09 March 2015 – The Philippine Consulate General in New York organized the “Usap-Usapan: New York during EDSA Revolution 1986” last February 25 to commemorate the 29th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution. A panel of resource speakers from the Filipino community, who were politically active during that period, shared their experiences of life in New York while the EDSA revolution was unfolding in Manila.
The panel was composed of Ms. Loudette Avelino, former Manager of the Philippine Center Management Board; Ms. Therese Rodriguez, human rights advocate and current Chief Executive Officer of the Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV (APICHA) Community Health Center; Ms. Aleli Alvarez, former activist, current Executive Assistant to the CEO, and Liaison to the Board of APICHA Community Center; Ms. Gertrudes Pajaron, a former member of the National Association of Filipino Students, Coalition Against the Marcos Dictatorship and Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino and current Chief Development Officer of APICHA; and Ms. Jane Orendain, an active member of the Bayanihan and FEU Dance Group.
The panelists shared that they were very few in New York during the initial years of their fight against dictatorship, particularly during the pre-snap and snap election period. Ms. Avelino recalled that there was a lot of paranoia caused by both the Philippine and US governments, as Marcos remained in control. In light of the Philippines-US extradition treaty, she also noted that there was a constant danger of deportation by US immigration authorities.
After the snap election, however, the panelists recounted that student activists, artists’ groups, the women’s liberation movement, defected military and the politician’s groups began to converge and continued to converge in front of the Philippine Consulate particularly when Enrile and Ramos defected from the Marcos government. Two panelists confirmed that the groups previously could not work together because of their differing philosophies, but joined in the demonstrations with the common goal of restoring democracy in the Philippines and removing President Marcos. They admitted though that the greater Filipino community in New York was deeply divided, recognizing that there was still a large group supporting the Marcos government.
The US support for President Marcos dwindled as members of the US Congress like Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator John Humprey, Senator Richard Lugar, Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Stephen Solarz began recognizing the massive gains made in gaining popular support by the Philippine opposition, as well as the revelations on the Marcos administration’s abuses, Ms. Jane Orendain recalled. The panelists described that the daily events were constantly covered by local as well as international media.
When the Marcoses left the Philippines, the euphoric time began at the Philippine Center said one of the panelists, Ms. Loudette Avelino. She stated that Filipinos walked around the streets of New York in yellow t-shirts expressing pride for the peaceful revolution. She added that many in the Filipino community volunteered to help both at the Philippine Consulate and the residence. Consul General Ernesto Pineda and Francisco “King” Rodrigo began the transition of leadership from the old administration to the new. Following the events of EDSA, and aiming to heal the deep divide of the Filipino community in New York, the Consulate organized the first Philippine Parade and Simbang Gabi which continue to be observed to this day.
Representatives from the second-generation group, including the Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPRO), Ms. Iris Zalun and Mr. Ryan Natividad; JCI Philippines-New York, Ms. Marge Quimosing; Collaborative Opportunities for Raising Empowerment (CORE), Ms. Kristal Aliyas, were invited as reactors and moderator, respectively. Liga Filipina of Columbia University was represented by Mr. Patrick Jalasco, the grandson of former President Fidel V. Ramos, and Ms. Irene Uy.
The second-generation representatives were inspired by the honest and candid sharing of experiences by the resource speakers and sought their thoughts on why they opted to stay in New York instead of going back home to serve the country. They also wondered on how the new government brought new initiatives, their role in democracy and what they did next. Panelists expressed mixed feelings of disappointment and excitement on the new political mix and power restructuring after EDSA. Most of them settled in the US believing that immigrants could do as much, if not more, and influence more even if they were not in the Philippines. “The power situation in the country was not in favor of the left” Ms. Rodriguez said. While Ms. Pajaron replied that at this point, after many decades of residence, that they had already established themselves and felt “what it meant to already be a part of US society.” END