As part of Radio Veritas’ special programming for the 31st observance of EDSA People Power Revolution, the former president of St Scholastica’s College as well as a religious sister of the Cenacle and certified teacher of zen meditation who joined protest marches against the Marcos dictatorship will visit the station on February 25, 2017.
Sr. Mary John Mananzan and Sr. Sonia Punzalan, RC will be the guests of Radio Veritas public affairs program, “Veritasan” to talk about the spirit of the historic bloodless revolution known as EDSA 1. Listeners may catch their interview on Saturday from 10:30am to 11:55am.
Two days before the commemoration of EDSA 1, Radio Veritas will air a special documentary about the historic event on February 23 from 5pm to 6pm and will be re-aired on February 24 from 5pm to 6pm and on February 25 from 5am to 6am. The shorter version will be aired on February 25 from 1pm to 1:30pm.
Meanwhile, the news and public affairs program “Veritas Pilipinas” airing from 6am to 8am, “Barangay Simbayanan” airing from 8am to 10am and the magazine program, “Pamilya mo, Pamilya ko” airing from 10:00am to 11:55am will talk about EDSA people power.
On February 24, Friday, the High Mass from the Mary Queen of Peace Shrine (EDSA Shrine), EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave, Quezon City will be aired live at 12:15nn and 6pm pre-empting the program “Ang Diyosesis”. The High Mass will be presided by Rev. Fr. Larry Abaco, Rector of EDSA Shrine.
EDSA Revolution was said to be the first event in the history of the world to be ran by a Catholic radio. During that historic time, Radio Veritas did not just merely document the unfolding events, it participated in them.
It was through Radio Veritas where the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, the Archbishop of Manila pleaded support to then Vice Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos and Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile who held a press conference on February 22, 1986 to announce their withdrawal of support from the dictatorship and called upon the resignation of President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
As response to Cardinal Sin’s call, nearly two million people gathered in EDSA and formed a human barricade between Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo. Prayers and rosaries strengthened by faith were the only weapons that the Filipinos used to recover their freedom from the 20-year rule of then President Marcos.
The station gave opportunity to those from the Church, the opposition and other sectors to speak. It made its listeners aware of their rights as well as their responsibilities as Filipino citizens especially during the peaceful demonstration of EDSA 1.
That same year, Radio Veritas received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts recognizing its crucial role in using the truth to depose an oppressive and corrupt regime and restore Filipino faith in the electoral process.
Today, Radio Veritas continues to be the leading social communications ministry for truth and new evangelization providing religious programs but is also putting forward Church advocacies and social concerns to its listeners.
