LOOK: At 6th 1081 Martial Law Exhibit, Cebu artists 'unveil dictator's dirt'

CEBU, Philippines – Students, artists, and activists started the week leading to the 51st remembrance of the Martial Law declaration with an exhibit at the University of the Philippines Cebu (UPC) that commemorates the struggles of victims during the Marcos dictatorship.

The exhibit, named after Proclamation 1081 which placed the Philippines under Martial Law on September 21, 1972, features various works from the university’s fine arts students whose goals are to dispel disinformation about the Martial Law era and to resurface past experiences of the Marcos regime.

“In the pursuit of historical transparency and justice, the voices of the disenfranchised and the victims will be given the attention they deserve,” Kirstein Pilongo, the head of the exhibit, said during the opening ceremony on Monday afternoon, September 18.

For its 6th annual commemoration, the theme of the exhibit is “Lift The Sheets, Uncovering The Dictator’s Dirt”.

The opening ceremony began with a short reenactment by the UP Students’ Theatre Arts Guild for Education (UPSTAGE) of the lives of victims who were tortured and silenced during Martial Law.

Adult, Female, Person — UNCOVER. Kirstein Pilongo, 1081 Project Head, told Rappler that the focus if this year’s exhibit is to lift and the dirty sheets of the Marcos regime that covers the bloodied experiences of slain victims of injustice. Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler

Students also led a shotgun rally to denounce the current administration’s policies which includes Mandatory ROTC, PUV Phaseout, and budget cuts to the entire UP system which affects students, jeepney drivers, activists, and working citizens alike.

In line with Cebu Press Freedom Week which opened on Sunday, September 17, student journalists also called out the government’s use of military forces to silence campus publications who have been covering issues involving development workers and indigenous people’s (IP) communities in Visayas and Mindanao.

This year’s exhibit, Pilongo said, will have more activities which will range from forums, seminars, and performances. The exhibit head added that in line with the exhibit, there was also a cultural immersion activity conducted with the vendors of the Carbon Market in downtown Cebu on Saturday, September 16.

The 1081 exhibit is open to the public at the Jose Joya Art Gallery from September 18 to September 25.