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In 1972, Marcos declared Martial Law in the Philippines, making it the "Peronist Argentina of the 70’s". Strict discipline was imposed by the militia. Those who dared to oppose this new government were stepped on, crushed, or simply made to disappear without a trace. Censorship was imposed on the media. News was edited to reflect only the positive results that had taken place. Papers that dared to report the dark side of the government were silenced. The Philippines was a country reportedly on the rise, but behind that facade of peace and order was a country in chaos. A country silently screaming its anguish.

The Filipino tolerance was pushed to the utter breaking point. Enough was finally enough, so in 1986 came the EDSA Revolution. Hundreds of Filipinos gathered in EDSA with nothing but their faith in God to protect them. Priests and nuns led the people in prayer, their arms linked to each other. Every word uttered was a word voiced in hope, hope that they would regain the freedom they longed for. Tanks came and though they had no other weapon in their hands but rosaries, the people won. The Marcos government was overthrown and a the new administration took over.

Granted the Aquino administration wasn’t perfect. Cory Aquino was a housewife and had little knowledge of politics, but she was chosen by the people because of what she stood for: democracy. Her administration began the slow and tedious task of rebuilding the country.

By the time we reached 1987, the country was recovering, but its recovery came with a price. While the Philippines could easily have been one of the leading agricultural countries during the Marcos regime, the sudden change in the administration started the decline of our economic growth. The series of coup attempts threatened prospective foreign investors, investors on which the administration depended on to help the country get back on its feet. The decline in investors slowed economic progress. At the same time the Philippines was trying to pay the billions of dollars in foreign debt. Aside from this, natural disasters came one after another. Floods, the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo and continuous brownouts and blackouts all over the country also assisted in the decline of our economy. All this happening when our country was at its most vulnerable.

When the Ramos administration came, their goal was to restore the economy of the Philippines. Fidel Ramos embarked on many diplomatic trips in an attempt to strengthen political and economic ties with ASEAN neighbors. It's success resulted in raising the country's economy. It was a euphoria that later proved to be short-lived as the Asian economic crisis brought a sudden drop in foreign exchange, nearly doubling the value of the dollar to the local currency.

In retrospect, the Philippines could have achieved great steps as a nation. In 1972, the country opened diplomatic and commercial relations with the communist and socialist countries while still maintaining trade with democratic allies. It could have meant more investors and larger trade circles. Foreign investors were ready to ply their trade, making use of the raw materials and resources that could easily have been provided for the products they wished to make. Well…all that of course, for a price.

During that time, the most powerful body was the military and the church became the voice of the opposition. It was clear that there was to be no word of objection to the government from anyone. Anyone who was against the government was an enemy of the state. We lost our right to speak out and to be heard. Citizens lost the right to voice out their concerns about the country. Society wanted to change the way the government was run. Citizens wanted to overthrow the administration and regain the freedom that was fought so hard for by their ancestors and choose an administration that will give them the freedom that they lost.

The Filipinos wanted their freedom and now that it has been achieved, what is being done? News of rape, massacre and other crimes fill page after page of the newspaper. It was a freedom fought for…the same freedom now abused.

Was it worth all the fighting for? EDSA gave the Philippines back its democracy. The freedom Filipinos longed for when Marcos declared martial law. Citizens embraced that freedom when it was restored to them by the Aquino administration. By the time the Ramos administration came along, they had already fully used the freedom they had to do everything we wanted, regardless of who they hurt along the way.

Was it worth it? Maybe it was, but then again, we don’t know what could have happened if Marcos was left alone, now do we?