An arts festival consisting of exhibits, concerts, film showings, seminars, workshops, and other activities marked the 32nd anniversary of the Escalante massacre in Negros Occidental.
On September 20, 1985, a group of civilians consisting mostly of sugar plantation workers, fisher folk, students, urban and members of the church staged a protest rally at the public plaza of Escalante City in Negros Occidental.
The protest rally was mounted to commemorate the 13th anniversary of Martial Law declaration. The rallyists were subjected to water cannons, tear gas, and eventually, to open fire shots by para-military forces, killing about 30 civilians and wounding many others.
The incident is also referred to as Escam or Bloody Thursday. Although a fact-finding mission was created to investigate the incident. A recommendation to pay the victims’ next of kin was never executed by the government and in 2003, some policemen who were jailed for being part of the killings were granted parole and released.
With the theme, “Pagpadayon—Continuing the Heroic Legacy of Escam” the art festival organized by the committee of the 32nd Escalante Massacre Commemoration will be touring the towns and cities of Northern Negros.
While last year’s “Suktanay sang Hustisya—Tatlo ka Dekada Pagkatapos sang Escam” emboldened the call for justice, “Pagpadayon” pursues to preserve the legacy of the martyrs and heroes of the Escalante Massacre.
Pagpadayon aims to inculcate a deeper historical and social awareness among young and old people by correcting misconstrued or lacking notions of the Martial Law era, especially in Negros. The festival also aims to intermingle the lessons of the past and present, by showcasing both historical and contemporary issues through artistic media.
It is timely that the event be held in September, the month in which Proclamation 1081 (Martial Law) was declared by President Ferdinand Marcos throughout the country and the Escalante Massacre happened in the island of Negros.
Quest for social justice
Progressive Filipino Visual Artists amplify the cry for Justice of Escalante Massacre victims by creating eight sets of 10 x 10 ft. murals related to the events that led to the deaths of 20 sugarcane workers last September 20, 1985.
In line with this event, a group of cultural workers, artists, human rights advocates, members of progressive organizations, and other individuals commemorate the patriotic contributions of the martyrs and heroes of the Escalante Massacre and continue the quest for genuine social justice in the country through artistic exhibition and performance.
Besides Teatro Obrero, other participating groups are Teatro kaling, Teatro Bungkal. Teatro Bugsay, Dihon, Binhi, LCC Artist/Faculty, Hibalag, Dagway, Busilak, AMBON, Nune Lucio Alvarado/Pintor Kulapol, Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP), PETA, National Commission for Culture and the Arts-Committee on Visual Arts (NCCA-CVA) Arts in Public Places, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines among others.
Alejandro Deoma, coordinator of the 32nd Escalante Massacre Celebration, noted, “We are focusing on visual arts for this year’s celebration, to bring the message of the Escalante martyrs visually in the hearts of the people. The images update the continuing people’s stuggle for land reform, poverty and social injustice especially the situation of sugarcane workers – who are victims of modern slavery”
The murals created by the participating visual artists resonate the continuing struggle of sugarcane workers and peasants in Negros island. Almost all the artworks offer relevant visualization of the present political events and struggles that continue to degrade the lives of the masses: state-sanctioned killings related to war on drugs and Oplan Kapayapaan, Martial Law in Mindanao and the threat to expand it nationwide, the newly sprouted Duterte-U.S. coalition.
Rafael Karlo Burdeos of DIHON (Dibuhistang Naghiliugyon sa Negros), noted: “Our common theme is continuing struggle and the continuing oppression of the peasants; the victims of massacre extend beyond Escalante.”
Besides families of the victims and the survivors, the new breed of sugarcane workers also honored the grim incident’s anniversary and its meaning.
Melvin Lañas, member of the Dagway Artists’ Collective – Cebu, said, “Our images bravely speak not only the situation in the sugarcane fields but also the courage of the organized masses to speak against extra-judicial killings and impending tyranny happening in our country.”
The 32nd Escalante Massacre murals will be on display until October 20, 2017 at the Escalante Massacre monument in the public plaza of Escalante City, Negros Occidental, offering an alternative artspace for the people.