By Pal

From September 18 to 21, the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) community commemorated the 51st Anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s Martial Law Declaration through “Di Ka Pa51siil,” a compilation of mini projects aimed to inform, educate, and encourage students to take action.

The mini projects listed were “PAg-alala sa mga Nakibaka,” “MULAT,” “BAKAS: Gunitain ang Kahapon,” “SAYSAY: M(ulat) sa mga Sugat,” “Tumindig sa Tinig,” “LAGIP: Handprint Freedom Wall,”  and “Tinig Tudlaan.” 

This variety of activities contained film-viewing sessions, art exhibitions, interactive handprint painting, theatrical flash mobs, and a protest—all of which sought to empower awareness about the significant occurrences during the Martial Law era.

These initiatives were launched in the ASHS 2nd floor foyer, the Formation Learning Center, and even with the use of the public announcements system of the administration.

Call for quality accessible education, call for accountability, and call for Ateneans to use their privilege were some of the remarkable clamor during the course of the week.

“The Sanggunian collectively hoped to commemorate the people who sacrificed their lives and fought for a better future for all of us and to bring awareness towards the injustices that occurred during this era and how these injustices have bled into our current society,” one of the Sanggunian officers stated.

“As Ateneans, we have all been blessed with the opportunity to receive a good quality education, and even as early as now, we are all called to use this education to better our society, most especially for those who were victimized by the Marcos Sr. presidency back in the 70s, and those who are greatly suffering under the Marcos Jr. presidency today,” they added.

As an advocacy-driven initiative, the Sanggunian officer stressed that “Di Ka Pa51siil” hopes to serve as a platform for students to showcase their abilities to remember past tragedies and make a difference in society.

“We do not just commemorate Martial Law each year to simply remind ourselves of the tragedies that occurred around that time. We hold events such as these to give the student body platforms to use their talents and abilities to serve a greater cause. Ultimately, we truly hope that the student body will start to use the opportunities that we present to them, as we believe that we all have the power to make a difference in the lives of others,” they explained.

“If there is one thing that I would like the ASHS student population to remember in relation to this year’s Martial Law commemoration, it would be the fact that we will never truly know and understand the struggles that our predecessors went through during that era,” they further expressed, citing that it is highly unlikely for the current generations to experience the darkest moments brought about by Martial Law.

“Hindi ka inilagay sa mundong ito para maging taga-masid lamang. May kapangyarihan ka upang baguhin ang mundong ito para sa mga kapatid nating nasa laylayan ng lipunan. Gamitin ang boses para sa pakikibaka. Gamitin ang kaalaman para sa pagtataguyod ng iba,” the officer concluded, empowering the youth, specifically ASHS students to be instruments of change.