The Akbayan Partylist has filed a measure in the House of Representatives to permanently declare February 25 — the anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution — a regular national holiday.
House Bill 7911, authored by Reps. Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, Dadah Kiram Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, seeks to institutionalize the annual commemoration of February 25 as a permanent national holiday.
“February 25, 1986 is more than a date etched in history — it marks the moment when the Filipino people peacefully rose to reclaim their democracy. It stands as a testament to courage, unity, and the enduring power of collective action,” Diokno said.
The proposal follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to reclassify February 25 as a regular working day in 2024, after it had been observed as a special non-working holiday in 2023.
“This downgrading diminishes the historic and civic significance of EDSA. We must end the uncertainty and institutionalize its commemoration once and for all,” the authors argued.
If enacted, the bill would bar future changes to the holiday’s status through presidential proclamations and require nationwide commemorative activities to be led by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
The measure also aims to ensure that younger generations understand the importance of the peaceful uprising that ousted former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1986.
Supporters said institutionalizing the holiday would protect historical truth and honor the unity that restored democracy during the People Power Revolution.