“Ang kasaysayan ay ’di lang nasa nakaraan… Dahil ang ating storya ay ’di pa natutuldukan.”*
In 1986, the Philippines was lauded worldwide for being the first country to oust a dictator without violence, in what was dubbed the Philippine People Power Revolution. Filipinos pledged to never again let a tyrant take away our rights and freedoms.
Since then, however, the Martial Law era is generally told in two very different ways: a revisionist version that distorts facts in favor of the dictator’s family, or a truthful but dark narrative that highlights the victims of repression and human rights violations. As a result, Filipinos tend to relegate this period to problematic history and forget the lessons of the past.
In 2023, Filipinos saw potential moves to rebrand this era in public consciousness, from the Department of Education reviewing to remove the dictator’s family name from textbooks to the absence of the People Power Revolution from official holidays. It is in these efforts and decisions where Filipinos can see the revisionist story being told.
Today, young Filipinos are overwhelmed by current issues and cynical about the future. After engaging in different volunteer programs, years later, there has been a collective withdrawal from political participation. Others have expressed a fear of red tagging if they continue to speak out or act politically.
How can we reactivate the youth and take back the ownership of our nation’s stories? What are we called to tell and retell to collectively learn from the everyday heroes of this period?
With stories from more former youth activists, Habilin aims to spark reflection, evoke a renewed sense of hope, and inspire action among ordinary progressive Filipinos. The project will reclaim the narrative by reframing one of the darkest periods of Philippine history. Through a hope-based approach, the series veers away from fear-based frames that typically characterize stories about Martial Law. It will, instead, focus on stories about how we, as a people, persist and prevail despite seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Habilin 1: The stories live on
The first installation of Habilin was released in 2021, but the stories still live on in classrooms and communities.
During the production of Habilin’s second installation, the project became a partner in De La Salle University (DLSU)’s Service-Learning Program for students taking up Purposive Communication (GEPCOMM), an effort of the university’s social development arm, with the Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA) and the Department of English and Applied Linguistics (DEAL) College of Education. Students taking GEPCOMM were instructed to create advocacy campaign materials for the organization of their choice. The team, led by Rio Marcelang, coordinated with each student group on their campaigns. The students who worked with Project Habilin crafted original materials to promote the stories, including three infographics, two screening event posters, eight social media cards, and three TikTok videos.
The Habilin series was also screened for the second time in one of the online sessions of The Asia Classroom. Present in the screening were the August 2023 batch of The Asia Classroom students who come from all over the region. The screening was followed by a skill session on hope-based communication with social change communication strategist Mika Ortega.
The series was highlighted in a session titled “Youth Action for Promoting Freedom of Expression in Southeast Asia” at the 7th Freedom of Expression Regional Conference. This event was jointly hosted by Human Rights Online PH, Freedom for Media Alternatives, and the Southeast Asian Collaborative Policy Network (SEA-CPN).
The series continues to animate both advocates and the youth, years after its release, with the different groups still eager to hear more stories.
Habilin 2: The stories we will tell
The new stories that make up the 8-part series feature six (6) stories of Martial Law heroes whose experiences in promoting democracy, freedom, and positive social change continue to influence their lives today. Through creative hope-based storytelling, the new parts of the series will highlight how they have kept hope alive through the years.
Being able to tell new stories from this period in our history was made possible by the collaboration of young researchers as well as award-winning writers and illustrators. The new stories share the experiences of ordinary, everyday people who had their own unique approaches to social change, in their various fields and communities. The full storybooks and teaching guides are projected to become available for online download in mid-2024.
Habilin Season 2 is ultimately an invitation to make sense of our history and a reminder of what young Filipinos are capable of.
Tumindig. Tumulong. Dahil habang andito ka, ang ilaw ng pag-asa’t pagbabago ay di mapupundi. Isabuhay ang inihabilin, Ipamana at ipamalas. Ang kasaysayan ay andito, nasa sa’yo. Andito pa ko. Andito pa tayo.*
*These are excerpts from one of the upcoming Habilin stories.
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