Filipino users on TikTok have started a trend called “Museo de Filipino” where stories of historical figures, politicians and victims of human rights violations were told in short video clips.
The hashtag #MuseodeFilipino had since gathered more than 8 million views on the platform and eventually reached Twitter where the phrase “Museo de Filipino” trended with over 39,000 tweets so far.
Each TikTok video depicts the personas of different notable Filipinos through an edited version of a track by IV of Spades called “Bata, Dahan-Dahan.”
Resembling an interactive museum piece, the characters featured an on-and-off-switch. After the video turns “on,” the user will move and start the story telling.
A group of TikTok creators called the POV makers initiated this challenge on October 16 with the goal to educate the present and younger generation with the country’s history and current national concerns.
In an interview with Preen, the group reportedly explained that the trend started with popular historical figures such as Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio and to popular literary characters such as Maria Clara.
The members said that they didn’t expect other creators to share their own entries on the platform and eventually, making them popular on TikTok and Twitter.
“We created the trend Museo de Filipino not only for the generation today, but also for the upcoming generation to be inspired and to remember the people that served our country,” Steven Fernandez, one of the members told the women’s lifestyle website.
Notable videos from local Twitterverse
Twitter users praised the online users who initiated this challenge as they shared the videos that amazed them on the micro-blogging platform.
Some TikTok video clips featured the struggles of the Filipino working class such as farmers and health workers, overseas Filipino workers, and victims of sexual violence.
i'm living for the "museo de filipino challenge" on tiktok!
one of my fave: pic.twitter.com/zmA7XhdMTW
— juju (@julliennesin_) October 19, 2020
Stop victim blaming..
I am in awe with this trend in tiktok. Napaka educational.
Museo de Filipinopic.twitter.com/Wi3g5sQyOv
— PNTMs ✪ (@PNTMss) October 19, 2020
Others featured prominent names such as the 15-year-old girl who was killed after being raped by the police during the quarantine period, political activist Reina Nasino and Delia Dueña Smith or Pepsi Paloma, a dancer and actress whose legacy has been tied to her still unresolved rape case.
museo de filipino — an amazing thread pic.twitter.com/wogTic1AXB
— cham (@FEARLESSANG3L) October 18, 2020
Nasino recently made headlines after the police refused to grant her enough furlough to grieve for the death of her three-month-old Baby River.
Calls for her release and justice for her daughter dominated conversations on Twitter, Facebook and even Reddit last week.
READ: Calls to free Reina Mae Nasino, justice for Baby River dominate Twitter trends after funeral tension
Other users hoped that this new trend on the video sharing platform will continue to grow.
“Hoping the ‘Museo De Filipino’ trend on tiktok won’t stop because it educates people regarding the philippine history and some issues in our country,” one user said.
“Museo de Filipino entries be giving me chills. That’s it, that’s the content I’ve been looking for,” another wrote.
One user, meanwhile, praised the song art for the track of IV of Spades.
Add to offline list💕
This is the soundtrack used by the trend "Museo De Filipino". pic.twitter.com/0kPB4K2mIW— december (@zahannahadid) October 19, 2020
