CANVAS commemorates history through HUWAG MATAKOT: Talking to kids about Martial Law
Participants pose with their outputs from the discussion
Manila, Philippines—The Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS) partnered with PHINMA to bring together parents, teachers, and human rights defenders at the Twenty Years of Art and Stories exhibit in the National Museum of Fine Arts for a day of remembering history and creating dialog for kids.
The discussion was facilitated by social studies teacher Mykey Cuento, who presented creative approaches for young audiences to engage the topic of history, human rights, and justice. Teacher Mykey also helps create teaching guides that are available for free at martiallawmuseum.ph.
"[Storytelling and] game design are more than just creating experiences that entertain but also to educate future generations about their past, so they can learn to make better decisions in the larger game of nation-building. We say NEVER AGAIN to all forms of tyranny and human rights violations in every age, from Martial Law to Oplan Tokhang,” said Teacher Mykey.
Teacher Mykey leads the dialog on how to teach kids about social issues
Attendees also participated in a demonstration of Project Masiklap, a tabletop game created by IDEALS, Inc., based on real stories of families affected by extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the Duterte administration’s War on Drugs.
Participants try out tabletop game Project Masiklap
The event wrapped up with a book signing of Hanapin ang Sagot with author Ergoe Tinio and artist Aldy Aguirre. Published in 2023, Hanapin ang Sagot: Ano ang Batas Militar? began as an exhibit of Aldy Aguirre’s works showcasing events that took place during Martial Law. Through art and primary sources, the book encourages readers to be critical, curious, and creative. In 2024, the book received a National Children’s Book Award and a Gintong Aklat Award under the References Category.
CANVAS thanks Teacher Mykey Cuento for his valuable insights, PHINMA for their partnership, and all the attendees who participated in the event.
CANVAS book Hanapin ang Sagot displayed with other children’s books tackling Martial Law
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PHINMA is a proudly-Filipino conglomerate that seeks to make lives better and build the nation through successfully run and profitable businesses that uphold our core values of integrity, competence, professionalism and love of country.
A non-profit that works with the creative community to promote literacy and explore national identity, CANVAS publishes award-winning children's stories and donates the books to benefit children in public schools and poor communities throughout the Philippines. Its One Million Books Campaign promotes independent reading and creative thinking in Filipino children, while also exposing them to the best of contemporary Filipino art and literature. Twenty Years of Art and Stories details the organization’s work, from art exhibitions, book publishing and distribution, to partnerships CANVAS has had in the past two decades.
