THE "CORY YELLOW" AND HOW IT CAME TO BE

Yellow blooms for Ninoy and Cory

Familiar scenes and activities of the past months marked the dramatic return of the “yellow fever” on the world stage where the atmosphere was characterized by people wearing clothes and using things and other symbols predominantly yellow in color. Even web pages, especially blog sites like this one (A Friend Named Goddy), were adorned with yellow ribbons with introduction or background why they are on the Net.

Occasioned by former President Cory’s affliction with colon cancer, her friends and supporters including the Catholic Church offered prayers for her recovery using yellow ribbons as symbol of their love and concern. When she passed away on the first day of August this year, the color yellow, identified with her--the country’s most loved president--became even more conspicuous and prominent in many places in Metro Manila and on the Net.

Cris Rivera, an officemate, approached me one vacant time and told me that his children asked him why the color yellow became “Cory’s symbol”. He said he had no idea and asked me if I knew the answer.

Cris is more than 10 years my junior and told me that he was just a student when the Aquino assassination and the People Power Revolution took place.

I told him that Ninoy Aquino’s return to the Philippines from his 3-year exile in the United States had the answer although I wasn’t really sure if I made a precise recollection of events. I told him I had no time to make a research but basing on events that unfolded during those times and news stories that I’ve read, I would try to give him a short background of the story.

As I started answering his question, I appeared like I was telling him a beautiful and deeply-moving story—a very touching love story between a patriotic man and his country and people; a very poignant love story between a man and his woman.

So, let me begin…

After Ninoy’s incarceration for more than seven years, he suffered from heart ailment that necessitated his release from his cell for a bypass operation in the United States. Upon the intervention of U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Ferdinand Marcos allowed him to leave the country subject to certain conditions.

When the successful operation was over, Ninoy and his family settled in Boston, Massachussetts. There, on fellowship grants from Harvard University and the Massachussetts Institute of Technology, he gave lectures and worked on the manuscript of two books. (President Cory, in her speech before the joint session of the United States Congress, stated that those 3 years they spent in Boston were their happiest years together.)

After three years of his self-imposed exile in the United States and after learning about the ailing Marcos’ deteriorating health condition, he decided to come back to the Philippines to unite the fragmented opposition.

Since Ninoy had been away for three long years, he wanted some signs or indications that people or those he left behind still wanted him back. Inspired by the old song Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Old Oak Tree which was originally recorded and popularized by Tony Orlando and Dawn, he asked them to tie yellow ribbons on trees and elsewhere.

In a television interview during the 26th year anniversary of Ninoy’s death, Mr. Lichauco (I believe he’s Ninoy’s brother-in-law) said that when Ninoy returned, yellow ribbons were indeed tied or placed on cars at the then Manila International Airport (MIA) and on some conspicuous places there, which Ninoy never got the chance to see since he was assassinated reportedly before stepping on Philippine soil.

Upon Cory’s return from Boston to bury Ninoy, she was able to know about the public’s outrage over the killing of her husband. That was evidently seen at the wake and during the funeral—the biggest ever in Philippine history—where roughly two million people escorted Ninoy to his final resting place.

When the opposition drafted Cory for its official candidate in the snap presidential election, she obliged and adopted the color yellow and the "L" or Laban sign for her campaign symbols. She wore yellow dress in the whole duration of the campaign period. The color yellow which became the symbol of protest united even more not only the opposition but the entire Filipino people.

Thus, the color yellow which in my high school days used to stand for “jealousy” radically changed its meaning to being a symbol of protest and courage.

Recently, however, in its dramatic return to the world stage, the color yellow, still ascribed to and identified with Tita Cory, became a symbol of love and affection as the whole nation grieved and mourned the passing away of its most loved president and leader.

I embedded a video clip of the song Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Old Oak Tree from YouTube uploaded by kilusf below. See also the lyrics of the beautiful song.

Enjoy listening. And singing.

Tie A Yellow Ribbon
Tony Orlando & Dawn

I’m comin’ home, I’ve done my time
Now I’ve got to know what is and isn’t mine
If you received my letter telling you I’d soon be free
Then you’ll know just what to do
If you still want me
If you still want me
Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon ‘round the old oak tree
It’s been three long years
Do you still want me?
If I don’t see a ribbon round the old oak tree
I’ll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don’t see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

Bus driver, please look for me
‘cause I couldn’t bear to see what I might see
I’m really still in prison
And my love, she holds the key
A simple yellow ribbon’s what I need to set me free
I wrote and told her please

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree
It’s been three long years
Do you still want me?
If I don’t see a ribbon round the old oak tree
I’ll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don’t see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

Now the whole damned bus is cheerin’
And I can’t believe I see
A hundred yellow ribbons round the old oak tree

I’m comin’ home

(Tie a ribbon round the old oak tree)

SOME LESSONS FROM CORY'S LIFE AND DEATH

They say that “life is a journey to death”. That makes Death the final destination of our earthly existence. And that Death is a sure thing to come—sooner or later.

Since it has an ending, we can liken life to a course or study. After the course completion, a student is rated by his teacher or instructor.

Likewise, Death, being compared to a course, has some kind of rating, too, in the form of judgment or how people will regard the person who died. As the grade or rate one gets for his studies will be based on his class performance, so will the judgment given upon one’s death be a reflection of how well one lived his or her life; of how he or she has affected the lives of others.

We know that people have individual differences. They may be categorized into the ordinary and the extraordinary. Ordinary people go for things that are common and do things that many usually do. Ordinary people, therefore, outnumber their extraordinary counterpart.

We live in a material world and our observation on people around us will tell us that many desire material possessions. They go for worldly things like fame, power, and fortune.

Exceptional or extraordinary people, on the other hand, contemplate more on "what to be" rather than "what to possess". They go for things that last… things that are pleasing to God.

I watched the necrological services for former President Cory on TV. Many delivered their eulogies praising Cory for what she did when she was still alive.

A eulogy, according to the dictionary, is a high praise; a commendatory oration or writing especially in honor of one deceased.

Cory came from a wealthy family. She was vested with powers when she took over the presidency. She was popular in her native land. She was famous all over the world.

Fortune. Power. Fame. These are what ordinary people aspire for and busy themselves with. Cory had them all. But nowhere in the eloquent eulogies during the necrological services for her were they given importance if ever they were mentioned.

What were mentioned and given emphasis, though, were her godly attributes: her selflessness, love for country, humility, patience, simplicity, honesty and integrity, her being prayerful, her devotion to the Blessed Mother, her obedience to the Will of God, and like intangible and innate characteristics no one will ever seem to be interested in.

Yes, her obedience to the Will of God.

Bishop Socrates Villegas at the Requiem Mass at the Manila Cathedral said, "God has called you back home." And in his homily, Fr. Arevalo said, "What a great gift God has given to our people, in giving Cory to us..." Yes, Cory is of God and was sent by the Father for a mission. Now that it is accomplished, she has to go back to God.

Cory, indeed, was never alone. Hindi siya nag-iisa. She was, in fact, in good company. For didn’t the Son of God undergo the same trials and painful ordeal that Cory underwent?

Cory is now gone. We saw the end of her journey and how she was judged for living her life. What honor could be higher than what was given her—a prolonged standing ovation and an outpouring of love and affection from a grateful people whose lost freedom she restored—that very same race that her martyred husband said was worth dying for.

Cory’s death has given us a hint on what really matters in life. How shall we respond to the example she had shown us?