SEVERAL ATENEAN student groups, spearheaded by the Analysis and Discourse Cluster (ADC) of the Council of Organization of the Ateneo (COA), created a week-long program of events to boost Atenean awareness of Martial Law.
The Martial Law week initiative, under the theme of “#AteneansNeverForget,” was held from September 22 to 26.
According to ADC Head Iesous Hernandez, the event aimed to contribute to instilling a deeper sense of remembrance and understanding among the student body on the topic of Martial Law.
The event included a campus-wide campaign of wearing black shirts, a series of cafeteria raids in Gonzaga Hall courtesy of the Ateneo Enterteynment para sa Tao, Bayan, Lansangan at Diyos, and a prayer vigil titled “Liwanag sa Karimlan: A Martial Law Memorial Interfaith Prayer Vigil” hosted by COA’s Faith and Formation Cluster.
#ATENEANSNEVERFORGET. the initiative aimed to instill a deeper sense of understanding among the student body on the topic of Martial Law. (Photo by Andrea G. Beldua)
The School of Social Sciences (SOSS) Sanggunian, in partnership with the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN), held a Martial Law awareness exhibit at the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership Roof Deck. A separate Martial Law exhibit was also held by The Ateneo Assembly and Grids at the fifth floor of the Rizal Library.
CYAN is a non-government youth organization that provides a platform for youth involvement in political and social matters.
Moreover, the Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (Crusada) and the Movement for Ignatian Initiative for Transformative Empowerment (Ignite) held the forums “Rooted: Martial Law and the Challenges of Sociopolitical Formation Among the Youth” and “Pelikulaktibista,” respectively.
The initiative
Hernandez explained that plans for a Martial Law awareness campaign began when the ADC attended a courtesy call with Loyola Schools Vice President John Paul Vergara, PhD, who urged them to conduct a more active response to matters regarding Martial Law.
“He wanted us, as organizations, and [as the] Analysis and Discourse Cluster, to be able to, perhaps, lead the way, or coordinate various student organizations [in having] a response as students [on the] challenges that we face when remembering Martial Law,” Hernandez said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The ADC conducted several meetings with various student organizations, as well as the Office of Student Activities, on how to improve the social formation of students in the Ateneo.
Hernandez stated that the objective of the campaign was to help raise awareness around the campus. He also noted that it was a statement to affirm that the student organizations have not forgotten Martial Law.
“First of all, there is the reality that there are pro-Marcos people on campus and there are some people—maybe people who want to move on because [Martial Law] doesn’t concern them. But what we wanted to say [is] that us, the student organizations, haven’t forgotten yet,” he stated.
In addition, SOSS Sanggunian Secretary-Treasurer Mikee Defensor said that the initiative was also to remind the general public that Ateneans are still able to react to political issues.
“Of course, I think that the reason why [the organizers] wanted this initiative to happen is to remind the Ateneans. That’s why the hashtag is #AteneansNeverForget—it’s to stress that even after [Martial Law] happened… It’s not something that we condone as students,” she said.
Hernandez said that the initiative was partly inspired by controversy over the presence of former First Lady Imelda Marcos at an Ateneo Scholarship Foundation, Inc. event.
“It started there but it became a larger discourse. As Ateneans, how do we remember? How do we answer to history?” he asked in a mix of English and Filipino.
In an interview with The GUIDON, University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ said it is important to remember the past.
“You know, we took it for granted. I took it for granted that people knew [about Martial Law]…We need to again remind ourselves because we do forget,” he stated.
Villarin encourages Ateneans to continue to hold rituals, such as the Martial Law commemoration week, “to remind ourselves that ‘never again.’”
Remembering the past
At the conclusion of Martial Law week, both Hernandez and Defensor were in agreement that the event was a success, taking into consideration the overall participation of Ateneans.
Hernandez declared that the goal of the initiative was reached, based on online reception and the number of people who participated during Martial Law week.
“For us, our main goal was to raise awareness and for people to remember that we… remember [what happened during] the Martial Law [period]. And from the online buzz, I think the people received it well,” Hernandez said.
Defensor, on the other hand, was satisfied with the turnout of Ateneans during the week, noting in particular the apathetic reputation of Ateneans when it comes to political issues.
“I realized that Ateneans, once you give them something to fight for, and once you remind them of the things they should be fighting for, they respond, and the campus really responds,” she said.
