Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA (Tagalog: [ˈʔedsa]), is a major circumferential road around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines.

It is operated by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and is maintained and constantly being repaired by the Department of Public Works and Highways, whose maintenance over EDSA excludes the extension from Roxas Boulevard to SM Mall of Asia in Pasay.

The Avenue curves southwards and crosses Santolan Road near Socorro, where the twin bases of Camps Crame and Aguinaldo are located.

The road then curves eastwards, continues on a straight route to the city of Pasay, and passing the Chino Roces Avenue, Osmeña Highway and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) through Magallanes Interchange.

After crossing Roxas Boulevard, it becomes known as EDSA Extension and enters Central Business Park 1-A of the Bay City reclamation area, where SM Mall of Asia is located.

One of the MMDA's traffic management schemes that is in effect on EDSA, among other major thoroughfares in the metropolis, is the Uniform Vehicular Volume Reduction Program.

[7] The MMDA is strictly implementing also the Motorcycle and Bus laning in EDSA, making it the second highway in the Philippines ever to have such traffic rule to be enforced, after Commonwealth Avenue.

[12] Construction of what was then called the North and South Circumferential Road began in 1939 under President Manuel L. Quezon, amidst Manila's rapid expansion.

[15] The road, starting from North Bay Boulevard in Navotas, then in the province of Rizal, and ending at Taft Avenue (formerly known as Taft Avenue Extension / Manila South Road) in Pasay, also then in Rizal,[16] was partially opened in 1940, shortly before the outbreak of World War II and the subsequent Japanese occupation.

It was later renamed as McArthur Boulevard in 1945,[14] and after the independence of the Philippines from the United States in 1946, it became known as Avenida 19 de Junio (June 19 Avenue), after the birth date of national hero José Rizal.

The majority of protesters were gathered at the gates of the two bases, along a stretch of EDSA between the commercial districts of Cubao in Quezon City and Ortigas Center in Mandaluyong.

Over two million Filipino civilians, along with political, military, and religious groups led by Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Jaime Sin, succeeded in toppling President Marcos.

The shrine is dedicated to this Marian title in memory of the pious folk belief that in the 1986 Revolution, the Virgin Mary personally shielded the protesters – many of whom were peacefully praying and singing – as they faced government troops, tanks, and aircraft.

Sculpted by Eduardo Castrillo and unveiled in 1993, the central sculpture depicts protesters standing upon a circular podium, all surrounding a woman (representing Ináng Bayan or the Motherland), reaching up to the heavens with her outstretched hands and broken shackles.

Monuments dedicated to Andrés Bonifacio are situated at two locations along EDSA: the Balintawak Interchange and the avenue's terminus, the Monumento Circle.

She was sworn in on the terrace of EDSA Shrine by then-Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. at noon on January 20, 2001, several hours before Estrada and his family fled Malacañang Palace.

The EDSA III, which also took place along the avenue from April 25 to May 1 of the same year, resulted in violence when the supporters of former President Estrada attempted to storm the presidential palace and the military and police were ordered to use their arms to drive them back.

In 2006, the avenue was further extended from Roxas Boulevard to the SM Mall of Asia on the Bay City Reclamation Project, where it now ends at the Globe Rotunda, a roundabout.

In 2010, the LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) of the Manila Light Rail Transit System was extended from Monumento to Roosevelt (now Fernando Poe Jr.), ultimately transversing EDSA to end at the site of the current North Avenue MRT station.

[29] In September 2017, the construction of the North Triangle Common Station was started after numerous delays due to bureaucracy and location disputes.

The system was put into place after almost all public and private transportation along EDSA was prohibited during the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon imposed during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

[33] However, this appeal was rejected and the Line 1 which will be built on Quezon Avenue, which passes EDSA, was later approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on November 2, 2018.

[34] In 2019, Senator Win Gatchalian called for the approval of the BRT system as an alternate mode of transportation to the PNR Metro Commuter Line.

[44] On April 2, 2013, then-President Benigno Aquino III gave the go-signal for the construction of a flyover at the perennially traffic-choked corner of EDSA and Taft Avenue in Pasay.

Implementation is set for 2018, but Rene Santiago, a transport engineer and planner, criticized the proposal because it may only worsen congestion, along with the numerous intersections and side streets along EDSA.

A preliminary feasibility study will be conducted within the week, with a stakeholders' meeting with cyclists and motorcycle riders taking place on August 29, 2023.

[55][56] On August 27–31 of the same year, Iglesia ni Cristo adherents staged demonstrations along EDSA near SM Megamall, calling on then-Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to focus on issues such as the Mamasapano clash instead of a case filed by former INC minister Isaias Samson Jr., against Church leaders.

[57] On November 30, 2016, an anti-Marcos protest was held in the People Power Monument due to the burial of Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

[58][59] On November 5, 2017, critics of the Duterte administration attended a mass held in EDSA shrine to protest against extrajudicial killings in the country.

[60][61] On February 22, 2018, groups gathered at People Power Monument to hold a prayer vigil to show their opposition against constitutional reform.