37 years ago, Filipinos stood, arm-in-arm in the streets, and took back our country. Despite decades of state violence, we fought back with hope. Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo harnessed that hope into song.
As we celebrate the EDSA People Power anniversary, we face the truth. We have fallen short on the promise of that hope. We failed to protect the freedom won on those streets, leaving many of us heartbroken.
But we will continue to sing these words. We will continue to share this song with those too young to know the courage it took to stay, to pray, to push against a moving tank.
Because EDSA is not just a street. EDSA is not just a memory. It is the strength in every Filipino, to do what is right, to fight with compassion rather than cruelty. EDSA exists inside each of us, and this song is one way to let it be heard. To remind us to finish what we started.
*Handog23 is a fully crowdsourced collaboration, featuring volunteer artists, creatives, and crew, as well as over 150 donors who rallied to support and fund this project. Without their generosity, enthusiasm, and hard work, Handog23 would not have been possible.
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