Catholic Schools call for ‘urgent need to reignite Edsa spirit’

The People Power Monument, the 1986 revolution landmark on Edsa in Quezon City. INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), representing 1,525 Catholic schools nationwide, emphasized the “urgent need to reignite the spirit” of the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) Revolution.

“The Edsa spirit is a shining moment in our life and history as a people. It showed the world what is best in the Filipino, how we can transcend ourselves and sacrifice for our country, how we can choose peace over violence,” CEAP said in its statement on Thursday, Feb. 20.

“We urgently need to reignite this spirit today, especially in the upcoming May elections, and in our daily exercise of our rights, freedoms and responsibilities,” CEAP added.

The statement came amid a move by several Catholic educational institutions to suspend classes and work amid the People Power Revolution’s 39th anniversary next Tuesday despite Macalañang declaration that Feb. 25 is a special working holiday.

CEAP encouraged its member schools to organize activities that commemorate the revolt’s anniversary through eucharistic celebrations, suspension of classes, alternative classes, and other activities.

“The 1986 Edsa People Power revolution shall always be a constitutive dimension of learning of our students. Philippine and Catholic education shall never be without it,” CEAP said.

“CEAP shall push back all attempts to deny, distort, downgrade and devalue it in our schools, in our communities and in our life as a nation,” it added. — With reports from Keith Irish Margareth Clores, INQUIRER.net trainee

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