Standing Up, Standing Together
Reflections on the significance of September 21 in Philippine history
On this day in 1972, former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. placed the entire country under Martial Law. In the shadows of the glamorous parties of high society and in the foundations of the new cultural buildings, this era was rife with reports of corruption, abuses, and disappearances. Finally, in 1986, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos from all walks of life and all classes of society marched together. The palace was ransacked, and the Marcos family fled the country.
People who remember that era will find it strange that widespread corruption, cronyism, and political dynasties still exist today, decades after the People Power Revolution. Pork barrel scandals, gross mismanagement of flood control projects, mysterious entities receiving secret funds… when the life (buhay) and livelihood (kabuhayan) of the honest, everyday Filipino is affected, how long until we remember our obligations (pananagutan) to ourselves and our Kapwa?
Challenging Mindsets
We’ve fallen for all the tricks of colonial and authoritarian propaganda:
“The natives are lazy (Juan Tamad), always procrastinating (Mañana Habit), and never committed to completing tasks (Ningas Cogon)!”
“We should always be hospitable, and we must offer our best food and best rooms to all visitors.”
“Our leaders are the nation’s parents, so we should be good, obedient children and avoid being pasaway (stubborn)!”
But historically speaking, we haven’t just been passive and submissive. We must be reminded again of our confrontative traits:
Sama/Lakas ng Loob (resentment/guts)
Pakikibaka (solidarity in struggle)
Bahala na (facing uncertainty)
Many Filipinos will march today, especially in Luneta and along EDSA, and in the past weeks, thousands of students across the country have walked out of their classrooms to protest—para sa bayan, para sa kapwa (for the country, for each other). This is arising at the same time when the youth of our neighboring countries are also experiencing unrest—see what is happening in Nepal and Indonesia.
In challenging limited and limiting perspectives, we are reminded of our belongingness to something larger than us. The change begins with ourselves, in solidarity with others. So, let our aim be: Tungo sa diwang malaya at kaisipang mapagpalaya, para sa lipunang tapat at mapagkalinga!1
“Towards a spirit that’s free, and a way of thinking that’s liberating for all, for an honest and caring society!”
to a caring society! #SEAblings🇮🇩