All’s well that ends well at the State University after the Human Rights Violation Victims Memorial Commission (HRVVMC) and the University of the Philippines (UP) hierarchy agreed to a joint effort to speed up the building of the Freedom Memorial Museum at UP Diliman.

UP president Angelo Jimenez said the agreement provided that the university would speed up the clearing and preparation of the museum site comprising 1.4 hectares of UP land along Carlos P. Garcia Avenue.

The proposed landmark became a source of controversy after some quarters alleged that influential individuals were trying to block the start of construction for the museum.

Jimenez indicated the demolition of several structures and the relocation of offices, supply inventories and shop tools will be undertaken within four months and immediately after the groundbreaking for the project.

The site where the museum will rise is occupied by the UP Diliman unit in charge of campus-wide maintenance and repairs as well as the physical setups for special events.

The affected UP office will be moved to an area that HRVVMC built in exchange for the property for the building that will house memorabilia on the martial law years.

Transfer of offices takes precedence

UP Vice President for Planning and Development Dan Peckley said the transfer schedule considered the additional works needed to transfer the maintenance offices and the commissioning of crane and forklift services.

Crucial to the start of the groundwork for the controversial building is completing a deed of transfer for the utilization of the new offices and workshops.

The document will be signed during the 52nd anniversary of the imposition of martial law on 21 September.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Freedom Memorial Museum is slated in December under the new timeline.

Elderly survivors of martial law atrocities who attended the meeting between HRVVMC and the UP hierarchy said they were looking forward to joining both milestone events “just in case we will no longer be around for the opening of the museum.”

Jimenez said UP shares the commitment to preserve the struggle of Filipinos during the martial law era and to honor the victims of human rights violations.

The HRVVMC and UP look forward to the successful completion of this project and the continued partnership between both institutions.

Former Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary and retired UP professor Judy Taguiwalo said human rights victims and defenders, and the UP community welcome this gesture of unity between the two institutions.