In 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte declared September 11 a non-working holiday in Ilocos Norte to celebrate the 100th birthday of Ilocano-born ex-president Ferdinand Marcos (Philstar, 2017). To quote Duterte, "To the Ilocanos, he (Ferdinand Marcos) was the greatest president. Why do we have to debate on that? It's one day where they can celebrate the anniversary of a great Ilocano. "As far as the Ilocanos are concerned, Marcos is a hero. Kaya to dwell on this thing for so long a time will just divide the nation." Duterte's use of 'hero' and 'greatest president' to describe Marcos goes against the statistics of what had happened during Martial Law. Between 1972-1986, there were 2,326 killed, 238 raped and abducted, 217 mutilated, and 1,467 tortured (HRVVMC, n.d.). People were also detained and exiled without due process. Furthermore, poverty was rampant, with wages going down and prices doing up (IBON Foundation, 2021). Duterte's claim about Marcos is one instance of historical revisionism in the Philippines. While Duterte is not a historian, he is an influential leader who can persuade the country. So anything that comes out of his mouth can, and will, affect people's perspectives on history. The rise of the internet and social media made information more accessible. Thus, people can revisit and reevaluate the past through a present lens. Historical revisionism is a tool with positive and negative outlooks (García-Bullé, 2021). For instance, historical revisionism uncovers forgotten histories of minority groups such as women and people of color. However, historical revisionism is also used as a political tool. Look no further than Duterte's retelling of Marcos' deeds. Modern Filipinos are lucky because they have a history of their own. During Rizals' period, Filipinos didn't have the same privilege to learn about their ancestors. And educated individuals had to see history through a Eurocentric perspective. The lack of Filipino-centered education on history had led to widespread discrimination and injustice. Fast forward to the 21st century, where we have websites, textbooks, and museums where people can learn. However, many choose to turn a blind eye to the truth. For many, history can either cause trauma, nuisance, or cognitive dissonance. So instead, people seek to listen to what brings comfort rather than discourse. And this aversion can lead to choices that can affect a future generation.
History is not about causing division between who was right and who was wrong. History is
about building a person's empathy. And sometimes, the more disturbing side of history is what brings humanity out of us. Rizal wanted a Filipino-centered history because the Spaniards taught that Filipinos were inferior to the colonizers. Rizal wanted people to empathize with the Filipinos and learn that they were just as capable of having their own identity. Likewise, we should take what revisionists say about Marcos' contenders being terrorists and communists with a grain of salt. An empathetic view of history will tell us his victims were people whose rights were wrongly taken away.
Assigned academic essay
References
Philstar.com. (2017, September 10). Duterte defends declaring Marcos' birthday a holiday. Philstar.com. Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/09/10/1737692/duterte-defends-declaring-marcos-birthday-holiday
List of victims and recognized motu proprio: Human rights violations victims' memorial commission. Human Rights Violations Victims Memorial Commission. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://hrvvmemcom.gov.ph/list-of-victims-recognized-motu-proprio/
IBON Foundation. (2021, September 21). Golden years?: The real long-lasting economic damage wrought by Marcos. IBON Foundation. Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://www.ibon.org/golden-years-the-real-long-lasting-economic-damage-wrought-by-marcos/
García-Bullé, S. (2021, August 20). What is Historical Revisionism? Observatory. Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://observatory.tec.mx/edu-news/historical-revisionism
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