BICOL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PHILOSOPHY

Daraga, Albay

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS ON
ANG IMELDIFIC

Submitted by:

Aculan, Omar L.
AB Political Science – 1B
 Reflection on Ang Imeldific

Representasyon at Kapangyarihan sa Sto. Nino Shrine sa Lungsod ng Tacloban

By Professor Michael Xiao B. Chua

Imelda Romualdez-Marcos is undeniably the first name to pop in someone’s mind when it
comes to love for lavishness and extravagance, particularly shown through her massive shoe
collections. Her personality emanates obsession for beauty and material possessions. Through the
years, she did all that she could to banish the earliest memories of her bitter past. Imelda wanted to
forget who she was before she became a Marcos, one remarkable proof is the construction of the
enormous Sto. Nino Shrine on the same piece of land where their modest nipa hut once stood. In the
referenced document, Chua sought to establish a link between the baroque museum and Imelda
herself. He hoped to analyze how this huge structure represented her personhood and what it said
regarding the power the Marcos family held.

To begin with, the shrine built in honor of the Child Jesus was something the average mind
could not comprehend. The dimensions of the entire building, together with the proportions of
every chamber within were representations of Imelda’s concept regarding the possible—vast and
endless. Ornaments of different kinds, colors, and sizes adorned the interior of the museum.
Majority of the embellishments were procured from the most significant countries in the world,
including France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. More than the objects serving aesthetic value to
its viewers, they were Imelda’s way of imposing influence to the Filipino people and demonstrating
dominance even in the wealthiest and most powerful nations across the globe. Regardless, the
capaciousness of the shrine proved to be impractical. The building witnessed its own deterioration
in the past couple of years. It was a challenge for its curators to preserve the quality of its
adornments, which was also because of the large amount of money needed to maintain the whole
façade. These problems prove to us how the museum was built only to be appreciated for its
superficiality, a representation of the shallow intentions of the espouser.

There is no doubt as to the aesthetic value the Sto. Nino Shrine bears, however, it obscures
the dark side to our history the family wanted to hide. Imelda authored a profitable narrative that
subsequently justified the collection’s existence. By recreating the Genesis— the very own story,
which told the origin of mankind, she placed herself and Ferdinand as the center and source of the
new Filipino race. A new image was given to the dictatorial rule by depicting its leader as the
protector of peace. In order to forget the bad side of the Martial Law, Imelda played her role as
darling of the masses, the representation of beauty and goodness. I find it amusing how she
blatantly despises the version of our beginning, saying she did not like how Eve was portrayed as
the sinister whisperer who told the first man to do evil. In reality, we all know that the story relates
and fits well with Imelda and her dictator husband. Many of her husband’s supporters claim that it
was she who insinuated Ferdinand to commit most of the atrocities during the military regime. It is
also evident in her indifference with the concept of Genesis how she disliked being a mere shadow
of her husband. As the wife of the president of the republic, she believed she was entitled to power
and prestige equal to that of Ferdinand, which led to her being dubbed “the Other President”.

To Imelda, the only way to demand respect from the people is to show that she had a
perfect life, in contrast with the Romualdez clan’s humble beginnings. She craved to become part of
the aristocracy, because this will legitimize her power and place her in an equal position to that of
her husband. The Sto. Nino Shrine was also used to establish a connection among three things: faith,
history, and persona. Chua suggests that Imelda saw herself as a reincarnation of the pre-Hispanic
babaylans. Imelda wanted to alter our religion by making herself an integral part of our deep faith
in the Divine. The construction of the culture and arts complex provided an avenue to her claim as
the preserver of Filipino heritage. By displaying a scenic presentation of her life’s background and
accomplishments, she conditioned the minds of the people to believe that she is powerful and
highly influential.

Her immense love for highly ostentatious and extravagant materials ultimately led to the
existence of the term Imeldific. No word can properly define and describe the amount of power and
wealth the former first lady possessed, which drove her critics to create the said word. Despite it
being an attack to her greediness, she used this to rationalize her role as the icon of goodness, truth,
and beauty. After reading excerpts of her interview with Chua, I have come to the conclusion that
Imelda is perhaps not in the right state of mind. She may be with us physically, but mentally and
emotionally, she is no longer present. This is highly evident in her demeanor. The manner of her
speech is a proof how she has lost touch with reality. She is in a constant trance, that is why when
asked about certain events that had indeed taken place, her response would be as if it never really
happened. The constant lies and scripts she advertised throughout her lifetime generated a fictional
universe, an alternate and convenient reality where she can be who she envisions herself to be. Due
to her despicable past, Imelda felt the constant need to paint her canvas vibrantly. She wanted to
feel better about herself, and now that she possesses everything she wanted in the world and more,
she did not want to have to look at the past and be reminded of who she really is sans the money
and power. The edifice complex and cravings she had were her scapegoats from the truth. And
although it is not my intention to disrespect or bring the first lady’s image to shame, I believe this is
her annihilation, the payment for all that she and her family had done. This concealment of the
truth, whether willfully or not, is her means of coping to the fact that she no longer holds authority
and that her power had lessened through time.

The Sto. Nino Shrine was never built to be a dwelling place for the Marcoses. It exists as a
concrete and tangible legitimization of the influence and relevance their family has in our society. It
is also the representation of how they wanted to present themselves to the masses—a faultless
kinsfolk who cared for the country and once became the best rulers of our nation. Therefore, the
structure, although an insult to the marginalized, must stand still until the end of time. This shall
serve as a reminder to the generations to come of the truth, no matter how Imelda tries re-dressing
it to favor her image. It will make one think why such extravagant and luxurious fortress was ever
built amid the ascending poverty rate in our country. Truly, this is an indication that the Marcoses
want revenge. They wish to dominate the world of politics and reign as the rulers of our country in
perpetuity. And so, as Filipinos who value their freedom and basic human rights, we must not
permit this to happen. Let us be educated and informed about our history in order that the same
mistake may never be committed again. Let their story be known to the world as the worst thing
that happened in the Philippines.