MANILA – In a nation where the rhythm of rallies has become as familiar as the monsoon rains, a growing chorus of exhaustion is emerging: Filipinos are weary of protesting without seeing swift change. From the thunderous echoes of EDSA to the more recent waves against corruption, the cycle of outrage followed by resignation can feel like an endless loop. Yet, as lifestyle writer Lala Singian-Serzo explores in her poignant November 29, 2025, Inquirer Lifestyle piece, this “protest fatigue” – a weariness and cynicism toward social movements – doesn’t have to signal defeat. Drawing from personal family lore, sociological insights, and the unyielding spirit of past uprisings, Singian-Serzo offers a roadmap for sustaining momentum, emphasizing that slow, steady persistence, not instant fireworks, is the true path to progress.
Singian-Serzo, a self-described “nearly 30-something lifestyle writer” rather than a hardened activist, grounds her reflections in intimate stories, like those of her aunt – a bakery co-owner who braved Martial Law-era streets in the 1980s, protesting multiple times a week with a group of middle-class women known as the “burgis.” These convent-educated wives of businessmen weren’t revolutionaries in fatigues; they were everyday heroines who mixed martinis at soirées and stashed calamansi in handbags to counter tear gas. Coordinated via party-line phones without the aid of group chats, they locked arms against barricades and fled Metrocom forces, proving that civic action thrives on quiet determination, not just dramatic flair. “She’s proof that slow and steady really does win the race,” Singian-Serzo writes, a nod to the tortoise-like tenacity that fueled the 1986 People Power Revolution.
This personal lens sharpens the article’s diagnosis of today’s malaise. Recent protests, like the September 21 anti-corruption rally against the P20-billion flood control scandal, drew hundreds of thousands but left many disillusioned. Politicians’ brazen convoys clog streets with impunity, arrests snag small fry while big fish swim free, and tools like the Department of Public Works and Highways Transparency Portal feel like half-measures. Online, netizens snipe at demonstrators, trapped in a loop of “Filipinos have seen this movie plot before.” Singian-Serzo attributes this to a toxic brew: Inconvenient infrastructure for inter-city travel, algorithm-fueled digital silos, and a cultural resignation that corruption is “genetic” to Philippine politics – a myth debunked by sociologist Marco Garrido, as cited by political analyst Richard Heydarian. “Bad economic policies… can cause far more poverty and misery than even the worst forms of nepo-kid profligacy,” Heydarian notes, urging a holistic view that demands systemic overhaul over despair.
Yet, the piece isn’t a dirge; it’s a rallying cry laced with practical wisdom. Singian-Serzo draws on Eleanor Pinugu’s Inquirer Opinion essay, which reminds us that “protests do work,” eroding legitimacy over time like water on stone. She spotlights Gen Z’s “mustangs” – the TikTok-savvy youth wielding memes and moral disgust to torch reputations faster than traditional media – as vital sparks, per columnist Segundo Eclar Romero. But true firepower needs the “wagons” of institutions: Parties, bureaucracies, and audits to turn viral outrage into lasting laws. “The two forces need each other,” Romero argues, envisioning a “new democratic cycle” where passion meets policy.
To navigate fatigue, Singian-Serzo prescribes a threefold gaze: Backward to EDSA’s triumphs and Martial Law’s unsung marchers; Inward to one’s moral compass, be it faith-driven or fiercely agnostic; and Outward to enduring communities like her aunt’s Aware group, which sustains rice drives and fundraisers between protests. If marching feels impossible, pivot to volunteering or joining online networks – actions that build solidarity without burnout. “Protest fatigue is not a sign that Filipinos are weak,” she asserts. “Perhaps it shows that Filipinos have been fighting for too long, often without systems that honor their effort. But even so, we show up, we gather, and we rise when history demands it.”
As the November 30 Trillion Peso March and Baha sa Luneta 2.0 unfold from Dagupan to Davao, Singian-Serzo’s words land like a balm: In a repetitive plot of scandal and skepticism, the flame stays lit through sustainable sparks – friends sharing martinis after marches, youth memes fueling elder audits, and a collective refusal to let hopelessness harden into habit. For a people who’ve toppled dictators with rosaries and resolve, this fatigue is but a fog; the road ahead, though winding, leads to dawn.
Key Tips for Sustaining Hope Amid Protest Fatigue:
- Embrace the Long Game: Remember EDSA’s slow build – legitimacy crumbles gradually, not overnight.
- Challenge the ‘Inevitable’ Narrative: View corruption as systemic, not genetic, to reclaim agency and push for policy over personality.
- Blend Youth Fire with Institutional Muscle: Let digital satire expose; let reforms enshrine.
- Nurture Personal and Community Anchors: Draw from family stories, faith, or friends; if protesting tires, fundraise or volunteer to keep the circle unbroken.