The Political Self

A speech titled "Transition to Democracy: The Philippine Experience", discussed the Philippines' transition and journey from a dictatorship to a democratic society. This transition took place during the People Power Revolution, which was a resistance against then President Ferdinand Marcos' Regime of dictatorship. The Filipino people were awakened to the realities of the atrocities during Marcos' rule. The event heavily affected the culture of Filipino society which resulted in public distrust and suspicion of the government despite the restoration of democracy. There arose a shared commitment and motivation toward democracy among many Filipinos after the painful experiences during the dictatorship. A new constitution had to be written to guranteed the freedom of the press and respect for human rights. Then, the decentralization of the executive and legislative powers of the government took place.