Construction of museum honoring Martial Law victims to start December

The construction of the Freedom Memorial Museum that honors victims of human rights violations during the Martial Law regime of ex-president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. is set to begin this December, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said Tuesday.

Negros Oriental Representative Jocelyn Limkaichong, the designated sponsor of the CHR’s proposed P1.1 billion budget for 2025, shared the announcement during the House plenary budget deliberations.

“My dear colleagues, we are all excited because this budget season, this [construction] will be moving forward, talagang matutupad na ito. (The University of the Philippines) actually offered a four-month timetable for demolishing several structures and relocating offices, their supplies, inventories and shop tools,” Limkaichong said, referring to the 1.4 hectares-wide site of the Freedom Memorial Museum inside the UP Diliman campus.

“The site is currently occupied by the UP Diliman unit in charge of campus-wide maintenance and repairs as well as a physical setup for special events. UP also agreed that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Freedom Memorial Museum will be by December 15,” Limkaichong added.

Castro welcomed the news, saying the museum’s importance will remind future generations what the human rights victims fought for during the Martial Law era.

“This is good news, and we want this information put on record so the public may know. Tagumpay (Success)!,” ACT Partylist Rep. France Castro said.

“I hope we can witness this groundbreaking ceremony,” she added.

The construction of the Freedom Museum is provided under Republic Act 10368 or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act into law which grants monetary and non-monetary compensation in recognition of the heroism of the victims of human rights violations during the Marcos, Sr. regime from September 21, 1972 to February 25, 1986.

Based on the records of the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board, at least 11,000 survivors of the Martial Law-related atrocities received compensation provided under RA 10368.

On September 3, Executive Director Carmelo Crisanto of the Martial Law Human Rights Violations (HRV) Victims Memorial Commission said the UP Diliman bureaucracy was delaying the construction of the museum.

Crisanto said that while UP has donated 1.4 hectares of its property for the construction of the Freedom Memorial Museum, school officials have yet to sign a deed of transfer document which will relocate the present occupants of the Freedom Memorial Museum site as provided under a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between UP and the HRV Victims Memorial Commission.

Since then, both parties have agreed to sign the deed of transfer of the new UP Diliman campus maintenance offices and workshops, funded by the HRV Victims Memorial Commission on Sept. 27.

"The transfer will pave the way for the clearing of old structures and start of construction at the future site of the Freedom Memorial Museum which will serve as a vital educational resource and a poignant reminder of our nation’s history," both groups said in a joint statement last September 6.—RF, GMA Integrated News