25/02/2026
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๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ:
On This Day, 25 February 1986:
UP Stood Up: Campus Activism and the 1986 People Power Revolution
On this day, the 40th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution is commemorated, marking a pivotal point in Philippine history. It was a nonviolent movement that successfully ousted the Marcos dictatorship. UP students and faculty played a major role through a civil disobedience campaign, showing how education and activism can work together to defend democracy.
Civil disobedience is considered the highest moral and ethical resistance. A UP political science professor called it "a concrete response to a concrete political situation, and also a progressive means to destabilize the Marcos regime". The civil disobedience campaign at the University of the Philippines began following the 7 February snap elections of 1986. Reports of cheating, vote buying, and flying voters spread across the country. In UP alone, about 30 flying voters were reported. Despite these irregularities, Corazon Aquino won 53.7 percent of UP votes, while Ferdinand Marcos received 46.3 percent.
On 14 February, the UP Academic Community (UPAC) gathered at the Faculty Center, where more than 700 faculty members and staff signed a statement condemning the fraud and expressing support for Aquino and Laurel. Students and faculty also joined rallies and vigils, including the โTagumpay ng Bayanโ rally at Luneta on 16 February, as well as vigils outside Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo. Placards read โMarcos: a disgrace to UP,โ reflecting the campusโs strong stand against corruption.
By 17 February, around 300 students attended the first assembly at AS steps and Palma Hall, rising to 700 the next day, to discuss their next steps. During these assemblies, the University Student Council formed the Task Force Civil Disobedience (TFCD) to lead the campaign. On the same day, a memo from Chancellor Tabujara was released, encouraging the resumption of classes, but many faculty and students continued alternative classes or boycotted regular classes that were suspended for the rest of the semester.
A four-point resolution was formally made on 18 February, guiding the faculty in their campaigns. The resolved points were: suspend normal classes, implement the alternative curriculum, support Aquino and Laurelโs program, and recognize them as the countryโs legitimate leaders.
From 23 to 25 February, UP constituents held a continuous vigil outside the two EDSA military camps while Cory Aquino at Club Filipino and Ferdinand Marcos at Malacaรฑang held separate oath-taking ceremonies. When Marcos and his family's departure for Guam from Clark Air Base was announced, students spontaneously celebrated with a Thanksgiving party at Palma Hall.
On 27 February, UP Diliman Chancellor Ernesto Tabujara ordered a return to classes. Amidst the ongoing class boycott, he authorized faculty, in consultation with students, to choose between regular or alternative classes.
The civil disobedience campaign that happened in UP remains a powerful example of peaceful protest. It turned classrooms into spaces for learning about democracy, inspired students to act for justice, and delivered a strong message to the country that real change is possible when people come together with common convictions and take collective action.
References:
Llanes, F. (Ed.). (2009). ๐๐ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ (1983-2005): ๐ข ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ. University of the Philippines.
Classes back to normal. (1986). ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ธ๐ด๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ, 10(4), 1.
Civil disobedience. (1986). ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ, 63(4), 1
Mentors, students refuse to hold regular classes. (1986). ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ, 63(4), 1
Studes heed call for civil disobedience. (1986). ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ, 63(4), 2.
UP faculty holds โalternativeโ classes. (1986). ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ธ๐ด๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ, 10(4), 8.
UP mentors boycott classes despite EGTโs memo. (1986). ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ธ๐ด๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ, 10(4), 7-8.
UP students create new watchdog body. (1986). ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ธ๐ด๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ, 10(4), 1.
