TXTPower is turning 25

A couple of weeks ago, in the run-up to Christmas 2025, my good friends Ana and Rick and myself had a good time catching up over coffee.

- TONYO CRUZ

We surprised ourselves that evening at a mall. We chatted about current events, politics, and personal updates. We also again surprised ourselves by remembering that the new year 2026 would actually mark the 25th anniversary of a pet project we kept for the longest time.

Yes, 25 years. Two decades and a half. A quarter of a century.

We were referring to TXTPower, an advocacy group that would be most familiar to Generation X, as well as some younger boomers and elder millennials. Formed in August 2001, months after the second EDSA People Power uprising, it drew inspiration from the role of texting in that important political movement and focused on Filipinos as consumers and as citizens.

TXTPower convenors through the years include Ederic Eder, Mong Palatino, Trixie Concepcion, Atom Araullo, Rey Asis, Ruth Cervantes, Rey Asis, Gani Tapang, Ana Celestial, Rick Bahague and this columnist.

Yes, the world's texting capital had an organization.

Here's an old profile of TXTPower: "TXTPower is an organization of cellphone users that aims to empower Filipinos both as consumers and as citizens.