The Couple who showed the true meaning of unconditional love for the country

After 10 heartfelt hours, Cory finally head towards her new home, a house built for two, hers and Ninoy’s. I never thought I would actually cry over this National Event. More often than not, I would never cry for someone I don’t know personally. But this one is different; Cory Aquino is like a mother I never had.

1983, the year before I was born, Ninoy was assassinated. It is like a trigger pulled to many Filipinos; it is indeed the start of anew. Before Ninoy’s death, he was described to be the Nation’s rebel. He’s the rebel who wants change in our country. He stands alone and bravely faced his death. The people who were about our age today were waiting, waiting for someone to stand in front and lead them. They were afraid. They were afraid of what might happen to them. His death became the tipping point of a revolutionized youth, someone who would stand up and speak the truth. It was then the start of fighting what we truly deserve.

Ninoy Aquino is a hero. However, people, just like what happen to his beloved wife Cory, would only realize the reason of their existence after they die. They would be grateful and show their gratefulness when they are already on this box carried by a huge truck passing by the major roads of Metro Manila. Watching it on our television set is like a nostalgic experience. It looks like Ninoy’s funeral march, but this time it is Cory’s.

People united once again for the same reasons, to commemorate, to give respect, to gossip on and to witness again a history that its sole purpose is to bring back the democracy we once fought about. People were there against all odds, whether the weather’s good or not, they waited for hours just to see our beloved Cory passes by. However, it made think, where are this people when Cory herself asked for help, to revive the democracy, to achieve change and to have a country that we once had. Do we really have to witness death just to be reunited again?

I asked my mom, where she was only 25 years old, the same age as I am today, what it was like during those trying time. Ninoy was like the only hope most Filipinos have during the dictatorship of Marcos. He served as a light to the darkest hours of those times. And when he was brutally assassinated, that light became a spark, a spark that leads Filipinos to stand up and make a difference. His death made the Filipinos fuming to find justice.
Mom told me that watching Cory’s funeral march gives her goose bumps; it’s like seeing Ninoy again, though she can’t remember how she saw it, maybe in a newspaper print or her visualization when my dad told her the story.

Ninoy and Cory’s death made us realize how good it feels to be a Filipino. They bring that symbol of an ultimate fighter who doesn’t need violence to make that change. They both erased the history of Filipinos dying to achieve freedom. They put us on the pedestal that we can be free if we only knew how to fight for it. This lovely couple fought for us, and left a legacy that we Filipinos should continue because it is worth fighting for.
My Dad buzzed me. He’s online for the nth time, so I took the opportunity to ask him what it was like to be there. Yes. My dad witnessed a sea of people waving that Laban sign when the body of Ninoy was held in the streets of Metro Manila. He’s just a bystander; he works near EDSA so it was actually an easy access, so I thought. But his description was entirely different from what I envisioned. “Seeing Ninoy in a coffin can put rage in your heart” This is how my dad described the atmosphere of Ninoy’s funeral march. Because this made my Dad participate in the EDSA Revolution in 1986, I was two years old then.

I asked him, how you can differentiate Ninoy and Cory’s death. He told me it was totally different. Because today, you don’t know why those people were there. You don’t know if they have the same advocacy they are fighting for. Can you actually feel the sincerity? Yes, to some. But how about what will happen tomorrow, or the next day? Will they still be fighting for what Cory has been fighting all these years?

I guess I have to say that I am grateful that media was able to cover and be a part in unfolding another chapter in our history. They use their influences to remind us about the fight we are still battling on. They brought the feeling of being there, grieving with them, mourning with them. I think the only advantage of this generation was being able to use all the medium and the technology to honour Cory Aquino. We were privileged to use it in any possible way we can because during Ninoy’s death, media was imprisoned, tied to shut their mouths.

I am proud to be a Filipino and I would be forever grateful for being born to be one. I believe it is a wakeup call for all of us to step up and be that change. Tita Cory is a gentle yet strong person who doesn’t need to show how tough she is or how rough she can get, because change happens when you want it. Because if it is rooted deep within your heart, people will help, people will follow you, people will respect you. And with this, whether you need it or not, people will outpour you with all the goodness in the world and you won’t even need to die for you to experience it.