21/08/2026
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ญ
On August 21, 1983, former Senator Benigno โNinoyโ Aquino Jr. was assassinated at the Manila International Airport upon his return to the Philippines after years of self-exile in the United States. His death became a defining moment in Philippine history, awakening a nation and strengthening the call for freedom and democracy.
๐ฝ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ฎ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐?
Ninoy Aquino was a staunch critic of the Marcos regime and one of the most prominent figures of the opposition. His political aspirations were cut short when Martial Law was declared in 1972. He was arrested and detained first at Camp Crame and later at Fort Bonifacio, where he spent years in captivity. Eventually, he was allowed to leave for the United States for medical treatment, beginning his years in exile.
When Ninoy returned to the Philippines in 1983, he knew the risks he was taking. Yet, he chose to return, not to start a war, but to become a voice for the Filipino people. But warnings were proved right, as he was assassinated moments after disembarking his plane. This did not only shock the nation, but also galvanized public opposition to the dictatorship. His death helped ignite the growing movement that culminated in the 1986 People Power Revolution, which ultimately brought an end to the Marcos Sr. regime.
In 2004, ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐ผ. ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ declared August 21 as Ninoy Aquino Day, a special non-working holiday dedicated to commemorating his life and death.
Today, we remember Ninoy not only for the manner of his death, but for the ideals he stood for: ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ, ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐.
As students of the English language, may we also recognize the power of wordsโ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต, ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ท๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ.
๐๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ค๐ข, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ช๐จ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐ช๐จ.
Layout by Denise Yzziel Esquivel โจ
Captioned by Kaye Eunice Villanueva โจ
