MANILA, Philippines – Over three decades after the overthrow of the Marcos regime, Filipinos are once again confronted not only with the challenge of protecting their democracy, but also of ensuring that no fabric of Philippine history is distorted.
As we honor the valor of Filipino fighters during World War II and commemorate the courage of those who collectivized to topple the Marcos dictatorship, let us turn to today’s youth and hear their own narratives about these two words: Never forget.
Remembering the People Power movement is made all the more important, as another Marcos is once again vying for a presidential position and leading in preelection surveys – even though multiple Rappler investigations have found the propagation of disinformation networks that benefit the Marcoses, primarily to whitewash the abuses and corruption during his father’s martial rule.
Have people forgotten the state atrocities during Martial Law and the gains of the EDSA People Power Revolution?
In MovePH’s multimedia project, we asked students from different universities and organizations to share what they’ve heard from their family members who lived through Martial Law and the EDSA People Power Revolution, and how these stories affected their perception of the pivotal period in our country’s history.
Among those who shared their sentiments is Iana Guanzon, a political science major and a student-activist from UP Visayas who posed a reminder to her fellow youth: “To celebrate and commemorate the EDSA People Power Revolution is not just about celebrating it on the 25th, but [also] the mindset and the commitment that we must always put our hearts into.
“It is in our vigilance and fight towards a clean and fair election. It is in the commitment to fighting for our democracy and human rights… Most importantly, it is in the commitment to say never again, never forget,” she Guanzon added. – Rappler.com
This video is co-produced by Rappler interns Mikee Cambiado, Audrey Dayata, Franz Mapa, Melanie Uson, Jenica Selga, and Mikaela Louise Cruz.