This document is downloaded from DR‑NTU (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. When the Provenance speaks : memories of martial law in the Philippines through photographs Buenrostro, Iyra Sibucao 2019 Buenrostro, I. S. (2019). When the Provenance speaks : memories of martial law in the Philippines through photographs. Doctoral thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/105854 https://doi.org/10.32657/10220/47850 Downloaded on 11 Oct 2021 22:00:25 SGT WHEN THE P ROV ENANCE ENANCE SPEAKS WHEN THE PROVENANCE SPEAKS: BUENROSTRO IYRA MEMORIES OF MARTIAL LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS SIBUCAO 201 BUENROSTRO IYRA SIBUCAO 9 WEE KIM WEE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION 2019 WHEN THE PROVENANCE SPEAKS: MEMORIES OF MARTIAL LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS BUENROSTRO IYRA SIBU CA O BUENROSTRO IYRA SIBUCAO Wee Kim Wee School of CommunicAtion and Information A thesis submitted to the NAnyang TechnologicAl University in partiAl fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2019 iic STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY I hereby certify that the work embodied in this thesis is the result of original reseArch, is free of plAgiArised mAteriAls, And has not been submitted for A higher degree to Any other University or Institution. 7 February 2019 . .. Date IYRA S. BUENROSTRO iii SUPERVISOR DECLARATION STATEMENT I have reviewed the content And presentAtion style of this thesis And declAre it is free of plAgiArism And of sufficient grammAticAl clArity to be examined. To the best of my knowledge, the reseArch And writing Are those of the cAndidate except As Acknowledged in the Author Attribution StAtement. I confirm that the investigations were conducted in Accord with the ethics policies And integrity stAndards of NAnyang TechnologicAl University And that the reseArch datA are presented honestly and without prejudice. iv AUTHORSHIP ATTRIBUTION STATEMENT This thesis contAins mAterials from 2 papers published in the following peer- reviewed journAl and book, and from 1 paper and 1 poster accepted at conferences in which I am listed as an author. Some portions of Chapter 7 (pp. 252-254) are also mentioned and elaborated further in Buenrostro, I.S. & CabbAb, J.F.A. (2019). Libraries and their Role in TrAnsitionAl Justice in the Philippines. IFLA Journal, 45(1), 5-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0340035218805769 The contributions of the co-authors are as follows: • I provided the project direction and prepAred the mAnuscript drafts. • I provided the reframing of framework to be used. • J.F.A. Cabbab interviewed the respondents from Bantayog ng mga Bayani (the interview responses Are for this pAper, And not included in the thesis) • I anAlyzed the transcripts (after transcription and coding). • J.F.A. CAbbAb helped in the analysis and revision of the manuscript. Some portions of Chapter 7 (p. 252) are also mentioned and elaborated further in Buenrostro, I.S. & CAbbAb, J.F.A. (2018). Unbound: Recollections of LibrAriAns during MArtiAl Law in the Philippines. In K. Adler, I. Beilin & E. Tewell (Eds.). Reference Librarianship & Justice: History, Practice & Praxis (pp. 56-72). SAcramento, CA.: Library Juice Press. The contributions of the co-authors are as follows: • I provided the project direction and prepAred the mAnuscript drafts. • I conducted the interviews with the Filipino librarians And AnAlyzed the transcripts (after transcription and coding). • J.F.A. CAbbAb helped in the anAlysis and revision of the mAnuscript. Some portions of Chapter 7 (pp. 252-254) are also mentioned and elaborated further in Buenrostro, I.S. & CAbbAb, J.F.A. (2017). Persistent Resistance: LibrAries in the Philippines And their Fight for Freedom And People’s Rights. 83rd International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) v World Library and Information Congress. WroclAw, PolAnd. AvAilAble viA http://library.ifla.org/1613/1/083-buenrostro-en.pdf The contributions of the co-authors are as follows: • I provided the project direction and prepared the manuscript drafts. • J.F.A. CabbAb interviewed the respondents from Bantayog ng mga Bayani (the interview responses Are for this pAper, And not included in the thesis) • I analyzed the transcripts (after transcription and coding). • J.F.A. CAbbAb helped in the anAlysis and revision of the mAnuscript. Some portions of Chapter 2 (Description of Method and Provenance- Photographers; pp. 50-51, 56-58) are presented (poster) in Buenrostro, I.S. (2018). ‘Unframing’ Photographic Histories: Stories And Context Beyond the VisuAls. [Poster PresentAtion]. 84th International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress. KuAlA Lumpur, MAlAysiA. Available via http://library.ifla.org/2367/1/p-018- buenrostro-en.jpg 14 March 2019 . Date IYRA S. BUENROSTRO vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to the wonderful people around me, who have helped me get through and constantly reminded me how beautiful life is – and what I can do and contribute to the community as an archivist, librarian, and educator. My sincere gratitude goes to my supervisor, Dr. Brendan Luyt, for his patience, great effort, and for always putting me on the right track. To my respondents or “provenance”, my heartfelt thanks for the trust and for generously sharing your time and stories with me. To all my former professors, TA supervisors, classmates, and friends at WKW-SCI, thanks for the enjoyable talks and much needed reinforcement. To my Filipino friends in NTU and NUS, and to my housemates/Pioneer siblings – especially my PhD twin brother “Dr.” Ex Cabanda, I truly appreciate your prayers and kind words, as well as our bonding over food, endless talks and laughter. To the ever-supportive Dean Kate Obille, and to my colleagues/second family, and former students at the School of Library and Information Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman, thanks so much for all the encouragement. To my loving family and friends, thank you very much for your unconditional love and prayers, and for relentlessly saying, “AJA!”, “Fighting!” and “Kaya mo ‘yan! Ikaw pa?!” To my Superman Dadi, Johann Frederick Cabbab, thank you for being my ultimate lifesaver, source of drive and humor, and partner in everything. I love you. To my country and fellow Filipinos who passionately believe and fight for what is right and just, this work is for you. And most importantly, to Almighty God, I am eternally grateful for the gift of love, wisdom and strength. To God be the glory! vii TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ........................................................................................ iii SUPERVISOR DECLARATION STATEMENT ............................................................... iv AUTHORSHIP ATTRIBUTION STATEMENT ................................................................ v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF APPENDICES ....................................................................................................... xiii ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. xiv CHAPTER 1 Introduction: Power and Hospitality in the Archives .......................................................................... 1 Embracing the Power and Doing the ‘Impossible’ ............................................................ 8 Seeing the Blind Spots: Archives and the Marginalized ................................................ 18 Power from the Margins: Photographs and Marginalized People ........................... 23 The Power of Listening to the Voices and Memories ..................................................... 31 Building a People’s Archives ..................................................................................................... 39 Summary of Chapters .................................................................................................................. 46 CHAPTER 2 Presentation of Case and Research Design: People’s Archives as Repository of Memories, Stories, and Participation .. 49 Description of Method ................................................................................................................. 50 Conceptual Framework, Scope and Limitations of the Study .................................... 53 Data Collection and Selection of Research Participants/Informants ..................... 56 Coding and Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 59 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................................................ 61 CHAPTER 3 Furthering Contextualities: Remembering the Marcos Regime ............................................................................... 66 Mediating Memories and Narratives .................................................................................... 67 The Marcos Regime and its (Dis)Continuity ..................................................................... 70 Of Myths and Narratives: Martial Law, EDSA, and the Curation