Salamat Madam President at Paalam

I had never had the opportunity to meet the late Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. 

My memories of EDSA were sketchy at best. I remembered as a young child of 11, wondering what was going on, wondering who was this man Benigno Ninoy Aquino and why was he assassinated. I remember at the age of 14, as a young high school student at the Sacred Heart School for Boys, encountering some of my teachers huddled at the radio, listening intently to what was going on in Manila. I looked in wonder at the creases of worry and concern clearly etched in their faces.

My next reflection on EDSA was how, a couple of years later, people would walk with pride and joy, basking in the honor in the realization that they were there. I was beginning to realize what the fuss was. I began to understand the enormity of the achievement.

I wanted to take Political Science at the University of the Philippines because I wanted to understand what People Power was about and why it happened. My mother became concerned and asked me to take a “safer” course. I ended up taking Psychology for a couple of years, but still ended up shifting to Political Science.

But by then, the stirrings of EDSA and people power had slowly began to fade. The stark realities of daily life and the feelings of apathy and cynicism began to grow once more. Cronyism, corruption as well as other bad habits had began to surface once more. President Aquino became just another ex-president and our lives went on.

My generation has often been called martial law babies. It was not deserved because for many of us, we never really experienced the harsh realities of life under martial rule. We grew up and witnessed Philippine history but were too young or too immature to really understand what it all meant. Cory became just another ex-president, a God fearing and kindly woman who became much more famous to my younger peers as the mother of Kris.

So I was truly surprised at my deep feelings of anguish and sorrow upon learning of her passing. I was even more surprised that thousands, literally hundreds of thousands felt the same way.

We honor this courageous woman, who thrust herself into peril, first to honor the sacrifice of her martyred husband, and then to carry on his wishes. I watched footage of Ninoy’s last moments in the plane, where he was showing his new bulletproof Kevlar vest and discussing how he would need to be shot in the head if they really wanted to take him out. I listened to his last interview with his American journalist friend, where he realistically discussed his chances of being assassinated. I remember an interview where Cory said of her husband, “He truly wanted to die for the Filipino people.” Ninoy truly believed that the Filipino is worth dying for.

Cory was a reluctant candidate but realized that she had a duty. She was the living image of a reluctant politician, who neither craved power nor had ambitions. She was steadfast and resolute in fulfilling her mandate and commitment, to bring democracy to the Philippines. She restored institutions of Government as well as the freedom of the Press. The President did this, all the while believing in the strength and goodness of the Filipino people and leaning on her Faith in the Almighty.

I have neither the space nor the words to do justice for a tribute to Cory. I just want to simply say, that Cory made us all proud to be Filipino. Don’t get me wrong; Athletes, singers, beauty contestants all do make us proud. But we are more proud of their achievements and the honor it brings to our Country. Cory always made us proud of ourselves as a nation and in our achievements as a people.

I watched in awe her speech before the US Congress where she was given the longest applause ever for a foreign dignitary. She made us proud, we held our head high and the world acknowledged it.

She believed in us. She was a simple woman who asked for little but expected much from us. One of the quotes I will never forget is when she said, “I thank God for making me Filipino.” That is why I, like thousands of others who have never had the blessing to meet this woman, grieve. We pay homage to a leader that we could look up to, a sincere leader who genuinely believed in her people and in principle, integrity, values and love. We shed tears because we mourn the lost chance to actually tell this woman how our people felt, how we have never had the chance to express our gratitude.

Eric Gamalinda once wrote, "We wanted Cory Aquino to be strong so we could remain passive. We wanted her to save us so we could refuse to save ourselves”. We can do that no longer. Cory is gone but we will not forget, we should not forget. In her passing, she reminds us that it is not enough that we rely on others, we need to do, we need to act. It is our turn to make Cory proud. Salamat Madam President at Paalam.

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

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