21/09/2026
| ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐
On September 21, 1972, the Martial Law was declared by former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. through Proclamation No. 1081, and publicly announced on September 23. It was presented as a way to establish the Bagong Lipunan or โNew Societyโ through law and order. However, the centralization of executive power, suppression of dissent, restrictions on freedom of expression, and widespread human rights violations.
Following the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, this entered a period of authoritarian rule as the media organizations were shut down and political opponents were arrested, while the 1973 Constitution strengthened presidential authority. Government records cited in the research documented thousands of deaths, cases of torture, and arrests without trial. Restrictions on democratic freedoms led to growing resistance from the students, journalists, religious groups, human rights advocates and Filipino masa. The assassination of Benigno โNinoyโ Aquino Jr. in 1983 increased public opposition and contributed to the events that led to the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, and became a major turning point in the movement against the Marcos regime. Eventually, led a movement that brought millions of Filipinos together to restore democratic government.
The legacy of Martial Law remains relevant today as different narratives about the period continue to circulate. From different accounts stating that the period was beneficial to them, while others are protesting the abuse under it such conflicting reports online are making people confused. A relevant question emerges: to what extent have Filipinos moved beyond the conditions associated with the past? Has these issues continued to reflect unresolved problems in the countryโs political and social system that's currently happening today? Contemporary issues, including flood-control projects and the proposed Pax Silica industrial hub, have renewed discussions about government accountability, and national interest.
As we remember Martial Law, students must be more encouraged to examine historical information carefully, and learn from reliable records and firsthand experiences. Never Again, Never Forget remains a relevant message to the students since they also participated in activism, especially as IARFA students we must be uplifted and eager to understand when and how architecture, art, and media were used to represent political power and communicate ideas. Through discussions, educational materials, interviews, and online resources students can help preserve historical memory and promote awareness of human rights and democracy.
Understanding the past allows the youth to recognize the relevance of protecting truth, freedom, and democratic participation in the present. As IARFA students our creativity remains political in architecture, art and media with the way we visually communicate and interpret history we must relay into valid information, correct background checking and must continue to use creative ideas to resurface the true history from art.
๐ | Research by: Lourdes Carandang
โ๏ธ | Content by: Adriana Jeu Reyes
๐ผ๏ธ | Publication Material by: Nickus Sales
