DEKADA ‘70

Written By Gabrielle Marie

Written Work: Movie Guide Questions

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

A photo of one of the demonstrations during the martial law. || retrospect.ph

1. In the Philippine context, what happened when nationalism under Marcos clashed with mothers’ traditional roles as exhibited in the film?

Traditionally, women only have to be wives and mothers in their families. They had to raise their children to become good citizens of their country. And that was their role, their purpose in society. But becoming a mother does not make them any less of a citizen.

During Martial Law, there were many injustices, and ineffective leadership ruled the Philippines. They suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus, and seemingly politically-motivated arrests were rampant across the country. Because of this, more people demanded reforms in the government, and often seeing political demonstrations on the streets became the norm, somehow.

When the times called for the citizens’ nationalism to fight for the competent and transparent government that the Filipino people deserve, mothers were not an exception. From being only lights of their homes, or “mga ilaw ng tahanan,” they had to step up and set fire to the nationalism in their hearts. They had to be more than just mothers and wives. They had to play their part as citizens of the country as well.

2. What does the text reveal about the operations (economically, politically, socially, or psychologically) of patriarchy?

According to Julian, it is a man’s world. Throughout history, patriarchy has become significant in families and Filipino culture. Economically, they are the provider for their families. As their wives stay at home to take care of their children, men earn a living outside. Politically, a majority of the presidents of the Philippines are men as well. In fact, the first female president only took office almost a whole century after the first male president of the country, reflective of the male dominance when it comes to leadership and decision-making in politics. Socially, fathers lead their families. Their opinion is commonly the end-all-be-all, and their wives and children have to adjust accordingly. Just like how Julian has the final say, and Amanda submits to him, men lead both in their private and public spheres. Psychologically, men have to be strong. According to Julian, it is not pleasing to see a man be emotional, talk a lot, and cry. They are the pillars of their homes, or “mga haligi ng tahanan,” so they suppress their feelings to seem reliable and respectable.

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3. Give a situation/scene from the movie that depicts a patriarchal ideology.

The scene where Amanda asked Julian if she could work and Julian was disgruntled depicts a patriarchal ideology. Because, traditionally, men are the providers of their families, Julian was taken aback by Amanda’s request. To Julian, pursuing a career may only be a means of economic stability, but this is not the case for Amanda. She desires a sense of autonomy. Since starting a family, Amanda lived her everyday life in pursuit of being a good wife and mother. She only wanted to try and live for herself for a change and have a fulfilling career. But because Julian was against this, she decided to follow what her husband believes is right.

4. Explain the quote from the movie, “Ang payapang pampang ay para lang sa mga pangahas na sasalunga sa alimpuyo ng mga alon sa panahon ng unos. (Tranquil shores are only for those who boldly oppose raging waves during storms.)”.

This quote means that, rightfully, only those who fight for change deserve it. The movie highlights all the hardships that the Filipino people had to overcome to have peace. The Marcos regime challenged the citizens’ nationalism and courage to stand up for what they deserve. Some may take this for granted despite not working for it, but it may also become a guilty reminder of how they stayed silent despite the chaos that has engulfed our country.

It took great lengths of perseverance and sacrifice, and even lives, from Filipinos to have the freedom that we have today. Thus, we have to not only remember what they have done but learn from their mistakes to prevent them from happening again, for our future generations, and to protect and cherish the gift of peace that they have given us.

5. Do you think that youth should engage in activism? Why or why not?

Yes, the youth should engage in activism because they deserve to have a voice in society. Aiming for a perfect system is unrealistic and unattainable, but that does not mean that the youth should settle for a distorted system.

Demanding for reforms through demonstrations and campaigns is not a nuisance or “panggulo.” It is the youth’s tool to secure the future they are deserving of—it may not be perfect, but at the very least, they can be sure it is a system that is close to the ideal. In the end, they will be inheriting what the older generation passes on, including the consequences of their actions, so they duly merit the right to have a say in what these actions may be.

Youth activists in the Philippines take part in the global climate strike on 25 September 2020 || 350org