MANILA, Philippines — As the Philippines commemorates the 40th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution, the Akbayan party-list announced it will file a House bill to permanently declare February 25 a non-working holiday.
Representative Perci Cendaña confirmed the bill would be filed on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, during an interview at a prayer rally held at the Edsa Shrine.
Key Context and Arguments:
- End to “Political Weather”: Cendaña argued that the commemoration of the revolution should not depend on the current administration’s political leanings. “It is very important that we remember and commemorate February 25 as a day of our fight for democracy,” he stated.
- Removal of Holiday: In 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. officially removed the anniversary from the list of public holidays. The move was controversial given that the 1986 revolution ousted his father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
- Local and Academic Response: Despite the lack of a national holiday declaration, several local government units and educational institutions independently suspended classes and work on February 25, 2026, to honor the milestone.
- Historical Significance: The 1986 uprising ended over a decade of Martial Law, during which Amnesty International estimates 70,000 people were imprisoned and 3,200 were killed.
The proposed bill seeks to institutionalize the date as a day of national remembrance for the restoration of democracy in the country.