Pete Lacaba for National Artist. My mother would have approved.

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Jose “Pete” Lacaba will be honored by fellow writers and artists in a tribute on October 10

One of my fond memories of my friend Jose “Pete” Lacaba, who will be honored by fellow writers and artists in an October 10 tribute, featured my late mother, Isabel Impelido Pimentel.

One morning in the ’80s, Pete stopped by our house in Cubao for a work meeting. Mommy invited him for lunch even though she didn’t have time to prepare. Lunch that day meant rice and boiled fish with saluyot (jute mallow) leaves, the type of food Mommy grew up with in Sinait, Ilocos Sur.

Pete sat down to eat with us and he appeared to enjoy the meal. After he left, Mommy told me: “He’s a good man. He ate our food.”

Pimentel family, Pete Lacaba, Marra Lanot

She shouldn’t be surprised, I explained. Pete may be a famous writer, but he is a down-to-earth guy who would enjoy a simple Ilocano meal.

Mommy eventually became a fan of Pete’s poetry. She even read them aloud to me one time — which worried me a little bit.

She thought “Paksiw na Ayungin” (Ayungin fish cooked in vinegar) was wonderful. But as she began reading the first two verses of “Pasyong Mahal ni San Jose” (The Holy Passion of Saint Joseph)…

“Pait, katam at martilyo, (Chisel, plane and hammer)
“Ibubulong ko sa iyo (I will whisper to you)
“Ang masaklap kong sikreto…” (My terrible secret)

…I knew I had to distract her and stop her from reading further ..

“Ah, Mommy, have you heard anything from Auntie Cadie?”

It worked. And I felt relieved. A devout Catholic, and a lay Carmelite, she probably would not have appreciated the rest of Pete’s poem, a meditation on exploitation (divine or otherwise) through the eyes of Saint Joseph.

“Hindi ko pa inaano (I haven’t even touched her)
“Buntis na ang nobya ko.” (And my girlfriend’s already pregnant)

When my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2003, Mommy insisted that we invite Pete. He and Marra Lanot, who passed away recently, celebrated with us that evening.

Literature and film

I was a UP student when I first met Pete in 1982 at the Galian ng Arte at Tula studio in Cubao at the launch of Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage, his classic account of the First Quarter Storm.

Many of us were so impressed with the book that my friends Bertrand Quesada, then editor of Sinag, the paper of the UP College of Arts and Sciences, and managing editor Gani De Castro (and now a Rappler editor), decided to publish a full-page comic strip version of Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage.

The next time I saw Pete was in the streets.

We were marching toward Liwasang Bonifacio during one of the countless protests after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino. It started to rain. When some protesters took out umbrellas, the more unruly rallyists started taunting them. “No umbrellas. We march in the rain!”

Pete didn’t appreciate that.

“Hindi problema ang payong (Umbrellas are not the problem),” he told the anti-umbrella marchers.

By then, Pete was a major collaborator with one of our best film directors, Lino Brocka. He wrote some of the best and most memorable Brocka films. Kapit sa Patalim (Clinging to a Knife) and Sister Stella L helped define what was then a vibrant protest culture. We were inspired by them, and even moved to action.

I remember how we marched toward Malacañang and passed a giant movie poster of Sister Stella L showing Vilma Santos with a raised fist. Fellow marchers yelled out the line from the movie: “Katarungan para kay Ka Dencio! (Justice for Ka Dencio!)”

I finally got to work with Pete after the EDSA revolution when I joined Midweek. I had just graduated from UP Diliman and actually had a choice. Work for a mainstream newspaper or TV station. Or join a small magazine few people had heard of, but led by two of the best writers in the country: Pete Lacaba and the late Greg Brillantes.

Choosing the latter was one of the smartest decisions I ever made. Until now, I remember what I learned from Pete and Greg whenever I’m writing.

Pete Lacaba, Benjamin Pimentel, Greg Brillantes

Working with Pete and Greg wasn’t just about work of course. I will always treasure memories of our inuman (drinking sessions), especially at Davao Inihaw on Tomas Morato Avenue and later, at Pete’s house on Mother Ignacia Avenue in Quezon City.

Greg passed away last year before he was finally named National Artist for Literature, an honor that he should have received decades ago.

It’s Pete’s turn. Many of us believe that. Including the many artists and journalists who will be gathering at My Brother’s Mustache Bar in Quezon City for “Salinawit ni Pete: A Tribute” on Saturday, October 10.

Other important writers should be named with Pete, including great writers who have also passed on, Lualhati Bautista and Rogelio Sikat.

I hope it happens the way it happened for Greg.

Benjamin Pimentel, Pete Lacaba, Marra Lanot

Jose F. Lacaba, my friend and mentor, poet, journalist, screen writer, translator and editor more than deserves to be our next National Artist for Literature or our next National Artist for Film.

Mommy would have agreed. – Rappler.com

Benjamin Pimentel is the author of ‘U.G. An Underground Tale’ published by Anvil Publishing which just released the 2nd printing of the 3rd edition. He is also a journalist and technology editor based in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA. Royalties from ‘U.G.’ are donated to Bantayog ng Mga Bayani.