog yung ulo ko sa may bintana,”
The third one was when she lost her voice that caused her to stop singing and to perform. This was caused by the operation that she had in a clinic in Japan in 2010.
“Nawala ang boses ko kasi tatlong araw po ako na… wala talaga. Kung anu-ano na ang panaginip ko, dalawang araw akong hindi nagising. “Paggising ko, sigaw ako nang sigaw, wala akong marinig na boses sa akin, tapos wala pa akong makita sa clinic na pinagdalhan sa akin, walang tao.
“So, sinipa ko yung kama para mag-ingay. Kaya lang sila pumasok, nung marinig nila yung ingay. Salita ako nang salita, tanong ako nang tanong. Sabi ko, ‘Bakit wala akong boses?’
“Ang sabi sa akin, nilinis daw yung lungs ko. Nilinis daw yung lungs ko kasi puno raw ng sigarilyo.
“Sabi ko naman, ‘Diyos ko naman, ang tagal-tagal ko nang naninigarilyo, hindi naman ako… hindi dapat mangyayari itong nawala ang boses ko,’” aniya pa.
“Bakit ganito ang nangyari? Para bang, ano bang malaking kasalanan ang nagawa ko?” ang tanong ng aktres noong panahong yun.
“Inisip ko na lang po na ibinibigay ng Diyos (ang mga pagsubok) dahil sa mga magiging kapalit pero ang tagal na, no?
“May mga insidente na puwedeng sisihin, may mga tao dapat… pero mahirap na magsalita kasi andun na. Magsalita ka man na magsalita, wala naman mangyayari,” Nora added.
Meanwhile, Nora’s book about her life is on the works. The book is divided in three parts, the actress revealed. “Walang aalising detalye sa librong ‘yan. Kung anong nangyari sa buhay ko, that’s what you’ll read in it. Please write about the book so people can start looking forward to it.
“The first part will be from the time I was born till the moment I won ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ (in May 1
967). Part 2 will be about my love life (laughs), and the third part will be about my life as an actress until the present.”
********************************************************************************************************************** ******
Oras de Peligro: A simple
story truthfully told
By PABLO A. TARIMAN
Many things stay in the mind long after you have watched Joel Lamangan’s Oras de Peligro.
It has news reels of the 1986 People Power which got world-wide attention for a “bloodless revolution.”
There is a historic footage of Juan Ponce Enrile in his younger years withdrawing support for the Marcoses along with the then equally younger Fidel Ramos.
You see the famous balcony scene of the Marcoses holding fort before the fateful hour when a plane would transport them to Hawaii with enormous amount of their wealth that took more than a week for the Hawaii customs office to itemize.
For once you are reminded that the older Marcos is really determined to take over as permanent president of the Republic of the Philippines after twenty years of the so-called New Society.
As the Senate proclaims Ferdinand Marcos as “the newly elected president of the Republic,” the story of a typical poor Filipino family unfolds.
The news reels slowly fade as you focus on jeepney driver (Allen Dizon) and his wife (Cherry Pie Picache).
They manage to raise good kids on top of trying to survive on meager wages.
But it is the year of living dangerously.
Checkpoints have proliferated.
Actors Allen Dizon and Cherry Pie Picache with director Joel Lamangan.
Poor jeepney driver and his passengers are victimized by holduppers (a common occurrence that remains to this day).
Among the victims is a businessman with his week’s income in a paper bag full of money bills. He hands it over to the driver (Dizon) for possible safekeeping.
But the policemen supposed to come to the rescue of the commuters and poor driver have other things in mind when they see cold cash.
In the end, they get rid of the driver and drive away with a paper bag full of cash. Not knowing that there was one silent, terrified witness who saw it all.
Meanwhile, poor driver goes home as a lifeless body.
It is the fate of the typical Filipino family that they have no money for even a decent burial. And worst, they have no money to pay the funeral parlor.
They struggle to raise fund from concerned neighbors.
Mae Paner as Ma’am Jessa.
The newsreels return in the middle of a poor family’s struggle to give breadwinner a decent burial.
News reels show Cardinal Sin imploring the Filipino people to support Enrile and Ramos.
Meanwhile, the witness of the cold-blooded murder of jeepney driver surfaces. As the film ends, the Marcoses are already in Hawaii.
Meanwhile, poor family is still raising funds for burial. To make matters worse, the policemen realize the long suffering widow (Picache) is determined to get justice for her husband.
There is frantic fight for the custody of the dead breadwinner.
Policemen realize an autopsy might uncover the fact that policemen’s bullets (and not the holduppers’ gun) were responsible for the poor driver’s death.
As the poor family struggles to seek justice, the news reels return announcing the sudden changing of the guard in Malacanang.
Oras de Peligro is a simple story of a Filipino family caught in the maelstrom of history as the new presidency beckons with the 13th and the first female president of the republic.
Screen writers Boni Ilagan and Eric Ramos manage to merge real events with a typical profile of the Filipino family coping with social injustice.
The screen sizzles with first-rate performances from the ensemble.
While he appears only at the beginning of the film, Dizon as the jeepney driver leaves a mark of a good actor.
The trio of corrupt policemen (Apollo Abraham, Jim Pebanco, and Rico Barrera) look so real and so wicked they might as well be proclaimed villains of the year.
The character of Alan Paule is symbolic of society’s predators preying on innocent young women.
The father-in-law of the jeepney driver’s wife (Nanding Josef) delivers a nuanced, if, well-cantilevered performance that touches the soul.
Mae Paner as Ma’am Jessa went to town chanting “Mambo, Mambo Magsaysay” which brought back the innocent 50s. She is the symbol of the concerned middle class eschewing the character with a heart of gold.
The other members of the cast who delivered outstanding performances are Therese Malvar, Dave Bornea, Marcus Madrigal, Carlos Dala, Felixia Dizon, and Elora Espano. Moreover, the presence of Cherry Pie Picache as Beatriz (the jeepney driver’s wife) gives this film a fitting symbol of the wife who finally wakes up to the reality that she has to fight to get justice. Her character transition is by all means the mark of a good actor.
With outstanding direction and riveting screenplay and a superb acting ensemble, Oras de Peligro is easily the most powerful film of the decade. The eerie silence from its audience before the screen credits is ominous.
When they break out into deafening applause at the end means the film can stand with one of the outstanding feature films of the decade.
Surprisingly, there is no reference to any political faction. It is a poignant story of the Filipino Everyman in the EDSA upheaval of 1986.
It is a simple story truthfully told.*****VERA FILES
Ninoy as Everyman according to Vince Tañada By PABLO A. TARIMAN
Ako Si Ninoy is Vince Tañada’s second film musical after Katips.
The first set the martial law experience into a musical. By turns, it is jarring, if, powerful. It got its fair share of movie audiences during its 2022 run.
Like Katips, Ako Si Ninoy is a solid partnership between composer Pipo Cifra with director Vince Tañada as lyricist.
The artistic duo with different backgrounds is destined for each other.
Lyricist knows what sounds he wants. Composer knows his audiences
The director who happens to be the lyricist has a big overview, if, complex structure for the musical.
A product of the UST Conservatory of Music, Cifra knows the country’s pop landscape only too well. It is where classical musicians make money while the rest try to survive on the purity of their art.
Ako si Ninoy isn’t just about the late martyr senator. It is also about the Filipino Everyman and his struggles to survive in his own country.
Don’t be surprised to see Ninoy’s life intertwined with the tales of overseas Filipino worker (OFW), a housewife, a teacher, a journalist, a labor leader, an activist, a doctor, a student, a teen star, a war veteran, and a child hero.
Tall order, isn’t it? Or is it a bit complicated for a two-hour musical?
To be fair, Tañada made something magical out of the unthinkable. The stories of the Filipino Everyman resonated well with the life of the late senator.
The comparison seems uncanny.
The Filipino laborers have to leave the country to feed their families through gainful employment.
Ninoy had to leave the country to escape political persecution.
The Filipino teacher has to survive a school head preoccupied with “the good, the true and the beautiful” while turning a blind eye to other faculty members gleefully defiling their students.
Tañada has a point.
In fact, Ninoy’s plight is common knowledge. Like most activists in this country, he has to be red-tagged and later to be set up for murder at broad day light.
Then housewife Cory visiting her husband in a Nueva Ecija detachment is exactly what is happening to hundreds of spouses fighting for reforms in this country.
What Ninoy and his wife Cory had to go through while he was in prison are reasons enough to leave this country.
While the Tales of Everyman may seem too laborious for a musical focusing on a national martyr, one gets Tañada point.
A straight forward retelling of Ninoy’s story will make for a boring storytelling. But if you connect his life with the common man, many can relate.
Now how does one connect with Tañada’s second filmed musical, Ako si Ninoy?
The song numbers have melodic appeals all their own, not quite imaginative but fully serving the musical’s purpose.
For another, the singing ensemble can sing and not just act. It is gratifying to hear a fully realized choir swell to do justice to the martyr’s story.
Bodjie Pascua shines as the US-based Filipino veteran who has learned to accept his fate in a foreign soil.
Johnrey Rivas pretty much reflects the Filipino who has to leave the country to give his family a better future. He is a passionate actor and his singing blends perfectly with his character. Same is true with Marlo Mortel as the street rallyist.
Pinky Amador as the school head echoes a familiar personality. There is a touch of glibness and vulnerability in her approach. She managed to wrap up the role with a perfect sense of satire with funny moments coming as they did with perfect comic timing.
In this musical, Rebecca Quijano, the true-to-life Crying Lady, gets to re-enact the moment that made her famous when she screamed and cried upon seeing Ninoy being pumped with bullets in full view of the plane passengers on August 23, 1983.
As for the other members of the cast, Sarah Holmes is a perfect Cory and her character transitions find their mark in the musical.
As for JK Labajo as Ninoy, consider it a major film debut. He managed to absorb the part and carve a moving portrait of the martyr as the vulnerable human fated for martyrdom.
Singing his own composition Buwan, Labajo found the perfect song that dramatized Ninoy’s prison life. No doubt about it, it was a soul-wrenching moment for the musical.
With fairly good direction and an imaginative script by Tañada, Ako Si Ninoy is more than viewable. Its moving moments were not lost on the audience on its premiere night. They gave the members of the cast a cheering ovation.
The music of Cifra is the essence of pop songs that connect. In this regard, he succeeds.
Art and life merge in the film with footages of the hair-raising Ninoy funeral flashed on screen and later on the ascension of Cory as the 11th president of the Philippines.
Tañada said: “The film is for those who believe in the truth. We have to fight disinformation. Meanwhile, we have to celebrate the Filipino spirit, not just Ninoy. The message of my film is that anybody can be a hero. You do not have to die to be a hero.************
