De La Salle University is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Martial Law declaration.
The university played the song “Bayan Ko” while the St. La Salle Hall is lit up in colors of the Philippine flag on Tuesday, ahead of the anniversary.
Pilipinas kong minumutya
Pugad ng luha at dalita
Aking adhika
Makita kang sakdal laya. pic.twitter.com/6Q1Av4EEx2— Br. Richie Yap FSC (@richiefsc) September 20, 2022
The public may witness the lightshow every 30 minutes on Wednesday night, September 21, DLSU professor Richie Yap said.
“Bayan Ko” is a song that gained popularity during the Marcos regime with protesters, including student-led organizations singing their versions of this song.
The song was deemed seditious and was banned after former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law in 1972, based on the report of Now You Know Ph.
Those who publicly sing the song may be arrested and detained.
“Bayan Ko” was originally written in Spanish by revolutionary general José Alejandrino following the American occupation.
Poet Jose Corazon de Jesus translated the song about three decades later.
It regained popularity after folk singer Freddie Aguilar sang his version in the 1980s.
Since then, the song has been a staple in the EDSA People Power Revolution and Martial Law anniversary rallies and events.
Meanwhile, aside from lighting up the university façade and playing the protest song, the DLSU student government also urged students to wear black to commemorate Martial Law.
RELATED: ‘On Wednesday, we wear black’: Student bodies observe Martial Law’s 50th anniversary
Other universities and student bodies also marked the anniversary of the Martial Law declaration.
Ateneo de Manila University will stage a “Mga Tinig ng Pagtindig” concert at Areté Ubuntu Lobby from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
The University of the Philippines Department of History, on the other hand, will hold a Historians’ Meet, which seeks to highlight the importance of history and its methods in truth-telling and fighting historical distortion and disinformation.
University of the Philippines Los Baños likewise changed its profile picture to black on the eve of the Martial Law anniversary.
