21/09/2026
๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐, ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป
"๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ฒ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ... ๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐! ๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป! ๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐!"
Every September 21st, we are reminded of how deceit and endangerment of a countryโs citizens can permanently affect a nation. We still happen to remember the Filipino activists who spent their days protesting and speaking up for our freedom. Most importantly, we remember the โconsequencesโ they faced and how much they suffered.
September 21 marks the 54th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law under President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. In 1972, Marcos Sr. justified this sudden declaration with the claim to restore public order and eliminate corruption and rebellion. Proclamation 1081 gave the government, especially the president, full power by greatly expanding the powers of the executive government, while civil liberties were severely restricted. This lasted from 1972 to early 1981.
However, our memories canโt be dictated by the promises used to justify Martial Law.
We mustnโt forget about the victims.
Under Marcosโs rule, 70,000 people were imprisoned, 35,000 were tortured, and around 3,300 were killed. Many of these victims had one thing in common: they spoke up. They chose to act. In return, the regime targeted them and anyone who criticized the government. These victims not only consisted of political opposition, but also students, journalists, and activists who had a life ahead of them.
Looking back at these events, we remember our fallen Filipinos. We must never forget what happened to us during those years, nor should we allow these lessons to pass by blindly. Forgetting does not ease the pain. It leaves untreated wounds.
We canโt undo our wounds, but we can choose not to forget them. On this day, we say: โ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐, ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป.โ
Athena Pates | Via the Thirteenth Scholars
Margeaux Campana | Graphics
