Witnessing History: My Journey Through the EDSA Revolution of 1986

Advocacies, Family and Friends, Military, My Life 8 comments

(18th of ‘My Story’ series)

In 1985, after seven years of field duty – first with the Scout Rangers and later with the Special Forces in the insurgency-plagued areas of Mindanao – I found myself at a crossroads. The excitement and challenges of field operations had defined much of the early years of my military service. But life was changing. I had gotten married the year before, and for the first time, thoughts of a growing family began competing with the demands of soldiering. I now thought it wise to look for an office post that would allow me to spend more time at home and less time in distant battlefields.

When an assignment at the AFP General Headquarters in Manila became available, I accepted it, without realizing how profoundly it would alter the course of my life. At the time, it seemed like another regular practical decision – a chance to trade the uncertainty of field operations for a more predictable routine. Looking back now, it feels more like providence. For within a few months, I would find myself at the very heart of one of the most extraordinary chapters in Philippine history.

What began as a simple transfer for the sake of family placed me in a unique position to witness – up close and personal – the tension, the uncertainty, the courage, and the hope that unfolded during the historic EDSA People Power Revolution of 1986. It was a moment when history ceased to be something found in books and became something we lived through. Those were fateful days that would not only be the country’s pride, but would be a model for many more countries in the years that followed.

This is my story of EDSA 1986. (Just click on the title)

Cover pic courtesy of Creation.freeappcompany.com.

Remembering EDSA 1 – My Story

8 comments

    1. Trying to write down my life story, Arlene. Perhaps there will be lessons to be learned from all this. EDSA 1 was a triumph, but it seems we didn’t learn anything from it. We have the same corruption, the same social ills that we could have and should have erased back then. I have been part of the 2 EDSA Revolutions, but our people keep sliding back to the old decadent ways. Sometimes I want to kick myself in the head for gambling my life twice over for all this.
      Thanks anyway, Arlene, for the kind words. I hope that there is still time for a better Philippines.

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    1. thanks for the visit, Vinnive! i decided to write my story hoping to provide lessons for us all. theese stories will show my vulnerabilities, it will portray a totally imperfect me. Sometimes the most powerful lessons are found in ordinary moments: our personal sacrifices, the kindness we gave and received in return, the difficult decisions we took, the failures survived, or the dreams that refused to die. By telling my story, I leave behind a piece of my heart a reminder that we lived, we loved, we laughed, we learned; so that in the twilight of our years, we may leave a lasting legacy.

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