Constructing Counterpublics: Gen Z Students Reclaim Martial Law Memory through DYUP Sugbo

Maurice Jitty Villaester

In the Philippines, renewed debates over Martial Law memory unfold in an information landscape shaped by algorithmic distortion, historical revisionism, and generational divides. As youth increasingly turn to digital and peer-driven sources of information, the question of how Generation Z engages with the legacy of Martial Law becomes pressing, particularly in academic and civic contexts. This study investigates how a cohort of UP Cebu students enrolled in the general education course Wika, Panitikan, at Lipunan sa Ilalim ng Batas Militar (PS 21) conceptualize and communicate narratives about Martial Law to their peers through campus radio. It focuses on the production of Batbat, a ten-episode student-led radio program aired via DYUP Sugbo, which sought to translate historical truths into accessible and resonant formats for Gen Z listeners. Using reflexive thematic analysis of asynchronous interviews with 34 students and grounded in counterpublic theory, the study explores how student broadcasters frame alternative historical narratives and address challenges in engaging with a skeptical or digitally distracted audience. Cultural memory and civic media frameworks inform the broader analytical lens. Findings reveal that students moved from inherited “Golden Age” myths to a more critical, evidence- based understanding of Martial Law. They utilized storytelling, humor, interactivity, and peer-oriented language to overcome disinformation, emotional resistance, and intergenerational tension. DYUP Sugbo functioned as a youth-driven counterpublic where historical memory became an act of civic participation. The study affirms the value of integrating creative media production into history education to resist distortion and foster democratic memory.