Almost 54 percent of Filipinos are under the age of 24. They were all born after 1990 and some of them became voters after 1996. By 2016 a big chunk of this group (5-10 million of them) will turn 18 and be eligible to vote as well. This is a new generation calling the political shots now in the Philippines — and they are no longer beholden to the Aquino-Cojuangco feudal clan, their Yellow colours, ‘Loser’ hand gestures, and hollow emo rhetoric. To them, the 1986 EDSA “revolution” is just another boring chapter in their school books that follows the equally theoretical (perhaps a bit more exciting) chapter on the Martial Law years presided over by former President Ferdinand Marcos.
Buried by all the vitriol lobbed by a bunch of middle-aged balding grey-haired Ateneans at their fellow alumni happening to come from this generation who glibly struck an unfortunate pose beside former First Lady Imelda Marcos is the otherwise sensible view that, hey, these kids are entitled to form their own opinion about the political landscape today. The Jesuits did not train them to think for nothin’. I’ll defer to Oscar Franklin Tan who wrote in his Inquirer piece Alienating youth from Edsa…
The members of the Edsa generation must accept that the members of the next are perfectly entitled to form their own opinions regarding Edsa, and will do so whether or not they choose to contribute to this. Their perspective will increasingly be not about what happened but how—or even if—Edsa is relevant to them today, and validly and understandably so. Painful as it might be, they are likewise entitled to reject Edsa as an unfulfilled dream.
Thing is, this elder “Edsa generation” should recall the way things were back in the heady years between 1983 and 1986. As they donned their yellow shirts and waved the Loser salute, they were a force to reckon with — a bunch of kids back then who wouldn’t and couldn’t be told how and what to think by the old farts. Fast forward to today, and they are now the old farts presuming to tell the young guns what to think — that the Martial Law years were eeevvvvilll years.
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Old farts may take the perceived truth in that notion for granted. The trouble is, they assume that the youth think the same. Unfortunately they don’t. Those who lament how Filipinos have “forgotten” the purported “horrors” of the 1970s and say that the new generation of Filipinos need to be “reminded” of said horrors got it only 5 percent right. There is nothing to “remind” this new generation — because they never lived through the 1970s to begin with. Rather, the concept of the evil of the Martial Law years needs to be sold to them the way a car salesman would — by allowing them to kick the tires and take the product for a test drive.
And so, good luck with that sales pitch. How does the typical Aquino fan convince today’s skeptical kids to even at least have a taste of the Yellow Kool Aid? That’s the challenge faced by the Old Guard who remain loyal to the Aquino-Cojuangco clan today. Thanks to the disaster that was the presidency of Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III (a disaster, that is, specially to all who are deeply-invested in that presidency), stepping up to that challenge has become just short of an impossibility.
It is made specially difficult by the ubiquity of social media today, on which are shared hundreds — even thousands — of photos of the way the Philippines looked back in the 1970s. Images of a country with cities that were leafy and traffic-free, populated by fresh-faced people frolicking in pristine parks form a stark contrast to the dark sooty Gothamesque Metro Manila of the 21st Century and the disaster-scorched barren hinterlands surrounding it populated by a destitute and broken people. Coming from even further back — to the 1950s and 1960s — are images of Filipinos standing proud as they behold the impressive arsenal that equipped what was once one of the mightiest armies in southeast Asia.
Escolta in 1956: Will Manila ever be livable again?
Photo courtesy Manila Nostalgia
Worst of all, what makes it specially difficult for the Philippines’ aging nationalists to encourage Filipinos to salute the national colours with the same dignity and respect that harks back to the 50s, 60s, and 70s, is a Philippine President — BS Aquino himself — who would rather see his people salute his family’s yellow colours than stand up for the ol’ red-white-and-blue.
The tragedy that is “the Philippines”, indeed. It is a national tragedy that will forever come to be regarded as the legacy of the rule of the Aquino-Cojuangco clan and no longer that of the “evil” Martial Law years.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
I have talked to a lot of old people in the last 30 years and really all of them know how swell it was during Marcos. They readily admit it too and talk about the good old days. Talk to them today and they wonder what happened to this country. I only hear good things in general about Marcos, which makes me wonder how Edsa could have happened. We all know that the people on Edsa represented just a very small percentage of the Philippine population. Noone would have gone to Edsa too, if it would not have been for Cardinal Sin who called on the people to do so. The Aquinos brainwashed 2 generations of young Filipinos. Thankfully some of them are finally waking up and check the internet to find out the truth. Talk to the elderly, they know how it was.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/49932/to-young-filipinos-who-never-knew-martial-law-and-dictatorship
My parents used to tell me and even my relatives that their lives before are better during Marcos time, all the basic commodities are affordable from bigas to gaas. I know it because during my grade school I can buy bigas 13/kilo and the gaas (gas) 7/liter that was before Cory “The Saint” occupied Malacanang.
Thirty years from now, your children will complain, “During my grade school I can buy bigas 45/kilo and the gaas, 20/liter. Haaay, the good old days!”
My suggestion is to vote for the member who you are confident, who will take up the challange for the betterment of the masses. Not to give your vote to the less than bright “popular” “artistic” self enritchment type full of spin at the polls & then for self gratification at the expense of all.
There is nothing ‘theoretical’ about the ‘Martial law’ years. It happened and it sucked for those who challenged the ruling elites.
There is also nothing ‘theoretical’ about the dismal state of the Republic of the Philippines (pronounced Fail-ippines) 28 years after the ‘People Power’ revolution that ended the Marcos’ rule. (and please, for those who will no doubt come up with the “Marcos did this and Marcos did that and it benefitted the people” argument, well if he was so great for the country then why did the people even want to revolt in 1985?)
If, and its a pretty big if (given that Filippine society is not very original), these kids of the coming generation can not figure out that the two different regime’s (Marcos & Aquino) have done nothing to advance the country past the sorry as shit state the country is in today, well then they will be just as screwed as the people have been since 1965 when Marcos came to the Presidency.
To argue about who was better and who did what is to trap oneself in the past.The breaking up of the oligarchic stranglehold that has gripped the country for 50 years is what they should concentrate on. My bet is they will do nothing of the sort.I actually hope I am wrong…but upon seeing how people in the country treat each other, the chances are slim and the future looks none too rosy for these kids. The countries cities are complete shit-holes and the countries beaches are pollutted to disgusting levels while the forest’s are being raped of the tree’s that used to stop floods that may just sink the entire archipelago.
Until such time that the people in charge start thinking about what type of future they are leaving the kids, do not be surprised what these kids do when it is their turn to rule the country.
Breaking up the oligarch stranglehold was exactly what Marcos did. The oligarchs made a triumphant comeback during Cory Aquino. Who was better and who did what IS VERY RELEVANT. It is relevant because Marcos has been vilified for close to 30 years now by people who indeed did nothing for this country. Marcos on the other hand did. And what he did should be an example for the dingbats who ru this country now. The actual percentage of Filipino people involved on Edsa was minimal. And I can tell you that half of them only went there to see what the other half was doing there. Without the meddling of the catholic church there would have been no People Power. People Power, yes, the mob rules.
OH Please, I asked for people NOT To do that, so talk to some one else.
MARCOS became the only oligarch standing, IDK if he got rid of the opposition…oh wait that is exactly what he did.
PDLT is MARCOS MONEY, and there is still lots more of it running the country.
Like I said…nothing is going to change.
You got it right @Jim DiGriz!
everybody fucking hates you benigno aquino you fucking suck dick <– actually does
It is a trgedy that the Aquino-Cojuangco political propaganda machine; portrayed themselves as “heroes” and “saints”. It is a Big Lie…and is farthest from the truth…
We the Elder Bloggers, must blog to teach this new generation of Filipinos to think for themselves. I have contributed my own knowledge. I have done my part.I hope everyone of us who can contribute, do so.
It is only in changing the mindset of the new generation of Filipinos: to see the truth; to be aware of the reality of things; to have vision for themselves and their country. That they can remove the Brainwashing that the Aquinos have done to the Filipinos.
EDSA is irrelevant. It is an Oligarchy and Political Opportunists power grab. Feudalism ,Political family dynasties, political opportunism and more corruption came out from EDSA…
U know, who was it that came to the rescue when BSAIII and his Mom were being shot at? The U.S.A. Air-force. The biggest impediment to changing the rat hole country is not getting rid of the people in the congress/palais it is getting away from the Superpower that protects them. Since Filipino’s hate the Chinese, even though they run business’s in the country, it looks like you are all stuck with Uncle Sam.And good luck getting rid of that nasty old fart.
You see, there are a few things that could be accomplished quite easily….but then what? Besides no one has any balls in that country to do what needs to be done anyway.
BTW, it would be easy!!
Filipino’s are never wrong, never make a mistake and because they do not, no one is ever on the side that says”You know, ur right, my bad……”.
GOOD LUCK changing that crap hole country!
@Thom
Nation of drama Queens
All need to grow up
Know it all, cant tell them a thing
Never listen, smarter than the rest
No one is allowed an opinion apart from them
Always in denial
All prone to 2 year old temper tantrums.
They live in a country with one of the lowest gdp per capita on the planet and they all have to go abroad to find a decent job.
@YAWN, yes you are 100% correct.
It is perfectly clear that growing up is key to overcoming these traits.
@ YAWN…and it is a disgrace to all employers that have people working for P400/day and even less. A key to overcoming that would be to relax import tariffs so that retailers would not have to double/triple/quadruple the price of everything entering the store’s shelves. Some of the tax savings could got to employees immediately. I mean really, how can an employer even expect someone to show up for $10 bucks for an entire days pay? it is just a frikkin disgrace…and yet it is happening everywhere in the country…everywhere!
People who are saying we were better of with Marcos because it seemed like there was no crime is like saying Koreans living in North Korea are better off under the Kim’s rule. I mean Pyongyang I am sure is peaceful but what about the humanitarian issues? What about those not living in capital?
Problem with the grow support of Marcos today is not that they have an opinion (since we are entitled to one) but they are not entitled to their own facts.
Fact is the economy plummeted during his Administration, fact is critics were silenced (killed, tortured, sometimes rapped) under his rule, fact is his family stole $5 Billion to $10 Billion which makes the current pork barrel scam look like pocket change.
For those saying we traded a dictatorship for an Oligarchy, yes that’s true but I dare people say they would rather live during Marcos time than now. If Marcos’ regime (either him, his family, etc) are still ruling under martial law and a dictatorship this site wouldn’t exist, our freedom of the press wouldn’t exist, rappler would have been shut down in a day, and all of us in Facebook would have been sent to prison already.
@shooter
IMHO you cannot really blame the younger generation if they are doubting what you are saying, for more than 25 years the government failed to prosecute them. And the situation in the Philippines exactly didn’t get any better than before.
I understand that, and I do think besides the obvious Marcos propaganda machine that the reason why so many people have started to be nostalgic about Marcos is because of the disillusionment post Marcos and recent years. But I just hope some people step back think things through and put things into perspective.
We could also consider the thing you are saying are propaganda against him, and it doesnt help that after more than 25 years the government failed to convict him on a court of law.
Well, maybe there is little truth to the opinion of shooter. Yet I cannot buy it because what is visible in my eyes are not the good things that those people power initiators have promised to the people. Remember this, “Ang presyo ng galunggong ngayon ay 5 or 10 piso ang isang kilo.” Then after the ouster of Marcos how much then? Well this is just an example of those words I heard over the radio during the EDSA 1 victorious moment which for me are just failed words and promises. And many Filipinos buy those argument because the propagandists are all around the media corners. The truth is they made Marcos during EDSA 1 a monster or the evil himself while they made the Aquinos the saints and heroes which I beg to disagree. Well, now I also understand the USA has a big role on that part of our history it is sad not the good side but also somewhat devious in nature. Maybe US before don’t want to see Philippines a strong country but what they want is to maintain the status quo that the Philippines should be a third world country which the US succeeded for the long time. I hope now, US has change its outlook on us because if not then, Philippines will continue to be a third world country for another couple of decades. Yes, Reagan is a close ally of Marcos but those people in the other part of the US government did not agree with their president.
@shooter
“Problem with the grow support of Marcos today is not that they have an opinion (since we are entitled to one) but they are not entitled to their own facts.
Fact is the economy plummeted during his Administration, fact is critics were silenced (killed, tortured, sometimes rapped) under his rule, fact is his family stole $5 Billion to $10 Billion which makes the current pork barrel scam look like pocket change.”
You just countered your own statement.
Does your facts have definitive proof? evidence? proven conviction?
As of today all of your “Facts” are just hearsay. You see, in a legitimate court, hearsay evidences don’t stand. Maybe on the Senate or Congress it will. They are only persecution not prosecution, Google them to know the difference.
As for the Marcos Supporters “Loyalista” they have something to depend their statement like photos, documents, etc.
So who do you think will be most believable?
The young generations also have a legitimate source of information during the Marcos Era; their parents or grandparents, whom have a first hand information, because they have experience it.
So if I were to choose, I prefer Marcos, than loudmouth Aquino’s.
“So if I were to choose, I prefer Marcos, than loudmouth Aquino’s.”
you probably do a lot of criticizing the president that’s perfectly find but remember if this was Marcos time you would probably have been put to jail by statements like that.
But let’s look at these facts. Now the numbers may be open to debate but it’s well documented from multiple sources that Marcos stole around $ 10Billion and hid most of his fortune in a Swiss bank account.
It’s also well documented that many who criticized the government and Marcos were either tortured, killed, sent to jail. Ok you can say that people have parents and grandparents who remember The Philippines fondly, but what about the ones who saw their daughter rapped right in from their eyes by military men (as I saw in a documentary), who has the more valid claim on how Marcos regime should be remembered?
And what about the exchange rate. In the 50’s the PHP to USD exchange rate was 2 peso to $1, and by 1986 it was 20 to $1.
People talk about the infrastructure Marcos built but what about their construction cost that cost more than it should have and put the country into serious debt.
Now let’s go with perception no longer fact. But ok you have people who say Marcos time was peaceful (my parents also felt that way) but what about the people who took the blunt of the human rights violations? Can you justify having less crime even if there are innocent people being tortured or killed?
Why only the Marcos Sins? What About the Aquino’s Sins?
What about the farmers that were shot down during the mendiola rally?
What about the farmers who have been robbed by their own land?
What about the continous brutallity inside Hacienda Luisita?
What about the distribution of Hacienda Luisita?
What about giving all public utilities to private corporations?
You only see what you want to see.
LOL! I never said that we are corruption free and evil free today. And I am aware what happened to Hacienda Luisita. Here’s the thing at least for the people in Hacienda Luisita people were aware, that there were people who broadcasted the atrocities and injustice done to these farmers. And at least it got to the point that PNoy (who I also do not like) is trying to rectify it. The fact that people know about what happened and it’s made public the atrocities shows how important the power of free press is. Something that would have been foreign during Marcos era.
Free Press? More like Paid Press.
The Tabloid has much more credibility than the broadsheet today. Mind conditioning is what this “Free Press” is good at.
Manipulative, vindictive and one-sided.
“Those who lament how Filipinos have “forgotten” the purported “horrors” of the 1970s and say that the new generation of Filipinos need to be “reminded” of said horrors got it only 5 percent right. There is nothing to “remind” this new generation — because they never lived through the 1970s to begin with. Rather, the concept of the evil of the Martial Law years needs to be sold to them the way a car salesman would — by allowing them to kick the tires and take the product for a test drive.”
Yes- it needs to be drummed in, the way Germany retells the story of the Nazis and the country’s unfortunate role in the WWII years to EVERY generation of German kids.
I’m 30 years old now and was a child during the Edsa revolution. My grandfather was a Marcos general so I heard a glowing version of the Martial Law for most of my childhood. As I grew older I started reading old newspaper articles about those who were tortured and “disappeared” at that time. I read about how Marcos was ridiculed by other world leaders- even Lee Kwan Yew thought Marcos was a fool. All of this I did independently, because what was taught in school wasn’t enough and my family are Marcos loyalists.
This is why we have to continue talking about the evil Martial Law years to kids. Few German youth support Nazism. Armed with facts, few Filipino kids will ever glorify Marcos or even wish for Martial Law to be implemented again.
Marcos is irrelevant . He is dead 30 years ago. His dictatorship is past. Yet, the YellowTards resurrect him politically, as a boggeyman; to rationalize the incompetence and greed of the Aquinos.
We are talking of the present. Not the past. Yesterday is past long gone.
To be fair to the Noytards , they have been avoiding the present since day 1. Noynoy ‘s campaign was all about other people and what they did in the past. It was never about the 21st century.
what’s not right is the way people think of Marcos. When someone says marcos, martial law comes to mind and evil. what happend before martial law. why marcos declared martial law. is martial law before really that bad? people should ask this questions first before really believing what others say about marcos. but as i observed, most poeple dont care much now. so most people wont ask anyway. they just believe what they are told and do what they are told. not thinking through. lucky pnoy there will be no more poeple power for him ’cause poeple these times dont give a shit. unless papansin nanaman ang mga pinoy dyan at mag alsa ng people power. not for the sake of the country but to magpapansin na lang nanaman sa buong mundo.
Marcos Martial Law? why not ask, Enrile, who is now in jail for plunder. He is the architect of Marcos’ Martial Law. Or ask Ramos, who is enjoying his loot. Ramos owns the Seafood City in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A. Ramos is the Martial Law implementor of Marcos…a “Bastonero” of the subversives that were detained.
You know what guys, all of you are the retards, insanes, and idiots. You cannot beat pnoy with freakin’ keyboard revolutions. Join the farmers cry on the streets instead and pnoy will be out of Malacanang Palace in one day. How can pnoy concentrate for the economic growth of our motherland if he’s fighting for hacienda luisita? Now luisita is gone and he’s robbing the treasury for it. It’s too late now guys he already got 10 times more than what’s he’s asking for…p10 billion for luisita. So shut up your mouths and help the farmers to be a great nation again.
It seems to me that he never had good intentions for the country in the first place. And these so-called “keyboard revolutions” this site’s doing is supposed to incite everyone else with an internet connection to rise up. Not only that, it’s apparent that open-field rallies stopped working now.
And what do you propose then dimwit? Nationwide civil war? What blood is thicker than water for you?
Yeah why not? Civil war is an option. The population need to be rid off a lot of weeds
@frtadero says: “So shut up your mouths and help the farmers to be a great nation again.”
I’d do those, but the Philippines was never a great nation to begin with.
Why do we need to remember the Martial Law days?
That is only a small part of our history.
If you ask today’s youth, they know when is the birthday of Ninoy and Cory but do not know when was our National Hero was born.
And their birthdays are celebrated, also declared as holidays, but the birth of our National Hero? Nah, It just a regular day.
It’s not “keyboard revolution” as those YellowTards think. It is the Age of Information Technology. It is a World of nations community. To be known thru out the world as a Thief, is worse and you are a President of a nation. Losing respect from other nation leaders, makes you a JOKE among worlds’ leaders.
It is also removing the brainwashing done by the Aquinos on the Filipinos.
Pnoy Aquino can be beaten….he is now beginning to fall. Calling names to people, instead of giving good argument is immature…like their hero Pnoy Aquino, who has a low IQ and EQ…very immature…
All that has really ended up happening is one thief was replaced with another. I do think that Mrs. Aquino had a real desire to help pull some of the poorer Filipino’s out of their dreary circumstances but she was fighting a losing battle as Marcos and his cronies never really left.
Being only one person and having to deal with the same people that were behind her husbands murder was not really the ideal circumstance to getting things done nor was Mrs. Aquino the best choice to run the country, she just wasn’t.and what the country has now,HA..fuggedabowditt.
Cory helping poor Filipinos? You must be joking. That woman is a Cojuanco and was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. If she really wanted to help then Hacienda Luicita would belong to the farmers.
We cannot expect to have a perfect leader, but as long as he continues moving forward each day and thinking for the good of the country and the people each night before he rest I cannot utter a word to curse him, for if I ever be given such opportunity to lead I’m not sure if I’ll be doing better than he does. Ikaw kaya ?
Moving forward? Yeah, right, what do you call then the ever increasing number of people into poverty, unemployment / underemployment, increase of prices of basic commodities, fuel and electricity?
You are ignoring the fact that this country was not only moving forward, but actually made a giant leap back into the stone age.
My pet dog can do a better job than him. Fact!!!! This country is running itself along without a president for almost 4 years.
Our people through the inalienable rights select their leaders when election comes. During this period of choosing our leaders some even their candidates against black propaganda and detractors.Some even wage their lives because they idolize him/her. But after election some of them change especially they failed to see or get what they expect
not knowing that everybody has weaknesses. Some never see good works only the failures.Kung gumamit man ng pera ng bayan at di para sa sarili nya saakin ay ok na tulad ng ginawa ng mga nauna sa kanya.
Wake up man, prisidinti siya, for crying out loud, hindi artesta. If he can’t take the heat of being a president, then he should leave it to the other more able leaders.
First off, it should be good that he take criticisms in stride. A normal person would listen to such criticism and work on it. Ito lang “leader” na ‘to ang ayaw makakarinig ng criticsm. Pareho ng nanay niya, kaya ngayon lubog na ang Pinas.
This country will never move forward if people keep going back to things that have already failed.
Marcoses failed. The Aquinos failed. There’s no point in arguing who did better, because they all failed.
Nostalgia has always been looking through rose-colored glasses.
We must doing something good to attract yellow trolls. Just like their master… They do not care for the country or the people! All they see is the image of their yellow despot. May they all disappear from the face of the earth!
I bought my best shoes there in Escolta…
our life was better during the Marcos regime. its Carma to the filipinos or curse.
Pre-EDSA People Power, most students graduate from college with a solid chance of getting employed doing what is actually on their diploma. Nowadays, what are the chances of that happening? Nurses are working in call centers. Engineers, Therapists, Architects, etc, working as salesmen in department stores for years (if they do get out at all). The Cory Constitution and its 40% limitation on foreign ownership of businesses in the country made sure thses would happen.