3 weeks ago
15
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine schools are refusing to let the memory of the EDSA people power revolt fade away.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has struck February 25 from the list of non-working holidays for two consecutive years.
But schools have struck back. Over 50 educational institutions nationwide suspended classes Monday, February 25, with the country's largest network of Catholic schools saying they will "push back all attempts to deny, distort, downgrade, and devalue" the EDSA Revolution "in our schools, in our communities, and in our life as a nation."
Unlike other commemorations such as Ninoy Aquino Day, no law makes February 25 a compulsory annual holiday. Presidents since Corazon Aquino have traditionally used their prerogative to declare it a special non-working day — a practice Marcos has discontinued.
As the government steps back from commemorating one of the country's largest democratic milestones, schools have stepped forward to determine, on their own, which moments in Philippine history deserve recognition.
Keeping the spirit alive
The move to suspend classes despite the lack of an official holiday declaration spans the entire spectrum of educational institutions, from large private universities to local parish schools.
EDSOR, a consortium of schools in the EDSA-Ortigas area including Xavier School, Saint Pedro Poveda College, La Salle Greenhills, and Immaculate Conception Academy, made their stand clear in a joint statement on February 17.
They announced the suspension of their classes as part of their commitment "to preserving the relevance of the EDSA People Power Revolution" and vowed to "continue to keep the spirit of EDSA alive despite active efforts to undermine it."
"The freedoms we enjoy today were hard-won, and we owe it to the next generation that we protect and safeguard the same," the EDSOR schools said.
The De La Salle University (DLSU) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) also suspended work and classes, with the former tagging February 25 as an "Alternative Learning Day" for students and faculty to join activities commemorating EDSA People Power. Meanwhile, in its advisory, UST called on its academic community to "stand united and never forget that true power lies in the collective will of the people."
The University of the Philippines has taken a similar approach to DLSU. The state university — seen as a bastion of student activism and itself paved the way for movements that led to the ouster of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. — opted for an "Alternative Learning Day" and suspended all undergraduate and graduate classes.
The Ateneo de Manila University did not suspend work and classes but released a statement commemorating the EDSA Revolution. It also announced the conduct of commemorative activities on campus, including a university mass.
The extensive network of Catholic schools across the country, including the De La Salle schools, the Kalookan Diocese Schools Association, the Pasig Diocesan Schools System, and the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae-Philippines Schools Network, have similarly suspended regular activities to mark the commemoration of the people power revolution.
“Although the government has declared this day a special working holiday, it is our conviction that the Lasallian community should have the opportunity to reflect on the values and sacrifices that defined People Power,” La Salle Araneta’s Office of the Chancellor said in a statement.
Space for active learning
Historian and peace studies scholar Lee Candelaria believes these class suspensions serve as powerful teaching moments outside the classroom.
"Class suspensions as part of commemorative activities hold valuable potential for active learning," Candelaria told Philstar.com in a message. "The suspension of work and classes itself allows for a focused, collective acknowledgment of the event's importance and a fostering of a shared past."
The day off prompts questions and conversations about why normal activities have been interrupted, potentially leading to deeper engagement with historical memory than regular classroom lessons might provide, Candelaria said.
"Commemoration itself is an active process, a kind of learning by doing, especially if students spend the day attending commemorative events, participating in discussions, or watching programs related to EDSA," Candelaria said.
"While there is no certainty this kind of learning will happen, the lack of class suspensions precludes the possibility of it even happening at all."
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) — the country's largest group of Catholic schools — has urged its member schools to "recommit to the EDSA spirit" through actions including class suspensions, Eucharistic celebrations, alternative classes, commemorative conferences, reflection sessions, and community outreach events.
CEAP's statement frames the EDSA spirit as something that "remains alive today" in multiple contexts:
"When we speak of truth and fight the normalization of lies, dishonesty, and disinformation; when we struggle for solidarity amid the many differences that divide and polarize us; when we take courage to fight for what is right and what is just," CEAP said.
The EDSA People Power Revolution isn't just a historical event to be remembered — it's a "constitutive dimension of learning" that CEAP vows Philippine and Catholic education "shall never be without."
"The EDSA spirit ... showed the world what is best in the Filipino, how we can transcend ourselves and sacrifice for our country, how we choose peace over violence. We urgently need to re-ignite this spirit today," the group added.
Full list
These are the schools that suspended classes on Feb. 25, 2025.
University of Santo Tomas
De La Salle University
University of the Philippines
University of the East (Manila and Caloocan campuses)
Adamson University
St. Scholastica's Academy in Pampanga
General De Jesus College
Holy Child Catholic School Inc.
Imus Institute Inc.
EDSOR consortium:
Saint Pedro Poveda College
Xavier School
Immaculate Conception Academy
La Salle Green Hills
Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae-Philippines Schools Network:
Maryhill School of Theology
Saint Louis College-Cebu
Saint Louis College-San Fernando City
Saint Louis University
Saint Mary's University
University of Saint Louis
De La Salle schools:
De La Salle Andres Soriano Memorial College
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
De La Salle John Bosco College
De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute
De La Salle Lipa
De La Salle University-Dasmariñas
De La Salle Santiago Zobel School
La Salle Academy
La Salle College Antipolo
La Salle University
St. Jaime Hilario School - De La Salle Bataan
St. Joseph's School - La Salle
Kalookan Diocese Schools Association:
De La Salle Araneta University
Immaculate Concepcion Academy of Malabon
La Consolacion College Caloocan
Notre Dame of Greater Manila
San Jose Academy
St. Gabriel Academy
St. James Academy
St. Mary's Academy
Pasig Diocesan Schools System:
Bicutan Parochial School
Colegio De Santa Ana
Escuela Catolica de San Sebastian
Holy Family Parochial School of Kapitolyo
Pasig Catholic College
Pateros Catholic School
Santa Rosa Parochial School
Santo Nino Catholic School
Santo Nino Parish School
Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parochial School
Tipas Catholic School
