“DISTURB US, LORD!”: Archdiocese of Davao Commemorates 40th EDSA People Power Anniversary

Forty years after the historic uprising along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) stirred a nation and altered the course of Philippine history, the Archdiocese of Davao gathered not merely to remember, but to pray for a renewed awakening of conscience. On February 25, the 40th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution was commemorated with a solemn Eucharistic Celebration at 5:30 p.m. at the San Pedro Cathedral presided by Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., drawing together clergy, consecrated persons, students, and lay faithful in a united act of faith and patriotism.

The Holy Mass was concelebrated by diocesan and religious clergy, joined by religious men and women, seminarians, representatives of various Catholic schools, and parishioners from across the archdiocese. In his pastoral message titled “Disturb Us, Lord,” Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., invited the faithful to look beyond nostalgia and confront a pressing question: Is People Power still alive among us? Four decades after Filipinos stood together to defend dignity and freedom, he reflected on the continuing challenges that test the nation’s moral fiber—erosion of truth, public deception, corruption, and the fatigue that tempts citizens toward silence.

The cathedral’s atmosphere that evening was both solemn and searching. The archbishop’s message echoed a prayerful plea not for comfort, but an appeal that hearts unsettled by injustice may rediscover courage. He spoke of a crisis deeper than politics or economics: a crisis of morality, when repeated exposure to wrongdoing dulls the will to care, to protest, and to stand for what is right. The commemoration, therefore, was not framed as a political act but as a spiritual examination of conscience, urging the faithful to let faith shape civic responsibility.

At the close of the Mass, the assembly moved into a symbolic candle-lighting ceremony. One by one, candles were raised, small flames piercing the evening sky an image recalling the light that once shone along EDSA in 1986. The gesture signified vigilance and hope: that truth must not be obscured, that accountability must not be delayed, and that courage must not yield to fear. A short program followed, also led by Archbishop Valles, reinforcing commitments articulated in the pastoral statement to strengthen political and civic education, to courageously seek and defend truth, and to collaborate with others in building a just and transparent society.

The commemoration extended beyond the cathedral grounds as a motorcade took to the city streets, headed by the lay movement BARUG Layko. The motorcade served as a visible reminder that the spirit of People Power belongs not only to a chapter in history books but to an ongoing responsibility shared by the laity.

As the Lenten season deepens, the Archdiocese’s observance of the 40th EDSA anniversary becomes more than a civic remembrance; it becomes a spiritual summons. Echoing the prayer “Disturb Us, Lord,” the faithful were challenged to allow God to shake complacent hearts, to trouble minds content with “This is enough,” and to inspire lives that answer a higher call. In Davao, the anniversary was marked not by spectacle, but by worship, witness, and a renewed commitment to let the light of faith guide the nation’s path forward.