Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage: The First Quarter Storm and Related Events, originally published in

1982 by the Philippine Free Press and Asia-Philippines Leader, recounts a succint yet historic period
in the country with the experiential accounts and emotional entanglement of a storyteller whose
insurgence supports cessation of pretensive objectivity of traditional journalism and overthrowing of a
dictatorial reign (Tabada 2019. 16, 154).
Konteksto ng Panahon/Lugar
Ano-ano ang mga pangyayari sa Pilipinas o sa mundo sa panahong naisulat ang tekstong binasa
mo? Paano ito nakaapekto sa teksto, sa nagsulat, at sa sinusulatan? Maaari itong pagbabagong
pang ekonomiya, nakagisnang kultura, kaganapang pulitikal, o kahit maging simpleng kalagayang
pangkapaligiran o environmental. Kung isang malikhaing akda o obrang sining ang sinusuri,
maaaring tingnan ang kasaysayan ng panitikan o sining ng panahon noon—ano ang mga estilo,
gamit, pananaw, paniniwala, ideolohiya, atbp.? Maaaring malawak na pagsasakonteksto (hal.
pambansang pangyayari tulad ng deklarasyon ng Batas Militar, o pandaigdigan, tulad ng World War
II) o mas espesipiko (hal. Pag unlad ng industriya ng abaka sa Kabikolan).
The coverage of the accounts occurred within the end of 1960s and the first quarter of the year 1970.
One of the events that portended the declaration of martial law in 1972 by former president Ferdinand
Marcos was the paroxysm, which inaugurated the First Quarter Storm.
It all started on the month of January year 1970, after Marcos delivered his State of the Nation
address, radical and conservative groups gathered on the streets of Manila and taunted the president
as well as his first lady, throwing rocks and bottles at their car, succeeded by protesters' heated
counters with the military, who disbanded the masses with batons (Scalice 2020). Even if there were
two more years prior to the proclamation of martial law, the Filipinos already had a piece of the
hostility and disorder it would later on bring (Tinig ng Plaridel 2013).
That day of protest dominoed a series of strikes for the following two months that constituted the
revolutionary First Quarter Storm. One of the notable phenomena that transpired along with the said
event was a sequence of first hand accounts from a man from the media and a member of the
movement (Tinig ng Plaridel 2013). His name gained multiple recognitions for courageously relaying
his personal experiences along with the reports on the actual events ensued on the historic event.
Particularly, these accounts on protest actions were viewed under the lens of Jose Maria "Pete" F.
Lacaba Jr. and were compiled on his book Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage. Given that Lacaba was
in the middle of the First Quarter Storm when it happened, it can be connoted that this, and his desire
to promote a free and progressive media are what sparked him to utilize his skill and passion in
writing the book in a detailed manner.
Similarly, because he was in the middle of it that he was able to narrate what happened in a
personalized manner. According to a review of Oscar Evangelist on Lacaba's work, he said that
Lacaba was a key witness to the violence that persistent during the Marcos regime and how the
students responded (interview on Evangelista by Tinig ng Plaridel). In relation, it was on March 3,
1970 that Lacaba was able to account the massive contribution of the youth in denouncing Marcos
and his administration, which emerged as a part of the series of protests during the First Quarter
Storm. More specifically, on this day, students and youth groups allied with jeepney drivers and
conducted a citywide strike, in which this event was more recognized as the People's March
(Dacanay 2020). His participation on the movement brought him the leverage to differ his approach
from the ordinary news reporting that existed at that time.
This book of Lacaba encompass the "new social history", in which Samuel considered as an
extensive crumple of social respect and more as a questioning of all kinds of authorities. Accordingly,
Lacaba crafted this piece not only to feed the public interest but also on the context of social history
that acquires it exuberance from its "oppositional character", that is centered on actual events and
ordinary people (Tabada). This piece was mastered to serve as a pillar of historical revisionism,
raising political awareness as well as halting biased and state-promoted journalistic fraudulence.
Konteksto ng May-akda
Sino ang nagsulat? Ano ang kaniyang lahi, uring panlipunan, kasarian, relihiyon, atbp.? Paano ito
nakaapekto sa kaniyang sinulat? Bakit niya isinulat ang teksto? Ano ang kaniyang mga pananaw na
lumilitaw sa teksto? Hal., iba ang pananaw ng isang nag-uulat na kolonyal na opisyal o pari sa isang
katutubong manunulat.
Jose Maria “Pete” F. Lacaba Jr., Filipino poet, essayist, journalist, scriptwriter, translator, and
copyeditor
The series of historic street protests that incriminate Marcos's government as well as the
interpositions of the American government in the affairs of the Philippines and other Asian countries
like Vietnam were spectated and unfolded by Jose Maria "Pete" F. Lacaba Jr., a Filipino poet,
essayist, journalist, scriptwriter, translator, and copyeditor. Lacaba's name became a "by-word" for his
prominent literary works and impact on social relevance. Further, his works captured Filipino
struggles for social transformation, independence, and progress during the turbulence of the said
regime. According to a interview by CNN Philippines with Lacaba himself, Pete Lacaba battled for
"free and progressive media" to evince that the pen is mightier than the sword, "refusing to break"
(CNN Philippines, 2018). Hello – efe

In this composition, Lacaba survived multiple times just to record not only from the foreline but also
dug deep into the core of rage and upheavals on streets. More significantly, Lacaba did more than
just echoing the rampage--his fervent voice further amplified the time of "disquiet" and "rage" during
the years under the Marcos administration. It was noted by Tabada (2019) that Lacaba had an eye for
the detail and his voice in his work was that of an astute journalist, bagging a poet's skill for word
play, and a "chip on his shoulder" averse to the elites of the Malacanang Palace.

Specifically, Pete Lacaba's accounts on the People's March held on March 3, 1970 further exhibited
the rawness of his narration. It exemplified that he was a composite, the body of his work as he
unravelled his emotions regarding what he witnessed during the event. As he wrote: "I stood there
paralyzed by a mess of emotions--rage, out-rage, frustration, fear and hate--and through my mind
went murderous thoughts" (Lacaba, 118). Simply, this was an implication that he stands with those
burning with rage against the despotism and violence. Parallel to his response on an interview with
CNN Philippines (2018), this is for the reason that Lacaba reckons that journalism's entirety is not
enclosed to writing or speaking but also doing something. This piece aligned with his conviction that a
journalist is not just an oberver but also a "participant for freedom".

Similar to his other works, Lacaba's Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage purposed to catalyze political
awakening of people from all walks of life. Moreover, this book chronicled latent student and labor
activism in the Philippines, ergo one that can ignite the reader's tenacity to battle against political and
social injustices, as well as press impartiality. Through instilling in his readers a sense of impassion to
learn more about the history, Lacaba signalizes connection of the present and the past. As stated by
Jamisolamin (2013), this piece of Lacaba can be one's current underpinning for the concept of martial
law as the wave of protests and for others, the report regarding total revolutionary resistance.
Konteksto ng Pinagtutuunang Mambabasa
Para kanino sinulat ang teksto? Sino siya/sila? Ano ang kaniyang lahi, uring panlipunan, kasarian,
relihiyon, atbp.? Bakit kaya siya ang intended reader ng teksto? Ano ang koneksyon niya sa
nagsulat? Hal., sa isang liham o ulat, bakit siya ang pinapadalhan nito? Mayroon ba siyang awtoridad
(tulad ng isang opisyal ng gobyerno), o simpleng pinagpapahayagan lamang ng manunulat (tulad ng
isang malapit na kaibigan o kasintahan)? Para sa isang likhang-sining, bakit siya ang pinag-aalayan
nito? Siya ba ang patron o isponsor ng artist, o ang kaniyang inspirasyon (tulad ni “Celia” sa akda ni
Francisco Balagtas)?
In Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage, Lacaba's audience are the Filipinos from all walks of life. Despite
the First Quarter Storm being over, the cultural revolution is unweakened and is still growing (Lacaba
2014). In light of this, Lacaba aims to educate the Filipinos with the past and instigate further the
people's desire for sociopolitical reform. It is possible that Lacaba hopes for consciousness and
embodiment of the people of the present to be similar to his, as someone who would declare to be
"one of them", them being those who bravely walked and battled during the First Quarter Storm, and
no longer just "one with them".
Nonetheless, it is still up to the Filipino readers to contemplate on the Days of the Disquiet, Nights of
Rage, to be a either a subjective and a deluded narration, or a subjective and an undaunted one.
Opting to give credence to Lacaba's literary work in the course of historical revisionism equates to
demonstration of empathy and oneness with the voices of those who have been oppressed, including
those striving at great lengths to speak for the silenced.
On another note, Lacaba might be specifically addressing his work to the Philippine media. In his
work, he gave a peek of the role played by the campus press, embattled but devoted. Being a
member of the press himself, he is cognizant of the essence of group and alternative media to spread
awareness without being embroiled by those with substantial knowledge and activist mind who are
heedless to those with less formal education (Tabada 2019). Correspondingly, his proposition to be
against expositions of rumor dissemination and biases might be factors as to why he would intend the
current Philippine press as his readers.
Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage: The First Quarter Storm and Related Events, first published in 1982
by the Philippines Free Press and the Asia-Philippines Leader

Cnn interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V37xVIltQ6s

Konteksto ng Panahon/Lugar

Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage: The First Quarter Storm and Related Events, originally published in 1982 by
the Philippine Free Press and Asia-Philippines Leader, recounts a succinct yet historic period in the Philippines
with the experiential accounts and emotional entanglement of a storyteller whose insurgence supports
cessation of pretensive objectivity of traditional journalism and overthrowing of a dictatorial reign (Tabada
2019. 16, 154).

The coverage of the accounts occurred within the end of 1960s and the first quarter of the year 1970. One of
the events that portended the declaration of martial law in 1972 by former president Ferdinand Marcos was the
paroxysm, which inaugurated the First Quarter Storm.

It all started on the month of January year 1970, after Marcos delivered his State of the Nation address, radical
and conservative groups gathered on the streets of Manila and taunted the president as well as his first lady,
throwing rocks and bottles at their car, succeeded by protesters' heated counters with the military, who
disbanded the masses with batons (Scalice 2020). Even if there were two more years prior to the proclamation
of martial law, the Filipinos already had a piece of the hostility and disorder it would later on bring (Tinig ng
Plaridel 2013).

That day of protest rippled a series of strikes for the following two months that constituted the revolutionary
First Quarter Storm. One of the notable phenomena that transpired along with the said event was a sequence
of first-hand accounts from a man from the media and a member of the movement (Tinig ng Plaridel 2013). His
name gained multiple recognitions for courageously relaying his personal experiences along with the reports
on the actual events ensued on the historic event. Particularly, these accounts on protest actions were viewed
under the lens of Jose Maria "Pete" F. Lacaba Jr. and were compiled in his book Days of Disquiet, Nights of
Rage. Given that Lacaba was in the middle of the First Quarter Storm when it happened, it can be connoted
that this, and his desire to promote a free and progressive media are what sparked him to utilize his skill and
passion in writing the book in a detailed manner.

Similarly, because he was in the middle of it, he was able to narrate what happened in a personalized manner.
According to a review of Oscar Evangelist on Lacaba's work, he said that Lacaba was a key witness to the
violence that persisted during the Marcos regime and how the students responded (interview on Evangelista by
Tinig ng Plaridel). In relation, it was on March 3, 1970 that Lacaba was able to account for the massive
contribution of the youth in denouncing Marcos and his administration, which emerged as a part of the series of
protests during the First Quarter Storm. More specifically, on this day, students and youth groups allied with
jeepney drivers and conducted a citywide strike, in which this event was more recognized as the People's
March (Dacanay 2020). His participation in the movement brought him the leverage to differ his approach from
the ordinary news reporting that existed at that time.

This book of Lacaba encompasses the "new social history", in which Samuel considered as an extensive
crumple of social respect and more as a questioning of all kinds of authorities. Accordingly, Lacaba crafted this
piece not only to feed the public interest but also in the context of social history that acquires its exuberance
from its "oppositional character", that is centered on actual events and ordinary people (Tabada 2019. 16, 154-
155). This piece was mastered to serve as a pillar of historical revisionism, raising political awareness as well
as halting biased and state-promoted journalistic fraudulence.

Konteksto ng May-akda

The series of historic street protests that incriminate Marcos's government as well as the interpositions of the
American government in the affairs of the Philippines and other Asian countries like Vietnam were spectated
and unfolded by Jose Maria "Pete" F. Lacaba Jr., a Filipino poet, essayist, journalist, scriptwriter, translator,
and copyeditor. Lacaba's name became a "by-word" for his prominent literary works and impact on social
relevance. Further, his works captured Filipino struggles for social transformation, independence, and progress
during the turbulence of the Marcos regime. According to an interview by CNN Philippines with Pete Lacaba
himself, Lacaba battled for "free and progressive media'' to evince that the pen is mightier than the sword,
"refusing to break" (CNN Philippines, 2018).

In this composition, Lacaba survived multiple times just to record not only from the foreline but also dug deep
into the core of rage and upheavals on streets. More significantly, Lacaba, who at that time was part of the
press, did more than just echoing the rampage–his fervent voice further amplified the time of "disquiet" and
"rage" during the years under the Marcos administration. It was noted by Tabada (2019) that Lacaba had an
eye for detail and his voice in his work was that of an astute journalist, bagging a poet's skill for word play, and
a "chip on his shoulder" averse to the elites of the Malacanang Palace.

Specifically, Pete Lacaba's accounts on the People's March held on March 3, 1970, further exhibited the
rawness of his narration. It exemplified that he was a composite, the body, of his work as he unravelled his
emotions regarding what he witnessed during the event. As he wrote: "I stood there paralyzed by a mess of
emotions–rage, out-rage, frustration, fear and hate and through my mind went murderous thoughts" (Lacaba,
118). Simply, this was an implication that he stands with those burning with rage against despotism and
violence. Parallel to this was his response in an interview with CNN Philippines (2018), for the reason that
Lacaba reckons that journalism's entirety is not enclosed to writing or speaking but also by doing something.
This piece aligned with his conviction that a journalist is not just an observer but also a "participant for
freedom" (**interview citation**).

Similar to his other works, Lacaba's Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage purposed to catalyze political awakening
of people from all walks of life. Moreover, this book chronicled latent student and labor activism in the
Philippines, ergo, one that can ignite the reader's tenacity to battle against political and social injustices, as
well as press impartiality. Through instilling in his readers a sense of impassion to learn more about the history,
Lacaba signalizes connection of the present and the past. As stated by Jamisolamin (2013), this piece of
Lacaba can be one's current underpinning for the concept of martial law as the wave of protests and for others,
the report regarding total revolutionary resistance.

Konteksto ng Pinagtutuunang Mambabasa

In Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage, Lacaba's audience are the Filipinos from all walks of life. Despite the First
Quarter Storm being over, the cultural revolution is unweakened and is still growing (Lacaba 2014). In light of
this, Lacaba aims to educate the Filipinos with the past and instigate further the people's desire for socio
political reform. It is possible that Lacaba hopes for consciousness and embodiment of people in the present to
be similar to his, as someone who would declare to be "one of them", them being those who bravely walked
and battled during the historic First Quarter Storm, and no longer just "one with them".

Nonetheless, it is still up to the Filipino readers to contemplate on the Days of the Disquiet, Nights of Rage, to
be either a subjective and a deluded narration, or a subjective and an undaunted one. Opting to give credence
to Lacaba's literary work in the course of historical revisionism equates to demonstration of empathy and
oneness with the voices of those who have been oppressed, including those striving at great lengths to speak
for the silenced.

On another note, Lacaba might be specifically addressing his work to the Philippine media. In his work, he
gave a peek of the role played by the campus press, embattled but devoted. Being a member of the press
himself, he is cognizant of the essence of group and alternative media as tools to spread awareness without
being embroiled by those with substantial knowledge and activist mind yet are heedless to those with less
formal education (Tabada 2019. 16, 157). Correspondingly, his proposition to be against expositions of rumor
dissemination and news biases might be factors as to why he would intend the current Philippine press as his
readers.