Dianne Aniog BSN 1F RHist 11-27-2020

Arlene Jayawon
Angel Ju
Charisse Lumanog

1. Looking at the situation of the country during Martial Law years, find at least 2
real stories that moved you.

The first story that moved us is the story of Hilda Narciso and fellow survivor
Maria Cristina Bawagan, they recalled their personal story, pain and sufferings during
Martial law years. According to the both of them, they experienced Illegal detention,
torture, salvaging, and forced disappearances. They also talked about the abuses
and tortures they experienced during those times. Bawagan recalled the different
kinds of torture they suffered from like electric shocks, water treatment, dunking of
the head in a toilet bowl full of human waste, "Russian roulette," buried alive, stripped
naked, hanging upside down, and sexual assault. Narciso also learned lessons from
her trauma, as she remembered her traumatic memories. “It was quite a symbolic
way to live a life inside the jail. You will learn so much, you will love each other more.
You will know how people live and survive,” Bawagan said. The second story that
also moved me is the story of Lily Hilao, 23 years old and a talented writer at
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Lily Hilao was taken by the military at her
home; she was raped, tortured and abused in front of her younger sister who was 16
years old that time. By the time that Lily’s family got her dead body they saw how
inhumane the treatment was done to Lily. Bore cigarette marks on her lips, bruises
and gun barrel scars, injection marks on her arms. Her vital organs were cut and her
private part was closed off to avoid revealing signs of violence and sexual assault,
these are the things that Lily Hilao (Liliosa Hilao) and her family experienced and
suffered from during dictatorial government of former President Ferdinand Marcos. I
just can’t imagine how inhumane and traumatic the treatment and abuse was done
years ago to a lot of Filipinos not only the women but also men, not only the adults
 but also the children, and not only the poor, but also those who are rich suffered and
experienced these horrible things. One thing that I realized in these stories is that as
long as, you are against the rule of former President Ferdinand Marcos you will
suffer.

2. How do you feel about EDSA People Power I? What are the important lessons
that we have learned and not learned as people given our situation today?

When we talk about the EDSA People Power I, we are not only talking about
the revolution but also the struggles that our fellow Filipinos before went through in
the hands of the Former President Marcos. There were thousands of killings, human
rights abuse, disappearance, and tortures to people who oppose the government.
The revolution was a product of the long oppressive rule of the Marcos
Administration. Millions of people gathered during the EDSA People Power I. It has
been marked as a significant national event that has been engraved within the hearts
and minds of each Filipino. EDSA People Power I was a part of our history that most
of us, not only Filipinos but also other people around the globe have remembered. It
was a remembrance of how Filipinos were brave to stand up against the dictatorship
of Marcos. As a group, we felt proud of all of the Filipinos back then who joined and
supported the revolution. EDSA People Power I was a reminder to all of us that we
need to stand up for what is right because people back then have already done their
part in fighting for freedom and democracy. EDSA People Power I is a reminder to all
of us that we all can be a part of something historical, in which we all contribute to
making a change for the betterment of our country.

We Filipinos are still experiencing events that had also happened before like
killings, human rights abuse, and disappearances. But today some are blind to what
the administration has been doing to us. And there were also a lot of people who
opened their eyes to the injustice that has been prevalent in our country. And for us,
we think that the most important lesson that we need to put in our minds and hearts
is that we need to be brave especially in standing up for what is right. We need to
speak up especially if there is an injustice that is happening. Be vocal if you think
your words can be a help for the betterment of our country. As we have been given
 different platforms where we can speak up that is also accessible to a lot of us, then
we must use it to make a change not only for ourselves but also for our nation if we
think that certain things need to be changed.

3. As a Gen Z person, what are your personal realizations and insights about
Martial Law now? In what ways can you help to educate people about Martial Law?

People nowadays, especially the young, seem to have little knowledge about
the Martial Law implemented by the late President Ferdinand Marcos and how it
affected the lives of many Filipinos back then. We have been taught different
perspectives of Martial Law, and mostly it has been confusing on what the main
objective is about. We cannot deny the fact that many millennials actually believed
that Martial Law was good because of the thought that people were being disciplined.
Many in social media are defending President Marcos for implementing Martial Law,
some even idolized him, some compare him to our president, President Rodrigo
Duterte, and say that it's a good thing. As a youth belonging to the Z Generation, I
believe that we only base our knowledge and understanding on what we normally
see on social media—only a few people would dig deeper while most are agreeing to
limited facts. Many are convinced of the discipline that the Marcos Administration
implemented and never considered how this discipline was delivered.

Martial Law has two perspectives, an advantage, and a disadvantage. (1) It is

beyond discipline. Martial law was not an act for the military to take over the country,
but to install order and discipline because there was anarchy going on in the
Philippines. Martial law was not an act for the military to take over the country, but to
install order and discipline because there was anarchy going on in the Philippines.
Many did oppose, but it was still declared by former President Marcos because of
one of his reasons, the revolutionary group, the New People’s Army (NPA), and
those who have revolted against the government. Even there is military personnel
everywhere you are safe to walk outside, people are disciplined, you are free to go
anywhere and live life normally, it is so much safe for people who are not involved in
the revolution or is against the government. The economy was better in the first few
years of martial law, although suddenly it decreased in the last two years of it.

(2) It’s also more of corruption and abusive use of power against the people.
Some knew the real story but some remained blind. Some don't even know what
really happened. All they know is that Marcos was a brave and strong President who
made laws and disciplined Filipinos. While we were watching the video Millennials for
Martial Law, many realizations came buzzing down our ears. The realization of how
Filipinos were molested; how Filipinos were starved, abused, threatened, and even
killed. The realization of how hard life was back then, how unfair living was; these are
the acts of human rights violation. We sought the sacrifices made by our fellowmen
under the rule of Marcos and how the authorities treated their fellow Filipinos. We've
realized that it's easy to say that Martial Law gave us a sense of discipline but our
knowledge of what Martial Law is shallow without considering the real truth.

In conclusion, Martial Law has given both factors to the Philippines; good and
bad, it truly gave order and discipline to the Filipino people and as millennials who
has not witnessed the events that happened back then, we should not conclude to
anything but to first understand why it happened. Martial Law made us realize that
there’s that much to do in order to instill discipline and order among our people but in
the contrary, many believe that it should have never led to several abuse and threats.
Furthermore, we must know the real truth behind all assumptions, opinions, and
controversies that are constantly confusing a lot of people of what really did happen.
Martial Law was a repression, and there is resistance. Although, the people’s
resistance ended the Marcos’ dictatorship but despite its success the most
fundamental problems of the Philippine society remain; which are the widespread of
poverty, injustice, and oppression. As young as we are, we need a tangible
knowledge about this instead of limiting our knowledge on passed gossips and
opinions. As the next set of leaders, we must open our minds to accept what truly
existed and we can only achieve that if we educate ourselves and learn to uphold
facts and facts alone. In today's generation, we are given different social media
platforms and other materials for us to speak and share our learnings from various
 happenings. Using wisely these platforms helps us educate other people about the
things that they are still unfamiliar with. As mentioned earlier, most of us are not
really aware of the truth about Martial Law, and one of the best way to educate
people about it is through real facts and not false biased opinions, to know the truth
of what really happened and not only focus on one side of the story, as Martial Law is
not only about the cruelty of authority and the revolutionaries but it gives us lessons
to ponder to and we must use it and work together as a team to make a change for
our nation.

Sources:

Survivors recall Martial Law ordeal. (2019, September 20). Retrieved November 27,
2020, from https://uplb.edu.ph/campus/survivors-recall-martial-law-ordeal/

Sison, S. (2015, September 23). #NeverAgain: Martial Law stories young people need
to hear. Retrieved November 27, 2020, from
https://www.rappler.com/voices/imho/martial-law-stories-hear

Declaration of Martial Law: GOVPH. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2020, from
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/declaration-of-martial-law/

Worksofheart. (n.d.). Declaration of Martial Law. Retrieved November 27, 2020, from
https://martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/declaration-of-martial-law/

(n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2020, from https://www.philippine-history.org/edsa-

people-power-revolution.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wInNkc3WYKc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOGd_j_rCE8&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX4_hidKUYs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW4Xf2aJCng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9RVztiRQxs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdcuiX0ytPo