For the second year in a row, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not declare February 25—the anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution—as a non-working holiday. This decision sparked criticism, with many fearing that the Marcos administration is trying to erase history.
But Malacañang insists otherwise. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro firmly stated that Marcos Jr. has not stopped any EDSA-related activities since he became president.
“How can you erase history? History is history. The president cannot erase it,” Castro said during a press briefing.
A Nation Remembers Despite No Holiday
While the People Power anniversary was not a non-working holiday, many schools suspended classes to honor the event and stand against any attempts to rewrite history.
People Power was a historic moment, ending the 20-year rule of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and bringing democracy back to the Philippines. However, Marcos Jr. continues to insist that his father was not a dictator—despite records showing thousands killed, tortured, and imprisoned under Martial Law.
Palace officials argue that the government is not revising history, pointing out that people are still free to commemorate the revolution in their own way.
But with Marcos Jr. repeatedly skipping the holiday declaration, many Filipinos question whether this is a simple decision or a subtle way to downplay a pivotal moment in the country’s history.
What do you think? Is EDSA People Power slowly being erased, or does history truly stay no matter what?