FEBRUARY 9, 2026 — Forty years since millions of Filipinos filled Epifanio de los Santos Avenue with rosaries, prayers, and sheer courage, Catholic schools are now being urged to declare February 25 an “academic holiday” in commemoration of the EDSA People Power Revolution. The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, together with the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education, believes this day should be more than just a break from classes — it should be a pause for reflection, civic formation, and remembering what democracy truly means.

The statement is clear: “Students and the youth, as heirs of democratic space, must cultivate the knowledge, values and resolve to challenge injustice, misinformation and authoritarian tendencies.” 

But will declaring an academic holiday really spark that kind of reflection? Or will it simply be another day off for students to scroll TikTok and binge Netflix? 

The Church is pushing for Masses, youth forums, and activities that promote critical thinking and active citizenship. That’s a tall order, but it’s exactly what we need in a time when disinformation spreads faster than truth.

EDSA was never just about ousting a dictator. It was about ordinary Filipinos proving that peaceful resistance could topple oppression. 

“EDSA reminds us that the great power of the people surpasses any force of oppression,” the statement reads. 

Forty years later, democracy remains fragile, and the warning is loud: forget the lessons of Martial Law, tolerate corruption, or allow historical distortion, and we risk losing the freedoms we fought for without firing a single bullet.

So, should schools declare February 25 an academic holiday? Maybe the better question is: Will we, as a people, declare it a day of remembering, questioning, and recommitting to democracy?

(Image: Philippine News Agency)