Dekada 70 Ni Lualhati Bautista ⟶ <REAL>
The novel is narrated from Amanda’s perspective. Initially a traditional ilaw ng tahanan (light of the home) who submits to her husband’s authority, Amanda evolves into a politically aware and courageous woman as she witnesses her five sons—Jules, Gamaliel (Gama), Isagani (Gani), Emmanuel (Jesse), and Bingo—respond differently to the crisis. The story reaches its climax when one son becomes a revolutionary, another is tortured, and a third is “salvaged” (extrajudicially killed). Amanda is forced to choose between blind obedience to the regime and protecting her family.
Dekada '70 functions as a "historical novel" that humanizes the statistics of Martial Law. Bautista inserts real historical events—such as the Plaza Miranda bombing, the Miss Universe pageant, and the rise of the tarantadong (protest) movements—to ground the fiction in reality. dekada 70 ni lualhati bautista
| Character | Description | | :--- | :--- | | | The protagonist and narrator. A housewife who transforms from submissive to activist, embodying the strength of Filipino mothers under siege. | | Julian Bartolome | The patriarch. A conservative, strict father who initially supports Marcos but becomes disillusioned as the regime destroys his family. | | Jules Bartolome | The eldest son. A pragmatic professional who tries to stay apolitical but eventually leaves for Canada. | | Gama Bartolome | The second son. A fiery activist and student leader who joins the New People’s Army (NPA). He is tortured and exiled. | | Gani Bartolome | The third son. An artist who remains politically neutral but suffers the consequences of the era. | | Jesse Bartolome | The fourth son. A sensitive, rebellious teenager who becomes a guerilla fighter and is “salvaged” (murdered by state forces). | | Bingo Bartolome | The youngest son. Still a child during most of the novel, representing the future generation. | The novel is narrated from Amanda’s perspective
Dekada '70 chronicles the life of the middle-class family of Julian and Amanda Bartolome, focusing on the political awakening of the mother, Amanda. The story spans ten years (1970–1980), a decade marked by the First Quarter Storm, the Plaza Miranda bombing, the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, and the subsequent oppression, disappearances, and economic turmoil. Amanda is forced to choose between blind obedience
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