Sa Araw ng Dilaw - Ignite the Yellow Spark!

To commemorate the 26th Anniversary of the assassination of Ninoy Aquino and to honor the memory of President Cory Aquino, the Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Foundation is declaring August 21, 2009 as “Araw ng Dilaw”. This Friday, every freedom-loving Filipino is urged to wear something yellow.

We ask everyone to light a candle as a way of keeping the spirit of Ninoy and Cory alive and of reciprocating their love for the Filipino people. Motorists are likewise encouraged to turn on their hazard lights from 6pm to 7pm as a sign that the Yellow Spark has been ignited in their hearts.

On August 21, 2009, Make Ninoy and Cory’s spirit of sacrifice live within you.

Sa Araw ng Dilaw,
Wear something yellow!
Light a yellow candle,
or tie a yellow ribbon.
Remember Ninoy,
and Cory's love
for the Filipinos

And if you’re on the road,
on that day,
keep the flame of
Ninoy and Cory burning!

Switch on your hazard lights,
from 6pm to 7pm,
and spread the country’s
Yellow Spark
far and wide.

Ignite the Ninoy and Cory in you.
Ignite the country’s Yellow Spark!

Paint UP Diliman Yellow!

I was on the Philcoa Jeep going inside UP when I noticed that every tree has a yellow ribbon on it. It was magical.

The UP School of Economics Student Council asked its students to observe "Yellow Tuesday" - to wear yellow for Former President Cory Aquino. The day before last Tuesday, I made a viral message in the internet and to my social networks asking everyone to paint UP Diliman yellow , by wearing anything yellow or a yellow ribbon on them. I said in my message, "UP DILIMAN: Padilawin ang UP bukas! Wear YELLOW shirts, or yellow ribbon. Para kay Pangulong Cory! Pls Pass."

I wasn't sure people would do it. Next day came, although we didn't paint the whole of UP yellow, a lot of the students wore yellow or had ribbons on them. We got everyone's attention, and that's what matters.

*I will post my final post on Volunteerism and Cory Aquino experience when I return from Visayas.

Tribute to Cory Aquino

Fr. Johnny Go, SJ, director of Xavier School in Greenhills San Juan made this tribute to a former president, a loving grandmother and mother, a woman of hope, courage and freedom. In the info beside the video, Fr. Go wrote:

She was swept to power by the world's first peaceful revolution, the People Power EDSA Revolution of 1986. From Boston, she returned home with her children in 1983 to bury her husband, Ninoy Aquino, who had been assassinated in the airport tarmac and in a breathtaking turn of events, led her people in dismantling the Marcos dictatorship and became the Philippines' first woman president.

Now, grateful for all that she has done, we pray for Cory as she battles her illness. Yellow ribbons, the symbol of the opposition movement she led in 1986, are sprouting in places physical and virtual. We thank the Lord for sending us this widow who wrapped her grief over her assassinated husband with faith and turned it into infectious courage.

I put this together from all sorts of YouTube videos and pictures on line. This is my tribute to the widow who led the nation in braving that storm. She made me proud to be Filipino.

She once have said in an inspiring message, and I quote, "I am burning the candle of my life in the dark, with no one to benefit from the light. The candle slowly melts away. Soon its wick will burn out, and the light is gone. If only someone will gather the melted wax, reshape it, give it a new wick. For another fleeting moment, my candle can once again light the dark, be of service one more time, and then, goodbye."

Now that there's already a lit path because of you, I take the challenge to be the wick of your remolded candle, ignite anew, and share the light to others, who still are in the dark. This is my promise, until another gathers our melted wax, and be its wick for the next generation.

"Cory, Laban!"