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| UP Anthropology Society (UP AnthroSoc) ACLE: "Declassified" A guided discussion on Conspiracy theories in Philippine Society |
Last January 16, 2014, The UP Anthropology Society (UP
AnthroSoc) held an ACLE (Alternative Classroom Learning Experience) at the
Anthropology Museum. This semester’s topic was about conspiracy theories, which
I personally find interesting and relevant especially last year where some of
the natural calamities and other big issues where on the top of headlines.
The
speakers on the said topic were Professor Rolando Esteban (from the Department
of Anthropology) and Professor Arnold Azurin (formerly teaching in the English
Department). Professor Esteban started
the discussion by defining conspiracy as something that is evolutionary,
particularly as something selective. He then starts to ask us some of the
conspiracies that we know, starting with the news last year about the microwave
impulses from the west that caused the great storm “Yolanda” that left some
parts of the Visayas regions badly devastated. He also discussed some of the
conspiracies seen in the Philippine History like the death of the GOMBURZA. The
three priests were accused of conspiring with the rebels that led for them to
be killed (using guillotine). He asked us if whether we’ve been a part of a
conspiracy and raised the question on whether conspiracy has been naturalized
and are we been conspiring for the longest time.
The second speaker was Professor Ronald Azurin
which started his discussion by taking about one of the famous conspiracies in
the Philippine History--- The death of Andres Bonifacio. He then started to
discuss what was being taught to us in our textbooks. It all started in the
conflict between Magdalo and Magdiwang and that Andres Bonifacio was just caught in the middle of the said conflict which in further was ignited
as the result of the Tejeros
Convention election making Andres Bonifacio as the secretary of Interior and Aguinaldo
as the President. He told us that what we know is different to what is stated
in the diary of a soldier (he brought the diary) which states that during that
time, there was no faction between Magdalo
and Magdiwang as opposed to what we
see in our textbooks. He then started
talking about how our own history has been consisted of conspiracies itself, in
which some of the things stated and shown are in favor of those with power and
some things that are considered as “bad” or “unpleasant” are usually being
hidden and kept in us. He also raised the importance of language and the
writer’s own biases in making conspiracies.
The two
speakers ended their discussion by reminding us to be logical and at the same
time, be critical when it comes to the information we see on the media and the
internet. We should also be using our own logical tool to assess whether the
knowledge we know are real or just part of these conspiracies in our daily
life.
Blogpost by:
Hiedi Martinez
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