Photo from ABS-CBN
The legacy of the underground movement in modern Philippines is a story of courage and conviction — one largely unknown to the vast majority of Filipinos, let alone the world. For many, this history remains hidden, tales whispered from the shadows of a dark time. This is the story of people who risked everything to fight for a better country.
Maya Butalid’s book, Chasing Windmills, helps bring these stories into the light, sharing her own journey from being a student to joining the secret fight against one of her country’s most detestable autocrats.
Her story helps us understand this critical part of Philippine history.
A Student Waking Up from the Shadows
Maya’s journey did not start with guns and secret plans. It actually began in a classroom; in 1977, the government decided to raise tuition fees by a considerable amount, catching students by surprise.
Many could not afford to stay in school because of this. Thus, this unfair decision sparked protests.
A student at the University of the Philippines at that time, Maya had always been curious and had a sense of justice. Knowing the plight of her fellow students, she joined the protests to learn more about what she could do. During one instance, she saw the police use water cannons on students with no regard for the brutality they were causing.
This opened her eyes, and she began to see the bigger problems in the country. She learned that the dictator Marcos had taken wealth for himself. The rumors she had heard about the military hurting poor people in the countryside were also beginning to become more and more real.
A friend then told her about a secret movement that was stirring in the shadows of the government. This group was planning to overthrow the dictatorship—they wanted to create a better world. They wanted to bring back democracy and justice.
Photo from Rappler
With righteousness brimming in her heart, Maya felt a deep pull to join the movement.
“I thought to myself, ‘This was something I could be passionate about—to fight for freedom, to fight for what is right, and most especially, to fight for the plight of the poor and oppressed’.”
This was the moment she decided to step from the shadows of her everyday life into a dangerous new world.
The Secret Life of the Underground Movement
Life in the underground movement was constantly filled with secrecy and danger. Members had to use false names amongst each other in public, called “UG names,” to protect their identities. They lived in “UG houses,” which were safe houses where members could meet without fear of the authorities overhearing them—although to keep their movement safe, they had to move to a new home every six months to stay safe.
Because of this, and so they could move quickly, they owned very little—even photos of family or friends were dangerous to carry since if the police raided the house, these photos could put everyone in danger.
Their work was creative and brave, organizing “lightning rallies.” This was when a group would suddenly gather in a busy street, shout slogans to spread awareness of the crimes of the government, and disappear before the police arrived. They also spread information by slipping anti-government materials into classrooms. At night, they would paste posters on walls or paint slogans.
Love and Laughter Amidst Great Danger
Even in the middle of danger and hard work, though, life found a way—life always finds a way. There was love, laughter, and friendship despite the grave danger that hung above all of them.
Maya and her husband, Carlo, had a “revolutionary wedding,” officiated by a fellow activist and was held in a small church which was a perfect cover. About twenty guests from different parts of the movement attended. It was a happy and memorable event—a small island of joy in the middle of an ocean of potential trouble.
Courtship in the underground movement had its own funny rules. If someone wanted to date another member, they had to ask for permission through a superior officer, where they had to state their “basis” for the relationship. This basis was supposed to be mainly about shared political beliefs, not just personal attraction.
Maya recalls helping a young woman formulate her “political basis” to court a handsome comrade. They would laugh about how these officers often ended up writing these “bases” for the suitors.
But they never forgot the real dangers.
Although there was fun and joy, friends were still arrested, tortured, or killed in between. Every time they left their safe house, they did not know if they would see each other again.
A Second Awakening Beyond Home
After many years, the dictatorship was toppled after massive people’s protests and the Philippines ushered in the return of democracy.
Yet, Maya’s beliefs began to change. She was now living in the Netherlands, where she saw how other political groups operated with more democracy and openness. In contrast, the leader of her movement, Jose Maria Sison, seemed to have lost touch with the original vision of socialism. There was a time he once told Maya that he was sad his own release from prison was not celebrated as grandly as Nelson Mandela’s. This showed Maya that his pride was more important than the people’s struggle.
In the coming years, she also opened her eyes to the contradictions espoused by her leaders, especially where it concerned the rights of women. They believed—absurdly—that gender equality would “automatically” be set up once socialism was achieved. Maya knew that even just a cursory glance at history would show this view to be woefully wrong. Seeing wars in other countries also made her question whether armed struggle was the right path.
Thus, her mind full of questions, she began to follow her own inner compass rather than the movement’s strict rules, and in 1993, she made the hard choice to leave.
“Those sixteen years of my life were not wasted years. Not at all!” She learned to be critical, to care for the poor, and to fight for what is right.
Photo from Rappler
The Lasting Impact of a Hidden Struggle
The stories of the underground are not just about the past. They are about revealing hidden truths that shaped the Philippines and to let the stories of brave students, workers, and farmers who came from the shadows to help bring down a dictatorship be known.
Their fight for justice and democracy is a gift to the nation.
Maya’s life after the movement shows that the fight for a better country continues in different ways. She became a city councilor in the Netherlands, always working to help the weak and the poor. She never lost the passion she found as a young activist.
Her journey shows that the spirit of the underground—the desire for a just society—lives on.
The legacy of the underground movement in modern Philippines is the courage to stand up for what is right, even when it is hard. It is the belief that ordinary people can make a difference.
Maya Butalid’s story is a powerful reminder of this truth.
To read more about her incredible journey from the underground movement to her life in the Netherlands, get your copy of Chasing Windmills ASAP!
