One with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu relives the spirit of EDSA People Power (1986) by recalling its humble contribution to the peaceful revolution that brought back democracy to the country after the collapse of the Marcos dictatorship.
Where did Sacred Heart School for Boys/ SHS-B (now Ateneo de Cebu) stand at the height of Marcos’ brazen dictatorship that collapsed on February 25, 1986?
One might think that a relatively small Chinese
Filipino school in Mango Avenue, Cebu City, did not say anything in the face of political turmoil thirty-nine (39) years ago. Records show otherwise. The SEEDS Yearbook of 86 captured where the School stood, what it said, and how it paid tribute to the real heroes of EDSA, the people from whom power in a democracy emanates.
The social ills and challenges prior to People Power tested SHS-B’s commitment to the ideals of Jesuit education. Inspired by the call to be men for others, the endeavors of social action collaboratively made by the Sacred Heart community were more evident in a time when it was most needed. Students accompanied by Jesuits marched the streets. The Sacred Heart for Negros Campaign was also organized (Negros was struck by famine in the 80s, largely due to the collapse of the sugar industry). It wasn’t just a year of ‘business as usual’ in the classroom. Activities and initiatives reflected the social concerns of the time. Above all,
it was a moment in history when the institution journeyed with civil society in a conscientious fight for justice.
The graduates of 1986 made a radical claim, “we couldn’t have chosen a more exciting time to graduate.” On the last page of the institution’s annual, tribute is paid to the heroes of EDSA, part of which says:
“It is a risk which involved their lives.
But it was the only moral choice the
Filipinos really had.
We’re happy that our countrymen
stood up to that challenge…
And in the face of such heroism in faith
the gun and tank lost their might.
The power of love and peace
took hold of men’s arms.
A history unfolded itself,
The Filipino was raised from the depths of
humiliation to the highest
pinnacle of national pride.”
In his message to the graduates, Fr. Arsenio Nuñez, SJ, then Executive Director of SHS-Boys spoke of the year’s graduation as one that “comes at very crucial times” of the country. Complementing this is the reminder of the School’s Director, Fr. Albert Ricard, SJ: being men for others “does not mean only to be kind to others, or to say ‘thank you’ … [but also] to try to improve the situation of others.” These words of wisdom from the Jesuits of 86 articulated where Sacred Heart School stood in the country’s fight for freedom, justice, and peace.
The words of Nuñez and Ricard need to be reverberated in an
age where forgetfulness of the past is itself a social ill. The fight for a more humane society continues…
Written by: Rhoderick John S. Abellanosa
RIAO Coordinator
