Dekada '70 is a seminal work of Philippine literature that chronicles the life of the Bartolome family during the Martial Law era under the Ferdinand Marcos regime. Through the lens of a typical middle-class family, author Lualhati Bautista explores the erosion of civil liberties, the radicalization of the youth, and the political awakening of the Filipino woman. The novel is widely regarded as a primary text for understanding the social and political climate of the Philippines in the 1970s.
In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law, which effectively consolidated his power and silenced opposition to his regime. The period that followed, known as the "Dekada '70," was marked by widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and torture. The Marcos regime also implemented strict censorship, suppressing any form of dissent or opposition. lualhati bautista dekada 70 pdf 359