Pete Lacaba

Born in Misamis Oriental in 1945 to Jose Monreal Lacaba of Loon, Bohol and Fe Flores from Pateros, Rizal, he is one of the leading figures in Philippine literature today. He is well known in various fields, including creative writing, journalism, editing and scriptwriting.

Lacaba was recognized for his coverage of the First Quarter Storm, an anti-Marcos movement, in 1970. During martial law, Lacaba fought President Ferdinand Marcos and his US-backed military dictatorship. Under the nom de plume Ruben Cuevas, Lacaba published his poem "Prometheus Unbound" at Focus, a magazine that had allied itself with the Marcos regime.[1]

His poetry collections include Ang Mga Kagilagilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Juan de la Cruz (1979), Sa Daigdig ng Kontradiksyon (1991) and Sa Panahon ng Ligalig (1991). A new edition of his important, highly charged Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage (1982), a reportage on the First Quarter Storm and the subsequent times, has also been released.

He worked with well-known directors like Lino Brocka and Mike de Leon in producing films that expose ordinary people's lives that experienced poverty and injustice. He continued writing poems, and in 1999, was decorated as one of 100 "Bayani ng Sining".

Lacaba is currently the executive editor of Summit Media's YES! magazine, the sister publication of PEP. His screenplay credits include Jaguar, which competed at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1980, while Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim competed in 1984. Orapronobis was screened out of competition in 1989. Ricky Lee co-wrote Jaguar with Lacaba.

In honor of Lacaba for being the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Awardee, the classic film Bayan Ko was screened as the closing film of Dekada Cinemanila. According to Anima Aguiluz, the daughter of Direk Tikoy and festival programmer of Cinemanila, Bayan Ko could be found in Toronto, Canada.

Writer

• Tatsulok (1998) (writer) ... aka Triangle (International: English title)
• Rizal sa Dapitan (1997) (screenplay)... aka Rizal in Dapitan
• Segurista (1996) (writer)... aka Dead Sure ... aka The Insurance Agent (International: English title)
• Eskapo (1995) (screenplay) ... aka Escape (Philippines: English title: literal title)

... aka Eskapo (Philippines: English title: short title) ... aka Eskapo: The Serge Osmena-Geny Lopez Story (Philippines: Tagalog title: long title)

• Bagong bayani (1995) (writer)... aka A New Hero (Philippines: English title)... aka Flor Contemplacion's Last Wish ... aka Unsung Heroine (USA)
• Orapronobis (1989) (writer)... aka Fight for Us... aka Insoumis, Les (France)
• Victor Corpuz (1987) (writer)... aka Get Victor Corpus: The Rebel Soldier (Philippines: English title)
• Bayan ko: Kapit sa patalim (1985) (story and screenplay) ... aka Bayan Ko: My Own Country (Philippines: English title) ... aka Kapit sa patalim, bayan ko (Philippines: Tagalog title)
• Experience (1984) (writer)
• Sister Stella L. (1984) (screenplay)
• Boatman (1984) (additional dialogue)... aka Bangkero, Ang (Philippines: Tagalog title: promotional title)
• Pakawalan mo ako (1981) (screenplay) (as Pete Lacaba)
• Angela Markado (1980) (screenplay) (as Jose Lacaba)
• Jaguar (1979) (screenplay)

Miscellaneous Crew

Imelda (2003) (translator: dialogue) (as Jose Lacaba)

Soundtrack

• Sister Stella L. (1984) (lyrics: "Sangandaan," "Aling Pag-ibig Pa?")

Self

• Imelda (2003) (as Pete Lacaba) .... Himself

Discography

• Tagubilin at Habilin (2003) under Viva Records

Star Awards for Movies

• (Nominated) Original Screenplay of the Year for Segurista (1996) shared with Amable Aguiluz

Amado Lacuesta, 1997

• Star Award, Adapted Screenplay of the Year for Rizal sa Dapitan (1997), 1998

Metro Manila Film Festival

• Festival Prize, Best Screenplay for Rizal sa Dapitan (1997)

Gawad Urian Awards

• Best Screenplay (Pinakamahusay na Dulang Pampelikula) for Jaguar (1979)shared with Ricardo Lee, 1980
• Best Screenplay (Pinakamahusay na Dulang Pampelikula) for Sister Stella L. (1984)shared with Jose Almojuela Mike De Leon, 1985
• Best Screenplay (Pinakamahusay na Dulang Pampelikula) for Bayan ko: Kapit sa patalim (1985), 1986
• (Nominated) Best Screenplay (Pinakamahusay na Dulang Pampelikula) for Bagong bayani (1995, 1996)
• Best Screenplay (Pinakamahusay na Dulang Pampelikula) for Segurista (1996)Shared with Amable Aguiluz Amado Lacuesta, 1997

FAP Awards, Philippines

• Best Story Adaptation for Bayan ko: Kapit sa patalim (1985), 1986

FAMAS Awards

• Best Screenplay for Rizal sa Dapitan (1997), 1998

Cinemanila International Film Festival

• The 10th edition of the Cinemanila International Film Festival conferred the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award to screenplay writer Jose "Pete" Lacaba Jr.[2]

Other awards

• Lacaba received the Aruna Vasudev Lifetime Achievement Award at the 10th Osian's-Cinefan Festival of Arab and Asian Cinema in New Delhi, India.[3]

• Jose Maria Flores Lacaba Jr. Usual byline: Jose F. Lacaba. The late Jose Sr. was nicknamed Pepe, so Jr. was nicknamed Pepito, the little Pepe. In college, Pepito's nickname got shortened to Pito, then Pit, but the last gave rise to jokes about armpits, so Pit was respelled Pete.