CAMP AGUINALDO, witness to both horrific atrocities of Martial Law and the triumph of EDSA, plays a special role in this year’s 30th anniversary celebration of the 1986 People Power Revolution.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) headquarters is host to the People Power Revolution Experiential Museum, which takes visitors through a 40-minute journey recreating the experience under the Marcos regime and the days leading up to its overthrow. The museum, located at Camp Aguinaldo’s grandstand and parade grounds, will be open for two days from February 25 to 26.
There are nine halls in the museum, some of which visitors may find shocking or disturbing. Each portrays a particular theme during the tumultuous period through a combination of live actors and multimedia installations.
Among them is the Hall of Forgotten Martyrs, where actors portray lesser-known Martial Law victims such as Ateneans Edgar “Edjop” Jopson and former Antique Governor Evelio Javier, student activist Lorena Barros, and Kalinga Chieftain Macli-ing Dulag.
For the youth
The museum hopes to relive the previous generation’s struggle for democracy, which the organizers think the current generation has taken for granted.
“We really want to tell the young people what really happened. No judgments, just facts…We’re hoping that by knowing their recent history, they’ll be inspired to use the freedom that their parents fought for to do something for the country,” said Celso Santiago Jr., assistant secretary for Special Concerns of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and spokesman for the 30th anniversary celebration of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
Revisionist articles and videos that tout the Marcos regime as the country’s golden days are widespread on social media. These seem to target the youth, many of whom have no firsthand experience of Martial Law.
“There is a concerted effort to really revise history. And they’re using a lot of money,” Santiago said.
More than being an effort to counter the revisionist narrative, Santiago said that the museum is a part of “campaign for truth.”
Charito Planas, a human rights activist imprisoned during Martial Law, said that despite their “preoccupations,” she still places her hope in the Filipino youth. “The young Filipino should be the one to carry the torch,” she said. “Time to wake up. Time to show your love of country!”
Future plans
PCOO secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. confirmed that there are plans to find a permanent home for the experiential museum.
“Noong Linggo ay nagsabi si Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte ng Quezon City na sila ni Mayor Herbert Bautista ay handang tumulong para magkaroon ng isang permanenteng tahanan ang experiential museum na ito at ino-offer nila ang Quezon City. Kaya’t pag-uusapan ito ng EDSA People Power Commission at Quezon City government (Last Sunday, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City said that she and Mayor Herbert Bautista are ready to help in giving a permanent home for the experiential museum. They are offering Quezon City. This will be discussed between the EDSA People Power Commission and the Quezon City government),” he said.
Santiago hopes the administration that will take over by the next EDSA anniversary will sustain efforts such as these.
“I really believe that one of the unfinished businesses of the EDSA revolution is making sure that young people know about it,” he said. “The fact that you can rant on Facebook and complain about your government, that is because of EDSA. The fact that you can hold your leaders accountable and hold free elections, that’s the result of EDSA. And by telling young people that, they will value more what they have.”
