25/02/2026
UP ISIP Statement on EDSA People Power @40
As we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, UP ISIP reflects not only on its historical and political significance, but also on the deep psychological wounds and collective emotional experiences that drove millions of Filipinos to gather along EDSA in 1986.
People Power was not merely a political uprisingโit was a mental health phenomenon rooted in years of fear, chronic stress, loss of autonomy, and collective trauma under authoritarian rule. Prolonged exposure to state violence, censorship, and economic insecurity created widespread psychological distress, eroding individual and community well-being. Research in political psychology shows that when people experience sustained fear, powerlessness, and perceived injustice, they develop a shared sense of moral urgency that motivates collective action.
At the same time, the revolution demonstrated the healing power of solidarity. EDSA became a space where Filipinos found safety in numbers, transformed fear into courage, and rebuilt their sense of agency. Social support and collective efficacyโkey factors known to protect mental healthโflourished as strangers held hands, prayed, fed one another, and united around the shared belief that change was possible.
Forty years later, the legacy of EDSA reminds us that mental health is inseparable from human rights, democracy, and social conditions. Authoritarian environments harm psychological well-being, while participatory and empowering civic spaces strengthen it. As an organization grounded in psychological sciences and advocacy, UP ISIP reaffirms its commitment to promoting mental health, safeguarding truth, and nurturing environments where Filipinos can think, feel, and act freely.
EDSA is a testament to what people can achieve when they refuse to be silencedโnot only for political freedom, but also for collective psychological liberation.
UP ISIP stands with the Filipino people in remembering, understanding, and upholding the spirit of EDSA.
Sikolohiya mula, para, at tungo sa masa.
