THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE IDOLIZING MARCOS



Early this month, I asked my fourth year students to create artistic posters of post-war/contemporary Filipinos who they consider as their heroes. This is part of our observance of National History Month last August. Initially, I am pleased with their outputs because most of it are well made and depicts popular personalities today like CNN Hero Efren Penaflorida, former DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino. Some even fielded lesser known names in the field of social change like Gawad Kalinga’s Tony Meloto, child wonder Kesz Valdez, RockEd founder Gang Badoy, and even rapper Francis Magalona.

However, I was struck speechless by what one student chose as his hero: former President and Dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.

When asked, the child—a chubby, 16 year old teenager—reasoned that he considers Marcos a hero because there was peace and order, and that people were disciplined and patriotic during his term. I wanted to correct his choice of hero but at the same time I don’t want to dictate or spoon feed him on what should be a hero. Hence, I accepted his work, but I neither gave him a very good score nor did I select his work for the gallery of heroes we organized at the school campus.

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The Social Scientist: THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE IDOLIZING MARCOS
The Social Scientist: THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE IDOLIZING MARCOS