It wasn’t surprising when the Supreme Court (SC)
allowed the burial of the late dictator and former President Ferdinand Marcos
at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. President Rodrigo Duterte has shown his support
on the burial during his campaign and during his first days as President,
saying Filipinos should put an end to the rage that’s been dividing our country
for years now. Refusal of the public was expected, of course, as anti-Marcoses
believe the late dictator does not deserve to be there. However, little did we
know, the remains of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. has been finally transferred to the
Heroes’ Cemetery without the knowledge of the public. And it was just 10 days
after the permission was given by the Supreme Court.
We may not admit but this generation is somewhat
‘miseducated.’ Social media is one proof of how misinformed we are by calling
each other as “dilawan” when one is anti-Marcos or to pros as “Bobong Marcos
apologist.” It’s funny and disappointing at the same. It seems like we really
need a review of the history or maybe, our history books.
In the light of giving fairness in every
administration in the country, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor
Briones confirmed that the agency will include the ruling of Supreme Court to
the burial of Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. This
decision, according to her, would be a part of the administration
review to give an unbiased account of the Martial Law history.1
DepEd
then clarified that it is not to refute the abuses happened during Martial Law
but is more to give an in-depth and comprehensive discussion of this one
paramount event in Philippine history. Yet, not only Marcos will revel with
DepEd’s assessment. Even before Briones became the official secretary of DepEd,
she guaranteed that the review will cover all Presidents’ administration 2 with the aim to give objective
analysis to each of them.
Briones also stressed that the intension of this review3 is definitely not to force the
students to think Marcos is a hero. Instead, they want to give them the freedom
to think critically and make their own judgments based on facts and objective
information, heavily based on official historical accounts. This is also to keep
balance between the abominations and accomplishments under his government that
are usually the subject of arguments about Marcos. Furthermore, these revisions
will be implemented in curriculum guides for Grade 5 and 6 Araling Panlipunan4 and will reflect in the new batch
of textbooks in public schools under the K to 12 program.
What we hardly need is education that would lessen the
ignorance of the youth and ease the pain passed unto us. We, as the inheritor
of the results of what happened in the past, must always be aware of the truth.
Even if we didn’t witness Martial Law or the regime of Marcos, we should
appreciate and give value to the sacrifices. Most especially to the values it
can teach us.
We should involve ourselves in these issues so that the
mistakes that were taught to us and consciously unlearned will not be passed on
to the next or succeeding generations.
We shall not be anyone’s pro other than our country;
instead, we shall be pro-Filipino, by mind and by heart.
Above all, we aim to impart a singular truth and maybe
that is lacking in our history books— the consistency of truth that we can all
agree on.
-By
Pearl Rubion
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