Coded Rebellion in Philippine Art

Art in the Philippines has always been a weapon of resistance. During Martial Law in the 1970s,

Filipino artists couldn't openly criticize the dictatorship, so they got creative. Poet Jose Lacaba

wrote a seemingly innocent poem called Prometheus Unbound and published it in a major magazine.

The editors had no idea they'd been fooled. The first letter of each line spelled

out a revolutionary message against the regime, turning it into one of the most

powerful protest slogans of that era. This wasn't just poetry,

it was coded rebellion hidden in plain sight. When Martial Law finally ended,

Filipino artists exploded with freedom, no longer creating just for or against the government,