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Tag: Edsa1

Ang konsyerto ng mga palaka

Published by Ellen on February 27, 2011

My sanggumay. Still a beauty but not so fragrant anymore.
Habang nagkakantahan at nasasayawan sina Pangulong Aquino sa EDSAnoong Biyernes sa kanilang pagdiwang ng 25 taong anibersayo ng People Power, ako ay nakikinig sa kunsiyerto ng mga palaka.
Tuloy-tuloy hanggang lampas ng hatinggabi ang kunsiyerto ng mga palaka. Minsan may nagso-solo,pagkatapos pumapasok na parang background music. Ang galing. Talo si Ogie Alcasid at ang kanyang mga all-stars performers sa EDSA.

Sobra isang linggo na ako sa aming baryo sa Guisijan sa Antique at talaga namang nakaka-relax ang sariwang hangin, sariwang isda at sariwang gulay.


Nasubukan nyo na ba ang masaheng alon? ‘Yan ang nangyari sa akin noong isang linggo. Pinaghahampas kami ng alon. Masaya kaya lang masakit sa katawan.

Hindi masyadong damdam ng mga kapitbahay namin dito and selebrasyon ng EDSA1. Natutuwa lang ang mga bata dahil wala silang pasok kaya naligo kami sa dagat. Nang gabi nga nasalubong ko ang aming kapitbahay at sinabi niya makikinood daw siya kanyang katabing bahay ng “Willing-Willie.” Mukhang mas mabenta ang Willing-Willie kaysa EDSA1 na palabas.

Continue readingAng konsyerto ng mga palaka

‘EDSA is not just four days in February’: Remembering the role of the ‘Mosquito press’

Published by Ellen on February 24, 2011

A soldier reads Malaya's account of Day One of People Power Revolution. Photo by Joe Galvez.
I’m reprinting here the recollection of Lourdes “Chuchay” Fernandez, Malaya’s editor-in-chief at the time of the 1986 People Power, which she did for VERA Files and Yahoo. Chuchay is now editor-in-chief of Business Mirror.

The 1986 People Power is most memorable for us in Malaya, whose owners, Jose Burgos Sr and his son, Joe Burgos, Jr.,editors and columnists were imprisoned three years earlier when their other newspaper, WE Forum, which was padlocked, ran the Marcos fake medals story.

I was home resting the day then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile and Philippine Constaburary Chief Fidel Ramos launched their “People’s revolution” having come from a gruelling and emotion-laden coverage of the funeral of former Antique Governor Evelio Javier. I had to cut short my rest and cover what turned out to be one of the Filipinos’ greatest moments.

Here’s Chuchay’s Edsa1 recollection:

“EDSA, from my perspective as then editor-in-chief of the “Mosquito Press” pioneer Ang Pahayagang Malaya of Joe Burgos Jr., broke in the early afternoon of Feb. 22, 1986 when I received a phone call from Malaya’s Malacanang reporter, Butch Fernandez, who said he had heard the distinct “ting-ting-ting” of the teletype machine that receives wire-agency news feed at the Palace press room, indicating an urgent, big development.

Continue reading‘EDSA is not just four days in February’: Remembering the role of the ‘Mosquito press’

Thoughts on 25 years after 1986 People Power

Published by Ellen on February 23, 2011

We are commemorating the 1986 People Power revolution, many refer to as EDSA 1.

If we refer to EDSA I and EDSA 2 as a gathering of people on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, that long stretch of road from Pasay City to Caloocan City, I would agree that’s accurate. Then we should also call the assembly of masses in the last days of April 2001 that culminated in the assault of Malacanang on May 1, 2001 EDSA 3. The crowd in April 2001 was definitely bigger than the civil society groups that ousted an elected president, Joseph Estrada, in Jan 2001 and installed in Malacanang Gloria Arroyo that turned out to be worse than Estrada in corruption and perversion of the law.

Continue readingThoughts on 25 years after 1986 People Power