Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has celebrated the 106th birth anniversary of his late father and former president.

"For the peace and order that he fought and stood for, he remains a true Filipino and Ilocano icon whose exceptional mind matched the nation-loving spirit that he possessed and that he demonstrated," the president said of the senior Marcos in the ceremony.

Marcos Jr. declared Monday a holiday in Ilocos Norte, the Marcoses' northern home province. This was the second time he has publicly marked his father's birthday.

The former President Marcos gained a reputation as a dictator. He was ousted in the peaceful "People Power" movement in 1986, after ruling for over two decades.

Victims of martial law imposed under the former regime have accused Marcos Jr.'s administration of whitewashing the misdeeds of his father and distorting history.

The Philippines Education Department recently instructed that the term "Marcos Dictatorship" be replaced with "Dictatorship" in the Grade 6 social studies curriculum. A group of victims of the dictatorship called the move a "shameless scheme."