FROM history, red seems to be the color of choice of Filipino revolutionaries while a few with spiritual inclination prefer black to exploit the death and the unknown elements. But ever since the first flag of the Filipino nation was raised, the red, white and blue colors all together have represented what is Filipino. The yellow color of the sun and stars has never stood out among them although the symbols it colors complete the significance of the flag design. It was only when Ninoy Aquino was killed that yellow became a rallying color competing for attention vis a vis the tricolors of the Philippine flag. Yellow ribbons that were tied along major streets in anticipation of Ninoy’s return became the emblems everything pro-Aquino and anti-Marcos. Yellow, that was traditionally associated with cowardice, pushed out the communist-appropriated red at the EDSA revolt in retaliation for the decision of the reds to boycott the 1986 snap election instead of actively supporting Cory Aquino.
During the heydays of the two-party system the competing Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party both sported the colors of the Philippine flag in their emblems. Even in their fierce struggle for dominance no one strayed away from the tricolors in their campaign visuals. The birth of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan during martial law signaled the death of the two-party system as members of both NP and LP jumped into the KBL bandwagon. It was during the 1986 snap elections that the clash between the tricolors and yellow became most pronounced. Red-white-and-blue was KBL Marcos and yellow was Laban Aquino. It was the dawn of the “yellow narrative” that dominated media for more than 30 years. It was also on this narrative that the reds rebuilt their own, exploiting initially the anti-Marcos aspect after getting some breather space when Cory Aquino rose to power. But reds are red and the red narrative has been unchanging up to this time even when the present administration is already predicting its demise.
Now comes 2022 election and memory retention of colors is mostly confined to red, green and pink because only BBM, ISD and VPL have been consistent with their adopted colors. But it is inappropriate to call their campaign lines red narrative, green narrative and pink narrative. The red narrative is for the reds with their red communist flag, the green narrative has been associated with environmentalists with the general color of plants while I do not know any pink that has relevance to VPL.
Maybe it is time to restore the original tricolor narrative that values the birth pains of our Filipino nation and highlights our common desire to prosper despite the differences and challenges. Despite the adopted colors this should be the common color narrative of all.
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