Photo: "EDSA People Power Monument at night. See its beauty at colorful lights surrounding it." courtesy of Maki R. @ Wikimedia Commons.
Professor Aileen Baviera of the UP Asian Center penned a commentary “From EDSA to EDCA: Are We Really Valuing the Lessons of History?” for the newsletter of the Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, Inc.
Stressing the importance of learning from history, Professor Baviera asks why in the last 30 years since the Marcos regime fell, the Philippines has failed to become a strong democracy. And why, in the last 25 years since the Philippine Senate voted to close down US military bases in the country, the defense capabilities of the Philippines have grown so little and we are still so dependent on the United States.
Remembering EDSA
“...do we remember how hard so many people fought to win back democracy and to reclaim our human rights? The lesson we need to learn is not how to remember the good old days and the bad old days of Martial Law. The lesson that we need to understand is how and why, in the last 30 years, we failed to develop a strong and effective democracy that we can all now have faith in. The question that we need to ask is how and why respect for human rights and respect for human dignity are not yet internalized in our culture and value system, when they could have become – after Martial Law - second nature to Filipinos.”
On Closure of US Military Bases
“...do we, 25 years hence, remember the intense debates about whether foreign bases were still needed by both sides following the end of the Cold War, and whether we were willing to bear the costs (social, political as well as financial) of sustaining an unequal alliance relationship? Do we remember the years that followed when the erstwhile “special relations” nearly ground to a screeching halt, because a piqued Big Brother turned off not just the tap of military assistance but of economic aid and investments as well.”
Lessons from History: From EDSA to EDCA
“The question that we need to be asking ourselves is why, in the 25 years that have passed, have we not done enough to enable ourselves to stay true to that fateful choice in 1991 of reducing dependence on foreign military protection. Perhaps by developing our own credible and self-reliant defense capability. Or by diversifying security partners, aside from the U.S., so as to reduce reliance on any single one. Perhaps by committing more deeply to waging internal peace, thereby allowing our armed forces to address their true mission of external defense. Or by persistently engaging in sustained and effective regional diplomacy, in order to reduce threats and create incentives for cooperation among our neighbors. And by focusing on our economic, social, and political development, in the process reducing vulnerabilities to any external aggression.”
Dr. Aileen SP. Baviera is Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. She specializes on and writes about contemporary China studies, China-Southeast Asia relations, Asia-Pacific security, territorial and maritime disputes, and regional integration. The editor in chief of the journal, "Asian Politics & Policy," she is also author of many academic publications, including “Territorial and Maritime Jurisdiction Disputes in East Asia: Comparing Bilateral and Multilateral Approaches,” a chapter that appeared in "Bilateralism, Multilateralism and Asia-Pacific Security: Contending Cooperation" published in 2013 by Routledge. She completed her Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman. VIEW FULL PROFILE.
The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences.