Millions of people marching along one of the busiest highways in the Philippines, daring to defy a tyrant, fighting without raising any weapon at all…
Many of us look back on the First People Power Revolution with some degree of wistfulness. It was a significant moment that turned the tide of Philippine history: it marked the beginning of an age of freedom from a tyrannical regime that left the country disheartened and bankrupt.
Marcos took advantage of his position to splurge on a life of luxury, to declare martial law and prolong his power, and to silence anyone who dared to speak up against him while letting friends and allies get away scot-free. All this was more than enough to prompt the Filipino people to dethrone the power-crazed tyrant.
But the principles of this new age are under attack to this day. In a manner terrifyingly similar to this, the Philippines today is being hounded by misinformation, extrajudicial killings, and other unscrupulous political maneuvers. Social issues are becoming more and more pressing and fearsome, and political tensions are at a peak due to the upcoming elections.
This 36th anniversary of the First EDSA Revolution is a time to celebrate and honor the strength of the Filipino people and their victory over a seemingly unstoppable dictatorship, and there is no better way to do that than to learn more about dictatorships, issues that threaten the Philippines in the present, and how to fight back and defend the freedom and power of the people.
To get started, here is a rundown of media and literature about martial law, Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, and the First People Power Revolution.
The Martial Law Museum
From educational readings to role-playing games, this website, https://martiallawmuseum.ph/, is filled to the brim with materials about martial law and how to prevent it from happening again. Articles, videos, quizzes, and artwork about some of the darkest times in Philippine history stack neatly in the archives of this digital museum and library by the Ateneo de Manila University.
“Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo” (1986)
Also known as “A New and Better Way—The People’s Anthem,” this song was composed after the People Power Revolution by the band Alamid, with lyrics by Jim Paredes. It recalls the peace and strength of the revolution and declares to the rest of the world that the Filipinos toppled an empire through unity and that they can do the same. The lyrics of this song are engraved on one of the walls of the EDSA Shrine.
Gun Dealers’ Daughter (2010)
While this historical drama by Gina Apostol is far more personal than most books on Martial Law, it looks at the same issues through the perspective of Sol, a well-off young woman whose eyes are opened to the failings and injustices of the Marcos regime. Written in ferocious yet elegant prose, Gun Dealers’ Daughter describes how Sol goes from high society to near-manic rebellion against the ruthless politics that her life becomes entangled with and how it all continues to damage her mind decades later.
The Collection of Jane Ryan and William Saunders (2014—)
Pio Abad, an artist known for using his works to remind people of the cruelty and ridiculous flamboyance of the Marcoses, named this haunting collection after the fake names Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos used in their Swiss bank accounts.
It is composed of reproductions of artworks that the couple owned—artworks bought with money stolen from the Philippine treasury. From statues to postcard-like replicas of paintings to an eerie collection of jewelry rendered in a pale matte white made in collaboration with Abad’s wife, Frances Wadsworth Jones, this collection is both an act of rebellion and a chilling reminder of the greed that festers with uninhibited power.
The Kingmaker (2019)
This critically acclaimed documentary directed by Lauren Greenfield takes a dizzying leap into the life of Ferdinand Marcos’ infamous wife, former first lady Imelda Marcos. It looks at her life before, during, and after the Marcos rule and interviews Marcos herself as well as other experts and witnesses. The film exposes her absurdly lavish lifestyle, which shamelessly continues to this day, as well as many major mistakes she committed as the first lady.
It also examines the Marcos dynasty matriarch’s steady rise in influence, which grows every day thanks to her children’s political activities and her own supporters.
These works are monuments to the events, emotions, and people involved in the regime and the events of those fateful days from February 22-25, 1986.
Perhaps more importantly, they serve as warnings about how it is all too easy for history to repeat itself, for a new Marcos to oppress the Philippines. The people have the power now, but it is very much possible for them to give it away to another dictator, subjecting the country to another dark age of corruption and fear.
Marcos’ gruesome mishandling of the Philippine government and economy left scars that continue to plague us to this day, but the revolution serves as an immortal reminder that oppression can always be defeated.
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