Constructing a Counter-Memory: A Proposition to Atrocities and Historical Apathy to the Martial Law Experience in the Philippines

Authors

  • Maria Virginia Aguilar De la Salle University-Dasmarinas Author
  • Edwin Lineses De La Salle university - Dasmarinas, Philippines Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63931/pasrj.31.9

Keywords:

cultural memory, Martial Law, revisionism, counter-memory

Abstract

People construct cultural memory from how they make sense of past experiences through texts, oral tradition, artifacts, or symbols that are passed down from generation to generation. Cultural memory crystallizes people’s shared experiences and gives generations a sense of collective identity. But in the Philippines, a spirit of indifference has permeated the current generation, so the long-standing trauma of martial law from Marcos’ excesses seems to have become “more tolerable.” Democracy advocates were on the defensive as Marcos and his band of supporters reconstructed cultural memories of the martial law era into legitimate ones. This paper argues for the need to create a counter-memory to correct the historical distortions that permeate Philippine society.

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Published

2025-04-05 — Updated on 2025-06-30

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How to Cite

Aguilar, M. V., & Lineses, E. (2025). Constructing a Counter-Memory: A Proposition to Atrocities and Historical Apathy to the Martial Law Experience in the Philippines. Philippine Association for the Sociology of Religion Journal, 3(1), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.63931/pasrj.31.9 (Original work published 2025)