History Department, Ateneo de Manila University

08/10/2026

The Department of History of the Ateneo de Manila University is pleased to announce the participation of its faculty members in the 10th Rizal Library International Conference, "RLIC @10: Reimagining Libraries with Innovation and Culture, Honoring Heritage, Shaping Intelligent Futures"

Organized by the Rizal Library, the event takes place from October 7 to 9, 2026, at the Leong Hall Auditorium, Ateneo De Manila University.

We invite scholars, librarians, students, and enthusiasts to join our faculty as they present their latest research on information sciences and heritage studies:

October 9

Plenary Speaker (10:55 AM)
"Memory, Machine, and Nation: Ethical Stewardship of Cultural Heritage in the Age of Artificial Intelligence"
Dr. Francis M. Navarro, Assistant Professor, Department of History and Director, University Archives

Closing Keynote Lecture (11:55 AM)
Prof. Ambeth R. Ocampo, Sen. Gil J. Puyat Professor of History

We look forward to engaging in critical scholarly dialogue with colleagues and attendees at Rizal Library.

Sign up now at go.ateneo.edu/10RLICRegistration.

Poster credits: Rizal Library

30/09/2026

28/09/2026

The Ateneo Department of History congratulates Dr. Lermie Shayne S. Garcia, Assistant Professor of History, for her presentation of her research entitled, "Mapping Southeast Asian Studies (SEAS) in the Philippines: Local Perspectives and Regional Collaboration," at the 2026 Leong Institute Fellows Forum, held at the Leong Hall Auditorium, Ateneo de Manila University, on 28 September 2026.

Dr. Garcia is a recipient of the prestigious Ricardo Leong Grants for Lectures in Philippine Studies.
The Ricardo Leong Institute Fellowship Program aims to support the international mobility of Ateneo de Manila University faculty, develop geographical expertise outside the Philippines, and forge academic collaborations and international linkages between Ateneo and partner universities or institutions abroad.

We are proud of Dr. Garcia’s contributions to this valuable exchange of scholarship on Southeast Asian studies.

23/09/2026

20/09/2026

“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎; 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚒𝚛𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚠 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚕𝚎𝚍𝚐𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎-𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜. 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚢 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕.”

--𝚂𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚗 𝙵. 𝚀𝚞𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙶𝚒𝚕𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚝 𝚀𝚞𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘, 𝚂𝚞𝚋𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜: 𝙰 𝙵𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝙼𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚒𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚜 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜

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The Ateneo Martial Law Museum and Library (AMLML), together with its partners, invites everyone to attend and participate in the events and activities commemorating the 𝟱𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝘄. This year, we focus on how Martial Law transformed individuals' lives into public legacies of conviction, resistance, sacrifice, and service for the nation.

On Monday, 21 September 2026, we will have a 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀 honoring Edgar "Edjop" Jopson and the legacy of student activism through faith, conscience, and sacrifice. As the recently released film EDJOPTheMovie invites us to ponder memory and remembrance, and piece together our engagement with the past, we recall the lives and sacrifices of these martyrs, many of whom were in the early years of their lives. Remembering Edjop as "anak ng pag-asa at panahon" illustrates how Martial Law disrupted young lives, compelling a generation of students to mature overnight and step into leadership during a dark national hour.

The Eucharistic Celebration will begin at 11:50 AM at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, Gonzaga Hall.

In the afternoon, at 4:00 PM, we will be launching the 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 at the 2nd Floor, First Pacific Hall, Rizal Library. It will feature books that invite the community to engage with various voices and stories from this dark period in our history. It will highlight personal recollections, such as Susan and Nathan Quimpo’s memoir, Subversive Lives, which shifts the narrative from individual martyrdom to the family. Fueled by a fervent hope that the younger generation will continue to “light the flame of remembrance,” this quiet space prompts us to reflect on countless memories of how state-sanctioned violence and oppression were felt intimately around kitchen tables and in living rooms across the nation, and how the echoes of these experiences continue to live on in families and communities today.

Attendees are invited to register here in advance: bit.ly/mlreadingcorner

This will be followed by the book launch of “𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀” 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗹 𝗩. 𝗔𝗯𝗮𝗼 at The Loft, Areté. Published by the Ateneo University Press for the Ateneo Library of Women's Writings (ALiWW), the book follows Etta’s life across multiple roles: childhood, motherhood, classroom teaching, organizing under Martial Law, and parliamentary politics. In an era marked by political strongmen and state violence, her story reminds us that political resistance is born of care for one another: an act, first and foremost, of love.

Registration begins at 4:00 PM, followed by the program at 5:30 PM. Attendees are requested to complete this form: bit.ly/difficult-book-launch

Together, let us remember how ordinary lives, shaped by the realities of authoritarian rule, became enduring and inspiring reminders of courage, remembrance, and radical love.

𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣! 𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩!

18/09/2026

The Department of History warmly congratulates Dr. Francis M. Navarro, Assistant Professor of History and Director of the University Archives, on his reappointment as Commissioner of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), representing the private sector. His second term will run through January 3, 2030.

Dr. Navarro, who also serves as the current President of the Philippine Historical Association, continues to make vital contributions to the preservation and promotion of Philippine history and heritage. This prestigious reappointment underscores his steadfast commitment to historical scholarship and public service.

Please join us in celebrating this well-deserved recognition and wishing Dr. Navarro continued success in his leadership role

17/09/2026

15/09/2026

The Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings (ALIWW), with the Ateneo de Manila University Press (AUP), would like to invite you to the book launch of DIFFICULT: The Life and Times of Etta Rosales, authored by Carmel “Melay” V. Abao.

Co-sponsored with the Ateneo Martial Law Museum and Library, the University Gender and Development Office, the Department of Political Science, and Areté, the event will be held on September 21, 2026 (Monday) at 4:00 PM, at the Ateneo de Manila Loyola Heights campus and is open to the Ateneo community and the public.

Join us in celebrating the journey of Loretta Ann “Etta” P. Rosales, a survivor of the Martial Law regime, former AKBAYAN Party list Representative (11th-13th Congress) and former Chair of the Commission on Human Rights (2010-2015) – a remarkable woman, political activist, human rights defender, and public servant.
Attendees must register at http://bit.ly/difficult-book-launch on or before 12 NN, Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Limited seats available.

Event Details:
Date and Time: September 21, 2026 (Monday), 4:00 PM
Where: Ateneo de Manila Loyola Heights campus, Quezon City.
Copies of the book will be available for sale onsite.
Registration begins at 4:00 PM, with light refreshments available.
Program proper will begin at 5:30 PM.
Book signing will take place from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
Confirmation emails with the final venue will be sent to participants that have pre-registered for the event.

About the Book
Difficult follows the life of Etta Rosales: from childhood to motherhood; her teaching and organizing work during Martial Law; her shift into parliamentary politics; to the ongoing fight for human rights. The book weaves together the testimonies of colleagues, friends, and family to offer a rich and authentic feminist perspective into the life of the Filipina activist, honoring Etta and many other women whose struggles continue to benefit and shape future generations.
This biography does not mythologize Etta; if anything, it emphasizes her humanity in all its nuances and contradictions. Her story is a moving testament to the ongoing struggles the Filipino people continue to face. In these turbulent times, riddled with political strongmen, systemic oppression, and state violence, her story is an unflinching reminder to resist the norms and systems in place that continue to perpetuate harm and disposability of human life. It is an unflinching reminder that resistance, however stacked the odds may be, however difficult, is born out of care for one another: an act, first and foremost, of love.

About the Author
Carmel "Melay" V. Abao is an associate professor of the Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of Political Science and its former department chair (2022–2025). She completed a master's degree in politics and governance at the Institute of Development Studies of the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, and a PhD in development studies at the De La Salle University. She specializes in social movement studies, labor and migration, and international political economy. Before joining the academe, she was involved in a number of movements: as labor organizer and educator for the Workers’ College and Workers’ Institute, as deputy director of the Institute for Popular Democracy, as program officer of the Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA), and as the founding national secretary-general of Akbayan (Citizens’ Action Party).

10/09/2026

Art, Culture, and History in the Philippines