EDSA 31st Anniversary at Camp Aguinaldo

The 31st Anniversary celebration held in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo on 24 February 2017.

The EDSA People Power Commission, chaired by Executive Secretary Medialdea, chose the theme, “A Day of Reflection: Celebrating People Power for Nation Building,” for this year’s celebration.

The celebration was highlighted by an awarding ceremony by the Spirit of EDSA Foundation Inc. (SOEF). The SOEF awardees represent various groups—the military, the religious, and the citizens at large—that played a crucial role at EDSA in 1986.

This year’s SOEF awardees were the Army represented by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the Navy represented by Rear Admiral Bayani Gaerlan and the Air Force represented by Gen. Antonio Sotelo. Rear Admiral Bayani Gaerlan came in place of Lt. Col. Balbas while Gen. Antonio Sotelo came in place of Gen. Hotchkiss. The other awardees were the religious represented by Sister Sarah Manapol, Aleem Said Akmar Bashir, and Bishop Jonel Milan; and the Filipino people represented by Bobby Aquino (son of Butz Aquino), Ching Montinola, and Uriel Borja.

On the other hand, this year’s SOEF Good Citizenship Movement awardees were Valiente Namion, a wheelchair attendant at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport who found and returned P100,000 to its owner, and Sabrina Artadi, a former beauty queen who devoted much of her life feeding street children.

Presenting the SOEF awards were former President Fidel Ramos, Executive Secretary Salvador Medieldea, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship and Vice Chairperson of EDSA People Power Commission Joey Concepcion III, and SOEF Founder Christopher Carrion. ●