''Dekada '70'' () is a 2002

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

film directed by

Chito S. Roño Chito Sarmiento Roño (; born April 26, 1954), also known as Sixto Kayko and Chito S. Roño, is a Filipino writer, producer, and director. He is known for his expansive vision and special-effects-heavy films. He came to prominence in the Phil ...

and based on the 1983 novel of the same name by

Lualhati Bautista Lualhati Torres Bautista (born December 2, 1945) is a Filipina writer, novelist, liberal activist and political critic. Her most popular novels include '' Dekada '70''; '' Bata, Bata, Pa'no Ka Ginawa?''; and '' ‘GAPÔ''. Biography Bautista was ...

. Set in the Philippines during the period of

martial law under Ferdinand Marcos At 7:17 pm on September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he had placed the entirety of the Philippines under martial law. This marked the beginning of a 14-year period of one-man rule that would effectively last ...

, the film follows the struggles of the middle-class Bartolome family. It stars

Vilma Santos Rosa Vilma Tuazon Santos-Recto (, born November 3, 1953) is a Filipino actress, singer, dancer, TV host, producer, and politician. She served as a House Deputy Speaker since 2019 to 2022 and as the Representative of Batangas' 6th district since ...

and

Christopher De Leon Christopher Strauss de León (born October 31, 1956) is a Philippine film actor and politician. He is recognized as the “''King of Philippine Drama''” has appeared in over 120 films since the early 1970s. Regarded as an "acting genius" and ...

as parents raising five sons amidst the tense political background. Their sons are played by

Piolo Pascual Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual (, born January 12, 1977) is a Filipino film and television actor, singer, model, and producer. Early life Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual was born on January 12, 1977, in Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center located in Malate ...

Carlos Agassi Amir Carlos Damaso Vahidi Agassi (born December 12, 1979, in Makati, Philippines), popularly known as Carlos Agassi and simply Amir, is a Filipino actor, rap artist, host, and model. He was launched as a member of ABS-CBN's Star Circle (now S ...

Marvin Agustin Marvin Jay Marquez Cuyugan (born January 29, 1979), known professionally as Marvin Agustin, is a Filipino actor, chef and entrepreneur. Early life Agustin is the youngest and the only male child of Theresa and Danilo Cuyugan and has two older s ...

, Danilo Barrios, and

John Wayne Sace John Wayne Sace (born May 9, 1989) is a Filipino character actor and dancer. He first rose to prominence from being a former child actor to a teen idol. Life and career Sace was a member of ABS-CBN network's circle of homegrown talents called St ...

. The film is now restored in high-definition by the ABS-CBN Film Archives and Central Digital Lab.

Plot

A middle-class

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

neighborhood is home to the Bartolome family. Couple Amanda Bartolome (

) and Julián Bartolome Sr. (

Christopher de Leon Christopher Strauss de León (born October 31, 1956) is a Philippine film actor and politician. He is recognized as the “''King of Philippine Drama''” has appeared in over 120 films since the early 1970s. Regarded as an "acting genius" and ...

) are parents to sons Julian "Jules" Bartolome Jr. (

), Isagani "Gani" Bartolome (

), Emmanuel "Em" Bartolome (

), Jason Bartolome ( Danilo Barrios) and Benjamin "Bingo" Bartolome (

1965-1970

In 1965, as a young boy, Gani fights with his friend while playing a game in the street, their mothers come to stop the fighting and make them stay away from each other. In the streets of Manila, protests take place when the Philippines enters the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. Five years later, Philippine president

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

wins his

re-election The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

bid as president. Julián stops Amanda from looking for a job with Amanda intent on pursuing it. At dinner time, Jules and Gani speak about the upcoming Junior-Senior Prom. At the prom, Gani tries gropes his partner and gets kicked . The Bartolomes get stuck in traffic in the streets on the way home from the event due to a protest with effigy burning taking place near the

Legislative Building A legislative building is a building in which a legislature sits and makes laws for its respective political entity. The term used for the building varies between the political entities, such as "building", "capitol", "hall", "house", or "palace" ...

1971

A protest takes place in the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...

where Jules with his best friend Willy (

Jhong Hilario Virgilio Viernes Hilario Jr. (born August 11, 1976), professionally known as Jhong Hilario, is a Philippines, Filipino actor, dancer, television host, and politician. He is part of the Filipino dance group ''Streetboys''. He is currently servin ...

) become activists and join a resistance movement. At the same time, Emmanuel begins writing illegal exposés and other kinds of banned literature. During protests, attendees sing the Philippine National Anthem, "

Lupang Hinirang "" ("Chosen Land"), originally titled in Spanish as "" ("Philippine National March"), and commonly and informally known by its incipit "" ("Beloved Country"), is the national anthem of the Philippines. Its music was composed in 1898 by Julián ...

", with raised fists. The protesters outnumber the authorities but their efforts to make them leave become futile and they retreat. Julián becomes furious when he discovers their activities, and he angrily explains to Jules and Willy the consequences of their actions, the suspension of the

writ of habeas corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...

and the disappearance of the student leader Charlie del Rosario. Gani reveals his plans to apply for a job in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

to Julian but is overheard by Jules, who admonishes his actions as a lack of patriotism. Gani furiously explains to him that working for the US government entitles one to a high salary with numerous benefits. Julián accepts the plan, thus making Gani the family's newest breadwinner. Sometime later, another protest depicts President

acting as a lackey to

Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of ...

, and crucifying a Filipino. Bingo pulls down a flying kite and Amanda discovers that the kite is made out of copies of the Communist newspaper ''

Ang Bayan ''Ang Bayan'' (The Country) is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines, issued by the party's Central Committee. It describes the actions of party as well as its point of view on issues and events in the Philippines. ...

''. Julián discovers that Jules is an activist and he sneaks up to his room to check his rebellious pamphlets.

1972

Marcos declares

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

on nationwide television, as well as imposing nighttime curfews in order to round up anyone suspected of being a terrorist or communist to be imprisoned. The change of events results in interrogations, tortures, and deaths. Gani accidentally impregnates his girlfriend Evelyn (

Dimples Romana Dianne Marie Bonifacio Romana-Ahmee (born November 13, 1976) or better known as Dimples Romana is a Filipino actress. Career Romana finished at International Hospitality Management Major in Culinary Arts at Enderun College after she finished h ...

). Two police cars escort the Bartolomes to Evelyn's house where her father blackmails them into marrying her. Jules comes home late and confesses to his family that Willy was tortured to death for staying past curfew. He later reveals his plan to travel to Bicol and join the Communist Party's NPA group despite his mother's opposition.

1973-1976

Evelyn gives birth to a baby girl. Sometime later, Gani leaves for the United States via

Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Subi ...

and Evelyn returns to her family. Emmanuel plans to go to

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entir ...

to research an article on the

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant on the Bataan Peninsula, west of Manila, Philippines. Completed but never fueled, it is located on a government reservation at Napot Point in Morong, Bataan. It was the Philippines' ...

. Julián furiously opposes as the topic is a possible target for roundup under Martial Law. Jules brings a wounded friend home for care, as a hospital would arouse too much suspicion, but leaves two days later. After two months of not returning, Jules is revealed to have been married to fellow NPA member Mara (

Ana Capri Ynfane Avanica (born April 24, 1979), known professionally as Ana Capri, is a Filipino actress. Career In 1996, Capri made her screen debut in ''Virgin People 2'', directed by Celso Ad. Castillo, where she acted alongside Sunshine Cruz, Sharmai ...

) and they now have a baby boy. One night, the family burns Jules' anti-government pamphlets out of fear of the presence of authorities who instead turn out to be Christmas carolers. Amanda receives a phone call informing her that Jules has been imprisoned. Amanda and Julian visit Jules in prison where he recounts his experience with torture and solitary confinement. At Christmas Jules' family, including his parents and siblings along with his wife and son, visit him in prison, and his fellow inmates are singing Christmas songs.

Final years of the 70s

Amanda is involved with a

non-government organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

(similar to

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

or any other human rights groups) reaching out to families of victims of human rights abuse. Amanda and Julian search for Jason whose whereabouts are unknown after a night of being out. Emmanuel joins in the search and discovers in a morgue that his brother's body was found inside

Manila Zoo The Manila Zoo, formally known as the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, is a zoo located in Malate, Manila, Philippines. History The Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden first opened to the public on July 25, 1959, during the tenure ...

with multiple stab wounds. Amanda, drunk, not knowing what Emmanuel has found, berates him for coming home late. Emmanuel tells his father Julian of his discovery and Julian attempts suicide in grief. Jules attends the wake in handcuffs and in tears. Amanda and Julian blame each other on their son's death and on the verge of separation, are interrupted by news that Jules is finally released from prison. The family reunites at dinner, with Jules' wife and son, and Evelyn and her daughter. Jules announces to the family that he will be returning to the

revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

, which Julian accepts and wishes him good luck. Eventually, Amanda and Julian get emotional and reconcile. In the end, Amanda and her son Emmanuel participate in singing the Philippine National Anthem at a play about the revolution written by Emmanuel himself.

Epilogue

In 1983, the Bartolome family attend the wake of

Ninoy Aquino Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr., (; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aquino ...

at the

Santo Domingo Church Santo Domingo Church, formally known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (Spanish: ''Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario''; Filipino: ''Pambansang Dambana ng Mahal na Birhen ng Santo Rosaryo''), is ...

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

after his

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

. Amanda joins a large group of activists at the Post Office Building to overthrow the Marcos regime once and for all. The Marcos regime is peacefully overthrown during the 1986

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...

when

Corazon Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...

is sworn into office as president.

Cast

as Amanda Bartolome A mother of the Bartolomes with five young sons. After discovering copies of communist pamphlets lying around the house, she accepts Jules' inclination to become a rebel fighter. *

as Julián Bartolome, Sr. - the head of the Bartolome family who wants all his children to become successful in life. Being suspicious of Jules' inclination to become an anti-government activist, he also became convinced when they find copies of rebellious pamphlets lying around the house and supports Jules to rally against corruption in the government. *

as Julian "Jules" Bartolome, Jr. - the first son of the Bartolomes. After Amanda and Julian discover his inclination to the Communist movement, they confronted their son about them, and he had to admit his decision. At first, conflict ensues in the family. Eventually, the parents learned to accept their son's decision, and eventually became proud of him. Since then, their home became a constant place of recreation for Jules who often brought his friend along with him. Jules was subsequently sent to prison after the said friend betrayed the family by revealing himself to be an undercover government operative. Jericho Rosales was the first choice to play Jules but had to drop out of the role in order to focus on

Pangako Sa 'Yo ''Pangako Sa 'Yo'' (International title: ''The Promise'' / ) is a Philippine primetime soap opera series that aired on ABS-CBN. It stars an ensemble cast led by Kristine Hermosa, Jericho Rosales, Eula Valdez, Tonton Gutierrez and Jean Garcia. It ...

. *

as Isagani "Gani" Bartolome - the second child of the Bartolomes. After planning to work for the United States Navy despite Jules' objections due to the latter's lack of patriotism, Gani becomes the family's second breadwinner and their hope to raise their social status. He, however, quickly became the Bartolomes' goat (figure of shame) after the accidental pregnancy of his girlfriend Evelyn, whom he is forced to marry. He later fathers the family's first grandchild, Annaliza while working with the U.S. Navy. *

as Emmanuel "Em" Bartolome - the third child of the Bartolomes who writes banned literature whilst maintaining a mischievous, carefree outward personality. He also heard the news of Jason's death in 1977. * Danilo Barrios as Jason Bartolome - the fourth child of the Bartolomes who was dating his girlfriend Bernadette. He was killed and stabbed multiple times by corrupt policemen in 1977, his death was finally heard by his elder brother Emmanuel. *

as Benjamin "Bingo" Bartolome - the youngest of the children. He remains calm during the 70s. *

Kris Aquino Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino (born February 14, 1971), professionally known as Kris Aquino (), is a Filipino television host, actress, producer, socialite and businesswoman. Dubbed as Philippine's "Queen of All Media", Aquino has hos ...

– Student leader *

as Mara - the wife of Jules Bartolome *

as Evelyn - the girlfriend and later wife of Isagani Bartolome *

as Willy - Jules' best friend and activist. He was killed by torturers in 1972. *

Carlo Muñoz Carlo Muñoz (; born 24 February 1978) is a Filipino-born American actor. Early life Muñoz is the middle child of Louie Muñoz and Patricia García. Muñoz's older brother is actor Leandro Muñoz. His younger brother Angelo also appeared i ...

as René *

Tirso Cruz III Tirso Silvano Cruz III (born April 1, 1952) is a Filipino actor, comedian, and singer. He currently serves as the Chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. Regarded as a "matinee idol", Cruz is a FAMAS Award and Gawad Ur ...

as Evelyn's Father - an unnamed character who is shown to be strict and only appears in two scenes; the Evelyn's household scene and the wedding scene. After Evelyn is returned to her family's household by the Bartolome couple with Isagani late one night, he pressures Isagani into a

shotgun wedding A shotgun wedding is a wedding which is arranged in order to avoid embarrassment due to premarital sex which can possibly lead to an unintended pregnancy. The phrase is a primarily American colloquialism, termed as such based on a stereotypical ...

after hearing of his daughter's stay with the latter. *

Orestes Ojeda Orestes Ojeda (January 3, 1956 − July 27, 2021) was a Filipino actor in movies and television. Career Born Luis C. Pagalilauan at Cagayan Valley, he was 17 years old when he was persuaded by director Joey Gosiengfiao to join show business. He ...

as Dr. Rodrigo * Asley Fontanoza – Carlos Bartolome, Jr./Caloy/Cocoy * Marianne de la Riva as Evelyn's Mother -an unnamed character who is shown sobbing after Evelyn's return to the household and is a witness to the shotgun wedding by the unnamed father of Evelyn. * Manjo del Mundo as a policeman * Cacai Bautista as rallyist

Awards

;Gawad URIAN * Best Picture * Best Screenplay * Best Actress – Vilma Santos * Best Supporting Actor – Piolo Pascual ;PMPC STAR Awards * Best Actress – Vilma Santos * Best Supporting Actor – Piolo Pascual * Best Screenplay – Lualhati Bautista ;FAP/Luna Awards * Best Actress – Vilma Santos * Best Supporting Actor – Piolo Pascual * Best Production Design ;Gawad TANGLAW * Best Film * Best Director – Chito Roño * Best Actress – Vilma Santos * Best Actor – Christopher de Leon * Best Supporting Actor – Piolo Pascual ;Young Critics Circle * Best Film * Best Director – Chito Roño * Best Screenplay – Lualhati Bautista * Best Performers – Vilma Santos and Piolo Pascual * Best Sound ;25th Catholic Mass Media Awards * Best Film ;Cinema One's RAVE Awards * Best Film * Best Performance – Vilma Santos ;Gawad Pasado * Best Film * Best Director – Chito Roño * Best Screenplay – Lualhati Bautista * Best Actress – Vilma Santos * Best Actor – Christopher de Leon * Best Supporting Actor – Piolo Pascual ;CineManila International Film Festival * Best Actress – Vilma Santos * Netpack Film Awardee – Dekada '70

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dekada '70 (Film) Star Cinema drama films Philippine historical drama films 2000s historical drama films 2002 films Filipino-language films Films set in the 1970s 1970s in the Philippines Films about Filipino families Films based on Philippine novels Films directed by Chito S. Roño Presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Presidency of Joseph Estrada Star Cinema films 2002 drama films