In the Philippine political scene in recent decades, dilawan (literally, “yellow-colored”) has come to refer to a certain set of populist slogans, symbols, and simplified notions that first alluded to certain prominent leaders and events of the anti-Marcos struggle in the 1978-1986 period until the EDSA People’s Power revolt.
(This is not to be confused with the earlier and pejorative dilawan or yellow labor groups in the trade union movement, which were generally seen as anti-worker and pro-management.)
The political dilawans have evolved greatly since then, but the constant reference to the Aquino family (Ninoy, Cory, and increasingly, their children) and their near-mythical role in the final years of the anti-Marcos struggle remain—especially Ninoy’s martyrdom and Cory’s crusade before, during, and after her 1986-1992 presidency. Continue reading “Three Dilawan generations”
