Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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Radio broadcast of
the Philippine People
Power Revolution
Inscribed 2003
What are they
Unedited recordings of the live radio broadcasts that
were made during the peaceful popular revolution
against the rule of President Marcos in Manila in 1986.
This was one of the first times that the events during a
popular uprising had been broadcast live to the world.
Why were they inscribed
The broadcasts had a great influence on later popular
uprisings and set a pattern for the future coverage by
the broadcasting media of events such as the fall of
the Berlin Wall. They provide a unique record of one
of the first popular uprisings that marked the closing
decades of the 20th century.
Where are they
Philippine Information Agency, Quezon City, Philippines
The collection is a complete and unedited account of the
revolution in the Philippines from the time the rebellion
started in 22 February to the time when President Marcos
fled the country on 25 February 1986. These four days
marked the transition from dictatorship to democracy
through a peaceful popular uprising which resolved a
dangerous military standoff without the use of armed
force or loss of life.
It is made up of sound recordings on forty-four
audiocassette tapes (61 hours and 33 minutes) and one
mini disc (25 minutes) that document the unedited dayto-day
radio broadcasts of Radio Veritas (a Catholic-owned
radio station at the outskirts of Manila), DZRJ/DZRB,
Radio Bandido (a privately owned radio station in Quezon
City then under the Ministry of National Defense), DZRH
(a privately owned radio station in Manila) and Voice of the
Philippines (a government-owned radio station taken over
by the people led by Radio Veritas on 24 February 1986).
The radio recordings document the course of events
along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, better known as
EDSA, in Manila. Unbidden, tens of thousands of people
packed the short stretch between the two military camps
554 Radio broadcast of the Philippine People Power Revolution
on EDSA. Here, for four days, they prayed, sang and
offered flowers to the armoured military flanking them
at both ends. On the third day, a miracle happened – the
loyalist military defected to the side of the rebels. On
the corner of Ortigas Avenue there is now a shrine in
honour of Our Lady of EDSA, Queen of Peace, symbolic
not only of an unprecedented non-violent protest that
toppled the twenty-year dictatorship of Ferdinand
Marcos, but also of the Filipinos’ yearning for peace and
freedom. Nearby stands a ‘people’s power’ monument,
erected as a tribute to those who packed this historic
place over those four days.
The People Power Revolution saw the peaceful overthrow
of an entrenched dictatorship through a spontaneous
popular uprising, documented and influenced by the
20th-century medium of radio. The radio broadcasts
played a major role in the successful conclusion of the
four-day rebellion. The audio recordings provide insights
into radio’s potency as a communication medium to effect
change and as a tool for development. The world listened,
watched and read. The event will forever be a reference
point for the peaceful resolution of deep national crises.
The crowds that came out on to the streets of Manila
in support of the People Power Revolution that toppled
the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. The radio recordings
of this mass peaceful demonstration provide invaluable
evidence of the success of the rising. �