Joseph Benjamin A.

Canayon GELITPH Y34

BSCE

Short Paper on Module 1: Martial Law, Control, and Protest

I believe that reading various types of Philippine literature allows us to synthesize the

historical context of the events that transpired in history in terms of Martial Law. It allows us,

the readers, to understand the firsthand account of those who were affected by terror brought

upon by Marcos’ dictatorial rule over the country. It is because literature created during this

time period became a medium for our country’s writers to reveal the tragic and brutal

consequences of Martial Law. Kulit (2010) describes these forms of literature as products of

the ideological stance of writers shaped by the social conditions of the country, which stood

in solidarity to raise national consciousness against the Marcos regime.

An example of notable Philippine literature written during this time would be Dead

Weight: In Memoriam by Dr. Cirilo F. Bautista. This poem is a form of satirical criticism of

Ferdinand Marcos’ death. The author of the poem expresses his disdain towards the Marcos

regime due to the atrocities they have committed to the Filipino people, which was

highlighted in the third stanza as Dr. Bautista describes Marcos as a “thief, scoundrel, and

usurper of heritage (Bautista, 1998). He emphasizes that the Filipino people should not allow

Marcos to be buried in the country in order to remove the influence of the Marcos family in

the country.

The poem is a prime example why Philippine literature is needed to understand the

context of our country’s history. The poem is a social commentary on a topic that the country

faced a few years back—the burial of Ferdinand Marcos. This was a hotly debated topic in

2016 as the Duterte Administration allowed the burial of Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan

ng Mga Bayani. Philippine government officials absolved the human rights abuses of Marcos

in favor of his so-called idealism and visions for the country (ABS-CBN News, 2016;

Ranada, 2016). I believe that Marcos’ burial in the Libingan ng Mga Bayani became a
stepping stone to the eventual return of the Marcos family to the Philippine government.

Essentially, this topic brings us to the significance of Philippine literature in understanding

the context of our own history. The aforementioned event shouldn’t have happened if more

people were just aware of the injustices brought by the Marcos administration. There was a

disinformation campaign that occurred through the years, which caused Filipinos gradually

forget the abuses that happened during Martial Law in favor of a facade brought upon by the

Marcoses.

This brings us to the importance of reading Philippine literature. It is because reading

these forms of literature allows us to understand the harsh realities of our country’s past and

see how these events have shaped the present. It provides us context and perspectives based

on those who witnessed the event firsthand, allowing us to understand the truth based on

actual information. In turn, understanding the Philippine literatures of the past allows us to

form our own independent thoughts and opinions based on the truth, which encourages

critical thinking and a more nuanced understanding of the topic at hand. A better

understanding of our country’s past allows us to become less susceptible to false information

that is rampant in our country, especially with disinformation campaigns dating back to the

1990s being evident in altering the past in favor of certain political agendas. As Filipinos, we

must use our resources at hand in order to fight against historical revisionism. Our main

weapon against historical revisionism would be the existing Philippine literature of the past.

It helps us to tackle the disinformation campaigns in the country in order to ensure that the

lessons of history are not forgotten nor manipulated for political motives, which preserves the

truth for succeeding generations.

 References:

ABS-CBN News. (2016, November 8). SC media briefer on Marcos burial decision.
ABS-CBN News.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/11/08/16/read-sc-media-briefer-on-marcos-burial-deci
sion
Bautista, C. (1998, October). Poems of Dr. Cirilo Bautista.
https://cfbautista.tripod.com/poem7.htm
Kulit, I. (2010, April 23). The Relevance of Studying Philippine Literature in English. Shades
of Thought.
https://imakulit.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/the-relevance-of-studying-philippine-liter
ature-in-english/
Ranada, P. (2016, February 19). Duterte in Ilocos Norte: I will allow Marcos’ burial in
Heroes’ Cemetery. RAPPLER.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/elections/123061-duterte-marcos-burial-libingan-baya
ni/