[3]: 50–53 On July 21, 1965,[2]: 18 Lorena enrolled at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, initially taking Bachelor of Science in biochemistry.
[2]: 18 During this time, Lorena was reading the works of French existentialists like Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, the Eurasian Han Suyin, the anti-imperialist Bertrand Russell; Philippine nationalists such as Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tanada, Renato Constantino and Teodoro Agoncillo; and the revolutionary Karl Marx and Mao Zedong.
Alicia Morelos was afraid that her daughter's growing politicization and involvement in the student movement in the University of the Philippines (which was a hotbed for activism) would turn her into a communist.
During the First Quarter Storm in 1970, which was characterized by anti-Marcos protests led by student demonstrations that were violently dispersed by the police,[6] Lorena would be in the forefront of the struggle.
In April 1970, MAKIBAKA or the Malayang Samahan ng Bagong Kababaihan (Free Movement of New Women)[7] was established, with Lorena as the founding chair.
However, Lorena clarified the ideological line, saying that a woman's organization would specifically address the women's issues in a semi-feudal, semi-colonial and patriarchal Philippine society.
[2]: 20 [3]: 63 Through MAKIBAKA, the women's struggle had become more ideological than their precursors, in that they fought not only Marcos, but sought to redress the structural inequality in Philippine society[8][9]—that of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism.
[10]: 33–36 Their first major activity was the protest of the Binibining Pilipinas or the Miss Philippines Beauty Pageant held at the Araneta Coliseum on April 18, 1970.
However, Felix was killed in 1971 in San Agustin, Isabela as a guerrilla fighter of the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
[3]: 60 [2]: 21 Lorena returned to the city and went underground because the activists foresaw that the tense political developments would lead to Martial Law.
The Writ of Habeas Corpus was suspended in August 1971, which meant that arrest without a warrant was legal, and Lorena's name was among those included in the list of activists to be detained.
[3]: 66 On September 21, 1972, Martial Law was declared, which curtailed freedom of speech, banned group discussions, public assemblies and cultural activities, sequestered the businesses of Marcos’ rivals, raided the homes, and illegally detained people.
During this time, Lorena was seven months pregnant and was underground, meaning that she has to hide in the city and secretly move from one house to another.
[2]: 21 She left her son with her aunt Lilian Morelos and in August 1973, she joined her husband when she was sent to Bicol as a political instructor.
A top political prisoner, Lorena was detained in Canlubang and later in Ipil Rehabilitation Center in Fort Bonifacio.
There, she met Eliseo Miranda and they were supposed to be married; however, he was killed en route to meet Lorena's family.
Lilia Quindoza Santiago in her book In the Name of the Mother writes, “Barros is now a symbol of poet, warrior, lover, woman.
Another was the play “Ang mga Lorena”, which was staged by the youth cultural group Sinagbayan at the University of the Philippines Diliman in December 2008.
In this play, her story is intertwined to that of UP student activists Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, who were abducted by military personnel in June 2006 and still remain missing until today.
The song “Babae” (“Woman”) on YouTube composed by the activist singers Inang Laya mentions her name as one of the women heroes (along with Gabriela Silang, Teresa Magbanua, Tandang Sora, Liza Ballando and Liliosa Hilao) who have fought in the revolution.
She is also among the 298 revolutionary heroes and martyrs honored on the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Wall of Remembrance,[13] which lists the names of the activists who were killed, disappeared or who fought during the Marcos dictatorship.