“Never Again” is the battle cry of people who don’t want younger generations to forget the Philippines’ dark martial law year. This is harder to achieve, however, especially when some schools use books that don’t mention the human rights violations experienced at the time.
Yesterday, Senator Risa Hontiveros complained about two books used by public schools which she said “whitewash” the human rights abuses that occurred during Ferdinand Marcos’ regime. Hontiveros presented these books during the Senate’s deliberation on the proposed 2019 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Hontiveros asked DepEd secretary Leonor Briones, who was present during the budget deliberations if the questionable materials have already been removed from public schools.
One of the books which Hontiveros complained about was Pilipinas: Bansang Papaunlad (“Philippines: A Growing Nation“), which according to Hontiveros’ post on her Facebook account is being used at a school in Bulacan. She said the book discusses the country’s history only up to 1946 and does not mention the Martial Law years.
On the other hand, a book used at a Valenzuela City school titled MAKABAYAN: Kasaysayang Pilipino (“Nationalism: Filipino History”) allegedly “provided a lengthy narrative on the merits of the Marcos dictatorship,” according to Hontiveros’ post.
Former President Marcos declared Martial Law on Sept. 21, 1972 and lifted it on Jan. 17, 1981. However, he remained a dictator until 1986, when the People Power Revolution happened.
Numerous human rights violations occurred during those years. In May this year, ABS-CBN News reported that more than 11,100 victims of human rights abuses received compensation from the government, with the amount taken from the Marcos’ Swiss bank deposits worth PHP10 billion (more than US$186,993,470).
To honor the victims, a law called the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 mandates that schools should teach the atrocities which were committed during the Martial Law years.
It’s a responsibility that falls on the DepEd as well as the Commission on Higher Education, an agency which oversees colleges and universities in the country.
During the Senate deliberations, Hontiveros asked Briones: “Have these textbooks been pulled out from our schools and replaced? Is there an approved set of textbooks that factually, truthfully, and completely narrate the Marcos dictatorship?”
Hontiveros was supported by her colleague Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV who said that the books presented “one-sided” perspectives on history.
He said in Filipino and English: “Teachers should be provided with books that have a wider perspective on history. Not just a one-sided perspective.”
Bam is the nephew of the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., regarded as Marcos’ greatest political rival. Ninoy’s assassination is what sparked the People Power Revolution, which eventually overthrew Marcos.
Briones said schools are still using the books and that the agency is still reviewing their content. Corrections will be made by the agency only in November. She also said that the books were not issued by the agency but were written by private publishers.
Apart from these books, technology can also be blamed for a historical revisionism for the recent past.
Dodgy accounts on YouTube and Facebook “educate” netizens about the so-called achievements of the Marcos regime. Such accounts also paint Aquino as a flawed and ambitious politician who does not deserve to be hailed as a hero.
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