EDSA 20

MILLIONS OF FILIPINOS in the provinces stayed glued to their TVs and radios united in grief with millions of others in Metro Manila who brought former President Aquino to her grave hundreds of kilometers away.

As far north as Batanes and as far south as Sulu, streets burst in yellow, which became the color of mourning on the day Ms Aquino was laid to rest.

Millions wept, sought solace in churches and mosques, uttered prayers, expressed condolences and love for the woman who, for a day, united Filipinos anywhere there was TV, radio or Internet coverage of her funeral.

All over the Visayas, bells rang, doves and yellow balloons flew, and people wore yellow as an entire region paid respect to and expressed their love for the late leader.

Most people stayed off the streets to watch the coverage of the funeral. Thousands of others attended Masses in honor of Ms Aquino.

Empty streets

In Cebu City, traffic enforcers reported a sharp decline in the number of vehicles out in the streets.

Eric Laurente, of the city’s traffic operations center, said it meant people stayed at home to watch the funeral.

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal was to celebrate Mass for Ms Aquino 5 p.m. at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in Cebu City.

At the Cebu Carmelite Monastery, nuns, led by their 81-year-old mother superior, Mary Aimee Ataviado, offered a special prayer for Ms Aquino. Supporters and friends of the Aquino family were present.

At noon, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command, based in Cebu City, fired cannons for a 21-gun salute.

In Tagbilaran City, at least 100 yellow balloons with the words “Salamat President Cory” and nine doves were released into the sky after Mass at the St. Joseph Cathedral. People, led by Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso, clapped and cheered.

In Tacloban City, streets, where yellow ribbons filled corners, were practically empty. The Santo Niño Church’s grounds were festooned with yellow ribbons where a Requiem Mass to be officiated by Palo Archbishop Jose Palma was scheduled at 5 p.m.

Silence

In Catarman, Northern Samar, the streets were silent as most people stayed at home to watch the live telecast of the funeral.

In Maasin City, 500 city and provincial employees wore yellow shirts or displayed yellow ribbons during Mass at the Maasin Cathedral officiated by Maasin Bishop Precioso Cantillas.

The church door was covered by a poster with a black and white image of Ms Aquino. Beside it lay a wreath of yellow flowers.

In Bacolod City, Negrenses gathered at homes, many weeping, as they watched the Requiem Mass for Ms Aquino. Yellow ribbons hung at the capitol, in homes, businesses and vehicles in Bacolod City.

Groups of public utility vehicle drivers decorated their jeeps with yellow ribbons and went on a caravan around the city, turning their headlights on and honking as they moved.

‘Bayan Ko’

In the capital town of Kalibo in Aklan, yellow ribbons filled the Pastrana Park, the town’s public plaza, where hundreds of Aklanons held a program to honor Ms Aquino.

In Iloilo City, church bells rang, Edsa I music blared as Ilonggos joined the nation in saying goodbye to the former President.

Streets in the city were empty as Ilonggos stayed home to watch live telecasts and broadcasts of Ms Aquino’s funeral.

Inside the La Isabelita Hall in the Jaro Cathedral, a group of lawyers gathered to watch the funeral on wide screen.

Many wept and some raised clenched fists as Lea Salonga sang “Bayan Ko,” the song identified with the Edsa I Revolution that Ms Aquino led.

In Davao City, soldiers under the Eastern Mindanao Command gave full military honors with a 21-gun salute after Mass for Ms Aquino.

Soldiers also released yellow balloons into the air.

Dear to Muslims

In Cotabato City, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) paid tribute to Ms Aquino’s efforts to bring peace to Mindanao.

Ms Aquino, in 1987, sent Aquilino Pimentel Jr. as her emissary to the late Hashim Salamat, then MILF chair.

“There is no question about Cory being the symbol of resistance against a dictator.

Murad said Ms Aquino enjoyed the respect of the MILF because it was her husband, the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who started investigating the Jabidah Massacre where dozens of Muslim trainees were killed in a botched plan to invade Sabah.

Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military affairs chief, said guerrilla leaders were asked to offer prayers for Ms Aquino and petition Allah “so that the spirit Mrs. Aquino left would continue to inspire leaders that peaceful means is the best solution to resolve misunderstanding.”

The people of North Cotabato also showed their love for the former President by tying yellow ribbons on trees along the Cotabato-Davao Highway.

Replay of 1986

In Sta. Maria, Davao del Sur, farmers in Barangay Basiawan thanked Ms Aquino for the land they received under agrarian reform.

“If it was not for her, we would not be enjoying the fruits of our own farms now,” said Eddie Sahulga, who was awarded a two-hectare farm in 1997.

Wilson Antiga, of the Provincial Agrarian Reform Office, said under Aquino’s presidency, 14,000 ha of land were awarded to farmers in the province.

In Digos City, residents stayed home and watched the live coverage of Ms Aquino’s funeral.

Chief Insp. Anthony Padua, city police chief, said the number of vehicles out in the city yesterday fell by half.

At the Digos City National High School, students—who were not even born when Ms Aquino came to power—wore yellow ribbons.

At the Davao del Sur provincial capitol, Gov. Douglas Cagas asked employees to wear yellow shirts or pin yellow ribbons.

Cagas became OIC-governor in 1986 and is a known Cory supporter.

In General Santos City, residents also stayed home and watched TV coverage of the funeral.

The scene on the streets was reminiscent of the 1986 Edsa Revolt—yellow ribbons everywhere.

Churches, mosques filled

In Zamboanga City, hundreds of Zamboangueños took time off to visit churches, chapels and mosques to silently pray for the former President.

Ustadz Habib Zain Jali, Nur Misuari’s spiritual adviser, said Ms Aquino was being remembered for opening up peace talks between the government and Moro rebels.

“We would never forget that it was Mrs. Aquino who pushed for a peace pact with us,” said Jali, also of the Moro National Liberation front (MNLF).

“She’s a good woman, she’ll surely go to paradise, no need to pray for her, the Islam religious leaders only pray for bad people for forgiveness, for acceptance and reform; Aquino is a good person,” Jali said.

Catholic churches and Christian chapels all over the city were teeming with people since 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Religious leaders, government officials, and military and police officials wore yellow.

Lesson for kids

Col. Santiago Baluyot, Task Force Zamboanga commander and Ms Aquino’s former close in security aide, said “she’s one person we cannot just easily forget in our history.”

Baluyot said he wished “we can have another leader like her, that her voice and advocacy will remain strong in everyone’s hearts.”

Eliseo Anda, a government employee, brought his six children to the church.

He said he wanted his children to learn that “we had a good and simple President that dearly loved every Filipino.”

In Batanes, the northernmost province of the country, streets were empty as Ivatans stayed glued to TV sets to watch the Requiem Mass for Ms Aquino.

Business in shops and the market stopped. Some employees and stall holders were seen crying as they listened to Kris Aquino’s emotional speech.

Power bringer

Ms Aquino was remembered best in Batanes for bringing electricity to Basco, the capital town, in April 1987 when she personally switched on the first commercial electric power there.

In Baguio City, most stores with TV sets showed Aquino’s funeral.

Yellow ribbons were tied to all posts on Session Road, the city’s main street at the business district. Pedestrians wore yellow shirts and carried yellow umbrellas.

At the Baguio Convention Center, the Cordillera Regional Development Council chair read a statement of gratitude for Aquino for her role in creating the Cordillera Administrative Region and for recognizing indigenous peoples’ rights.

Men cried

In bus, jeep and tricycle terminals in Albay drivers stayed glued to TV sets, watching the Mass and awaiting the burial. Mostly men, they cried unabashedly.

In Albay, yellow ribbons bloomed in fences in schools and government buildings and thousands stayed home to watch the funeral on TV.

Msgr. Ramon Tronqued, vicar general of the Diocese of Legazpi, said all 47 Albay parishes offered Masses for Ms Aquino.

Tronqued said all churches were asked to toll their bells three times until Ms Aquino is buried.

A short outage in Daraga town annoyed viewers as they were in the middle of watching the funeral on TV when the power went out.

Jeeps and tricycles were festooned with yellow ribbons all over the province.

At a mall in Sta. Rosa City, people wrote dedications on a wall for Ms Aquino.

Pam Baun, SM public information officer at the Sta. Rosa City SM, said the wall was quickly filled with dedications barely two hours after it was opened to the public at about 10 a.m.