Martial law exhibit launched Thursday

MANILA, Philippines — Photojournalist Jes Aznar will launch tomorrow “The Need to Remember” exhibit in Quezon City, featuring victims and survivors of the Marcos dictatorship.

The Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation is inviting the public to visit the exhibit from Sept. 18 to 30 at the lobby of the JRS Building.

On Saturday, a brief program will introduce the exhibit, followed by Aznar’s portrait session with more martial law survivors.

In 2022, Aznar started searching for unknown victims of the Marcos dictatorship, including George Obedosa, to take their portraits.

Obedosa recorded their account of how their rights were violated, and pushed for its publication in The New York Times.

Aznar had hoped that Marcos would read the story or make people aware of what they did.

“People need to remember what happened during those years. More than half a century has passed; many of those who survived the regime are now old and sickly and their testimonies could soon vanish into obscurity,” Aznar said.

The Aznar prints on exhibit will be donated to and become part of the archival collection of Bantayog ng mga Bayani.

Schools, churches and other institutions that want to use the photos as historical learning materials can request a mobile exhibit.

Bantayog ng mga Bayani is the country’s only standing monument, museum and library that honors the victims of martial law and those who stood against the Marcos dictatorship.

The Philippines will commemorate on Sept. 21 the 1972 declaration of martial law by strongman Ferdinand Marcos.