““If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.”
Cory would have turned 77 years old today. In a speech that Noynoy Aquino delivered at her birthday mass, he said
Perhaps if we try to keep her spirit alive in our own daily struggles, we would realize that she did not really just leave us. She is in our dreams of having a government that works, that makes justice and a decent life accessible to every citizen. She is an inspiration on so many levels.
For those who have lost loved ones, their lives continue to live on in our hearts, in our memories, through our work and advocacy. This blog is a testament to my love for my son, to my father, my mom and two brothers who have gone before my dad. By being of service, I keep their memories alive.
I looked up to Cory Aquino for having the courage to fight a dictator and restore a democracy. I am forever grateful for that.
My admiration for Cory Aquino is just for her alone. It is non-transferable. I admire her for her efforts in restoring democracy but the work does not end there. We need to learn from the mistakes of the past. People Power 1, People Power 2, our current president running for congresswoman and many others.
Truly I will keep her spirit alive by living it. I will try to be a good citizen through my writing or advocacy in Blog Watch. I will tell my readers exactly what is wrong with my government and the things that need to be changed to ensure that our democracy matures.
People don’t understand the historical lessons that need to be learned of People Power 1 and People Power 2. After the bad government is turned, there is no vision and everything is in disarray. Why have we not moved progressively since 1986? To keep Cory Aquino’s spirit alive is to ensure her efforts were not gone to waste.
Noynoy Aquino’s Speech at Tita Cory’s Birthday Mass, EDSA Shrine
SPEECH OF SENATOR BENIGNO ““NOYNOY” S. AQUINO III
AT THE MASS COMMEMORATING THE 77TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY
OF PRESIDENT CORAZON C. AQUINO, JANUARY 24, 2010, EDSA SHRINEAs we commemorate the birth anniversary of our mother, we again feel a sense of emptiness from no longer having her around.
We have gotten so used to the comfort of her presence, especially when situations demand the best of us.
She almost always had a ready answer whenever problems arise. When she didn’t, she would provide wise counsel that always managed to make us feel better.
We looked up to our mother as our leader, especially after my father passed away. She instantly became our source of strength, while becoming the face of fortitude for her countrymen. She later managed to carry through not just her children but an entire nation now freely enjoying benefits of a hard-fought democracy.
It is in these trying times when our fragile democracy hangs in the balance that I feel her absence even more.
What gives me consolation, and courage to overcome the emptiness, is the realization that I am not alone in my grief. There are many others, like you, who felt the loss of a truly phenomenal woman.
When people from all walks of life came in droves at her wake and joined the 9-hour procession from the church to her final resting place, we witnessed a nation that genuinely looked up to her as an inspiration much as we in her family did. People wanted a piece of Cory Aquino, patiently waited in line and braved the elements just to get it, perhaps to remember what her sacrifice truly meant for all of us.
Such a strong commitment to make sacrifices, and willingness to somehow emulate her character, demonstrated a people longing for a semblance of the sincerity that she embodied.
It also showed what we CAN do. The spirit of People Power was reignited in those five days.
Is it possible that what we so admired in Cory Aquino is something that resides in each of us all along?
Imagine a country where each citizen is honest, obeys the law and is never at the mercy of shady law enforcers.
A country where citizens show their trademark bayanihan qualities at all times, not only when disasters strike.
A country whose citizens take care of other citizens, in whatever way possible.
Imagine if we do live up to that ideal that my mother exemplified. Her unique brand of heroism and sacrifice could finally have younger, stronger and more creative versions that could only come from those of us she had left behind.
Only through our participation, and our willingness to live by her example, can we make her legacy meaningful and able to effect the changes we want today.
Sa matinding pagsubok na kasalukuyang hinaharap ng ating lipunan at ng buong sambayanang Pilipino, hindi maaaring ako lamang ang magsisikap na tularan ang mabuting ehemplo ng aking ina.
Perhaps if we try to keep her spirit alive in our own daily struggles, we would realize that she did not really just leave us. She is in our dreams of having a government that works, that makes justice and a decent life accessible to every citizen. She is an inspiration on so many levels.
Working together in fulfilling our own aspirations for our country would be an ideal tribute to the woman who loved her country until the very end.
Thank you.
Source of speech: leflaneur
Tita Cory is an inpiration to me. Her strength as a woman, her dedication as a mother, and her faith in God are amongst the many qualities that has endeared her to me even if I was born in 1983. She handled her life with grace and it’s something I hope to emulate. Thanks for sharing this wonderful speech.
.-= angel´s last blog ..21 weeks and counting…. =-.
She is what she is…. a hero and a saint. She is not only a great leader, she is also the mother of the whole nation.
Cory probably a good person like any ordinary mother but never a good president. Sorry to say though, if I would say some negative points about her, pls allow me and God bless her soul. Well in fact my late father, a pioneer and a multi and achievement awardee of Phil Press, was a good friend and co-worker of Ninoy since they were with the Evening News, a news bit closed down by Martial Law where you can find great names in phil media histoy: Maximo Soliven, Luis Beltran, Neal Cruz, J Bigornia, Jess Sison, etc….My father knew a lot of untold stories and secrets about Ninoy, and even requesting him to visit him often while in prison to make kwentuhan about Marcoses. They even talked over a long distance phone from Boston for 2 hours, days before he arrived and assasinated. My point here, just to know my credibility and where Im coming from.
I never adore nor admire Cory at all even though I fought in the streets of EDSA. She had never done any transformation for our nation during her time which was the only great chance that we had…her relatives and friends became powers with greediness behind her throne. The real heroes of EDSA were FVR, Enrile, June Keithley and Cardinal Sin, you have forgotten these names who gave their lives in danger to fight a dictator, sorry to say that it was not Cory, just a spur of decision and full of emotion when we decided to fetch her all the way from her kitchen at Times street to Club Fiipino, to recite the oath from Justice Teehankee in liue of Ninoy, and to see an Aquino name as Phil. President.
When she sat as a revolutionary President, she was more of a vindictive leader rather than a transformer. She sequestered companies, properties and money identified to the Marcoses and his cronies, many people and mediamen lost their jobs bcoz of this including my father despite covering her a very good headline story and editorial column of her speech at the US Congress on Sept 1986. The Hacienda Luisita which was obtained by the Cojuanco family thru loan in the purpose of distributing it to the farmers but instead, lost the lives of many farmers and how can we forget the 1987 massacre in Mendiola street.
She never established any vision for our country except for vengeance on the death of Ninoy and her symbol of poor, the Galunggong fish, which she never like to eat in real life, and those many many brownouts we suffered during her time from 1986 to1992….she was unforgiving to people alledgedly involved to the death of Ninoy, with this, how can she become a saint?
I will definitely not vote for Nonoy becoz we will suffer the same greediness and power behind his throne, this is the reason why his survey ratings are declining aside from being lack of vision and lack of feet to stand up of his own, its typical to his character since child, despite being the only boy, until now, in the family. We need a man to lead our country not a boy. Kris is more dominant and self-reliant among the siblings… really…..
Sorry for those I have offended in my statements and this is my side, I have to end it here and don’t want to go futher anymore, thank you and May God bless you and Cory’s soul….
Very well said, cvista… I share in your lamentations & observations… I have nothing against Cory, she was just what we have just to oust the Marcoses’ regime, but her presidency didn’t really do much good to our country aside from end the corruption of the Marcoses, which was by the way thru the Filipino people’s initiative to lead the people power revolution…
It is Ninoy who I really admire among the Aquinos, for his wits, brains, dedication & conviction, one that is great enough to lead our country. But it doesn’t mean that since he is not around, I would count on his kin, either his wife or his son to lead our nation…
IMHO, they just don’t have those qualities that Ninoy had.
Thanks leiah, more power to you. Lets hope for the best on P-Noy especially our country and the future generation. May God bless us all…..