MARTIAL LAW IN

THE PHILIPPINES
LESSON GOALS

• To recall some information about Ferdinand Marcos.

• To know the nature of Martial Law.

• To discuss the causes and effects of Martial Law in the whole country during the Marcos
regime.

• To evaluate the effects of Martial Law during and after the period.
FERDINAND MARCOS

The history of the Philippines, from 1965–1986,

covers the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, also
known as the Ferdinand Marcos Administration. The
Marcos era includes the final years of the Third
Republic (1965–72), the Philippines under martial
law (1972–81), and the majority of the Fourth
Republic (1981–86).
FERDINAND MARCOS

As Philippine president and strongman, Marcos led his country in its post-war reconstruction. Initially,
his intentions were laudable, to improve the economy and to increase agricultural productivity and to
dismantle the oligarchy that had dominated the nation. His greatest achievements were in the areas of
infrastructure development, safeguarding the country against communism, and international
diplomacy. However, his administration was marred by massive government corruption, despotism,
nepotism, political repression and human rights violations.
 • Ferdinand Marcos was born on September 11, 1917
in Sarrat, a small town in Ilocos Norte. Named by his
parents, Mariano Marcos and Josefa Edralin, after
Ferdinand VII of Spain, Ferdinand Edralin
Marcos was a champion debater, boxer, swimmer
and wrestler while in the University of the
Philippines.

FERDINAND • As a young law student of the University of the

Philippines, Marcos was indicted and convicted of
MARCOS murder (of Julio Nalundasan, the man who twice
defeated his father for a National Assembly seat).
While in detention, he reviewed and topped the
1938 Bar examinations with one of the highest
scores in history. He appealed his conviction and
argued his case before the Supreme Court of the
Philippines. Impressed by his brilliant legal defense,
the Supreme Court unanimously acquitted him.
In 1954, Marcos met then Ms. Imelda Romualdez, the Rose of Tacloban and Muse of Manila, and
after a whirlwind 11-day courtship, they were married in a civil ceremony in Baguio. They had three
children: Imee Marcos (Ilocos Norte congresswoman), Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. (Ilocos
Norte governor), Irene Marcos-Araneta, and one adopted daughter, Aimee Marcos (entrepreneur
and musician).
In 1965, Ferdinand Marcos won the
presidential election and became the
10th President of the Philippines. His
first term was marked with increased
industrialization and the creation of solid
infrastructure nationwide, such as the
North Luzon Expressway and the
Maharlika Highway.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA),

President Marcos revealed his plans for economic
development and good government. President
Marcos wanted the immediate construction of
roads, bridges and public works which includes
16,000 kilometers of feeder roads, some 30,000
lineal meters of permanent bridges, a generator
with an electric power capacity of one million
kilowatts (1,000,000 kW), water services to eight
regions and 38 localities.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Marcos did this by appointing a cabinet composed mostly of technocrats and

intellectuals, by increasing funding to the Armed Forces, and mobilizing them to
help in construction. Marcos also established schools and learning institutions
nationwide, more than the combined total of those established by his
predecessors
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• It was during his first term that the North Diversion Road (now, North Luzon Expressway) (initially
from Balintawak to Tabang, Guiguinto, Bulacan) was constructed with the help of the AFP
engineering construction battalion.

• Aside from infrastructure development, the following were some of the notable achievements of the
first four years of the Marcos administration:

1. Successful drive against smuggling. In 1966, more than 100 important smugglers were
arrested; in three years 1966-1968 the arrests totaled 5,000. Military men involved in smuggling were
forced to retire.
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2. Greater production of rice by promoting the cultivation of IR-8 hybrid rice. In

1968 the Philippines became self-sufficient in rice, the first time in history since the
American period. In addition, the Philippines exported rice worth US$7 million.

3. Land reform was given an impetus during the first term of President Marcos.
3,739 hectares of lands in Central Luzon were distributed to the farmers.

4. In the field of foreign relations, the Philippines hosted the summit of seven
heads of state (the United States, South [Vietnam]], South Korea, Thailand, Australia, New
Zealand and the Philippines) to discuss the worsening problem in Vietnam and the
containment of communism in the region.
• Marcos also sent 10,450 Filipino soldiers to
Vietnam during his term, under the PHILCAG
(Philippine Civic Action Group). Fidel Ramos,
who was later to become the 12th President of
the Philippines in 1992, was a part of this
expeditionary force.
In 1969, Marcos sought and won an unprecedented second term against Liberal Party
Senator Sergio Osmeña, Jr. However, he was unable to reduce massive government
corruption or to create economic growth proportional to population growth. The Communist
Party of the Philippines formed the New Peoples Army while the Moro National Liberation
Front fought for an independent Mindanao. These events, together with student protests
and labour strikes were later used as justification for the imposition of martial law.

SECOND TERM
LEADING TO MARTIAL LAW

• Congress called for a Constitutional Convention in 1970 in response to public clamour for a new
constitution to replace the colonial 1935 Constitution. An explosion during the proclamation rally of
the senatorial slate of the opposition Liberal Party in Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila on August 21,
1971, prompted Marcos to suspend the writ of habeas corpus hours after the blast, which he
restored on January 11, 1972 after public protests.
LEADING TO MARTIAL LAW

The facts are clear. A week before the actual declaration of Martial Law, a number of people had already received
information that Marcos had drawn up a plan to completely take over the government and gain absolute rule.
Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr., during a September 13, 1972 privilege speech, exposed what was known as “Oplan
Sagittarius.” The Senator said he had received a top-secret military plan given by Marcos himself to place Metro
Manila and outlying areas under the control of the Philippine Constabulary as a prelude to Martial Law. Marcos was
going to use a series of bombings in Metro Manila, including the 1971 Plaza Miranda bombing, as a justification for
his takeover and subsequent authoritarian rule.
LEADING TO MARTIAL LAW

• In his own diary, Marcos wrote on September 14, 1972 that he informed the military that he would proceed
with proclaiming Martial Law. Even the U.S. Embassy in Manila knew as early as September 17, 1972 about
Marcos’ plan.

• In his memoir, then Justice Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile recalled that on a late afternoon in December 1969,
Marcos instructed him to study the powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief under the provisions of
the 1935 Constitution. Marcos made this instruction as he “[foresaw] an escalation of violence and disorder in
the country and [wanted] to know the extent of his powers as commander-in-chief.”The President also stressed
that “the study must be done discreetly and confidentially.”
LEADING TO MARTIAL LAW

• At about the same time, Marcos also instructed Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor and Jose Almonte to
study how Martial Law was implemented in different parts of the world. Marcos also wanted to know the
consequences of declaring Martial Law. The result of their study stated that, “while Martial Law may accelerate
development, in the end the Philippines would become a political archipelago, with debilitating, factionalized
politics.” Almonte recalled that their findings led to the conclusion that “the nation would be destroyed
because, apart from the divisiveness it would cause, Martial Law would offer Marcos absolute power which
would corrupt absolutely.”
LEADING TO MARTIAL LAW

• In his January 1971 diary entries, Marcos discussed how he met with business leaders, intellectuals
from the University of the Philippines, and the military to lay the groundwork that extreme measures
would be needed in the future. On May 8, 1972, Marcos confided in his diary that he had instructed
the military to update its plans, including the list of personalities to be arrested, and had met with
Enrile to finalize the legal paperwork required.
M A R C OS ’ J U ST I F I CAT I O N S TO I M P OS E
MARTIAL LAW

• Enrile’s Ambush

- The pretext for Martial Law was provided later in the evening of Friday, September 22, 1972, the
convoy of Secretary of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile was ambushed in Wack-Wack as he was on his
way home to Dasmariñas Village in Makati before 9 p.m. Enrile recalled his convoy was driving
out of Camp Aguinaldo when a car opened fire at his convoy and sped away.
- This ambush, as Enrile later revealed in 1986, was staged by Marcos to justify Martial Law.
 EXCERPT FROM THE
DIARY OF FERDINAND
E. MARCOS ON
SEPTEMBER 22, 1972.
FROM
THE PHILIPPINE
DIARY PROJECT.

Marcos, in his diary entry for September 22, 1972 (time-stamped

9:55 p.m.) wrote, “Sec. Juan Ponce Enrile was ambushed near
Wack-Wack at about 8:00 pm tonight. It was a good thing he was
riding in his security car as a protective measure… This makes
the martial law proclamation a necessity.” His diary entry for
September 25, 1972 mentions conditions after two days of
Martial Law, also indicating martial law in reality is dated to
September 23, 1972.
SIDE NOTE: MARCOS’ DIARY

• A photocopy of more than 2,500 pages of his handwritten diary was obtained by The Times through
Manila government sources. A spokesman for Marcos said the former president could not comment
because of ill health. In the past, Marcos objected to The Times’ publication of excerpts from this
diary as part of a story detailing his plans to declare martial law. He called that story an “invasion of
privacy.”
SIDE NOTE: MARCOS’ DIARY

• The Marcos diary, apparently abandoned when he fled Manila in February, 1986, was discovered
about a year ago, sources said, by Philippine government investigators. The journal was known to
exist because Marcos previously had shown portions of it to diplomats and at least one journalist. Its
original pages, handwritten mostly in blue and black ink, were found in 30 file boxes stored in the
care of presidential security officials, the sources told The Times.
SIDE NOTE: MARCOS’ DIARY

• Most of the entries after the mid-1970s are missing. The sources who provided the documents deleted
additional pages, in part, they said, to protect Philippine national security.

• Sample pages of the photocopy have been inspected by an expert in document authentication, who found
“virtually everything” about the samples consistent with documented examples of Marcos’ handwriting.
Because the sources could provide only photocopies--and no access to the original diary pages in Manila--the
expert could not rule out the possibility of some inauthentic pages being added. However, to ensure accuracy,
The Times independently verified details from historical accounts and through interviews with participants in
events Marcos described.
M A R C OS ’ J U ST I F I CAT I O N S TO I M P OS E
MARTIAL LAW

Going back to the Enrile ambush…

• Primitivo Mijares—a former journalist for Marcos who would later write against Marcos and
disappear without a trace in 1973—claimed that the Enrile ambush was fake as it was made as the
final excuse for Marcos to declare Martial Law.Mijares also claimed that the ammunition planted by
the Presidential Guard Battalion in Digoyo Point, Isabela—which was later confiscated by the
Philippine Constabulary on July 5, 1972—was used to connect the ambush with alleged Communist
terror attacks.
SIDE NOTE: PRIMITIVO MIJARES

• A journalist who had become a propagandist and confidant for Ferdinand Marcos, Primitivo
“Tibo” Mijares had served his master faithfully since 1963 and had been privy to
government’s high-level doings, its dirty little secrets and many of Marcos’ innermost
thoughts.

• When Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972, Mijares became a de facto “media czar”, a
Cabinet member in all but name. A year later he was literally a mouthpiece of the dictator,
his newspaper columns directly dictated to him by the President.

• He had become disenchanted with Marcos. Mijares realized that the dictator’s goal wasn’t
to save the country but to hold on to power indefinitely.
SIDE NOTE: PRIMITIVO MIJARES

• The confidant became a whistleblower. He appeared before the House International

Organizations Subcommittee of the US Congress and testified about Marcos’ plot to
grab power, his corruption and his regime’s human rights abuses. As if that wasn’t
enough, Mjiares later on published a 499-page book, The Conjugal Dictatorship of
Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos I, which pulled no punches in exposing what the
erstwhile propagandist knew. He regaled readers with detailed exposés on the crude
and vicious avarice and misdeeds of the Marcoses, their relatives (such as Benjamin
“Kokoy” Romualdez), cronies (such as Juan Ponce Enrile) and flunkies (such as
Information Minister Francisco Tatad). He talked about Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos’
backgrounds, crimes, corruption and record of prevarication
SIDE NOTE: PRIMITIVO MIJARES

• Although Marcos initially claimed that he had declared martial law in response to violent acts which took place
in 1971–72 – such as the Plaza Miranda bombing and the alleged assassination attempt on Defense Secretary
Enrile – the groundwork for its implementation had been laid down much earlier. Marcos aide-turned
whistleblower Primitivo Mijares noted that "The beginning infrastructure for martial law was actually laid down
as early as the first day of his assumption of the Philippine presidency on December 30, 1965."
M A R C OS ’ J U ST I F I CAT I O N S TO I M P OS E
MARTIAL LAW

• Communism

-Of the various threats cited in the Proclamation 1081 document as rationalizations for declaration of
Martial Law, the most extensively described was the threat supposedly posed by Communist insurgents
– specifically the newly formed Communist Party of the Philippines, a Maoist organization which had
only recently broken off from the Marxist–Leninist Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas.
M A R C OS ’ J U ST I F I CAT I O N S TO I M P OS E
MARTIAL LAW

• Marcos continued using communism as bogeyman after 1968, as the PKP faded into obscurity and the nascent
CPP became more prominent. The Armed Forces of the Philippines did likewise in 1969, when the CPP allied
with Huk commander Bernabe Buscayno to create the nascent New People's Army. Although the CPP-NPA was
only a small force at the time, the AFP hyped up its formation, partly because doing so was good for building up
the AFP budget. As a result, notes Security Specialist Richard J. Kessler, "the AFP mythologized the group,
investing it with a revolutionary aura that ony attracted more supporters."
M A R C OS ’ J U ST I F I CAT I O N S TO I M P OS E
MARTIAL LAW

• Even in the days immediately before Marcos' declaration of Martial Law on September 23, 1972, the Philippine
National Security Council did not consider the two communist movements to represent a sizeable threat. At
around that time, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations received notice that as of September 19,
1972, the Philippine Council had set their threat assessment at "between 'normal' and 'Internal Defense
Condition 1'" on a scale where 3 was the highest Defense condition. One of the generals serving under General
Fabian Ver of the National Intelligence and Security Authority later recalled that "Even when Martial Law was
declared, the communists were not a real threat. The military could handle them."
DECLARATION OF
MARTIAL LAW
D E C L A R AT I O N O F M A R T I A L L AW

• The spate of bombings and subversive activities led President Marcos to declare that:

“…there is throughout the land a state of anarchy and lawlessness, chaos and disorder, turmoil and
destruction of a magnitude equivalent to an actual war between the forces of our duly constituted government and
the New People’s Army and their satellite organizations ... and that public order and safety and security of the
nation demand that immediate, swift, decisive and effective action be taken to protect and insure the peace, order
and security of the country and its population and to maintain the authority of the government.”

-Proclamation No. 1081, s. 1972

D E C L A R AT I O N O F M A R T I A L L AW

• President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, placing the
Philippines under Martial Law. Some sources say that Marcos signed the proclamation on September
17 or on September 22—but, in either case, the document itself was dated September 21.

• At 7:15 pm on September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he
had placed the entirety of the Philippines under martial law. This marked the beginning of a 14-year
period of one-man rule which would effectively last until Marcos was exiled from the country on
February 24, 1986.
M A R T I A L L AW : B R I E F C H A R ACT E R I Z AT I O N

• Martial law is an extreme and rare measure used to control society during war or periods of civil unrest or
chaos.

• Martial law is the imposition of military power over designated regions on an emergency basis.

• Martial law is usually imposed on a temporary basis when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to
function effectively (e.g., maintaining order and security, or providing essential services), when there are
extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law becomes widespread. Fundamentally it is a
requirement put on civilian government when they fail to function correctly.
In accordance with the Proclamation 1081, President
Marcos issued General Order 2-A ordering the
Secretary of National Defense to arrest and detain
persons who committed "crimes and offenses in
furtherance or on the occasion of our incident to or in
connection with the crimes of insurrection and
rebellion" as defined in the Revised Penal Code, and
those who, in one way or another, committed and will
commit crimes against society and the government
that are guilty of weakening the fabric of society and
of undermining the stability of the government.
D E C L A R AT I O N O F M A R T I A L L AW

Most notably, by the time Marcos declared martial law in September 1972, he had:

• assured the loyalty of state institutions – especially the Armed Forces – to himself;
• appointed 8 out of 11 justices of the Philippines' Supreme Court;
• gained the support of the Nixon administration; and
• carefully crafted a public relations environment that ensured that the majority of Filipino citizens
would at least initially accept martial law.
THE NEW SOCIETY

• The dictator announced he would use one-man rule not only to bring peace and order to
the country but also to reform Philippine society and politics — a toxic, oligarch-and-
landlord-dominated system based on patronage and graft. He called Martial Law a
“democratic revolution” that would bring about what he termed “The New Society” — Ang
Bagong Lipunan. Writing a few years after imposing military rule, Marcos said:

The New Society is in fact a revolution of the poor. By means of it, Filipinos today are
attempting, through disciplined vision, to make the rewards of their labors and the fruits of
their resources available to all. By means of it, they are walking out of a stupor filled with
Walter Mitty fantasies, the opium of the oppressed and underprivileged. To share together in
real life is the heart of democracy. Accordingly, the New Society is democratizing the wealth.
THE NEW SOCIETY

• Marcos’ relative, Philippine Constabulary Chief Fidel V. Ramos, would remark some 40
years later in 2012, “I would say that the smile of this Martial Law shone brightest in 1976.
From then on, it soured.” Ramos (elected Philippine President in 1992) blamed massive,
creeping corruption. He said, “a slow rot soon began. Private monopolies and syndicates
created by political patronage steadily worked to make the economy the dominion of a few.
Corruption grew to massive proportions.”
THE NEW SOCIETY

• Far from democratizing wealth, the New Society concentrated it in the hands of a new elite
— Marcos’ relatives and cronies. Democracy gave way to what came to be called
kleptocracy as the freshly-minted oligarchs stole everything that was not nailed down,
dipped their fingers in every transaction, diverted foreign aid to their accounts and helped
themselves to the national treasury. A World Bank study found that Martial Law led to the
20 percent richest Filipino families cornering more and more of the national income during
Martial Law — from 52.9 percent in 1971 to 58.8 percent in 1983.
EFFECTS OF MARTIAL
LAW

Marcos, who thereafter ruled by decree, curtailed

press freedom and other civil liberties, abolished
Congress, controlled media establishments, and
ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and militant
activists, including his staunchest critics Senators
Benigno Aquino Jr. and Jose W. Diokno, virtually
turning the Philippines into a Totalitarian
Dictatorship with Marcos as its Supreme Leader.
EFFECTS OF MARTIAL LAW

• When he declared the martial law in 1972, Marcos claimed that he had done so in response to the
"communist threat" posed by the newly founded Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the
sectarian "rebellion" of the Mindanao Independence Movement (MIM). Opposition figures of the
time, such as Lorenzo Tañada, Jose Diokno, and Jovito Salonga, accused Marcos of exaggerating
these threats, using them as a convenient excuse to consolidate power and extend his tenure
beyond the two presidential terms allowed by the 1935 Constitution.
EFFECTS OF MARTIAL LAW

• By the morning of September 23, 1972, martial law forces had successfully implemented a media lockdown, with only
outlets associated with Marcos crony Roberto Benedicto allowed to operate. In the afternoon, Benedicto-owned
television channel KBS-9 went back on air playing episodes of Hanna-Barbera's Wacky Races cartoon series, which
was interrupted at 3:00 PM, when Press Secretary Francisco Tatad went on air to read Proclamation No. 1081,
through which Marcos declared martial law.Ferdinand Marcos himself went on air at 7:15 that evening to formalize the
announcement. On the following Morning, September 24, the headline of Benedicto's Daily Express announced "FM
Declares Martial Law" – the only national newspaper to come out in the immediate aftermath of martial law. (The
Mindanao Tribune, which had not received notification of the media lockdown, had been able to put out an edition by
the evening of September 23.)

• The declaration shut down 7 television stations, 16 national daily newspapers, 11 weekly magazines, 66 community
newspapers, and 292 radio stations; as well as public utilities such as Meralco, PLDT, and the three then-
existing Philippine Airlines.
HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS
EFFECTS OF MARTIAL LAW

President Marcos issued general orders and letters of instruction to that effect. A list of
people were to be arrested, he would rule by Presidential decree, the media would be
controlled by his government, a curfew from midnight until 4:00 A.M. was to be observed,
carrying of fire-arms except by military and security personnel was banned, as were strikes
and demonstrations.
• Overnight, Filipinos lost freedoms they had enjoyed for generations. Squads of soldiers,
brandishing scraps of paper instead of judge-issued warrants (and in many cases
dispensing with any documentation at all), rounded up thousands of citizens. Those
arrested were supposedly part of the Communist conspiracy and enemies of the state but
many were, in reality, political foes, personal opponents and critics of Ferdinand Marcos.
EFFECTS OF MARTIAL LAW

• This 14-year period in Philippine history is remembered for the administration's record of human
rights abuses, particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious
workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.Based on the
documentation of Amnesty International, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, and similar human
rights monitoring entities, historians believe that the Marcos dictatorship was marked by 3,257
known extrajudicial killings, 35,000 documented tortures, 77 'disappeared', and 70,000
incarcerations.
EFFECTS OF MARTIAL LAW

• Some 2,520 of the 3,257 murder victims were tortured and mutilated before their bodies
were dumped in various places for the public to discover – a tactic meant to sow fear
among the public, which came to be known as "salvaging." Some bodies were even
cannibalized.
END OF MARTIAL LAW

• At the 45th anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on

December 22, 1980 the President proclaimed the near end of Martial Law on January.

• Even though the formal document proclaiming martial law – Proclamation No. 1081,
which was dated September 21, 1972 – was formally lifted on January 17, 1981,
Marcos retained essentially all of his powers as dictator until he was ousted.
 A S S A S S I N AT I O N
OF NINOY AQUINO

• In 1983, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.

was assassinated at Manila International Airport upon
his return to the Philippines after a long period of exile
in the United States
1986 SNAP ELECTIONS

This coalesced popular dissatisfaction with Marcos and began a series of events, including pressure
from the United States, that culminated in a snap presidential election on February 7, 1986. The
opposition united under Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, and Salvador Laurel. The election was
marred by widespread reports of violence and tampering with results by both sides.The official election
canvasser, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), declared Marcos the winner, despite a walk-out
staged by disenfranchised computer technicians on February 9. Majority of the people believed that
Marcos’ win was played.
1986 SNAP ELECTIONS

The ‘fraudulent’ result was not accepted by Aquino and her supporters. International
observers, including a U.S. delegation led by Senator Richard Lugar, denounced the official
results. General Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile then withdrew their
support for the administration, defecting and barricading themselves within Camp Crame.
EDSA REVOLUTION

• Increasing unrest springing from the economic collapse of the Philippines in the years after
the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino in 1983 came to a head in February 1986, when the
EDSA Revolution succeeded in unseating the Marcoses from Malacañang palace.

• Fearful of a scenario in which Marcos' presence in the Philippines would lead to a civil war, the
Reagan administration flew Marcos and a party of about 80 individuals – the extended Marcos
family and a number of close associates – from the Philippines to Hawaii despite Marcos' objections.
This resulted in that peaceful 1986 EDSA Revolution that
forced Marcos into exile in Hawaii while Corazon Aquino
became the 11th President of the Philippines on February
25, 1986. Under Aquino, the Philippines would adopt a
new constitution, ending the Fourth Republic and ushering
in the beginning of the Fifth Republic.
ECONOMIC CONDITION

• Economic performance during the Marcos era was strong at times, but when looked at over his whole regime, it
was not characterized by strong economic growth. Penn World Tables report real growth in GDP per capita
averaged 3.5% from 1951 to 1965, while under the Marcos regime (1966 to 1986), annual average growth was
only 1.4%. To help finance a number of economic development projects, such as infrastructure, the Marcos
government engaged in borrowing money. Foreign capital was invited to invest in certain industrial projects.
They were offered incentives including tax exemption privileges and the privilege of bringing out their profits in
foreign currencies. One of the most important economic programs in the 1980s was the Kilusang Kabuhayan at
Kaunlaran (Movement for Livelihood and Progress). This program was started in September 1981. Its aim was
to promote the economic development of the barangays by encouraging the barangay residents to engage in
their own livelihood projects. The government's efforts resulted in the increase of the nation's economic growth
rate to an average of six percent to seven percent from 1970 to 1980.
ECONOMIC CONDITION

• Economic growth was largely financed, however, by U.S. economic aid and several loans made by the Marcos
government. The country's foreign debts were less than US$1billion when Marcos assumed the presidency in
1965, and more than US$28billion when he left office in 1986. A sizable amount of these moneys went to
Marcos family and friends in the form of behest loans. These loans were assumed by the government and
serviced by taxpayers.

• From 1984 the economy began to decline, and continued to do so despite the government's recovery efforts.
This failure was caused by civil unrest, rampant graft and corruption within the government and by Marcos' lack
of credibility. Marcos himself diverted large sums of government money to his party's campaign funds. The
unemployment rate ballooned from 6.30 percent in 1972 to 12.55 percent in 1985.
ECONOMIC CONDITION

• The period is sometimes described as a golden age for the country's economy. However, by the
period's end, the country was experiencing a debt crisis, extreme poverty, and severe
underemployment. On the island of Negros, one-fifth of the children under six were seriously
malnourished.

• Poverty incidence grew from 41% in the 1960s at the time Marcos took the presidency to 59% when
he was removed from power
S I D E N OT E : N OT E S O N TO D AY ’ S D E BAT E O N
MARTIAL LAW

• Combat Historical Revisionism

• Research and employ legitimate sources (Books, Journal Articles, Newspaper Article,
Reports, etc.)

• Avoid Social Media Information (FB, TikTok, Twitter)

• Remember: No monopoly of knowledge. Be open to debates and arguments and be

intellectually honest.

• Plant seeds in people’s hearts.

 SOURCES
• https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa35/9139/2018/en/

• https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines/Martial-law

• https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ferdinand_Marcos

• https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/declaration-of-martial-law/

• https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-06-mn-1215-story.html

• Mijares, Primitivo. (2017). The conjugal dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda

Marcos. Quezon City : Bughaw

• Robles, R. E., In Robles, A., & Filipinos for A Better Philippines, Inc.,. (2016). Marcos
martial law: Never again.