Yesterday was the birthday of former president
Corazon Aquino, who died on
August 1, 2009. She would have been 77. According to our newspapers, more than 400 Masses were offered for her, in the Philippines and in cities all over the world with large Filipino communities. I think that the overwhelming tribute for her these past few months since her death is not really a statement about her effectiveness as a president, which some people would question (but to be fair, her presidency was extremely tough, coming as it did after more than two decades of
Ferdinand Marcos' dictatorial rule). Rather, it is a reflection of how we Filipinos are (finally) yearning for ethical leaders, especially after the countless
corruption accusations that have rocked this current government.
Yellow has always been Cory's color. Instead of wearing yellow shirts, most people nowadays sport a little yellow ribbon pin to show their support for the ideals that Cory embodied. One of Cory's former doctors gave away these yellow fans with ribbon-shaped handles made of handmade paper at the Mass and tribute that my husband and I attended yesterday.
