The Marcos myth-making continues

Yes, we lament the treachery that took place on Nov. 18, but should we wonder that a dictator’s life full of deceit and deception should include such a ghastly episode, complete with speculations on wax replica or human remains, casket size, and secret chamber?

Only one thing was certain: This non-hero does not belong in the hallowed grounds of the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

But in the midst of our anguish and anger in remembering the countless lives lost during the dark years of martial law came a surprise, a bright ray of hope, in seeing youth groups in protest. How moving to see the brave ones who needed no company to express their disgust.

Were these the same young people who, we feared, did not understand and appreciate recent history—the arduous struggle during the long years of dictatorship and the restoration of democracy with the election of Cory Aquino?

Yes, they are fully aware that the 1986 Edsa Revolution did not change the social structure of Philippine society and that the struggle toward a more equitable society must continue.

Witnessing this gave me a degree of consolation that all was not lost.

At times like this, lines from the poet Gemino H. Abad’s “The Grave Thief,” written on Nov. 21, also buoy the flagging spirit. This excerpt is the next best thing to reprinting the entire poem and to hearing the poet himself say it out loud from memory.

Thus ends this poem that capitalizes on the shades of meaning of the word “grave”:

… a country divided, unhealed,

in the gravity of their memory’s cry:

“Never again!”

Tama na, sobra na, Apocalypse now,

the uncovering, the revelation:

We are the Spirit in our Constitution,

This is our Body, this is our Blood:

We shall prevail!

And so, let the myth-making around the dictator continue for the storylines get thinner and more predictable.  And a discerning generation sees the many cracks.

What a stark contrast in character study this November brings: a mock hero like the dictator Marcos and the assassinated hero, Ninoy Aquino, whose 84th birthday we will mark tomorrow.  Both were ambitious and polished politicians, but as writer Nelson Navarro described Marcos at his keynote speech at the Philippine PEN Conference early this week, the dictator perfected everything we detested in Philippine politics.  With no further need for elaboration, just look at how these two men died and were buried. Can revisionists alter those circumstances?

With the young in mind, I eagerly anticipate the release of the Philippine edition of a Spanish children’s book on dictators where Marcos is prominently featured. This is a nonfiction book, of course—history for young readers.

As long as we continue to empower our students with discovering worlds usually beyond their ken, there remains much promise for their future and that of our country.

Nov. 24-30 is the 82nd National Book Week. Activities will be led by the Philippine Librarians Association Inc. at The National Library, which is still undergoing retrofitting construction—but what a haven it promises for Filipino readers.

It is not well known that in 1937, President Manuel Quezon proclaimed Nov. 24-30 each year as a week of celebration of the book. He described reading as a privileged activity but, more important, a “highly patriotic duty.” His words continue to ring true today for the seemingly simple act of reading and teaching literature has come to signify solidarity with the nation.

The theme of this year’s National Book Week is timely and relevant: “Today’s Readers: Inclusivity in Diversity.” It is cleverly crafted but beyond the rhetoric, must draw our students, our readers, to issues close to their lives, issues that really matter. Therefore, literature that allows them to tell their own stories and leads them to raise questions that make them think deeply is what they have to be immersed in.

Neni Sta. Romana Cruz (nenisrcruz@gmail.com) is chair of the National Book Development Board and a member of the Eggie Apostol Foundation.