Established in 1986, Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation (Monument of Heroes) or “BANTAYOG” was founded by a group who spearheaded the struggle against the repressive MARTIAL LAWDICTATORSHIP of FERDINAND MARCOS Sr. To this day, the organization continues to honor the heroes of that dark era.

Unfortunately, online disinformation is whitewashing the atrocities of the dictator’s 20-year regime from the minds of the youth who have no recollection of this era to begin with. This low awareness about Martial Law was the perfect opportunity for Marcos Jr. to twist history in his favor in the last elections, which he won by a landslide vote.

The organization wanted to do something, not just to make the youth more aware, but to make them feel and experience the realities of the martial law era, away from the noise and clutter of social media.

The stories of 3,257 people killed, 35,000 tortured, and 70,000 incarcerated are being silenced on social media. These are stories of bravery that can enlighten the minds of Filipino youth. But these had to be told compellingly, away from the noise of online disinformation.

So we took these stories offline, through STREET MEMORIALS.

We identified exact locations where martial law heroes were murdered or last seen. Candles were then lit in these places - schools, sidewalks, bridges - on the month the late dictator’s ousting is commemorated.

Remembering the heroes this way revealed more of the truth, as the candle wax filled in a mold illustrating the faces of each represented hero. These memorials also had a symbolic QR code that led to a spatial audio dramatization of these stories when scanned - creating a more tangible reminder of the heroes’ bravery & sacrifice, right where it happened.

BANTAYOG knows it’s no match for the well-funded online propaganda of Marcos Jr. They had to bring the conversation away from the noise online, but still close enough to reach the target market. This led to the creation of physical memorials situated in the exact places where the atrocities actually happened. Candle drippings then revealed a hero’s portrait and a QR code that led to a dramatization of his/her story.

Locations were identified through extensive background checks and coordinations with victims’ families to ensure historical accuracy. Among the identified locations, universities (where the target market is a captured audience by default), were strategically utilized to jumpstart the campaign. Other locations across the Philippines then followed once news about the campaign circulated.

In terms of bringing people from the physical memorial to the website, QR codes were intentionally used since most FIlipnos have access to relatively slower internet connections.

These 27 inches tall x 23 inches wide Street Memorials popped up in the identified places starting February 2023 - the month when Marcos Sr.’s ousting is commemorated.

Each of these intricate wooden sculptures were intentionally painted all-black to achieve a stealth look. So what seemed like the usual candle lighting commemorations revealed eye-grabbing portraits of the featured martial law heroes, with every melted wax. The QR-powered sculpture then led to a website where realistic, 3D & spatial audio dramatizations brought to life untold stories of bravery and heroism.

The experiential storytelling, done where it actually happened, not only “rescued” the target market from online disinformation but also created a venue that brought truth to light in a more tangible way.

Universities where some featured heroes studied and were (unfortunately) killed jump-started the campaign. The stories each memorial presented not only enlightened students about the dark Martial Law period,but also compelled them to share their thoughts online.

This started a wildfire as posts about the Street Memorials went viral. The campaign was then picked up by major local news - extending the advocacy to a bigger audience. Soon,people started challenging the Marcos propaganda once again online and on-ground, as different concerned organizations went back to the streets to decry the said whitewashing.

Best of all,this clamor for truth inspired leading universities to take more serious steps to institutionalize martial law education as part of their curriculum. Ensuring future generations will always be aware of this era’s lessons.

Now that more Street Memorials are appearing everywhere in the Philppines, more martial law stories are bringing truth to light like never before.