a thank you, a farewell, and a request

as the papers say, cory magic is alive again.

my parents whisper "it's 1986 all over again" as we see people in yellow shirts lining up in the streets, as yellow confetti rain from the sky, as yellow ribbons hug tree trunks and car side mirrors, and the arms of people, as people pull over lifting their hands in an L, as people line up despite of the rain, the wind and the heat of the sun, as tears roll down the cheeks of the rich and of the poor, of the old, and the young.

in her final moments of life, and even in her death, President Corazon Aquino did more to unite the fractured and divided Philippine people than anyone else in recent Philippine history.

in her death, she was able to do what she did best, she was able to bring the Filipino people together. walang mayaman, walang mahirap, walang sundalo, walang aktibista, walang maka-kaliwa, walang maka-kanan, walang pula, walang dilaw, lahat ng pagaalitan ay isinantabi muna. kahit sa huling sandali ng kanyang buhay, napagsama niya at napagkaisa ang mga Pilipino.

even through her sickness, and even in her death, she continued to live up to the ideals of nationalism, of peace, of unity. as a lot of people have already said, she personifies the Filipino people's desire for moral change, for nationalism, for growth. She personifies the best in the Filipino people.

hindi rin naman perpektong tao si President Cory, may mga pagkukulang rin siya, pero hinahangaan ko na ginawa niya ang lahat, na ibinigay niya ang lahat ng makakaya niya, sa kabila ng hirap at ng sakit, dahil sa kanyang pagmamahal sa Diyos, sa mga kababayan, at sa bansa.

they say that it's 1986 all over again, that cory magic is back, that the spirit of EDSA is alive again, and this is evident now everywhere we look.

i pray that this serves as a wake-up call and a rebuke for us to change, for us to get our acts together, to set aside all our bickering and our issues against people, to get rid of the apathy that has seeped into the hearts of people as of late.

may this serve as a wake-up call for the youth to step up to the plate, to do our part, to stop letting others handle the problems of our country and to be the hope that everyone wishes us to be.

may this serve as a rebuke against all the politics and mud-slinging, against all the self-serving, all the financial and moral corruption that our present state of government has become.

nakakalungkot isipin na kinailangan pang mawala ng isang bagong bayani na kagaya ni President Cory para magising tayo sa ganito. pero mas nakakalungkot kung makalipas ng ilang araw, ilang linggo, ay mawawala rin ang lahat ng ito.

sana, sana ang nakikita nating ngayong pagkakaisa at nasyonalismo na nabuhay muli dahil sa pagkawala ni President Cory ay maipagpatuloy natin. sana hindi ito ngayon lang, pero sana maipamuhay natin ang mga adhikain na isinabuhay at ipinaglaban ni Cory.

from a grateful youth who now enjoys the democracy and freedom that you lived for, suffered for, fought for and died for, maraming maraming salamat po President Cory.