This paper outlines the key events and players in the development of Filipino punk rock music, or Pinoy punk, from 1978 to 1996. The roots of punk in bands from the United States (e.g., The Ramones, MC5, and Velvet Underground) and from Great Britain (e.g., the Sex Pistols and the Clash) are explored while also identifying its modes of transmission into the country via the disc jockey Dante “Howlin’ Dave” David (1955-2008) and the imported record collections of Filipinos such as Delilah Aguilar. It is argued that while punk rock is certainly of foreign origin, the Marcos dictatorship served as an important historical moment that signaled Pinoy punk coming into its own. Additionally, a close reading of the lyrics of milestone compositions by key bands reveal that class-based politics, anarchism, and Indian philosophy are equally salient themes in Pinoy punk’s first generation of artists.

 

Keywords: Filipino punk rock, martial law, class-based politics