As the country faced a precarious economy and public frustrations was on the rise, militants staged a series of demonstrations which were met by violent dispersals and police brutality.
Marcos elected for his first term, after bolting out Liberal Party to oppose President Diodado Macapagal.
2000 PHILCAG sent to Vietnam. This was seen as submersion to US Imperialist interests. In return, Philippine started receiving foreign grants and loans to aid the economy.
Jabidah Massacre. A Muslim squad was supposedly trained by the military to sow rebellion in Sabah. The plan was discovered and the squad was liquidated. This would agitate Muslim secessionism and lead to eventual founding of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Marcos reelected for second term in one of the most violent and fraudulent elections of the post-war period dubbed as Lokohan 69
Marcos administration faced a series of protests leading to the First Quarter Storm, led by both radical and moderate students in alliance with other sectors. This was amidst an economy in bad shape, rising prices of commodities, increasing gap between rich and poor and a government perceived as corrupt and a string-puppet of the US. The student protests were met with savagery of cops.
Marcos invited moderate students to a dialog as goodwill but was angered when Edgar Jopson asked Marcos not to run for a third term.
To cure the “sick society”, Marcos declared Martial Law prompting the arrest of militants and oppositionists.
Initially deterred by Martial Law, militants, now joined by even more sectors of society continued opposition against the reign of terror
Regardless, progressives were able to think of different ways to express dissent through creative campaigns knowing the possible reprisal:
PROMETHEUS UNBOUND
Pete Lacaba (Ruben Cueva) was able to have his prometheus unbound piece published. The first letters of each line formed:
MARCOS, HITLER, DIKTADOR TUTA
The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) is a joint forum of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of Men in the Philippines (AMRSMP) and the Association of Major Religious Superiors of Women in the Philippines (AMRSWP). The repressive Martial Law environment found the AMRSP adopting a political line that is one of critical acceptance, with emphasis on critical. The socio-political involvement of the AMRSP was the result of the shift of the audience to the poor, especially, the materially poor. The shift was made because a new understanding of the social question demands the need to be immersed in the social realities.
The Kapulungan ng Sandigan ng Pilipinas or Kasapi was composed of multisectoral organizations such as fisherfolks (ISDA), Labor (Kapulungan ng Malayang Mamamayang Manggagawa ng Pilipinas), Jeepney and Taxi Drivers (Samahan ng Kabataan sa Ikauunlad ng Tsuper - SKIT), Handicapped (Samahan ng Ikauunlad ng mga may Kapansanan - SIK), Urban Poor (Kalipunan ng Mamamayang Inaapi - KAMI), Students (Makabayang Samahan - MASA in college and Samahan para sa Pagbabago ng Lipunan - SPL in High School), and cultural group (Silakbo).
The PDSP was organized on May 1, 1973. It played a leading role in the difficult task of establishing and expanding a progressive and democratic alternative to the Marcos dictatorship and to Marxism-Leninism. It made an important contribution to the mass campaigns which eventually led to the People Power revolution in 1986. The PDSP then helped much to consolidate the newly restored democracy, especially through education and mobilization among the small farmers and fisherfolk, workers, urban poor, women, youth, Bangsa Moro, and the indigenous peoples of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Pandayan para sa Sosyalistang Pilipinas, a political organization dedicated to social justice, participatory democracy and to the primacy of the role of the basic sectors in social transformation. In 1987, Pandayan was formed by leaders and activists in social development work, leaders of community youth and student organizations, and members of academe and sectoral organizations. Since then, it has worked for the empowerment of marginalized groups and the lobby and advocacy for social and political reforms.
Lino Brocka‘s films showed the true face of poverty and repression in the new society and went on to become one of the most internationally known filmmakers in the world. While, seditious theatre became the stage for the Philippine Educational Theater Association‘s (PETA) to creatively condemn the excesses of the regime.
TFDP established by the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines TFDP provided moral and spiritual support to the political prisoners, assisted them in their material needs, documented their situation as well as worked for their just trial and speedy release.
This committee was established by Filipinos in the United States to oppose the Martial Rule. Other organizations opposed to Marcos soon sprouted all over the US including the Movement for a Free Philippines (MFP) under Sen. Raul Manglapus and Sonny Alvarez.
FLAG was founded by Jose Wright Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada, Joaquin, Chino Roces, Rene Saguisag, and many others to fight for civil liberties and stand counsel against human rights abuses
LABAN was a political party in the Philippines formed by Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. for the 1978 Interim Batasang Pambansa regional elections. The party had 21 candidates for the Metro Manila area, all of whom lost, including Ninoy. The party's acronym (LABAN) is a Filipino word meaning "fight". By 1984, the party had formed a coalition with the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino of Aquilino Pimentel Jr., himself a LABAN party member. By 1986, the two parties were completely merged to form the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan party or PDP–Laban.
The Institute of Social Order (ISO) is a Jesuit Social Apostolate established in 1947 through the efforts of Fr. Walter Hogan, SJ in concretizing Church Social Teachings. This resulted in ISO’s rich history of responding to the needs and promoting the liberation of the marginalized sectors in society, including the laborers, the peasants, the urban poor, rural women, the youth, the victims of the tragic Mt. Pinatubo eruption, upland farmers and currently the fisherfolks.
ninoy aquino was assassinated prompting marcos to call for snap elections
Marcos won a landslide victory against Nacionalista Alejo Santos, with Francisco Tatad, Marcos‘ former Information Minister as campaign manager. The opposition led by Ninoy boycotted the elections.
Proclamation 2045 supposedly lifted Martial Law. However, the Marcos remained as powerful. Through the Batasang Pambansa and another plebiscite, changes were made preventing Ninoy from running into office. The changes prohibited individuals accused with high crimes and less that fifty years old to run for president.
Ninoy Aquino was assassinated upon return to the Philippines after exile in the US; an estimated 2 million people joined Ninoy‘s funeral procession in Aug 23.
After the Cory Aquino for President Movement (CAPM) secured 1 million signatures, Cory accepted the challenge while Doy Laurel slid for vice presidency under UNIDO (United Nationalist Democratic Organization).
is a 1986 song recorded in Filipino by a supergroup composed of 15 Filipino artists. The song became the anthem of the bloodless People Power Revolution. The lyrics of the song are inscribed on a wall of Our Lady of EDSA Shrine, the center of the revolution.
COMELEC Tabulators staged a walkout in protest of election manipulation.
15-16 Feb, Macos was proclaimed winner at the Batasan; while Cory led civil disobedience and boycotted Marcos companies in a Tagumpay ng Bayan rally in Luneta Feb 16.
Cardinal Sin, responding to Enrile and Ramos, called on the people through Radio Veritas to rally behind and protect deflectors.
General Artemio Tadiar sent Philippine Marines tanks to crush the rebellion but were blocked by a swelling 2 million people armed with prayers, flowers, food and songs.
The Air Force Strike Wing under the command of Col. Antonio Sotelo, sent to attack the rebels, deflected and further weakened the regime.
Filipino people answered the call of the condition. Not through guns, not through violence, and not through brutality, but through love, compassion, and hope by praying the rosary and giving flowers to the military during the heightened tension between them and the military forces.
Cory Aquino was sworn-in as the new president at the Club Filipino in San Juan, while Marcos had his own inauguration at the presidential palace.
Filipinos rose up ending 20 years of Marcos rule in a peaceful revolution – the People Power. The Philippines showed that revolutions can be won in peaceful and non-violent means.
This Exhibition aims to provide information and awareness to young people on the events that had transpired during the Martial Law period (1972-81). It hopes to create a platform to reintroduce and debate on the values of human rights and democracy through looking at the stories and lessons from Martial Law and from the first EDSA People Power Revolt.
For this purpose, the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking, with support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung—Philippine Office, has gathered young academics and historians, artists, and leaders to brainstorm, develop, deepen and visualize, in order to communicate with their peers. The product of these exercises are 4 academic essays which serve as main references; a 19-panel exhibition divided into four main groups: (1) democracy and dictatorship; (2) human rights; (3) timeline; and (4) FAQs/Myths. While the panels are self-explanatory, an exhibition guide is provided to provide further details and deeper discussions.
The Exhibition invites young people to a time warp, 40 years ago, in 1972 when Martial law was declared, or even earlier in 1965 when Ferdinand Marcos was first elected President and more recent and more familiar is the EDSA People Power in 1986, 25 years ago. These two events mark the darkest post war event in our history and the testament to the greatness of a people united. The Exhibition provides young people with tidbits of information, perhaps an appetizer to wanting more
To get the best out of the exhibit, we recommend for the visitors to browse all the panels. The online tour will take at least 1-2 hour/s to finish. However, if you wish to only get a particular information, you can go directly to the topic you want to learn about.
CYAN envisions a society that recognizes the youth sector as stakeholders in providing for an enabling environment for active citizenship, alternative politics, progressive reforms and dynamic involvement in social development work.
In attaining its vision, CYAN strives to: optimize youth activism through innovative programs and approaches; sustain and expand partnership among youth organization that effectively empowers the youth; sustain sectoral advocacy for a developmental youth reform agenda and progressive democratic roles in the society.
CYAN’s organizational life is imbued with these values: social inclusion and participation, equality and partnership, commitment to serve and empower, intelligent and innovative activism and authentic humanization.
Thus, Building an Alternative Youth Institute is a constant reminder for CYAN to lead and act together with the youth for the youth, broaden our horizons to make a difference, disrupt the system and change it.
The work of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in the Philippines started in 1964. Its focus is on the promotion of democracy and the strengthening of social and ecological dimensions of economic development through education, research, political dialogue, and international cooperation. The FES Philippine Office cooperates with national and local government institutions, trade unions, political and social movements, non-government organizations, media practitioners and groups, scientific institutions, individual experts, and other international organizations.
The programs and projects of the FES Philippine Office gives special focus on:
For a better experience, view the exhibit on desktop.
Tap on the hamburger icon on the lower right corner to pull up the menu and audio narration.
Simply scroll up and down to navigate through the exhibit
(don’t swipe right or left)
