What is the setting of the novel Dogeaters?

Dogeaters (published 1990) takes place in the Philippines during the dictatorship of the fictional, unnamed ruler—called simply the President—based on Ferdinand Marcos. Much of Jessica Hagedorn’s novel is set in Manila, the capital, and the events presented occur during the 1950s–1980s. Further comparison to the Marcoses is the nickname Iron Butterly for the First Lady, as Imelda Marcos was called the Steel Butterfly; the character is depicted as having almost equal power to that of her husband. The fictional leader of the opposition, Senator Domingo Avila, is assassinated, as was the real-life Benigno Aquino. Along with organized political opposition, numerous popular resistance movements are also presented in contrast to the corrupt, Western-style nightlife with its ties to organized crime. The author also shows the social problems arising from a colonial racist mentality of Spanish superiority and related discrimination against Filipinos of indigenous heritage.