On EDSA Day, PBBM calls for ‘peace, unity, reconciliation’
GOVERNANCE/POLITICS • 09:30 AM Sat Feb 25, 2023
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By:
Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
MANILA – As the nation commemorates the 37th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Saturday urged his fellow Filipinos to seek “peace, unity, and reconciliation.”
Marcos made the call as he hoped for a solemn and meaningful commemoration of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
“As we look back at this fateful moment in our country's history, we remind ourselves that despite the polarizing and divisive nature of our politics, it is our capacity for peace, unity, and reconciliation that made us great and worthy of global acclaim as a people,” the President said in his message.
Marcos noted that as the country aspires to move forward, everyone must remain composed and take appropriate actions toward settling differences and identifying collaborative ways.
Freedom, he said, could only be attained once Filipinos pursue “infinite love for humanity.”
“By accepting our diversity, we deepen our interpersonal relationships and discover how to make things work better for all,” Marcos said.
“I hope that we will always take to heart that democracy is only truly possible when we resign from our individualism for the sake of the common good and embrace our infinite love for humanity,” he added.
Marcos also reminded everyone that “the world matures and ages in fortitude, when people are free to speak their minds and challenge the realities that shake their convictions and beliefs.”
“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.
Feb. 25 is a regular working day after Marcos moved the celebration of the EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary to Feb. 24.
On Thursday, Marcos signed Proclamation 157, declaring Feb. 24, 2023 as a special non-working day to enable Filipinos to “enjoy the benefits of holiday economics.”
The 1986 People Power Revolution, which gathered millions of Filipinos along EDSA, led to the ouster of Marcos’ father, former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., paving the way for a new government under Corazon C. Aquino. (PNA)