from Rita I'd originally planned to write about Another Helping today. I was going to tell you why I came to start the project and how it's affected my mental health ever since. And you were going to get a cute picture of a baby hedgehog at the very end as a reward for reading the entire thing. It was going to be lovely. But then I noticed the date. September 21. The date may not mean that much to a lot of people, but for myself and the 103.3 million or so people of the Philippines, it means a hell of a lot. ... or at least I hope it still does. September 21 is when we commemorate the anniversary of Martial Law – which is a polite term for one of the darkest periods in our history. Forty-five years ago to the day, Ferdinand Marcos transitioned from being the president of our country to its dictator, all with the stroke of a pen and a now infamous televised announcement. I was very tempted to give you a long, and frankly depressing, lesson in Philippine history. But as mentioned, it would be too long and too depressing. So instead I'm going for mid-length and only depressing in the sense that The National is depressing. Yes it brings you down, but it's worth it. Instead, I am going to tell you about "Ingat". Now, full disclosure. I was born in the Philippines. I grew up there. I lived there for the greater part of my life up 'til 2014, which is when I moved to Scotland. But even so, I am still not the best when it comes to translating from from Filipino to English. In fact, I am horrible at it. So maybe I may not be the best person to talk to you about the intricacies of the Filipino language, but I've already started so let's give this a shot. The most literal translation of "ingat" I can think of is "take care." But ,when the beauty of the Filipino language kicks in, the exact same word can transform to multiple variations of this meaning depending on the context. "Mag-ingat ka! Basa ang sahig!" is "Careful, the floor is wet!" "Ingatan mo kasi mga gamit mo!" or "Why don't you take better care of your things!" "Ingat ka diyan, baka gusto mo magulpi!" or "Steady on mate unless you're looking for a thrashing!" (I don't know why my examples are so horrible.) During the period of Martial Law in the Philippines, "ingat" took on a new meaning. It became a word of goodbye. "Careful out there." The word in that context had such a sombre, pleading note. Keep your head down. Keep your mouth shut. Don't do anything stupid. Take care. Come back safe. Back then, with the armed forces emboldened and the writ of habeas corpus suspended, people disappeared all the time. If you were suspected to be a rebel, a troublemaker, they snatched you up in the middle of the night and detained you. They didn't need probable cause or a warrant. All they needed was suspicion... sometimes not even that.
Today we know that a lot of those taken were tortured and sometimes killed. Bodies would show up in fields, mutilated, barely recognisable to their family and friends. And those were the lucky ones. Some bodies never showed up at all. Some families still wonder. "Ingat" was a sort of prayer, a blessing, a talisman. For the victims of Martial Law, it could be the last good memory, the last act of kindness before the ordeal. When the Philippines banded together and ousted Ferdinand Marcos in a peaceful revolution in 1986 – two years before I was born – the country said Never again to tyrants and dictators. But then 45 years passed by and we're slowly starting to forget. Today, my country is suffering the current government's bloody and senseless War on Drugs that has taken the lives of more than 13,000 people – almost all belonging to the nation's poorest bracket. That's more than the lives lost during the Marcos regime. Today, some people think of Martial Law as a time of peace and order. When crime was down and people too afraid to break the law – never mind what those laws were and who interpreted and enforced them. Today, some people think it's perfectly fine for our former dictator to be buried in the Heroes Cemetery, afforded full honours. Today, I think about the word "ingat" and I send it with whatever power it has and all its rich meaning to my loved ones back home who are currently marching on the streets. Today, I send "ingat" to the world. Because I know the Philippines is not the only place going through dark times. Take care. Come back safe. And now, for a baby hedgehog. Because you deserve it, and so do I.
1 Comment
1/7/2023 04:00:27 am
I was reviewing some of our slides for our online History of the Philippines class, and one of the slides mentioned the history of the word "ingat". I decided to google it and your very informative article came up! I know this post was written years ago, but I'd love for you to check out our nonprofit organization at tagalogkids.org and how we are trying our best to education the next generation of Filipinos! If you could spread the word about us to others, it would be much appreciated.
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