“The History of the Filipino people is the history of how peasants,
workers and broad masses struggle against the oppression of the ruling class”
American occupancy and the Propaganda War
With mankind’s never ending
search for knowledge, it is inevitable to have new technological discoveries
that will make it easier to live in this planet… Supposedly.
At the latter part of industrial
revolution, mankind was able to develop machines not just for faster
production, but for further development of advertising industry, hoping to
convert surplus products into profit.
Hence, the first ever camera is invented and developed not just to
capture moments but to gain higher income revenue.
On the other side, photography/
camera is also maximized as a tool in propaganda war between the ruling elite
and broad masses, two opposing sides with irreconcilable interests. During the American colonization in the
Philippines, US government managed to circulate pictures of how the Americans
are helping Filipinos in governance and Economy. On the other hand, pictures of
massacred Muslims and other native Filipinos are distributed with the help of
the underground press resisting against imperialist economic, political and
cultural plunder in the country.
US government granted the so
called Philippine independence knowing that they already have the control in
major ideological, political and economic institutions in the country. A puppet
republic was established giving the local bureaucrats the highest standard of
living while leaving the majority of the population as window shoppers.
Under the Puppet Republic
Pictures of thousands of
expensive jewelries and pairs of shoes, allegedly owed by former Imelda Marcos
created public opinion against the conjugal dictators. But the Marcoses are
wise, they propagated that the Philippines is drastically improving its economy
with the establishment of extravagant structures, giving them another source of
corruption and putting the country on the top of the list of borrowers from
international financial institutions.
Marcos loyalists are still
disseminating pictures of roads and different buildings erected under the
Marcos regime trying to convince Filipinos that the country is far better
before. In essence, worsening crisis of this colonial and feudal system is
rooted to problems that exist even before the Marcos dictatorship, supported by
the local bureaucrats all for the sake of their own economic interests.
Pictures could speak based on the
angle and frame directed by photographer, a tangible memory of what actually
happened. Before the existence of
internet, yes it could communicate history, but only if the publishers will
permit following the rules directed by their investors, the ruling class or
economic tycoons.
Thanks to social media the people
can now manage to counter-attack the anti-people policies of the government
ruled by the economic giants. In 2013, photos of Jeane Napoles, daughter of
Janet Napoles (alleged mastermind of the infamous pork barrel scam) having
lavish lifestyle in US circulated in social media making the people more eager
to campaign against the pork barrel system.
In search of the possible
connections of Napoles to legislative branch of our government, photos of her
together with top ranking officials in our country became viral in Facebook
(popular social networking site). Jeane and Janet’s photographs together with
Senate President Franklin Drilon and Pres. Aquino immediately catch public
attention.
Leveling up the propaganda war
in cyberspace, photography is no longer a tool to communicate history. Memes
became popular as the new generation becomes lesser interested in reading books
and long essays as a result of technology-dependent educational system.
The ruling elite instantly
recognize the power of social media as it reveals the rotting system of
governance and economy. Various mechanisms are created to limit the audience of
progressive people in propagating memes and any other photos exposing politically
related issues in the archipelago.
Today, only sponsored
posts/statuses on Facebook could reach millions of viewers, these sponsor-ships
have a corresponding economic value that only the ruling elite could afford.
Interest pages that only entertain people are just some of the few entities
that could surpass the policy.
What is to be done?
Due to anarchy in production of
materials with high technological value such as smartphones and camera, it is
now easier to capture not just memories, but the social realities that could
emancipate people from ignorance.
The broad Filipino people,
particularly the progressive middle-class and intellectuals who have the
capacity to maximize these inventions should expose and oppose the anti-people
policies imposed by the state.
It is those who have the courage
to exposed relevant issues that write history.
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