30 Stunning Pictures of EDSA in Noir

Edsa Shrine, Our Lady of Peace (Photo from wikitravel)

EDSA, one of the busiest and most congested thoroughfare in Metro Manila, is a 23.8km highway and the longest one inside Metro Manila. It traverses the major cities of Caloocan, Quezon, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati and Pasay. It is also named as C4 or Circumferential Road 4, a network of bridges and roads and the fourth beltway for Metro Manila, connecting south and north Luzon express ways.

It's economic and industrial impact can be seen with the industrial centers in the metropolis connected directly to it. Hence, it is also the most congested with an average of a million vehicles plying its route daily.

In the middle of EDSA is the MRT-3, a transport system aimed to provide alternative public transport to buses along this road and is connected to two more train lines in Metro Manila.

EDSA is named after Epifanio Delos Santos, a Rizalist, group of Jose Rizal advocates. Its name used to be Avenida 19 de Junio shortly after WW2 in 1946, after the birthdate of Jose Rizal, the country's national hero. It was renamed Highway 54, as it was thought to be 54kms long during that time. President Ramon Magsaysay named after Rizal but Rizal province resident wanted it after a Rizalista. In 1959, it was named as Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue, on his birthday April 7.

It's historical relevance is the staging of two peaceful people power revolution. One was in 1986 as a revolution against the dictator President Ferdinand Marcos and his 20-year rule. More story on this peaceful revolution can be found here and here. On February 25, 1986, the revolution ended with Corazon Aquino, the mother of the current president, was put in power. This marked the return of the Philippines to democracy and the Philippine constitution was revised.

Hence, the February 25th holiday in the country, in celebration of this popular and peaceful revolt.

The second peaceful revolution was during President Joseph Estrada's short-lived reign, in 2001. The convicted plunderer, which was granted clemency by then President Glorai Macapagal Arroyo was kicked out of office through the peaceful revolution because of corruption and plunder charges during the height of his impeachment case in the Senate. More information on this can be found here and here.

In celebration of the 29th Anniversary of Edsa 1 Revolution, here are photos taken while driving along EDSA using Noir filter of an iPhone