Wazzup Pilipinas!?
For a new generation of Filipinos, the years between 1972 and 1986 are often felt only as a distant echo—a chapter in a textbook rather than a lived memory. Bridging the gap between mere historical facts and a profound understanding of the hard-earned lessons of Martial Law remains a formidable challenge. However, at the Ateneo de Manila University, a revolutionary project is turning the "nuanced hopes and fears" of that era into a tangible, high-stakes reality.
Collaborating with the Ateneo Martial Law Museum and Library, the Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VAMR) Laboratory has unveiled Heritage Hero: Secrets of the “Golden Era,” an immersive virtual reality escape room designed to spark curiosity and deepen engagement with this complex history.
Step Inside the Abandoned Mansion
The experience transports players into a chillingly atmospheric abandoned mansion linked directly to the Marcos regime. As players step into the living room, they are greeted by a striking symbol of the era’s propaganda: Evan Cosayo’s painting depicting the Marcoses as the mythical Malakas and Maganda.
Rather than delivering a dry lecture, the game transforms history into an active process of discovery. Across three meticulously designed rooms, players must solve puzzles and interact with objects to uncover the contradictions of the time:
The Underground Resistance: In one room, players operate a printing press and assemble propaganda materials, stepping into the shoes of the resistance fighters who risked everything to battle censorship and fight for press freedom.
The Kitchen of Public Health: Players must make Nutribun, a direct reference to the public health programs that defined the daily lives of many during that period.
The Bedroom of Blueprints: Amidst the intimacy of a bedroom, players confront the era's controversial infrastructure projects by examining construction blueprints and government contracts that remain subjects of debate today.
The Power of "Embodied Cognition"
The project is built on the philosophy that true learning happens when the body is involved. “We believe that human learning benefits greatly from embodied cognition,” explains VAMR Technical Head Eric Cesar E. Vidal Jr., PhD. He notes that interactions like writing and playing help "gently assuage students' fears, distress, or skepticism" while adding an element of fun to complex topics.
The results of preliminary tests with students have been promising:
High Engagement: Players felt deeply involved, even those who had never used VR before.
Lasting Curiosity: Many left the experience expressing a newfound interest in researching the historical issues introduced during the game.
A Call to Remembrance
Heritage Hero is more than a showcase of technological innovation; it is a tool for remembrance and reflection. In an age where the past and present are inextricably linked, the researchers—including Eric Cesar E. Vidal Jr., Nicko R. Caluya, Johanna Marion R. Torres, Jesus Alvaro C. Pato, and Kenneth King L. Ko—aim to empower the youth to connect deeply with their national identity.
By blending storytelling with cutting-edge technology, this 30-to-60-minute journey ensures that the "hard-earned lessons" of the past are not just heard, but felt.
Interested in the research? The study, Design and Testing of a VR Escape Room Game for Philippine Martial Law History, was published in December 2025. For more information or media inquiries, visit archium.ateneo.edu or contact the Ateneo VAMR Laboratory.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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