EDSA at 40: Bicolano protesters say ‘fight not yet over’

ALBAY, Philippines – Beyond the iconic images of EDSA, the People Power movement 40 years ago was fueled by regional uprisings that echoed across provinces, where the brutalities of Martial Law were also felt. 

In Bicol, the days leading up to the revolution saw over 25,000 protesters flood the streets of Legazpi, culminating in a massive assembly at Peñaranda Park, as veteran protesters recalled. Four decades later, those same streets and the same park became the staging ground for commemorative protests, where over 300 attendees from Albay, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon gathered on Wednesday, February 25.

Nica Ombao, spokesperson for Bicolana Gabriela, a regional chapter of the Gabriela Women’s Party, said that these regional actions were the backbone of the national movement. She noted that scattered protests in provincial town centers gave people the courage to join the historic mobilization in Metro Manila, overcoming the fear weaponized by the Marcos dictatorship.

“People Power did not only happen in EDSA,” Ombao said. “There were scattered protests in town centers, like what we are doing now. We continue to demand accountability and continue standing up for a province still denied genuine agrarian reform, for women who lack humane wages, and for a youth still fighting for accessible education.”

For protesters like Ombao, the struggles experienced by many before the People Power Revolution in 1986 are still a lived reality, especially among marginalized groups in Bicol. She said the systemic abuses that forced Filipinos to revolt 40 years ago persist throughout the region.

“In the regions, we will continue to rally just as we did before; the Bicolano call for reform did not end 40 years ago,” Ombao added. “It continues, and it will persist as long as we face exploitation and abuse.”

Same abuses

Decades after the first Marcos presidency, the current namesake administration is again under fire for a record plagued by reports of systemic human rights abuses.

Karapatan-Bicol, a regional human rights alliance, documented over 780 human rights violation cases between June 2022 and December 2024, according to its 2025 report. 

Regina Barbacena, who was just 19 when she joined the historic rallies in both Bicol and Manila, found herself on the front lines again at 59. Now a member of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bicol — the regional chapter of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas — she said she sees a troubling cycle repeating.

“What happened then seems to be repeating — and even worsening — today,” Barbacena said. “The Rice Liberalization Law has added to the farmers’ burdens, compounded by floods that sweep away our crops because of massive corruption in flood control projects.”

Same struggles

Between 2021 and 2024, Bicol received nearly P49.3 billion for flood control projects, yet the region remains devastatingly vulnerable to floods. In 2024 alone, agricultural damage from Severe Tropical Storm Kristine surpassed P2 billion, leaving Barbacena and countless other Bicolano farmers to face a total loss of their livelihoods.

On top of experiencing the wrath of calamities, many Bicolano farmers face a widening income gap exacerbated by the region’s high inflation rate. These economic pressures have forced many into a cycle of debt and extreme poverty (READ: Income gap, high costs strain Albay farmers as agrarian aid falls short).

“No matter the distance, we need to unite and continue joining the protests,” Barbacena said in Bicol. “Even after 40 years, we are experiencing the same struggles, which is why it is even more critical that we move as one.”

Aside from Barbacena, many farmers who are part of regional collectives also shared their calls for land reform, as land-grabbing cases plague the region, including the recent case in Siruma, Camarines Sur. Joining them were fisherfolk, transport workers, and several other progressive collectives, all united in decrying the region’s land-grabbing cases.

Bicol University student leader Ihra Madrideo, among other youth and student leaders who joined Wednesday’s protests, said the true essence of People Power lies in awakening a new generation to champion the rights of the marginalized.

“Our struggles remain the same across different sectors, proving that our fellow citizens are still being weighed down by oppression and hardship,” Madrideo said. “In the spirit of EDSA, our fight is not yet over; the struggle for the nation continues in Bicol and beyond.” – Rappler.com