Ngayong ika-30 ng Disyembre, ating isabuhay ang pamanang giting ni Jose Rizal sa pagtindig laban sa mga pang-aabuso ng mga makapangyarihan tungo sa isang makatarungan at pantay-pantay na lipunan para sa lahat.
Reference: QUOTATIONS FROM RIZAL’S WRITINGS Volume X (1962), Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission, via the National Memory Project, National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP): https://memory.nhcp.gov.ph
For UP Day of Remembrance 2024, UP Diliman hung banners around the Academic Oval to look back on and learn more about the events and experiences leading to the declaration of Martial Law until the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986, which marked the restoration of democracy in our country and the end of the Marcos regime.
The banners included information on historical moments and atrocities related to the imposition of Martial Law in the Philippines. The outdoor exhibit ran from September 16 to 30, 2024.
Scroll down to see the online version of the exhibit.
Jabidah Massacre
18 March 1968
On 18 March 1968, at least a dozen Muslim military recruits were murdered in Corregidor. These trainees were part of “Operation Merdeka,” a secret operation with intentions to create disturbances in Sabah that would provide the justification for the Philippine government to take full control of the island. When the recruits protested their living conditions, they were disarmed, sent home, and others executed. This incident, known as the “Jabidah Massacre,” became one critical moment in influencing Moro insurgency against Marcos rule.
In Manili, Carmen, North Cotabato, over 70 Muslims were murdered inside a mosque on 19 June 1971. This atrocity is believed to be the actions of Ilaga, a paramilitary group working with the Philippine Constabulary to eradicate Moro insurgency in Mindanao.
The First Quarter Storm refers to a series of demonstrations and protests from the months of January to March 1970. These events were organized by students, laborers, and peasants to raise issues regarding low wages, oil price hikes, authoritarianism, and US imperialism, among others. Filipino writer Pete Lacaba described this period as “days of disquiet, nights of rage.”
On 21 August 1971, the Liberal Party held a proclamation rally at Plaza Miranda where a large crowd assembled. At 9:13 p.m., a grenade was thrown onto the makeshift stage. A second grenade exploded a few seconds later. Nine people were killed and one hundred twenty-nine people were injured. Then president Marcos Sr. blamed the communists and suspended the writ of habeas corpus. Others believed that Marcos staged the bombing to justify his declaration of martial law in 1972.
In June 1971, 320 delegates convened to begin reviewing and revising the 1935 Constitution. The Constitutional Convention was controversial due to alleged bribery efforts to extend Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s term limits. By November 1972, two months after Marcos declared Martial Law, the convention approved a draft that would give Marcos more power. Consequently, Marcos organized Citizen Assemblies where citizens would be asked if they approved of the new constitution. Despite opposition, the 1973 Constitution went into effect and Marcos succeeded in legitimizing his unbounded power.
In 1971, the New People’s Army (NPA) negotiated an arms shipment from China. MV Karagatan, the ship carrying arms, arrived at the mouth of the Digoyo River in Isabela on 3 July 1972. The crew were unable to move the arms to the jungle as the military strafed and bombed the beach. This unsuccessful attempt by the Communist Party of the Philippines to bring in arms was later cited as one of Marcos Sr.’s rationale for imposing martial law.
On 19 June 1971, Marcos Sr. signed Republic Act 6260, otherwise known as the Coconut Investment Fund. The law put into motion a taxation scheme that promised to fund the development of the coconut industry in the country. As a result, Filipino coconut farmers, who were already living in abject poverty, faced heavy taxes on their produce and saw reduced farm incomes. The multibillion fund was diverted by Marcos cronies, and to this day today, has not benefited the coconut farmers.
On 22 September 1972, the car of Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile was allegedly attacked near Wack Wack subdivision in Mandaluyong. When Marcos declared Martial Law, he used this incident to demonstrate how the state of peace and order in the country were in dire straits. In 1976, it was revealed that the incident was staged and that Marcos Sr. had instructed Enrile to “Make it look good.”
On 23 September 1972, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law in the Philippines. Among his reasons, he specifically cited the threat of a Communist force that obtained arms from China. Subsequently, leading figures of the opposition such as Benigno Aquino, Jr. and Jose Diokno were arrested. Marcos also authorized the military take-over of major media outlets such as ABS-CBN network, Channel 5, and other radio stations.
Miss Universe 1974 and the Construction of the Folk Arts Theater
1974
In 1974, the Folk Arts Theater (FAT) was constructed for the Philippine hosting of the Miss Universe pageant. The FAT was built in 77 days and was inaugurated in a ceremony entitled “Kasaysayan ng Lahi”. The Marcos government spent millions of dollars in infrastructure, which were primarily funded by foreign loans.
In October 1975, workers from the La Tondeña distillery led by activist Edgar Jopson went on strike in order to fight for permanent working status and fairer wages. The strike was eventually broken up and the workers were arrested. Consequently, Marcos Sr. passed Presidential Decree No. 823 prohibiting all forms of demonstrations.
In September 1974, around 1,500 Muslim men were massacred in Malisbong, Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat as part of the government’s campaign to quell the secessionist movement of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). Today, the Commission of Human Rights consider this event as one of the most gruesome examples of the atrocities committed by the Marcos regime against Muslims.
The Calauit Safari Park in Palawan was constructed in 1976, displacing hundreds of Tagbanwa. The park was intended to house different kinds of wild animals from Africa. It servesas a stark example of the grave abuses experienced by indigenous communities under Marcos rule and represents the excessiveness of the Marcos family.
In 1971, Manuel Elizalde Jr., the Presidential Assistant on National Minorities (PANAMIN), claimed to have discovered a group of living stone-age people in the Philippines: the Tasaday. The discovery fascinated the international community and was even featured as a cover story of the National Geographic Magazine in 1972. Later, it was revealed that it was a hoax orchestrated by Elizalde and that the Tasadays were really individuals from the Manobo and T’boli indigenous communities.
Macli-ing Dulag, chief of the Kalinga Butbut, was murdered in his home by elements of the 44th Infantry Battalion on 24 April 1980. He fiercely opposed the Chico River Dam Project, which sought to construct hydroelectric dams that would submerge numerous villages, displace thousands of families, and devastate the people’s way of life, homeland, and livelihood.
On the night of 4 April 1973, men who identified themselves as members of the Philippine Constabulary Anti-Narcotics Unit barged into the home of the Hilao family. Liliosa Hilao, a student activist from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, was taken away and was brutally killed in a detention cell at Camp Crame. The military falsely claimed that Liliosa committed suicide by drinking muriatic acid inside a male comfort room. Evidence showed that her body was subjected to torture and abuse. Liliosa’s case remains a testament to the various human rights violations committed against student activists.
As part of his attempt to appear as an intellectual and president-scholar, Marcos Sr. assembled a team of historians in the early 1970s to produce a 21-volume history of the Philippines, which was to be credited to him. The Tadhana project was a state-funded, well-resourced endeavor. By the end of his presidency, only four of the supposed 21 volumes had been completed.
Under intense international pressure, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. issued Proclamation No. 2045 on 17 January 1981, officially lifting martial law. However, in reality, Marcos maintained the extraordinary powers that were institutionalized in the Transitory Provisions under the 1973 Constitution.
With martial law “lifted,” and political prisoners, including priests, the stage was set to welcome the head of the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II. While the Pope acknowledged Marcos Sr.’s efforts to restore a semblance of normalcy in the country, he delivered a pointed message: there is no justification, not even national security concerns, that could ever legitimize the violation of human rights.
The 11th Southeast Asian Games were held in the Philippines from 6 to 15 December 1981. Marcos Sr. hoped that the ability of sports to unify groups of people would also translate into the fields of economics, politics, and culture. The 1981 sporting event was used by the dictator to further reinforce authoritarian rule and to rehabilitate his image on the international stage.
The release of Amnesty International’s second report in 1982 coincided with Marcos Sr.’s 12-day state visit to the United States. The report documented 49 cases of serious human rights violations, including arbitrary killings, torture, and forced disappearances. In response, Marcos accused Amnesty International of fabricating evidence and manipulating witnesses.
In 1982, the headquarters of We Forum in Project 6, Quezon City was raided after it published an expose written by Bonifacio Gillego on Marcos Sr.’ fake war exploits. Their equipment was seized, and more than a dozen of its staff and columnists, including the editor-in-chief, Jose G. Burgos, were arrested. Subversion and libel cases were filed against the independent tabloid, which was part of the emerging “mosquito press” at the time.
Despite warnings, former Sen. Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. returned to the Philippines after three years of self-imposed exile in the United States. Before he could set foot on Philippine soil, he was fatally shot in the back of the head by one of his military escorts. His assassination ignited massive nationwide protests, demanding justice for all victims of the regime’s abuse of power and calling for the resignation of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
The anti-Marcos opposition gained momentum after the Aquino assassination. The clamor soon evolved beyond calls for justice for Aquino, shifting from demands for power-sharing with the Marcos regime to outright demands for Marcos’s ouster. Sectoral rallies, where groups such as the urban poor, women, teachers, and artists condemned the Marcos government while voicing their specific grievances and interests.
The Marcos administration’s corruption and mismanagement of the sugar industry led to extreme poverty, starvation, unemployment and abuse of the sacadas (sugarcane workers) in Negros. In September 1985, thousands of Negrenses participated in the Welgang Bayan, where they demanded fair wages, due work benefits, and a stop to human rights violations by military and paramilitary units in the region. The government responded with high-powered rifles and machine guns, leaving 20 people dead and 24 wounded.
By 1985, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was losing his grip on power. The dictator was burdened by chronic illness, the economy was in freefall, and an opposition movement was gaining momentum. With the world watching, Marcos Sr. announced on the American public affairs TV program This Week with David Brinkley that he was ready to call a snap election in 1986 to secure a fresh mandate for his regime. The snap elections were held on 7 February 1986 and the official results were considered fraudulent.
The massive fraud and violence of the 7 February 1986 elections triggered widespread protests nationwide, especially after thirty-five (35) COMELEC tabulators walked out of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) where the election results were being counted. When a coup attempt by an organized group of military officials called the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) led by Gringo Honasan, along with top officials of the Marcos regime Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel Ramos, failed, Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, through a radio broadcast, called on the public to join the protest by gathering at the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in front of Camp Crame, to help protect the military officials who defected from the Marcos regime. The mass protest, dubbed as the “People Power Revolution”, culminated in his ouster and the restoration of democracy under the leadership of Corazon Aquino.
There is no greater nation on earth than our Motherland. No greater people than our own. Serve them with all your heart, with all your might and with all your strength.
—Ninoy’s letter to Noynoy (Benigno Aquino III), August 25, 1973
Today, August 21, UPD-OICA joins the nation in commemorating the 41st death anniversary of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.
References:
Bailon, Maribel Castillo. (2022 Sept 4). “Unforgettable: More Than A Million Mourners Turned Up For Ninoy Aquino’s Funeral.” CoverStory
Rimban, Luz. (2013 Sept 22). “Forgotten details from an old story.” VeraFiles
Romero, Segundo Eclar. (2021 Jun 25). “Ninoy’s letter to Noynoy.” INQUIRER.net
August 9 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. On this day, we raise awareness about their right to preserve their knowledges and practices that truly embody the principles of sustainability and equity, in ways that allow their communities to preserve as well as explore new expressive traditions in accordance with their own aesthetic values.
These projects demonstrate the rich repertoire of expressive practices of Philippine indigenous communities.
BABA-LAYBAY & HULARAGWAY
UP Katilingban sang Nakatundang Kabisayaan (UP KASANAG)
UP KASANAG’s BABA-LAYBAY and HULARAGWAY are competitions showcasing the rich poetry and literature of Western Visayas through the interpretation of binalaybay (Hiligaynon term for poetry).
The outputs of Baba-laybay are oral interpretations of binalaybays in audio format. The winning pieces are then visually translated into animations in this year’s Hularagway competition.
Watch the videos at UP KASANAG’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Launched in 2023, Salingkat: The Allure of Philippine Basketry exhibition showcases around 200 ethnographic items on traditional basketry from across the Philippines. It highlights the diversity of basket weaving traditions as well as the artistry and skill of Filipino basket weavers.
The exhibition is open for viewing at the Hall of Wisdom, Asian Center, UP Diliman from Monday to Friday.
HIMIG HIMBING: Mga Heleng Atin
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
Released in 2022, Himig Himbing: Mga Heleng Atin is a project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Arts Education that aims “to reintroduce Philippine indigenous lullabies or hele to contemporary audiences”. It features music videos of lullabies from different regions in the country that are based on the research of ethnomusicologist Sol Trinidad, with musical arrangement by Krina Cayabyab of lullabies such as the Wiyawi of the Kalinga and Aba-aba of the Subanon.
A second album was released in 2023 with eight (8) new music videos. Listen to the album at the CCP’s official YouTube channel.
Ang buhay sa UP Diliman kampus ay hindi lamang binibigyang kahulugan ng mga pang-akademikong gawain, kundi pati na rin ng mga kaganapang kultural at pansining, at mga tradisyong nagmula sa mga nakasanayang kagawian. Pinagpapatibay ang mga ito ng Unibersidad sa pamamagitan ng pagsuporta sa mga malikhain at napapanahong gawaing mula sa sigasig ng komunidad nito.
Kaya bago matapos ang National Heritage Month, ating alalahanin ang ilan sa mga tradisyon at aktibidad na nagbuklod at nagbubuklod sa mga miyembro ng pamayanang UPD at humuhulma ng kasalakuyan nitong kalagayan at kamalayan, at kasaysayan.
UP Diliman Month
Sa pagdeklara ng Pebrero bilang Arts Month, ginawang UP Diliman Month ang dating “UP Diliman Week” noong 1999 sa pangunguna ni dating UP Diliman Chancellor Claro T. Llaguno. Matutunghayan sa selebrasyong ito ang mga malilikhaing proyekto ng iba’t ibang yunit at organisasyong pangmag-aaral sa UPD sa pangunguna ng UP Diliman Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (UPD-OICA).
Sa paglipas ng mga taon, ito ay yumabong at naging UP Diliman Arts and Culture Festival upang bigyan pa ng mas maraming pagkakataon ang mga miyembro ng komunidad na bumuo at magbahagi ng kani-kanilang mga proyektong tumutugon sa iba’t ibang tema.
Pasalubong Festival
Nang pasimulan ang Pasalubong Festival (PasaFest) sa Kalayaan Residence Hall noong 1999, nagsagawa ng simpleng saluhan ng mga pagkaing bitbit ng mga residenteng freshman mula sa iba’t ibang lugar sa bansa. Kalauna’y nagkaroon ang selebrasyon ng mga malilikhaing programa at pagtatanghal kung saan ibinibida ng bawat residente ang kultura ng kani-kanilang mga rehiyon.
Arbor Day
Sa mga unang taon ng pamamalagi ng pamayanan sa Diliman, itinanim ang mga punla ng mga akasya na ngayon ay nasa kahabaan ng Academic Oval. Ito ay sinundan ng pagtatanim ng mga puno sa Arbor Day noong Setyembre 1953.
Cadena de Amor
Mula 1934 hanggang 1968, taunang isinasagawa ang Cadena de Amor, kung saan seremonyal na ipinapasa ang halamang cadena de amor ng mga kababaihang ‘seniors’ sa mga kababaihang ‘juniors’ habang nakagayak ng kulay puti.
UP Hayride
Kasabay ng paggunita ng Unibersidad sa Arbor Day, ang UP Hayride ay isang aktibidad kung saan ang mga miyembro ng pamayanang UP Diliman ay maaaring makisakay sa mga sasakyang nilagyan ng dayami. Isang paboritong kaganapan dito ang pagtakbo ng mga kalahok nang may dalang mga tanglaw kung saan nag-uunahan sila sa pagsindi ng bonfire. Ang huling UP Hayride ay isinagawa noong 1969.
Pangkalahatang Pagtatapos
Noong 1949, ginanap ang kauna-unahang Pangkalahatang Pagtatapos sa Sunken Garden. Nitong mga nakaraang taon, ito ay ginaganap sa University Amphitheater. Nagtatanim din ng mga sunflower sa University Avenue tuwing panahon ng pagtatapos.
Linggo ng Parangal
Ang Linggo ng Parangal ay ang taunang selebrasyon sa UP Diliman na kumikilala at nagbibigay-pugay sa mga natatanging guro, kawani, mag-aaral, organisasyon, at iba pang miyembro ng pamayanang UPD. Kinikilala rin dito ang mga proyektong malaki ang naging ambag sa Unibersidad at sa labas nito.
Kilos-Protesta
Kilala ang Unibersidad bilang lunsaran ng mga pagkilos at pagpuna sa mga isyung panlipunan. Isang katibayan nito ang siyam na araw ng Diliman Commune noong 1-9 Pebrero 1971 kung saan nagtayo ng barikada ang mga mag-aaral upang isara ang mga lagusan papasok ng kampus mula sa militar at kapulisan. Ito ay isinagawa nila bilang pakikiisa sa panawagan ng mga tsuper laban sa hindi makatarungang pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina at krudo.
UP Fair
Itinuturing na pinakamalaking aktibidad na pinapangunahan ng mga mag-aaral sa UP Diliman, ang UP Fair ay nagsimula bilang espasyo ng pagprotesta laban sa Martial Law noong dekada ‘80. Noong 1984, ito ay pormal na itinatag bilang fundraising activity para sa iba’t ibang benepisyaryo ng mga organisasyong pangmag-aaral sa pangunguna ng University Student Council (USC). Ito ay ginaganap sa UP Sunken Garden kung saan matutunghayan ang pagtatanghal ng mga artista, musiko, at grupo, gayundin, ang iba’t ibang mga tindang putahe, mga palaro, at carnival rides.
Parada ng mga Parol at Pag-iilaw
Pormal na itinatag ang UP Lantern Parade noong 1934 ni dating UP President Jorge C. Bocobo upang magkaroon ng masiglang aktibidad ang mga mag-aaral sa pagtatapos ng taon. Naghahanda ang iba’t ibang kolehiyo at opisina ng Unibersidad ng mga parol na ipaparada sa kabuuan ng Academic Oval. Ito ay binigyang inspirasyon ng tradisyon ng paglakad papuntang misa de gallo bitbit ang lampara. Sa mga nakalipas na taon, ang parada ng mga parol ay ginawa na ring paligsahan ng mga parol kung saan pinipili ang pinakamagandang parol na umaayon sa napagkasunduang tema ng parada.
Kasama ng UP Lantern Parade, ang Pag-iilaw sa Quezon Hall at University Avenue bilang hudyat ng pagsisimula ng panahon ng Kapaskuhan sa UP Diliman ay bahagi ng mga taunang programa para sa pagtatapos ng taon.
Samson, Laura L, Ricardo T Jose, and Gianne Sheena Sabio. 2011. “Celebrating the Birth and Rebirth of the U.P. College of Liberal Arts (1910-1983).” Quezon City: U.P. College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Foundation.
The University of the Philippines: A University for Filipinos (1984)
“UGNAYAN: Mga Kuwento ng Talában sa Pamayanang UP Diliman” Exhibit (2024)
Gorecho, Dennis. 2023 Feb 21. “UP Fair as a music festival on social issues.” Cebu Daily News. Link
“PasaFest 2024: PANUNUMBALIK” (2024)
UPD-OICA Archival Photos
The Philippinesian, courtesy of the UP Library Archives
