For the children of Yellow Generation

Hundreds of them were there — some were perched on their fathers’ shoulders, many were in their mothers’ embrace, others were standing on pavements and road islands while they clutched to their older sisters’ and brothers’ hands. They were children — young, carefree and innocent. Their presence at the mammoth crowd that gathered outside Manila Memorial on Aug. 5 for the burial of former President Cory Aquino lent extra warmth to the already warm atmosphere; this, despite the intermittent heavy rains. In fact, the harder it rained, the more people gathered at the Manila Memorial. The harder it rained, the more people showed their outpouring of love and fervor for President Aquino — children, included.

Like little rays of light amidst curtains of blinding rain, the children provided the symbolism that a new breed of democracy vanguards was emerging. Their elders, who managed to seek shelter for them every time it would rain, should be commended for starting them young. This early, the young ones should be taught by the young once about the life and works of Cory Aquino. It may be heavy for them to understand what democracy is all about but it is a beautiful effort to expose them to this kind of unfolding of history. As they grow up, they will remember that once they witnessed a gathering of huge crowd that gave an outpouring of love for someone who also gave her life unselfishly for them. With this realization, they will also learn about Ninoy Aquino, a martyr who planted the seeds of freedom for his countrymen.

The importance of Cory’s death is that Filipino people found a new life again. They found a reason to celebrate democracy all the more, and guard it from imminent threat. Children should learn that they, too, when their bodies are as strong as their elders, will become frontrunners of democracy and fierce watchdogs of freedom. Their minds will be the fortifications that will commandeer them to care for their country. They should be made aware that the freedom they are enjoying now is a by-product of a bloodless revolution. At the center of that is an icon — the icon whose funeral cortege the children waited for long hours just so they, too, could pay their last respects for the country’s mother of democracy; the icon for whom they flashed the “Laban” sign as they shouted “Cory! Cory! Cory!”

Indeed for the very young, the death of Cory Aquino is a lesson on Democracy 101. The hundreds of thousands of people who showed up during her funeral and the millions of people who were glued to their TV sets to watch the unfolding of events were expressing their love for the late president. Let the children learn that Cory is not only easy to love, she is also very easy to believe. After all, all her life, she exemplified simplicity, sincerity, integrity.

Let the shouting, chanting, clapping and cheering for Cory Aquino not end after the sea of humanity left the streets. Let the heart-warming reception we accorded her not die after she was finally laid to rest. The more we tell the children about her story and the earlier story of Ninoy’s heroism and martyrdom, the more we keep their memories alive. Keeping their memories alive is like keeping the flames of our identity as free people burning. Nobody is allowed to put out the fire.

We start the children young in teaching them love for our country and love for the people who sacrificed so we would be able to live a free life, so we could dream for ourselves, so we could achieve for others and for our beloved Philippines. We get the children involved as early as now because when they grow up with love not only for their loved ones but also for their motherland, they will become better citizens of a better Philippines. We plant in them the seeds now not for ourselves but for their generation and the succeeding ones.  

Let’s begin by telling the children of a new yellow generation: “Cory Aquino is dead. Long live the country’s Queen of Democracy!”

(For your new beginnings, please e-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com or my.new.beginnings@gmail.com.

Have a blessed Sunday.)