Challenge

Massive online disinformation is whitewashing the corruption and atrocities of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s 20-year Martial Law dictatorship, 3,257 people were killer, 35,000 were tortured, 70,000 were incarcerated. And yet these stories are being silenced on social media.

This distortion of history helped his son and namesake win the Presidency, 50 years after the declaration of Martial Law. Unfortunately, people fear that the truth about that bloody era will remain in the dark forever.

How does Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foudnation (Monument of Heroes), the organisation that honours the heroes of Martial Law, remind people of the atrocities and illuminate the truth?

Campaign

Filipinos light candles on the streets to remember the departed or tragic events. So to remind the nation, especially the youth, about the lessons of Martial Law, the organisation lit candles in "Street Memorials" across the Philippines.

Through extensive research, exact locations where Martial Law heroes were murdered or last seen were identified. Candles were then lit in these places with memorials during the month of February — the anniversary of the peaceful revolution that ousted the late dictator.

Remembering the heroes this way revealed more of the truth, as the candle wax filled in a mold illustrating the faces of each represented hero. Their mouths were replaced with QR codes leading to a website where their stories are retold in 3D & spatial audio. This reminded people of the bravery and sacrifice these heroes made, right where it happened.

Impact

The flame from each candle sparked a wildfire. Multiple sightings and opinions about the campaign filled the news and went viral online. The urgency and relevance of the campaign triggered movements from various groups and soon more voices fighting for truth filled the streets again.

But best of all, the campaign influenced leading universities in the country to finally institutionalise and integrate Martial Law education into their curriculum — a more sustainable effort to ensure the new generation will always be enlightened about the truth of the regime.

As we create more street memorials, thousands of these stories are being brought to light.