SCREENGRAB FROM AYRIE CHING’S FACEBOOK POST
A militant youth group on Wednesday called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to investigate and recall textbooks supposedly containing “misinformation” and “historical untruths” on the martial law era and the Marcos regime.
Citing concerned netizens, Anakbyan particularly scored the textbook “Lakbay ng Lahing Pilipino 5” by Ailene G. Baisa Julian and Nestor S. Lontoc of Phoenix Publishing House, with a portion titled “Mga Pangyayaring Nagbigay-daan sa Pagtatakda ng Batas-Militar” on pages 350-351.
“[Aquino], to gain political points, hypocritically assailed Marcos and martial law, but his own DepEd is to blame for the lies,” Anakbayan chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said in a statement.
READ: Ateneo professors slam Bongbong Marcos’ ‘revision of history’
The authors trumpeted the supposed achievements of the administration of the late dictator in agriculture and the economy before declaring martial rule.
“’Di maitatatwang ang mga programa ni Marcos, gaya ng programa na ng iba pang mga pangulo ng Ikatlong Republika ay nakasentro sa pagkakamit ng kaunlarang pangkabuhayan. Ang unang termino ng pangasiwaan ni Marcos ay sadyang natatangi. Sa kauna-unahang pagkatataon, mula noong 1870, ang Pilipinas ay nakapag-ani ng higit sa pangangailangan ng bansa, kaya ang labis na ani ay ipinagbili sa ibang mga nasyon. Noong mga huling bahagi ng dekada ’60, ang Pilipinas ay nakilala bilang isa sa mga nagungunang bansa sa Asya sa larangan ng ekonomiya,” the textbook, whose photos are circulating on social media, read.
“Ngunit noong sumunod na mga taon, sanhi ng sunod-sunod na baha at bagyong humagupit sa bansa ay unti-unti na namang lumiit ang ani. Bunga nito, noong ikalawang termino ng pamumuno ni Marcos ay naharap siya sa maraming suliranin… Naniniwala si Marcos na hindi malulunasan ang malubhang suliranin ng bayan, kaya’t kinakailangan ng paggamit ng walang pasubaling kapangyarihan,” it added.
Anakbayan said the textbook “misleadingly claims that all of the dictator Marcos’ programs were done to uplift the lives of Filipinos, while turning a blind eye to the trampling of human rights and civil liberties and systemic corruption.”
READ: Not another Marcos in Malacañang, says former human rights chair
The group said it appeared that the series of floods and typhoons that resulted in less agricultural harvests and eventually protest rallies and rebel movements were the reasons for Marcos’ declaration of martial law.
“The textbook’s narrative [dressed] up dictatorial rule as a benevolent deed done to solve the nation’s ills, saying this completely negates the history of untold abuses caused by the concentration of economic and political power in one man,” Anakbayan said.
Crisostomo called on the DepEd and the Aquino administration to probe and recall the textbooks, warning that the next generation of Filipinos would be subjected to “historical amnesia.”
“No wonder some easily believe the outright lies peddled by the Marcos camp to support Bongbong’s candidacy,” he said.
READ: Belmonte to voters: Choose leaders based on history, Edsa’s legacy
INQUIRER.net tried to reach DepEd for comment, but they are yet to respond to the matter. CDG
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