A mother knows best and, in the case of content creator Mona Magno-Veluz, history as well.

The self-confessed history geek more popularly known as “Mighty Magulang” has been active in releasing bite-sized videos to inform netizens about genealogy and Filipino history on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

On TikTok alone, she has almost 500,000 followers, while her most popular video has over 3.3 million views.

Veluz said she started uploading videos on TikTok during the pandemic, as part of a "wave of trends" for Filipinos who were stuck inside their homes. Her idea is simple: talk about history and genealogy which she has several resources.

“Tapos na ako mag-plantita, tapos na ako magluto ng tinapay, tapos na akong gumawa ng dalgona. So parang bored na bored ako, [kaya naisip ko] 'sige, aralin natin itong TikTok!" she explained. 

Even with such content, she clarified that she should not be called a historian.

“I don't want to brand myself a historian... Kasi I respect those who actually studied four years of AB History, or take their Masters in History, or have that experience of being with cultural workers. They can claim that. Pero ako I'm just really a history geek,” she emphasized.

Some of her most talked-about videos were historical and genealogical facts about martial law, GomBurZa, Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee, Jose Rizal, the Laperal Family, and Jose P. Laurel, among others.

Veluz explained that her interest in Philippine history started when she committed herself to genealogy research — firstly, on her family — up until it also covered other people.

Genealogy is the study of a family’s history through tracing lineages by researching and analyzing historical records, conducting interviews, and gathering in-depth data.

She narrated that she became invested in genealogy after realizing that she barely knew any of her family’s extended relatives and she wanted to trace their historical accounts together like a puzzle.

Now, one of her valiant advocacies is awareness of one’s own past.

"History belongs to all of us. It doesn't belong to just those na may PhD, or those na may AB History degree. Lahat tayo, may karapatan malaman ang history natin,” she pointed out. “[Kaya] ako, ang ine-ecourage ko, bago ninyo pag-aralan ang history ng bayan — ‘yung history [muna] ninyo, [kung] saan ka nanggaling ay dapat alam mo. ‘Yun ang foundation before you can start connecting with other threads of history."

History in crisis

Veluz noted the two challenges that hinder Filipino society from appreciating, comprehending, and knowing more of its history.

First, the past gets left behind in the current educational system.

"There is that gap in our education system... With the focus on what is new, and what is up-and-coming para maging relevant to the world, nakalimutan natin 'yung fundamentals,” she stressed.

Second, she thinks that society is divided by lies and personal interests which fuel confusion about the truth.

"I just read this meme earlier this week, na parang... ‘We study history so that we do not repeat the faults of the past. Those who want us to forget the history are keen on repeating the error of the past’. Parang gano'n e! This is not unique in the Philippines — that because of personal agendas — nagkakaroon tuloy tayo ng environment na even with our history, we struggle with 'ano ba ang totoo?" Veluz emphasized.

"Nako-confuse 'yung generation ngayon on the source of truth. Saan ba natin sila kukunin? Is it from the history book that we read from school na incomplete, or would it be from websites and YouTube channels who have these spectacular sensational stories na parang ngayon lang natin narinig,” she pointed out.

She believes that part of solving such hefty problems is riding along the preferred method of the youth to learn history, and to stick with the systematic process of finding the truth.

A 'mighty' mother

Veluz’s alias originated after she and her husband found out that their first-born child was diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder.

“Between me and my husband, feeling namin... 'Ay okay, hindi tayo magpapaka-victim to our situation. We're going to be empowered, we're going to study, we're going to know what we need to do to make sure our child is okay’,” she said.

This philosophy got engraved in her heart, resulting in her username ‘Mighty Magulang.’

She is living up to her alias and the reason behind it since she currently serves as the national spokesperson of Autism Society Philippines (ASP), where she focuses on empowering individuals on the autism spectrum economically through offering inclusive livelihood projects.

But aside from that, she also juggles two more roles — being a #FactFirstPH partner for media company Rappler where she joins discussions about fact-checking and researching; and being the sole Filipino member and only content creator in TikTok’s regional safety advisory council who helps the platform attain better security especially for the young audience.

"I am fulfilling my life purpose. I am helping my society. I want the world to be a better place for my children. And most of my week is dedicated to my work on the Autism Society Philippines, kasi nga, I have a 31-year-old son on the autism spectrum. I want him to grow up in a society that will accept him for who he is," she explained.

TikTok is still new to her but she admitted it is now one of her priorities, after seeing “evident efforts to distort the past” online.

“Parang ina-announce kong nanay na nanay na ako — on a platform na pang-Gen Z… I want to help educate the young people how to be a good Filipino,” Veluz emphasized.

Just like a popular word among Gen Z, Mighty Magulang is definitely "mothering" as she earnestly lends a hand to help the youth.