Yellow Ribbon on Oak Tree meaning

After surveys showed declining public trust and satisfaction with his administration, President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday asked Filipinos to wear his family's signature yellow ribbon to show support for his leadership.

Aquino said the public could demonstrate support "in a quick manner, " when asked by a business leader during a forum on what the public can do to help his government.

"We’ll come up with, perhaps, a manifestation of the support—if I still have the support of our people—and concrete examples of these. Perhaps wearing our yellow ribbons, amongst other things, just to demonstrate exactly in a quick manner where the sentiments of our people lie, " Aquino said.

The yellow ribbon was first used in 1983 to welcome President Aquino's father, the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., to the Philippines after years of exile in the United States. The symbol was inspired by the song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree."

Ninoy was however assassinated at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983. His assassination triggered the so-called EDSA People Power Revolution, which catapulted his widow, Corazon Aquino, to the presidency.

Aquino also used the yellow ribbon during his successful presidential campaign in 2010.

'Tell lawmakers what you want'

Aquino said that he wanted the public to tell their lawmakers what they exactly they want, with just over a year before the 2016 polls.

"The bosses have to make that message very clear—perhaps in the form of letters, emails, text messages—to their representatives, reminding them that these are—this is what we want, these [are] our priorities, and please execute them as soon as possible, " the President said.