In commemoration of the 52nd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, Benilde’s Center for Social Action (CSA) launched “Of Courage and Resistance: A Visual and Narrative Exhibit about Martial Law” on Sept. 19 at the Ground Floor Lobby of The Atrium @ Benilde. The exhibit will be open until tomorrow, Sept. 30.
CSA teamed up with Benilde Arts Management (BeAM) and the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) to showcase the past through visual art and narratives.
Film screenings and talkback sessions were also held along with this exhibit as part of CSA’s “AdbokaSerye: Demokrasya, Karapatan, at Kapayapaan,” with various events spread across the month in honor of human rights and democracy.
Walk through the past and future
“Ngayon ang tanong, bakit ba natin ‘tong ginagawa taon-taon? ‘Di ba pwedeng mag-move on na lang ang lahat ‘kasi matagal na naman ‘tong nangyari?” Ms. May Flor Artagame, CSA Director, asked the audience during her opening remarks. With half a century now behind us, the question of why we must never forget is brought up within discussions of the Martial Law legacy.
She then answered the question by quoting former Senate president Jovito Salonga: “For forgiveness without truth is an empty ritual, and reconciliation without justice is meaningless. And worse, an invitation for more abuse in the future.”
The various artworks made by Benildean students, ranging from paintings, mixed-media art, and the digital display of posters, reminded attendees of the narratives of those who suffered under Marcos’ regime. Aside from these artworks, the gallery also displayed key facts and information on panels detailing the timeline of Martial Law: from its proclamation to the human rights abuses under late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, up until the EDSA Revolution and the lessons we learned from it.
Naalala Ko Pa
Do you remember where you were during Martial Law? For those of us born decades after, we only hear about it through stories or history lessons. However, it is not just those who suffered that keep their stories alive–we also play a role in spreading their accounts.
Last year, Animotion, the animation organization of Benilde, created the animated short film titled “Naalala Ko Pa.”
Its director, Jorel Magistrado, who is a literary writer of the Benildean Press Corps, shared a few words before its screening during the exhibit launch. “With the EDSA anniversary getting moved, it was high time to use our platform and talk about the topic [Martial Law].”
Magistrado also mentioned how President Bongbong Marcos refuses to admit to the atrocities his family committed, adding, “We should not be consumed by fear when speaking out against them.”
“Hindi po tayo galit sa mga Marcoses dahil pine-personal natin sila, pero sino po ba hindi magagalit kapag ang katotohanan ay pinagkakait sa susunod na mga henerasyon?” Mr. Edgardo Cabalitan Jr., a representative of TFDP, said in his talk about the organization. TFDP is a human rights organization that was formed in 1974 under Martial Law and continues to bring justice to victims of human rights abuses and violations.
“Hindi na rin po talaga natigil ang paglabag sa karapatang pantao hanggang sa ngayon” he mentioned, as their fight is not over decades after.
Whether it be through organizational work or the medium of arts, spreading the truth and amplifying the voices of victims can come in different forms. With the rampant historical distortion going on nowadays, “Remembering always plays a crucial role in the present,” to quote event host Angeline Ashley Marquez. Afterwards, a moment of silence was held, as each attendee lit a candle in memory of those who have suffered under the dictatorial regime.
As long as the Marcos family continues to deny the brutality that happened under them, September will continue to be a time of grieving and loss. But there is hope in community action: from the student volunteers who created art to the speakers who gave newfound insight, the exhibit launch and gallery itself served as a space to learn, engage, and resist—and in the end, amplified the truth not just to Benildeans but those outside our community.
