Fiesta sa EDSA

Fiesta sa EDSA (People Power Anniversary)

February 25

The Fiesta sa EDSA is a commemoration of the bloodless People Power Revolution in the Philippines on Feb. 22-25, 1986, in which the dictatorial regime of President Ferdinand Marcos was toppled. The revolution began because Marcos and Corazon C. Aquino both claimed victory in a presidential election filled with fraud and violence.
Two key government officers, Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos, rebelled in protest of Marcos's oppression and demanded his resignation. They holed up at military camps at the Epifanio de los Santos Highway (EDSA), which borders Manila on the east. Pro-Marcos forces threatened to annihilate them, but two million unarmed people surged toward the camps. With offerings of flowers, food, and prayers, they provided a human shield and overcame the military's firepower. Fourteen years of Marcos's rule ended, and Corazon C. Aquino became the first woman president of the Philippines (1986-92). Ramos was elected president in 1992 and served until 1998.
The day is marked with ceremonies at the site of the revolution in Quezon City, a part of metropolitan Manila.

CONTACTS:
Embassy of Philippine
1600 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
202-467-9300; fax: 202-467-9417
www.philippineembassy-usa.org

Celebration day: Feb 25