IT is difficult to stress the importance of history in a country overrun by historical revisionists and smart-shaming hordes who chant, “Move on na!” Well, you know what, moving on too soon is bad for your health. It’s like removing a USB device before the “Safe to Remove Hardware” notification pops up. You have to confront and process the past before you can be on your way.

Thanks to how Philippine history is taught in most traditional schools, many of us consider it a boring subject in which one is simply forced to memorize names and dates for pop quizzes and exams. Our early encounters with Philippine history are akin to one-night stands: We only remember things long enough to do the deed. By the time we do our walk of shame the morning after, our minds are blank slates once more. Past is past, indeed.