Jump to content

Freedom Memorial Museum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Freedom Memorial Museum
LocationUniversity of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
TypeHistory museum
Websitethefreedommemorial.org

The Freedom Memorial Museum is a planned museum to be built inside the University of the Philippines Diliman campus in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It will feature exhibits related to the martial law era under 10th President Ferdinand Marcos.

History

[edit]
President Benigno Aquino III (center) leads the launching of the museum in April 2016

The Freedom Memorial Museum is a project of the Human Rights Violations Victims' Memorial Commission (HRVVMC), a body created under Republic Act No. 10368.[1] The legislation also known as the "Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act" was signed into law in 2013 by then President Benigno Aquino III. The HRVVMC is tasked to raise awareness among the youth information regarding the excesses of President Ferdinand Marcos' administration as well as opposition against his regime.[2]

The HRVVMC in cooperation with the United Architects of the Philippines, held a design competition for a museum which will be dedicated to the martial law era in the Philippines. Five final designs were shortlisted from 106 entries[3] with "Fall of Brutal" design by architects Mark Anthony Pait, Mark Angelo Bonita and Wendell Crispo selected as the winning entry on August 21, 2019.[4]

The HRVVMC opened the bidding for the construction of the museum on September 21, 2020.[1] The museum was initially projected to open on September 23, 2022, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the declaration of martial law over the country by President Marcos.[4] The groundbreaking ceremony for the museum is set to be held in December 2024.[5]

Architecture and design

[edit]

The Freedom Memorial Museum will be built inside the University of the Philippines Diliman campus in Quezon City. The museum building will be erected beside the College of Fine Arts Gallery.[6]

The museum's design is a result of a design competition with the winning entry being "Fall of Brutal" by a team consisting of architects Mark Anthony Pait, Mark Angelo Bonita and Wendell Crispo. The museum will exhibit Brutalist architecture which is a common style adopted by infrastructure projects built by President Marcos' administration such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine International Convention Center.[4]

The facade of the museum building is patterned after a clenched fist with flower patterns of ikat, patadyong, Moro and T'boli textiles to signify the "beauty of democracy unfolding"; or the years of resistance against the Marcos administration which culminated with the People Power Revolution of 1986.[4]

The surrounding landscape of the building was pattern after dried land to represent the negative impact of Marcos' decades-long rule.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Subingsubing, Krixia (September 21, 2020). "Martial law museum to rise on UP Diliman campus". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  2. ^ Porcalla, Delon (February 26, 2013). "'HR law to right wrongs of the past'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  3. ^ "The Freedom Memorial Museum". Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e Cayabyab, Marc Jayson (August 25, 2019). "'Brutalist' martial law museum to rise in UP Diliman". The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  5. ^ Marcelo, Elizabeth (September 8, 2024). "Construction of Martial Law Museum to start in December". The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  6. ^ "'Fall of Brutal' team wins competition to design human rights memorial". ABS-CBN News. August 22, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2020.