EDSA ‘revolution,’ calls for urgent inner transformation of the nation

EDSA Day, February 25 has come and gone because it is regarded as a one-day reminder of the conclusion of martial law, how former president Marcos arrested thousands who openly resisted his dictatorship and the assassination of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino.

On the occasion of the 1993 EDSA Day Anniversary, a photograph taken of Our Lady of Hope and Liberty at the O.B. Montessori Prayer Room reveals her sorrowing beautiful face graciously draped with a very light veil. In dignity, she shed quiet tears in contrast to other statues of her, which manifest tears of blood. Her grief is caused by the EDSA crowd, who persistently attribute the recovery of democracy of our country only to her, when it is really her Son, Our Lord and God Jesus Christ, who made this victory possible. Her role is that of His special and personal emissary. In addition, she grieves over the much-delayed inner transformation or the “true revolution of the hearts” of the Filipino people.

Our Lord is in a white robe with a gold trimmed red cape. He, amidst the clouds signifying the invitation to man to ascend the spiritual staircase.

Helping eradicate poverty through functional literacy

Between the martial law regime and the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, the holy ones have requested mystic Punay Kabayao Fernandez, a concert pianist and violinist to set up three shrines to diminish the destruction of three national calamities.

The first shrine was set up in 1984 at Faraon, the Family Hacienda of the Kabayaos, where 140 three generation sugar farmers resided with their families. It has been the custom of plantation owners to provide schools, medical care and shoulder expenses from birth to death of these farmers, making them economically dependent. When sugar prices dropped in the world market, the hacienderos could not afford to sustain them, so there was hunger in Negros.

Punay Kabayao Fernandez tried her best to send them sacks of rice, while her husband Atty. Joe Fernandez began planting cash crops with mango, santol, jackfruit trees. To stop the constant gambling and drinking, Punay encouraged them to pray.

By then there were already four O.B. Montessori schools from preschool to high school. Simultaneously our outreach projects provided an affordable version of Montessori with the Pagsasarili preschool in improved slum areas in partnership with the National Housing Authority (NHA).

At that time I was already a UNESCO Commissioner involved in Education Committee projects advocating the thrusts of UNESCO — the eradication of poverty thru functional literacy emphasizing the important role of women. I hosted and scripted a weekly TV show at ABS-CBN “Montessori for Everyone.” Every week, the show demonstrated that functional literacy is using materials not just books, to engage in day to day activities such as Practical Living activities (Care of Person, of the Environment) gradated learning of Language, Math, Geography puzzle maps of the world, Asia and the Philippines.

In 1991 an earthquake rocked Baguio and Pangasinan. Then the following year, Mt. Pinatubo erupted continuously for several months inundating Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales and affecting the weather around the world.

Inauguration of the Negros mothercraft literacy school

To inaugurate the Mothercraft Literacy course, I invited then Secretary of Education, Lourdes Quisumbing. The young Mayor Rowena Guanzon had set up a multi-purpose bamboo hall with an annex to house the Mothercraft twin project, the Pagsasarili preschool.

About 30 village mothers with light make-up and wearing borrowed white dresses had just finished a one-month course in the Home Economics practice house of Cadiz Normal College (CNC). Their transport and food allowances were provided by three hacienderos from Cadiz and Sagay including Punay’s family hacienda in Faraon.

The ceremony started with the “graduates” walking along an elliptical line on the stage, carrying the tools for personal grooming, housekeeping, baby care, Geography, History, Botany, Zoology, Language and Math materials. Divided into small groups as “mothers” teaching their “children”, they demonstrated the activities by which they acquire self-sufficiency in practical, personal and environmental care as well as the use of the Montessori learning apparata.

Mayor Guanzon beamed with pride at the transformation of the personalities of the village women; from timidity to self-confidence, poise and familiarity with English. The city councilors and CNC faculty members noted how they have acquired self-esteem.

Secretary Lourdes Quisumbing enthusiastically gave her congratulatory address: “This should be the real message of the so called EDSA Revolution. Revolution means change. Our nation cannot change to what we hope it should be in just a day or two. It requires a daily exercise of each Filipino in his or her family life at home, helping one another in the community, united in developing the economy of the whole province.

“I thank Preciosa for inviting me to witness this Mothercraft school. I have always heard of Mrs. Soliven but I did not realize how creative her project is. It is a great joy for me to discover this. Oh how I wish, as Secretary of Education I could spread this system of education in the whole country, mother and child working together.”

The message from the Holy Family Temple Shrine and Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine

The second shrine is at the O.B. Montessori Center, Greenhills, near EDSA. The collection of holy monuments started with the grotto Shrine of Our Lord of Sacrifice and Our World Mother facing the school quadrangle. It is meant for all people of different faiths. Our lady carries no rosary, instead she holds the world. The pink part of the globe stands for love, the blue for healing and white is for purification. Beside her is Our Lord who raises His hands in blessing. It was finished just before EDSA People Power Day.

Operation Brotherhood Montessori Center in Greenhills attracts the numerous pedestrians in this commercial district because of the numerous colorful holy monuments. The Holy Family Temple Shrine shows 12-year-old Jesus preaching to the assembly of 9 Pharisees amazed at the vast knowledge of the Holy Child in the ancient temple of Jerusalem while Mary and Joseph watch proudly. This recalls the New Testament episode of Our Lord, who was missed by His parents Mary and Joseph on their way back to Nazareth.

Queried by His Blessed Mother Mary why He left their caravan of pilgrims, He simply answered that it was time for Him to fulfill His Heavenly Father’s Mission.

The third is the Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine, considered by the visionaries as the “altar of the nation.” It is on a 60 ft hill of Palan, San Marcelino facing the volcano 20 km away. With her eyes closed Mary, the Praying Blessed Mother, is 9 ft tall weighing 3 tons. Our Lord of Love and Redemption is 13 ft high and weighs six tons “joined” His Mother just before Easter Sunday 1992 when the eruption ceased.

Calamity and blessing in 1990 - the Gulf War, CRC, EDCOM, eruption of Mt. Pinatubo

In the ’90s major events took place in the country. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was ratified as a United Nations treaty. Philippines was among the first 35 signatories. Nina Yuson and I represented NGOs joined the official delegation to Geneva to present the laws Congress put out to protect Filipino children from birth to 18 years old. To confirm how the Philippine government has fulfilled this pledge, Senator Angara and Congressman Carlos Padilla put up the joint Senate-Congressional commission EDCOM to survey old schools in the country from preschool, elementary school, secondary and tertiary education. The survey revealed 4 weaknesses of the education system. Forty percent of Grade I students in public schools drop out in the middle of the year, increasing the adult illiteracy rate. Principalship was weak due to dual administrative and academic tasks of the school head. The Basic Education curriculum is substandard and irrelevant to the current times. Monitoring and evaluation has been neglected since we regained independence from America.

Faith in the Filipino

When former President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law on Sept. 21 1972, my husband, Max V. Soliven and Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino were both arrested the same evening. Fort Bonifacio officers’ quarters were converted into prison cells. Paired as room mates, both Max and Ninoy never ran out of topics envisioning the transformation of the country after regaining back her freedom from martial law.

Max and Ninoy consistently expressed “faith in the Filipinos” whenever they gave speeches, or when they wrote articles. They were teachers at heart. In contrast to the traditional teacher, who often sees the faults of students, the effective teacher has faith in the student “who is still to become.” Max and Ninoy believed that Filipinos, given a competent, law abiding and just government will transform the Philippines into a great country.