“Sa ating pag-aalaala sa mapapait na naranasan ng ating bansa, maging hamon sana sa atin na huwag limutin ang pakikibaka ng ating mga kababayan upang mabawi ang ating demokrasya, ang ating kalayaan.”
This was the call to the public UP Diliman (UPD) Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II made during the University’s dedication of the site of the Freedom Memorial Museum (Museum) on Sept. 20, a day before the 52nd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law (ML).
He said UPD continues in its advocacy to document and continuously educate the younger generation about ML through courses like Philippine Studies 21 and other similar initiatives in its various academic units. These are some of UPD’s ways to combat what he calls attempts to revise popular narratives about ML among the youth.
“Ilan lang ang mga ito sa mga gawain sa UPD na naglalayong ipaalala sa mga mag-aaral ang mga kaganapan noong panahon ng ML. Layunin ng UPD na hindi mawaglit sa isip ng mga kabataan ang mga naganap noon upang hindi na maulit ang mga ito sa anumang panahon,” Vistan added.
In his message, UP President Angelo A. Jimenez said vigilance is an unending but necessary process, and humans are “creatures of memory and we are what we remember.”
On 21 Sept. 2018, a memorandum of understanding was signed between UP and the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC) for the establishment and construction of the Human Rights Violations Victims’ memorial, museum, and/or library in UPD. A national competition was then held for the Museum’s design. A year after, Fall of Brutal by architects Mark Anthony Pait, Mark Angelo Bonita, and Wendell Crispo emerged as winner.
The Museum’s site dedication ceremony coincided with the unveiling of the final design of Book of Tears, a memorial sculpture by Toym Imao. The Book of Tears will serve as the Museum’s permanent marker. The future Museum will be located along CP Garcia Avenue opposite the current Commission on Higher Education building.
According to the HRVVMC, the artwork “reflects on the lives lost during the ML period, and how loss permanently changes families. It also emphasizes on the importance of remembrance through books and narratives.”
Book of Tears is composed of three figures depicting a family holding a book in the middle. The entire sculpture will be made of bronze, with the father figure painted white. The sculpture doubles as a water fountain. The dedication ceremony was held in two parts—the first part was at the UPD College of Fine Arts Gallery where a small-scale figure of the Book of Tears was on display. This was followed by a visit to the future site where the actual Book of Tears will be built.