Farewell and Thank You, President Cory

When viewed from the sky, part of Manila was covered in a sea of white and yellow as thousands of Filipinos lined the streets to bring former President Cory Aquino, Mother of Democracy, to her final resting place. The country’s beloved leader had been suffering from colon cancer for over a year, and died of cardiorespiratory arrest last August 1, first Saturday of the month at 3:18 am, a day of honor for Mary and during the hour of the Divine Mercy.

The outpouring of support during the former president’s wake and funeral brought back memories of the 1986 EDSA Revolution, a historic event for Filipinos which catapulted Mrs. Aquino to power and ended the previous dictatorial regime. As in the peaceful revolution of 1986, the scenes during the past few days showed crowds wearing yellow clothing, tying yellow ribbons on posts, throwing yellow confetti, shouting “Cory! Cory!”, flashing the Laban (fight) sign, and playing songs like Bayan Ko, Magkaisa and Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo. And while the driving force back in 1986 was the people’s anger against an oppressive regime, this time people gathered out of love and gratitude for a president who became instrumental to restoring democracy to the land, and who represented many of the things that are good in the Filipino – selflessness, courage, prayerfulness, and love for country.

During his homily at Mrs. Aquino’s funeral mass, Ateneo’s Fr. Catalino Arevalo, SJ, spiritual adviser of the former president, captured what many Filipinos felt as they bid farewell to their beloved leader:

“Thank You Father in heaven, for your gift to us of Cory Aquino. Thank You that she passed once this way through our lives with the grace You gave her to share with us. If we give her back to you, we do it with hearts of thanksgiving, but now, oh, with breaking hearts also, because of the greatness and beauty of the gift which she was for us, the likes of which, perhaps, we shall not know again. ”

Thank you, Cory Aquino, for all the sacrifices you have made for our country, for inspiring us to make a difference through your own brand of silent courage and inner strength, and for making us truly proud to be Filipino.