Cheesy as it may sound, the tributes to former President Corazon Aquino in cyberspace will never be "too much." The continued displays of grief over Tita Cory's death, and gratitude for the achievements of her life are testament to her legacy: the restoration of democracy.
Not surprisingly, the Internet has become a popular avenue for Filipinos to express their gratitude to Tita Cory. The Filipinos' love for the Mother of Democracy has been manifested in countless blogs, social networking sites, and video sites.
Yellow Ribbons Online
Filipino-American blogger La Kapitana of Barrio Siete initially brought the idea of tying yellow ribbons to blogs. The online campaign started last July 23, with an appeal: "My fellow bloggers, I invite you to Touch a blogger: Tie a yellow ribbon for Cory Aquino!" The campaign continued beyond Tita Cory's death, with blogs and social networking sites, including Twitter (via Ederic Eder's customized Yellow Ribbon of Prayers at Twibbon), adorning their pages with yellow ribbon images.
Video Tributes in YouTube
Most of the video tributes utilize songs popularized during the 1986 People Power Revolution. Nostalgia strikes as YouTube users MrJayper and emir0721 made music videos out of Virna Lisa's "Magkaisa" and Apo Hiking Society's "Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo" respectively.
Another user, boizwannahavfun, created a music video for "I Have Fallen in Love," a poem written by Ninoy Aquino to Cory for their 19th wedding anniversary. The poem was adapted into a song by Jose Mari Chan.
Others laid down their founded clips in documentary fashion like what users jcgosj and tiramisumeltdown did.
Flickr Mania
mrpatok's "Tita Cory"
While others decided to do something different with their cameras:
olofgoodwill's "Tita Cory - seed mosaic on a table top"
dreamfreedom's "Corazon Aquino: the People Power Lady of the Philippines"
In Words
Words honoring Tita Cory overflowed in blogs:
- Jonas Bagas: "Paalam at Maraming Salamat
"[And] what makes Cory’s legacy more meaningful is the status quo: our nation is as poor, or even poorer, because what’s prevailing is a poverty of the spirit – a dehumanization of a people – and the dearth of leaders strong enough to make brave decisions. She gave us something we can always look back to when we need inspiration: she was the embodiment of our own ‘Yes we can’ moment."
- Jessica Zafra: "Tita Cory"
"President Corazon Aquino is dead, and with her dies the last shreds of civility in our public life. She was a good person. Say what you will about her administration, the illusions dashed and opportunities missed, but she was decent to us. She never mocked us, made fun of our hopes, or knowingly insulted our intelligence."
- Edwin Soriano: "Cory Aquino from the Eyes of a Kid"
"I want to be part of history. I want to tell my children and grandchildren how things happened. The same way my father paid his respects to Magsaysay, so too do I pay my respects to Tita Cory."
- Carlo Ople: "I Didn't Really Know Cory Aquino"
"We owe a lot to President Aquino. The little things that we take for granted everyday wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her sacrifice and courage. If she didn’t step in and give back the media outfits to the original owners, we wouldn’t be enjoying all the TV shows that we are watching now. Journalists would still have their hands tied by fear and we wouldn’t be able to read, hear, or watch any credible news network. The truth would become relative, told only by those on the payroll of a dictator gone mad."
- Noemi Dado: "Grief Over Corazon Aquino's Death"
"At the height of the snap election confusion, I felt so insecure that my baby’s future would be at stake. God forbid, a civil war. My husband already planned that we would move to the mountains just in case trouble would occur. The idea just brought me to tears. How will I give birth in the mountains? But surprise, surprise, People Power just happened."
- Bikoy Villanueva: "Corazon Aquino: 1933-2009"
"My mother told me a few nights before former President Corazon Aquino died, that if it weren’t for “Tita Cory”, I wouldn’t be here... Tita Cory appointed Rogaciano Mercado to the Ministry of Public Works (now DPWH). Together with Minister Mercado was my mother who became his chief assistant secretary, appointed likewise by President Aquino. Through the prodding of a co-worker, who became an erstwhile matchmaker, she was introduced to a budding engineer who was then applying for promotion. And that’s how the relationship began.
- Denise Tanton: "Paalam Corazon Aquino"
"They weren't walking around with blinders on, they knew she wasn't going to change their world in any big way, over night. She simply brought them hope. Even when there were shootings in the neighborhood. Even when jobs were scarce and money was tighter than tight. She was their President and they were proud."
Also as of this writing, topics related to Cory Aquino emerged in the second (CoryAquino), fourth(PresidentCory) and eighth (Cory's ) top trends in Twitter.com. Her Facebook account, President Cory Aquino, has already garnered 29,678 fans.
President Corazon Aquino, the 11th president of the Philippines, is the first female president in Asia. She died on August 1, 2009 from cardiorespiratory arrest. To share prayers and condolences, please visit http://coryaquino.ph.