The EDSA Shrine

* the huge and golden(?) statue of our Lady of EDSA

* a marker that commemorates the rise into power by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

* the interior of the shrine

* a crucified Christ inside is also a place of prayer and devotion

I did not discover EDSA Shrine until I graduated from high school. Having been educated in the province (well, I am still a province man anyway) I was only confined to seeing it on TV, particularly during the coverage of what turned out to be EDSA Dos.

Its mere place is a testament to its strength, as it is found on the corner of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, or EDSA, and Ortigas Avenue, one of the many places in Metro Manila where traffic and pollution are almost at a riot everyday. The name of the place (The Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA) is quite apart from its well-known moniker, which is of course EDSA Shrine. The place not only stands as a place for worship but primarily as a commemoration of the two people power that was witnessed on that very ground. Despite the noises outside, the interior has a curious serene atmosphere. Believer or non-believer, one cannot ignore that it has a place in our history.