A Song During EDSA 1

Towards the end of February 1986, there was tension everywhere. At night, on the streets, cars and other vehicles were honking their horns with the familiar “Laban” (fight) beat. Although, almost everyone was united in the clamor for a change in government, still the atmosphere was very uncomfortable. You could sense that something could go wrong more so when some battle tanks of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) were showing up on some corners of the city.
On TV, I could see the news of people going to the streets. Many are marching on to Camp Aguinaldo, others went to TV stations broadcasting news against the nation’s dictator to protect it from the attacking military forces still loyal to then President Marcos.
All I could do that time was to hope and pray that all of these will be over soon. All I could picture that night was chaos. I wanted change but I wanted a peaceful change. And that led me to write a song. I put into the words of the song these lines “walang magagawa ang galit at hiyaw, katahimakan ay hindi nakukuha sa sigaw, kung pag-ibig ni Hesus nasa puso ninoman, kapayapaan ating makakamtan” (anger and hollering won’t do anything, silence won’t be gained by shouting, if the of love of Jesus is in everyone’s heart, peace will be achieved.)
A day after, I was also on the streets. I took to the streets when our work was suspended that day. I went out to EDSA and joined the thousands of people there. The next day, I came back. That day was the end of it all – the dictator and his family fled to Hawaii.
In 1990, I did my very first solo album under Praise Incorporated and I included the song. The title is “Kung Ikaw Ay Naguguluhan.” It’s not really an outstanding song and its style is not even my genre. I just remembered this song because the scenario here nowadays brings back the memories of EDSA 1.

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