Why yellow is the middle of the rainbow

The title is a nod to a Kidlat Tahimik documentary film in 1994. It is also the color of hope, the color Filipinos rallied for in the struggle against the waning Marcos dictatorship in 1986.

Yellow ribbons strung by guests entering the Aquino Center

At the reopening of the Aquino Center and Museum last Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in the Luisita Industrial Park, Tarlac, it was the color of welcome and homecoming. The officials of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF) that runs the center decided to junk a formal ribbon-cutting. Instead, each guest who came in was asked to tie a yellow ribbon on framed strings—a more participatory gesture. Even the bushes flanking the building were abloom with what looked like early summer’s wild allamanda in bright yellow.

As the organizers waited for the ballroom to fill with people, mostly attired in yellow as suggested in the invitation, the sound system played a continuous round of tunes associated with protest rallies in the past: Bayan Ko, Tie a Yellow Ribbon ’Round the Old Oak Tree, The Impossible Dream, among others.

NCAF president Rapa Lopa (right) and NCAF executive director Kiko Aquino Dee before the PNoy mural in the lobby of Aquino Center (Photo courtesy of Didi Lopa)

The lighted screen onstage showed portraits of Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., Presidents Cory and Noynoy Aquino, their respective hands cupping their chins. Rafael “Rapa” Lopa, NCAF president, called the afternoon a big reunion of two generations of Cabinet secretaries, aside from people remembering the courage, love and sacrifices that the Aquino leaders gave the country.

He revealed that his Auntie Cory voiced aloud a wish that a photograph of her addressing the EDSA People Power crowd on Feb. 23, 1986 would have been taken then to prove that she was there. He said one such picture was taken by a foreigner, and was found in the archives, now on display at the museum.

He said the center has been renovated to weave in Noynoy’s story and journey with his parents and the Filipino people. This way, it would inspire others to remain faithful to the mission of making democracy meaningful. The new museum, he added, is there to celebrate the selfless choices of Ninoy, Cory and Noynoy, the three who faced “overwhelming challenges even if they didn’t live to see the rewards of their sacrifices.”

The Cory portion of the Center displays the replica of the rosary given her by Sister Lucia of Fatima, her oath, her Edsa revolution photos, her campaign photos, letters sent her after the elections, letters sent to her after she was fallen ill.

Philhealth card of PNoy among the memorabilia on display (Photo by Elizabeth Lolarga)

The PNoy wing contains one of the final drafts of his inaugural address, with his notes, the Bible owned by Cory which he used at his inauguration, his PhilHealth card, his worn-out campaign shoes, the various campaign memorabilia gifted him, his favorite desk lamp and favorite Montblanc pen on his desk at the Palace, his Palace office chair, the messages of gratitude sent him by kids after he passed away.

‘PNOY Filipino’ book launched at Aquino Center (Photo courtesy of Mica Magsanoc)

The reopening was timed for the launch of the rectangular deluxe book PNOY Filipino, featuring photographs of the presidency of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, the 15^th President of the Philippines whom the people came to call PNoy. Most of the pictures were by close-in presidential photographer Gil Nartea. Tata Gil, as he is known in the trade, recalled how long it took to produce the book since there were problems of who owned the copyright of the pictures, and permissions were sought from the owners. Plus, they started work on the book towards the end of the Duterte administration, when the team had to scour for more photos.

What Nartea captured are PNoy’s “unguarded moments” before big events. He said, “Mas gusto ko private life niya, not the one people see.” For the photographer, this meant he couldn’t go home, was detailed at Malacañang seven days a week. So, he was able to capture PNoy shopping for books or CDs, hanging out with friends, including dates (but no evidence of this in the book), and other shots of what he does in his downtime.

Nartea said these pictures lent substance to the saying that the measure of a man is what he does with power. He thanked the late President for “the opportunity of recording your life frame by frame.”

‘Their presidencies were products of the confluence of events, not personal desire for power’

Editor Thelma Sioson San Juan, who incidentally is the person behind TheDiarist.ph, early during the Noy Presidency already suggested a book on him since she intuited that he would do good as President.

But what came out was The Inaugural, 350 pages of photos and words commemorating the inauguration of Benigno Aquino III and Jejomar Binay as President and Vice President, respectively, in 2010, published by Avellana & Associates and Maria V. Montelibano and edited by Marian Pastor Roces.

The Inaugural covers the lead-up to Noynoy’s presidential campaign, the kind of country he inherited from his predecessor, what the writer William M. Esposo called the Aquino family’s “verisimilitude”.

Khaki jacket and boots Ninoy was wearing when he was assassinated in the airport upon his arrival (Photo by Elizabeth Lolarga)

Recollection of historian Ambeth Ocampo is among the stories guests can read in the hall of memories of that fateful August 21, 1983.

: Ninoy’s grandson Kiko Aquino Dee leads guests to the poem by Ninoy.

Poem by Ninoy Aquino

Stickers, pins, cap among the memorabilia created by the pro-democracy movement born in the aftermath of the Aquino assassination in 1983 onwards (Photo by Elizabeth Lolarga)

Display of candies and thermos used by political detainee Ninoy Aquino to smuggle out notes from his prison cell, including those published in Bangkok Post (Photo courtesy of Didi Lopa)

Esposo wrote, “In the Philippines, two events that had occurred in the month of August have already produced two Aquino presidencies: the Ninoy Aquino assassination on 21 August 1983, and the passing of President Cory Aquino on 01 August 2009. When Benigno Jr. was assassinated, Corazon Aquino became President. When President Cory passed away, Benigno III became President.”

Mural of PNoy’s inaugural (Photo courtesy of Didi Lopa)

Presidential desk of PNoy (Photo courtesy of Didi Lopa)

He continued, “The verisimilitude of the Cory and Benigno III presidential sagas would tend to spawn legends except that in their cases—their stories constituted factual history and not the fiction that is commonly peddled by cheap propagandists. In fact, both mother and son never even aspired for the presidency. Their presidencies were products of the confluence of events and not personal desire for power.”

‘Hindi siya marunong magbuhat ng bangko’

Long after PNoy ended his term, San Juan and friends broached the idea of a book in 2019 showing that “good governance was doable in a democracy.” This time he was open to that suggestion. What he didn’t want was writing about his legacy since, as San Juan said in Filipino, PNoy style, “hindi siya marunong magbuhat ng bangko (he didn’t know how to toot his own horn).” But even before the book could be conceived, he died in June 2021.

Anent to this, his mother Cory also shushed Rapa Lopa when she learned he embarked on a book project on her. In her exact words, “Rapa, tigil-tigilan mo na ’yan!”

Memorabilia from PNoy’s presidential campaign, including his shoes

Memorabilia from the Palace desk of PNoy, including his favorite pen, the study lamp, eyeglasses. Barely visible at the bottom is the black luggage, that became known as the ‘mobile cabinet’ lugged on by his staff to all his public engagements, among its contents a copy of the Philippine Constitution and the rosary. (Photo courtesy of Didi Lopa)

San Juan said, “It (the presidency) was never about him. He was always focused on the task ahead.” So, her ragtag guerrilla team, with PNoy’s civilian residence on Times Street, Quezon City as base, sifted through materials. They found that “it wasn’t hard to define his Presidency.”

She found voices that she hoped he now could hear so he would know that “sulit ang ginawa niya (his efforts were worth it).” She observed how Filipinos learned to stand up with him to China, among other patriotic acts, “because it was the right thing to do. Hindi ito boses ng troll, hindi bayarang pambobola (This is not the voice of a troll or of a paid hack).”

Among the quotable quotes attributed to this bachelor was one regarding his love life: “Yes, my love life is still like Coke Zero. I hope that when I step down from the Presidency, it will at least go back to being like Coke Light.”

‘The goodness doesn’t need sirens…’

The Volkswagen Rabbit which Ninoy drove in Boston during his exile (Photo by Elizabeth Lolarga)

When he did step down after turning the country’s economy around, the dark Duterte era followed. In the words of Fr. Jett Villarin, SJ as he mourned PNoy’s death: “But Noy, if you’re listening now… the goodness doesn’t need sirens, right? Truth doesn’t need to be trumpeted, even if lies make a piercing noise. Broken heart. I was only one of many who witnessed the heartbreak he endured, not because of a love life he compared to Coke Zero…A country’s broken heart, being wounded more now by crassness and force, violence and intimidation that only masks deep and widespread weakness.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Didi Lopa (@didiqlopa.paints)

The museum is not just a collection of historic artifacts. It is also a call to reflect the way Ninoy, Cory and Noynoy did at the crossroads in their lives. Thus, there are doors visitors can choose to enter: Comfort or Adventure, Resist or Collaborate. Indeed, the three Aquinos, coming from the country’s landed gentry, could’ve led the lives of a señorito and a señora, given their class. But they didn’t. And we are the better for it.

The Aquino family with team that worked on ‘PNoy Filipino’ book: from left, Eldon and Ballsy Aquino Cruz, Neil Agonoy, Gil Nartea, Dave Fernandez, Kiko Aquino Dee and Viel Aquino Dee, Thelma San Juan, Mica Magsanoc, Dodo Dee, Sassa and Jonty Aquino Cruz, Jiggy Cruz, Nikko Dizon

The country was lucky to have these three icons of democracy in one family to lead us out of despair. As our untold story continues to unfold, we face another election. It may be best, during the search for who would rally us once more, to pause and heed PNoy’s advice: “At the end of the day, you leave some to God.”