36th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution: The Truths about Martial Law

The 36th anniversary of the historic EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986 is celebrated today, February 25, 2022. It was an event when millions of Filipinos protested against the dictatorship of late president Ferdinand E. Marcos. Many false claims have regarded the dictator's long term, especially during Martial Law, as the "golden age" of the Philippines. Though, as we know, the truth will always prevail.

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Written by Ma. Jhezzalet Infante

Layout by Zamanttha Sahidulla  

Posted on February 25, 2022  |  7:30 AM

The EDSA People Power Revolution is celebrated in honor of the brave Filipinos who fought for human rights, for what is right, and for the future of the next generations of Filipinos during the Martial Law years of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. However, false narratives and conspiracy theories have been circulating the internet about what truly happened in the country during the Marcos regime. Many Filipinos are being misinformed that the Marcos’ Martial Law era was beneficial for the country, omitting accurate details and information that say otherwise. Hence, people should be reminded of what truly happened during the Marcos Regime and replace these false claims with reliable and truthful facts. 

False Claim: The Philippines was the “Richest Country in Asia” 

An article from Rappler claims that this is false information. They showed data of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), proving that the Philippines was never the Richest Country in Asia during the time of Marcos’ presidency. The truth is that the Philippines only ranked 3rd next to Singapore and Malaysia during the dictatorship of Marcos in 1965. The Philippines’ GDP per capita (average income per person) ranked 5th by 1986 and only fell further during this era. For the Majority of Marcos’ term, the Philippines’ GDP was only 2nd next to Indonesia. 

False Claim: The exchange rate was USD 1 = PHP 1.50 during the administration of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos

It was claimed that the exchange rate of the USD to PHP is an indication of a better economy in the country, hence a lot of people thought that the Marcos regime was a good administration. Official data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) stated that the exchange rate of USD to PHP when Marcos came into power in 1965 was already at PHP 3.91, and as Marcos’ was ousted in 1986, it became PHP 20.46, declining by a whopping 423.46%. Pauline Macaraeg, a writer from Rappler, also added that the highest Philippine peso exchange rate is 2PHP per dollar, which was in the year 1960. 

False Claim: True poverty was experienced during the administration of the Aquinos because there were no poor people during Martial Law

An official poverty data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that the poverty rate in families was 44.2 percent in the year 1985, the year before the late Ferdinand Marcos was unseated from power. It was 4.3 percentage points higher from the year 1991, when Corazon Aquino was president. On the other hand, during the term of the late Noynoy Aquino in 2015, the poverty rate stood at 16.5%. However, before PSA, the poverty line, which was set by the National Statistical Coordination Board in 1993, was used for the years 1961 to 1971. It is shown in the World Bank report in 1995 that poverty in the Philippines was already high even before the term of Marcos. During half of the term of Marcos, it was stated that half of the Filipino population were considered to be already poor due to unemployment. Before Marcos’ term ended, the unemployment rate hit its highest rate.

False Claim: Juan Ponce Enrile claimed that “No Massacres” occurred during the Marcos Regime 

Juan Ponce Enrile, the defense secretary of Marcos during the Martial Law, claimed that there were “no massacres'' during the Marcos Regime. The truth is a lot of massacres and tragedies have taken place during the Martial Law. One of them is the Malisbong Massacre of 1974 in Palimbang Sultan Kudarat; Inside the Malisbong Mosque, 1,500 male Moros, ages 11 to 70 years old, were killed, and the government forces burned and destroyed 300 houses. Another  massacre was the massacre in Bingcul village in Mindanao in 1977; 12 families were taken out of their homes to squat on the ground by 7 uniformed armed men, then called an open fire that resulted in killing 42 villagers. Their houses were also burned down, reported by the Associated Press (AP). Only four people survived, and one adult and three children were wounded. 

A massacre also occurred in the Corregidor Island, known as “The Rock Island”, where a lot of killings have taken place because of the ‘grand’ plan known as the “Operation Merdeka” of the Marcos Administration and the plan of this operation is to invade and recapture the disputed territory of Sabah from Malaysia. Merdeka means freedom in Malay terms but Jibin Arula, a survivor of the Jabidah Massacre stated that they were treated unfairly by their superior and only ate dried fish for coffee and rice as leftovers. While their superiors were living luxuriously, they were suffering from mistreatment. 

On March 18, 1968, 200 young Tausug and Sama men were brutally murdered by the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). And the never forgotten tragedy in the Manila Film Center, a grand project turned into tragedy as they say. 

In August of 1981, Imelda Marcos called for a $25 million fund for an 8-story building where 4,000 workers are said to be working three shifts non-stop for 24 hours a day. The deadline for the project was tight because Imelda Marcos invited a lot of high profile VIPs. Because of that pressure, they were forced to prove to them that they will be able to finish the building in time. On November 17, 1981, the scaffolding collapsed at 3 A.M., where 169 workers were buried alive in a quick drying cement. Not until nine hours after the incident, the Marcoses tried to cover this up by not allowing rescue workers and ambulances to enter the construction site. The film center only ended up to be a venue for screenings of porn films in the 80s when it opened in 1982 having $25 million as its budget. 

False Claim: During Martial Law, the Filipinos had the freedom to roam and watch the news 

Many social media users have claimed that people could roam around and watch television and news during Martial Law in Marcos' presidency. They also added that the dark narration of history during the Marcos Regime was manipulated by the media. These claims are not true. Based on historical records and personal testimonies of people who experienced the administration of Marcos, starting in 1972, late dictator Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law that restricted the media and personal freedom of Filipinos. Heavy militarization was also implemented. Due to the curfew of 12 A.M. to 4 A.M., roaming around the streets was not allowed. Privately-owned media outlets were taken over by the military. Limited media outlets were allowed to broadcast, but information can only be accessed through media organizations. Information was limited and controlled by the government, which did not allow the media to speak the entire truth about the events in and out of the country.

False Claim: Glorifying the infrastructures that Ferdinand Marcos built

People have always been amazed by the Marcoses because of the “infrastructures” that they built. Like the San Juanico Bridge, the Cultural Center Complex, and the Philippine International Convention Center. These are just some of the infrastructures that he was able to build during his term that ”impressed” a lot of people. But behind those well-known infrastructures is the plummeting economy of the Philippines. 

According to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), all the infrastructures made are from loans when Marcos came into power in 1962, the debt went from from $360 million to $28.3 billion when he stepped down in 1986. A data from World Bank’s structural adjustment loans proved how the economy dropped during the administration of Marcos, Tariffs were reduced from 0-100 percent to 0-50 percent, harming domestic industries in 14 sectors such as food processing, textiles and garments, leather and leather products, pulp and paper, cement, iron and steel, and automobiles. During the same period, 1975 to 1985,  the overall average nominal tariffs dropped from 44.3% to 27.6%, agricultural tariffs went from 67.2% to 35.9%, and manufacturing from 41.4% to 27.1%. An economist from the University of the Philippines also stated that some of the infrastructures have cultural value but others are over designed, rushed, and wasteful. These overpriced projects are still being paid by the Filipino taxes up until this day and the experts estimate that the debt will not be fully paid until 2025 which is 40 years after the EDSA People Power Revolution. 

“In the Age of Information, Ignorance is a choice”, stated by American author Donald Miller. We are reminded to question everything we see online, check the credibility of the sources, and do not believe anything that we see on social media platforms, especially if the statements are not factual and based on biased information. As we celebrate the 36th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, let us all be reminded of the truth of what happened during these dreadful years in the history of our nation and why it is the reason why the people took it to their initiative to oust an exploitative dictator and restore the democracy that promises freedom and justice for everyone.