From when it will rise to what will be inside, these are answers to all the FAQs about the Freedom Memorial Museum
A museum and memorial dedicated to honoring the victims of state violence and oppression during the 14-year period of martial law under Pres. Ferdinand Marcos is the flagship project of the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC).
The period between 1972 and 1986 was marked with abuse of human rights. Amnesty International stated, in a report that has been accepted by most historians and journalists, that there were 3,257 known extrajudicial killings, 35,000 documented tortures, 77 disappearances, and 70,000 incarcerations, primarily targeting political opponents, student activists, and other groups and individuals vocal against the administration.
Once the museum and memorial is completed, it will be the first and only state-sponsored museum that officially recognizes the atrocities committed during the period of martial law. Here is everything you need to know about the Freedom Memorial Museum.
Where will the museum rise?
The museum is set to rise on a 1.4-hectare site near the University of the Philippines’ (UP) College of Fine Arts in the Diliman campus.
When will the museum rise?
The museum is expected to open by 2022, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Pres. Marcos’ declaration of martial law on Sept. 21, 1972.
What will the museum look like?
The museum will be designed in the Brutalist style of architecture reminiscent of the popular style of the time. The design will combine the imagery of a raised fist, a universal symbol of resistance, with a flower, which remembers the peaceful People Power Revolution that brought an end to martial law.
Young architects Mark Anthony Pait, Mark Angelo Bonita, Audie Palma, and Wendell Crispo submitted the design through a competition run by the HRVVMC. The entry was called “Fall of Brutal.”
The plaza will be designed and patterned to resemble dried, arid land. This is to symbolize the peoples’ thirst for freedom during the martial law period.
What will be inside the museum?
The museum will include a Memorial Hall, which will list all the names of the victims of the martial law era, including the place of incident. A partial list can already be found on the HRVVMC’s official website. The render of the Memorial Hall shows that in the middle will be the Aviation Security Command (Avescom) van that took Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. to the hospital after he was fatally shot at then Manila International Airport on Aug. 21, 1983. It has been reported that a replica of the China Airlines plane that Aquino took will also be part of the museum’s permanent display.
A planned Hall of Agony will depict the various methods of torture employed by the perpetrators of human rights abuses during martial law.
It will be the first and only state-sponsored museum that officially recognizes the atrocities committed during the period of martial law.
The museum design includes 14 galleries. They will hold memorabilia and artifacts, such as arrest and seizure orders, news articles, sworn statements, and photos collected from victims and others alive during the period.
The HRVVMC has also started to produce educational and audiovisual material, some of which are available on its official website.
How much will the museum cost and where will they be getting the funds?
The Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 apportioned ₱500 million for the museum and memorial. The implementation of the Act comes from a ₱10 billion fund, which is primarily drawn from the ill-gotten wealth of Pres. Marcos and his family that was transferred to the Philippine government by virtue of the Dec. 10, 1997 decision of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.