Marcos Rising

1. Set Focus 
Pose these essential questions: Democracy is often described as fragile. What does that mean? What makes democracy fragile?

2. Read and Discuss 
Have students read the article, marking key ideas and questions. Then ask them to answer the following questions, citing text evidence:

• When did Ferdinand Marcos rule the Philippines as a dictator? What was life like under his rule? (Marcos ruled from 1965 to 1986. Life under his rule was filled with violence and fear. Police routinely rounded up anyone who might oppose Marcos’s regime. People were tortured and held in jail, and some disappeared. Most Filipinos lived in extreme poverty, while the Marcos family lived lavishly with funds stolen from the government.)

• Based on the article, why is it significant that 56 percent of the voting population in the Philippines today is between the ages of 18 and 41? (This is significant because voters in this age range are too young to have witnessed the atrocities of the Marcos regime. Therefore, they are more susceptible to disinformation that paints the Marcos dictatorship as a golden era of development.)

• Aries Arugay says, “The Philippines is heading more and more toward an electoral autocracy.” What does he mean, and why do you think he thinks this? (He means that though the Philippines holds elections, the leaders may govern more like dictators. He probably thinks this because Marcos Jr. was elected through a free and fair election, even though he refused to condemn his father’s regime.)

3. Core Skill Practice
Assign, print, or project the activity A Return to Power. Have students use it to sequence events described in the article.

4. Writing Prompt
What do you think is the most significant factor in Marcos Jr.’s being elected president? Explain.

5. Classroom Debate
Does the election of Marcos signal the end of democracy in the Philippines?

6. Quiz & Skills
Assess comprehension with the quiz.