My Feature for International Women’s Day
(Originally published in February 2020, updated March 8, 2021)
Growing up during the time of President Marcos’s regime in the Philippines and witnessing the overthrow of the dictator in a non-violent way which seemed to be the precursor to the fall of the Eastern European bloc in the same relatively peaceful manner, I believe it is pertinent that the younger generation remember and know the facts of history lest we make the mistake of allowing history to repeat itself.
For those unfamiliar with Philippine history, the country was once under the control of one Ferdinand E. Marcos whose wife’s claim to fame is her extravagant lifestyle and wardrobe while many ordinary Filipinos lived below the poverty line. The most serious threat to their reign of power was one Benigno (Ninoy) Aquino whose widow took over the cudgels of opposition leadership when Ninoy was assassinated. I remember this event as a wide-eyed 9-year old when my aunt told me my late grandmother admired Aquino as I watched a replay on the evening news of Aquino’s body falling on the grounds of the tarmac. It was a crazy time in the Philippines with then President Marcos calling for “snap elections” after being confronted by foreign journalists. As with a lot of elections in the Philippines, the evening news is filled with stories of election violence and cheating with both candidates declaring themselves winners and holding separate inaugural swearing-ins. Finally, when the people would not be silenced anymore, people gathered along Epifano Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) which is a main thoroughfare with one of the army bases in its vicinity. From what I recall of those times, religious and lay people gathered together to pray and peacefully demonstrate against the illegitimacy of the Marcos win since it seemed clear that Aquino should have been the winner. News of possible election fraud and cheating was rampant which made even the church speak up on an issue as political as this one. When the military was sent out to break up the protests with tanks and soldiers, the religious and civilian population offered food and prayers instead. The soldiers eventually waved the white flag and received the offerings and ceased the military offense. When Marcos realized he didn’t have the support of the military, he knew it was time to leave. He exited via helicopter from Malacañang Palace and was exiled in Hawaii where he breathed his last dying breath.
Not only did an ordinary housewife become the next president of the Philippines, she also became the first female president of the archipelago. Her term was fraught with a lot of economic and political instability (she survived 6 coup attempts–as far as I can remember), but she also delivered a very strong and inspiring speech when she addressed a joint session of Congress when she made her state visit to America in 1986. Her victory placed the Philippines on the global map of democracy and freedom.
I was pleasantly surprised to find Corazon Aquino featured in the Little People, Big Dreams series for children’s books. Their profile on the Philippines’ most famous woman is geared towards younger audiences with its fun and colorful illustrations and easy-to-read narrative. It follows the style and trend of other Little People, Big Dreams books in the series. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of the book before it came out in August of last year, and excited to see their take on this part of history that I actually have some recollections of. The next generation of Filipinos may have a different perspective of these times. Already, I hear about younger generations lamenting that Marcos wasn’t all that bad and that the Philippines was better off under his rule. Maybe that’s why the name brand is still popular as evidenced by two of his children actually holding public office after they returned from exile in Hawaii and even the infamous First Lady being elected to represent her hometown of Leyte [LAY-teh]!
Whatever the future holds is definitely rooted in one’s knowledge of history–that the horrors of the past shall not repeat itself. Thankfully, books like the Little People, Big Dreams series make biographies of historical figures fun and easy to understand.
If you are looking for biographies for children, I highly recommend this series.
The Mama Travels 
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