Life and Works of Jose Garcia Villa

Jose Garcia Villa

 Jose Garcia Villa was a Filipino literary critic, poet, painter, and short story writer. He
was born on August 5, 1908 in Manila.
 He gained both local and international recognition for his works. He was named as the
National Artist for Literature in 1973, and he was also a recipient of the Guggenheim
Fellowship.
 During his college years, he wrote Man Songs, a collection of controversial poems that
was considered too bold by the University of the Philippines and became the ground for
his suspension from the said institution.
 Some of his well-known literary works are "Mir-i-nisa" (won in the Philippines Free Press
in 1929), and "Footnote to Youth" (published in 1933).

Jose Garcia Villa as a Poet

 As a poet, Jose Garcia Villa is known for introducing the reversed consonance rhyme
scheme. According to Villa, in this method, the last sounded consonants of the last
syllable, or the last principal consonant of a word, are reversed for the corresponding
rhyme. Thus, a rhyme for lightwould be words such as tile, tall, tale, etc.
 He is also known for his comma poems, where he employed a comma after every word.
 He used the pseudonym Doveglion, which is derived from dove, eagle, lion.
 He died on July 7, 1997.

Analyzing a writer's works will help you understand and identify his or her contributions to
Philippine literature.

Example:

One of Jose Garcia Villa's well-known works is "Footnote to Youth."

a. Setting
The short story is set in a small town.

b. Plot

 Exposition
Dodong, a seventeen-year-old boy, tells his parents that he wants to marry his girlfriend
Teang.
 Rising Action
Teang secretly regrets marrying Dodong at a young age. She wonders what can happen
if she has married Lucio, who is nine years older than Dodong.
 Climax
Dodong wonders why life does not get to fulfill all of a youth’s dreams.
 Falling Action
Blas tells Dodong about his plan to marry Tona.
 Conclusion
Dodong wants to keep Blas from marrying Tona, but he cannot do anything about it. He
feels sorry for Blas.

c. Theme
The story focuses on the consequences of marrying at an early age and starting a family.

Explanation:

In the story "Footnote to Youth," Dodong is the symbol for the Filipino youth. His decision to
marry his love interest, Teang, at the age of seventeen demonstrates the passion of teenagers
when it comes to relationships.

Those of the younger generation usually strive for new pursuits to learn things on their own,
often rejecting their elders’ guidance. From the story, it is depicted that lessons are learned
through experience. Dodong, as well as Teang, had many realizations when he became a
parent.

Life and Works of Carlos P. Romulo

Carlos P. Romulo

 Carlos P. Romulo was a Filipino diplomat, statesman, journalist, and soldier. He was
born on January 14, 1898 in Intramuros, Manila and grew up in Camiling, Tarlac.
 He was the first Filipino journalist who was awarded with the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism.
He was also the first Asian who served as the president of the United Nations General
Assembly.
 "I am a Filipino" is one of the many essays written by Carlos P. Romulo. It was published
in The Philippines Herald in August 1941.
 He also wrote the book entitled I Saw the Fall of the Philippines, in which he narrated his
personal experiences as an aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur in Corregidor.
This book was followed by a sequel, I See the Philippines Rise, a journalistic account of
the Philippine War in 1944.
 Among his other famous literary works are Mother America: A Living Story of
Democracy, a discussion of his political ideals about American democracy in the
Philippines, and I Walked with Heroes, his autobiography.
 He was conferred as National Artist for Literature in 1982.
 He died on December 15, 1985.

About the Essay I am a Filipino

 I am a Filipino is one of the valuable contributions of Carlos P. Romulo to Philippine

literature. Analyzing it would help one understand what he thinks of the Filipino and what
it means to be one.
 In the essay, the author speaks of the pride and dignity of the Filipino race, which is
something he wants the future generation to uphold and cultivate.
 The essay also explains the Filipino identity as a product of the fusion of Western culture
(Spanish and American) and Eastern culture (Japanese occupation and Malayan roots).
 Carlos P. Romulo stresses that the fight for freedom sprung up from one’s pride of being
a Filipino. He takes pride in the bravery and sacrifices of the heroes who fought for
freedom like Lapu-Lapu , Diego Silang, Jose Rizal , Gregorio del Pilar, Antonio Luna,
and Manuel L. Quezon.
 He also emphasizes the beauty of the Philippines as blessed with bountiful natural
resources and colorful history and culture.

Life and Works of Francisco Arcellana

Francisco Arcellana

 Francisco Arcellana is a Filipino teacher and a contemporary writer. He is one of the

prominent Filipino fictionists in English.
 He is known for innovating and exploring new literary forms and experimenting with
different techniques in short story writing.
 He was a member of the group The Veronicans, which was composed of influential
Filipino writers who aimed to use sensible literature in order to create a greater impact
on the Philippines.
 He was also the first director of the University of the Philippines Creative Writing Center.
 Some of his well-known literary works are the short stories "The Man Who Would Be
Poe," "Death in a Factory," "A Clown Remembers," "The Mats," and "Lina."
 In 1990, he was awarded as the National Artist for Literature.
 His short stories "Flowers of May," "Christmas Gift," and "The Mats," were adapted as
screenplays.

Analyzing a writer's literary works will help in identifying his contributions to Philippine literature.

Example:

Below are details regarding Francisco Arcellana's "The Mats."

a. Setting
The short story is set in the afternoon until evening at the house of the Angeles family.

b. Plot

 Exposition
Mr. Angeles comes from a periodic inspection trip in Mariveles. During the trip, he writes
 to his family and gets them excited about the exceptionally beautiful and colorful mats he
bought from an artist.
 Rising Action
Upon arriving, he gives the mats one by one to his children. Each mat is woven with his
child’s name and symbols. They are all happy to receive the mats.
 Climax
There are three mats that are to be unfolded. In a loud voice, he offers the three mats to
his dead children named Josefina, Victoria, and Concepcion.
 Falling Action
Nana Emilia, anguished, said he should not have bought mats for them, but Mr. Angeles
insists that they must be remembered.
 Conclusion
The children feel the tension and see the grief in the face of Mr. Angeles and the
sadness of Nana Emilia. The father unfolds the three mats in silence.
 c. Theme
Coping with the death of a loved one is a struggle. Commemorating his or her life is
painful, but it must be faced with courage and faith.
 Explanation:
 Francisco Arcellana presented the story using a distinct style. He focused on the
characters' actions and dialogues to reveal the innermost feelings and motives of the
characters, which set the dramatic tone of the short story.

Francisco Arcellana is a Filipino fictionist who demonstrated his craftsmanship in writing great
literary pieces such as "The Mats," a story that highlights Filipino family values and pictures an
interesting character coping with the death of loved ones. In this short story, he uses writing
techniques such as emphasizing the characters’ actions and dialogues to reveal their inner
motives and emotions.

Life and Works of Nestor Vicente Madali (N.V.M.) Gonzalez

N.V.M. Gonzalez

 Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez is an award-winning Filipino poet, essayist, fictionist,

journalist, editor, and teacher of creative writing.
 He is the first president of the Philippine Writers’ Association.
 He is also honored as one of the great Filipino writers who advanced literary traditions
and culture.
 He was a recipient of the following awards: The Republic Cultural Heritage Award, the
Jose Rizal Pro-Patria Award, the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature, and the
National Artist Award for Literature in 1997.
 Some of his published works are Seven Hills Away (1947), Children of the Ash-Covered
Loam and Other Stories (1954), and The Bamboo Dancers (1949), which appeared in
Russian translation in 1965 and 1974.
 Seven Hills Away is a collection of short stories that sketch the daily lives of the Filipino
kaingeros in his hometown province, Mindoro.
 The Bamboo Dancers is a diasporic novel that features the challenges faced by Filipinos
in America.

Carefully analyzing the works of a writer will help in determining what his works have
contributed to literature.

Example:

"Children of the Ash-Covered Loam" is a short story that depicts Filipino family practices and
beliefs in a rural setting.

a. Setting
The story is set in a provincial place where kaingin is a common practice.

b. Plot

 Exposition
The story begins one sunny afternoon when Tarang’s father arrives with a pig to be
taken care of by Tarang, a seven-year-old boy.
  Rising Action
Tia Orang, an old midwife, sees Tarang and tells him to inform his mother of her passing
by.
 Climax
Tatay and Nanay, Tarang’s parents, together with their neighbors are all set for
performing religious rites after kaingin (burning of trees). They believe that these
practices will take away all evil spirits and will give them a bountiful harvest. Tatay lays
the pullet’s neck and lets the streaks of blood drop on the ash-covered loam.
 Falling Action
After the clearing of the land, Tia Orang visits the family and performs hilot on Nanay
and tells her that she is ready to bear a child. She also shares stories of evil ones and
spirits.
 Conclusion
Tarang, half-awake, hears the noise outside, gets up, and accidentally strikes a tree
stump with his big toe. The hurt does not concern him, for he is more interested in
seeing how life emerge from the land as the rice grains peek through the dirt.
 c. Theme
Death forms new life. Death and new formations of life are recurring motifs in the story.
When a living thing dies, a new life emerges. The story paints a cycle of life and death
for the family. The kainginpractice and the killing of the pullet as a ritual are some forms
of deaths that the family believes will bring new life like a bountiful harvest and another
child.
 Explanation:
 The use of words such as kaingin, hilot, Nanay, and Tatay is part of N.V.M. Gonzalez's
writing style, as even his other works showcase terms that are unique to the setting of
the story. Analyzing a story will help readers see details such as this that will give them
ideas regarding the writer's contributions to Philippine literature.
 N.V.M. Gonzalez is known as a local colorist writer. Local color is a literary technique
that features the unique regional traditions of people and emphasizes the ordinary
events in their lives. This is used by N.V.M Gonzalez to present the sociocultural
dimensions of Filipino families and farmers in the provinces. In "Children of the Ash-
Covered Loam," words that show local color include kaingin, hilot, Nanay, and Tatay.

Life and Works of Edith L. Tiempo

Edith L. Tiempo

 Edith L. Tiempo was a Filipino writer in English. She was a poet, fiction writer, and
literary critic.
 She was known for using intricate and witty representations to portray significant human
experiences.
 Some of her well known poems are "The Return," a poem that describes the
characteristics of old age, "Lament for the Littlest Fellow," a poem that presents a
metaphor to describe the plight of a submissive wife under her domineering husband,
and "Bonsai," a poem that gives a look at how tangible objects could be keepers of
memories and emotions.
 As a fictionist, she was known for her moral profoundness. One of her remarkable short
stories, "The Black Monkey," won third prize in the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award.
"The Black Monkey," which is set during the time when guerrillas were fighting against
the Japanese during World War II, narrates the tormenting encounter of a woman with a
monkey.
 She also wrote the novel A Blade of Fern, which depicts the problems of Filipino miners
of Nibucal in southern Philippines.
 She was awarded as the National Artist for Literature in 1999.
 She founded with her husband the Silliman University National Writers Workshop, which
produced great young writers of her time.
 Analyzing the literary work of a writer would help in determining what her contributions
are to literature.
 Example:
 Below is an excerpt of Edith L. Tiempo's poem "The Return."
 The Return

If the dead years could shake their skinny legs and run
As once he had circled this house in thirty counts,
he would go thru this door among those old friends and they would not shun
Him and the tales he would tell, tales that would
 bear more than the spare
Testimony of willed wit and his grey hairs.
 And he would live in the whispers and locked heads.
Wheeling around and around turning back was where he started:
The turn to the pasture, a swift streak under a boy’s running;
The swing, up a few times and he had all the earth he wanted;
The tower trees, and not so tall as he had
imagined;
The rocking chair on the porch, you pushed it and it started rocking,
Rocking, and abruptly stopped. He, too, stopped in the doorway, chagrined.
He would go among them but he would not tell, he could be smart,
He, an old man cracking the bones of his embarrassment apart.
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immediately.

Explanation:

Old age is the subject of the given poem. This poem describes the life of an old man who loved
to travel in his youth. The phrases dead years, skinny legs, and thirty counts denote the physical
weakness and isolation that the old man feels. The old man wants to visit his friends to bond
with them and share to them his travel stories and experiences. Hopelessly, he sees only the
things associated with old age: irritability and illness, rocking chair, pasture, and the tower tree.

The themes or messages of the poem are:

 Time is irreversible, and memories can only be remembered and cherished.

 Old people face physical weakness and emotional challenges such as feelings of
isolation, sadness, and frustration.
 Old age is an inevitable period in human growth and development.

Author’s Style
Edith L. Tiempo used a very contemplative style in writing the poem "The Return." The theme
and the subject of the poem are very serious. Her narrative tone and vivid visual imagery allow
readers to think deeply about old age and evoke emotions of nostalgia and sadness from the
old man’s perspective.

Edith L. Tiempo is one of the foremost Filipino contemporary writers in English who is known for
her style and substance. Her language is considered descriptive but without scrupulous
detailing. Her literary works are hailed for their artistic representation of significant human
experiences.

Life and Works of F. Sionil Jose

F. Sionil Jose

 Francisco Sionil Jose, widely known as F. Sionil Jose, was born on December 3, 1924
in Rosales, Pangasinan.
 His life and most of his works are influenced by Dr. Jose P. Rizal.
 He edited various literary and journalistic publications, and he founded the Philippine
PEN, an organization of poets, playwrights, and novelists.
 He opened Solidaridad Publishing House in 1965. A year after, he founded Solidarity, a
magazine that produces content mainly focused on "current affairs, ideas, and the arts."
 He was a recipient of numerous awards. Some of which are the Ramon Magsaysay
Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communications in 1980, the Pablo
Neruda Centennial Award in 2004, and the Officer in the French Order of Arts and
Letters in 2014.
 He was conferred as National Artist for Literature in 2001.

F. Sionil Jose's Literary Works

 F. Sionil Jose’s are generally written in English and are translated to more than twenty
languages and produced worldwide.
  Among his most celebrated works is the Rosales Saga. It is a series of novels that are
set from the Spanish colonial period to the proclamation of Martial Law in the 1970s.
This saga includes the following novels: Po-on, Tree, The Pretenders, Mass, and My
Brother, My Executioner.
 He has also written several short stories, including the notable "The God Stealer". It is a
story about the friendship of Philip Latak, an Ifugao, and Sam Christie, an American who
wanted to buy a bulol, a sculpture of an Ifugao god. The story depicts the relationship
and truths about the colonizer and the colony.
 Waywaya: Eleven Filipino Short Stories is a compilation of short stories about pre-
Hispanic Philippine society.
 In 2004, he published the children’s book The Molave and Other Children’s Stories.

To identify a writer's contributions to Philippine literature, it is important to analyze and
take a close look at his literary works.
 Example:
 In a nutshell, F. Sionil Jose’s "The God Stealer" tells the story of Philip Latak and Sam
Christie. Philip was residing in the city for years against his family’s wishes. Sam, his
colleague, was an American who wanted a bulol, an Ifugao god sculpture, as a souvenir
before he gets back to Boston. Philip stole his grandfather’s bulol for Sam, as he felt
indebted to repay Sam’s kindness. Then Philip’s grandfather died, and he no longer
wanted to come with Sam back in the city.
 Explanation:
 The story tackles one of the many effects of colonization, that is, losing one’s identity.
Philip represents the Philippines, while Sam represents America. Philip’s way of offering
the bulol to Sam out of gratitude shows how he tried to denounce his roots by embracing
a new one, thus losing himself in the process.

Life and Works of Virgilio S. Almario

Virgilio S. Almario
Virgilio S. Almario, popularly known by his pen name Rio Alma, is a Filipino artist known for his
poetry and literary criticism. He was proclaimed National Artist for Literature in 2003.

Almario, together with poets Rogelio Mangahas and Lamberto E. Antonio, pioneered the second
modernist movement in Filipino poetry. In his own words, he defines modernist poetry as
sparing, suggestive, and restrained in emotion; its vocabulary and subject are immersed in the
now. Among his poetry collections are Makinasyon at Ilang Tula (1968), his very first
collection; Peregrinasyon at Iba Pang Tula (1970), which won first prize in poetry in the Carlos
Palanca Memorial Awards; Doktrinang Anakpawis (1979); Mga Retrato at Rekwerdo (1984);
and Muli Sa Kandungan ng Lupa (1994).

Almario’s earliest works of literary criticism were published in the Dawn, the weekly organ of the
University of the East. Some of those works were later included in Ang Makata sa Panahon ng
Makina(1982), now considered as the first book of literary criticism in Filipino. His other critical
works include Taludtod at Talinghaga (1965), which tackles the traditional Tagalog prosody;
and Balagtasismo Versus Modernismo (1984), in which he presents the two main directions of
the Tagalog Poetry.

Almario performed significant deeds in the field of Philippine literature. He founded the Galian
sa Arte at Tula (GAT) with the other poets Teo Antonio and Mike Bigornia in 1970; and the
Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), an organization of poets who write in Filipino, in
1985. From 1986 to 1992, he served as chairman of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas
(UMPIL), considered to be the biggest umbrella organization of writers. From 1998 to 2001, he
served as executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). In
2013 he became the chairman of the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF).

Explanation:

The poem "High Zoociety" is part of the collection Doktrinang Anakpawis (1979). Published
during the martial law years (1972–1981), the poem and the rest of the collection are
considered committed poetry, that is, of social awareness and concern. The title is a play on the
term "High Society," which refers to the rich and powerful.

"High Zoociety" has eight stanzas following this pattern of number of lines: 4-3-3-4-4-3-3-4. It
uses what is called in Tagalog poetry as "tugmang karaniwan," wherein the last word of each
line has the same sound. The second, fifth, and seventh stanzas use "tugmang patinig,"
wherein the last words of the lines have the same vowel wound. On the other hand, the rest of
the stanzas use "tugmang katinig," wherein the last words of the lines end in a consonant
preceded by the same vowel sound. However, the poem has no regular meter.

Life and Works of Alejandro Roces

Alejandro R. Roces as a Filipino Writer

 Alejandro R. Roces was a Filipino literary writer. He was born on July 13, 1924.
 He was a playwright, an essayist, and a short story writer. He was also a columnist at
the Philippine Star, the Manila Times, and the Manila Chronicle.
 He attended the Ateneo de Manila University for his primary and secondary education
and the University of Arizona where he earned his degree in fine arts. He pursued
further studies at the following institutions: Far Eastern University (master’s degree);
Ateneo de Manila University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, St. Louis
University, and Tokyo University in Japan (doctorate).
 Alejandro R. Roces was known for his short story "We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers," a
story about an American soldier in the Philippines who brags about his drinking habits,
but becomes overly drunk after drinking lambanog offered by a Filipino farmer.
 From 1961 to 1965, he served as the Secretary of Education under the regime of former
president Diosdado Macapagal. He has also served as chairman of the Movie and
Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) in 2001.
 His other literary works are "My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken," a story which talks about
two brothers who were arguing whether the chicken they caught was a hen or a
rooster; Something to Crow About, the first Filipino zarzuela in English about a man
named Kiko who earns a living by means of cockfighting; and Fiesta, a collection of
essays about various Philippine festivals.
 Alejandro R. Roces was conferred as National Artist for Literature in 2003.
 He died on May 23, 2011.

Read the synopsis of “My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken” below, one of Alejandro R.
Roces’ notable works.
 Synopsis:
 Kiko and his brother found a peculiar chicken. They argued whether it was a hen or a
rooster. Kiko believed that it was a rooster, while his brother thought otherwise. Kiko’s
brother emphasized that it could not be a rooster as the chicken has neither wattles nor
comb. Their parents took turns in looking at the chicken and had different thoughts about
it; thus, they ended up arguing like their children. Kiko and his brother asked the
chieftain about it, and he thought that it was a bird of a different kind. They also asked
Mr. Eduardo Cruz, someone who studied poultry raising, and he suggested examining
the insides of the chicken, to which Kiko refused. They both agreed to bring the chicken
to a cockpit and have it fight with a rooster from Texas. However, the rooster performed
a love dance around the peculiar chicken. It turned out that the peculiar chicken was
waiting for a chance to attack. It stubbed its spur into the rooster, and won. Kiko’s
brother was convinced that the chicken was a rooster. However, when he was holding
the chicken, it suddenly quivered and laid an egg.

Humor is a literary device which aims to make the audience or readers laugh or be amused.
Alejandro R. Roces employed humor in most of his works. There are various types of humor.
Some of which are exaggeration/hyperbole, surprise, and sarcasm.

 Sarcasm – is a literary device used to mock. In the story, the chicken crowed and Kiko
triumphantly asked his brother if he heard it. Kiko then mocked his brother by saying “I
suppose you are going to tell me now that hens crow and that carabaos fly.”
 Exaggeration/Hyperbole – is a literary device used to make an event appear better or
worse than what it really is. In the story, Kiko’s brother shared how they were almost
whipped for arguing too much.
 Surprise – is a literary device commonly found in unlikely situation or an unexpected turn
of events. As the brothers ran from the mob, Kiko’s brother was convinced that the
chicken was a rooster based on how it defeated its opponent, until it laid an egg.

Alejandro R. Roces was best known for his short stories, "My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken" and
"We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers." He employed humor in most of his works, usually tackling the
Filipinos’ fascination of cockfighting.
 Life and Works of Bienvenido S. Lumbera

Personal Life

 Lumbera, who was called Beny when he was a young boy, was born in Lipa, Batangas
on April 11, 1932. His parents had passed away before he turned five.
 Beny and his older sister were raised by Eusebia Teru, their paternal grandmother.
 When Eusebia died, Beny came to live with his godparents, Enrique and Amanda
Lumbera.
 Beny showed natural aptitude for English. In sixth grade, his writing impressed his
teacher so much that she once asked him, in an accusatory tone, if he did write his
composition himself. In his third year in high school, his teacher gave him difficult works
of literature to read.
 Lumbera took a degree in journalism at the University of Santo Tomas in 1950 and
graduated cum laude in 1954. A year before his graduation, his first published work, the
poem “Frigid Moon,” appeared in the Sunday magazine of the Manila Chronicle.
 On a full scholarship granted by the Fulbright Committee, Lumbera obtained his masters
and doctorate degrees at Indiana University.

Literary Background
Lumbera writes in English and Filipino. Below are some of his works.

Poetry Collections
Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa (1993)
Balaybay: Mga Tulang Lunot at Manibalang (2002)

Critical Works
Abot Tanaw: Sulyap at Suri sa Nagbabagong Kultura at Lipunan (1987)
Writing the Nation/Pag-Akda ng Bansa (2000)
Tagalog Poetry, 1570–1898: Tradition and Influences in Its Development (2001)

Librettos
Tales of the Manuvu (1977)
Rama Hari (1980)
Sa Sariling Bayan: Apat na Dulang May Musika (2003)

 Lumbera is a strong advocate of the Filipino language. According to him, the gap
between the well-educated Filipinos and the majority cannot be bridged until Filipino
becomes their true lingua franca.
 Lumbera has received numerous awards for his work. The most notable ones were the
Special Prize from the Palanca Awards for his poetry collection Sunog sa Lipa at Iba
Pang Tula in 1975, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and
Creative Communication Arts in 1993, and the Philippine Centennial Literary Prize for
Drama in 1998.
 Lumbera received the title of National Artist for Literature in 2006.
 A Eulogy of Roaches
by Bienvenido Lumbera
 Blessed are the cockroaches.
 In this country they are
the citizens who last.
They need no police
to promulgate their peace
because they tolerate
each other’s smell or greed.
 Friends to dark and filth,
they do not choose their meat.
Although they neither sow
nor reap, a daily feast
is laid for them in rooms
and kitchens of their pick.
 The roaches do not spin,
and neither do they weave.
But note the russet coat
the sluggards wear: clothed
 at birth, roaches require
no roachy charity.
 They settle where they wish
and have no rent to pay.
Eviction is a word
quite meaningless to them
who do not have to own
their dingy crack of wall.
 Not knowing dearth or taxes,
they increase and multiply.
Survival is assured
even the jobless roach;
his opportunities
pile up where garbage grows.
 Dying is brief and cheap
and thus cannot affright.
A whiff of toxic mist,
an agile heel, a stick
—the swift descent of pain
is also final death.
 Their annals may be short,
but when the simple poor
have starved to simple death,
roaches still circulate
in cupboards of the rich,
 the strong, the wise, the dead.
 (Reproduced by permission of National Artist, Dr. Bienvenido S. Lumbera.)

Analysis of the Poem

Published in 1965, “A Eulogy of Roaches” is a piece of Bagay poetry. Its subject, the roaches,
represents a deeper meaning. However, the poet merely focuses on giving precise visual
images of the subject and not on explicitly stating its representations.

The poet uses imagery, a literary technique in which figurative language is used to appeal to
the reader’s physical senses. An example is the poet’s description of roaches as “friends to dark
and filth.”

Also, the poet uses juxtaposition, a literary technique in which two (or more) ideas are placed
side by side for comparison and contrast. In the last two stanzas, the poet draws both a
comparison and a distinction between the roaches’ life and the life of the poor: that the poor die
simply of starvation, but the roaches still go on living their short lives in the “cupboards of the
rich, the strong, the wise, the dead.”

Bienvenido S. Lumbera is a poet, critic, and librettist. He has made valuable contributions in
the development of Philippine literature especially in the vernacular language. He has published
works in English and Filipino and received numerous awards including the National Artist for
Literature title in 2006.

Literary Works by Writers from Visayas and Mindanao

Merlie M. Alunan was born in Dingle, Iloilo and graduated with a Creative Writing degree from
Siliman University. She is Professor Emeritus at the University of the Philippines and promotes
writing in the mother tongue. Her poems are in English, Cebuano, and Waray. At present, she
resides in Tacloban City.

Example:

Old Women in Our Village (An Excerpt)

By Merlie M. Alunan

Old women in my village say

the sea is always hungry, they say,
that’s why it comes without fail
to lick the edges of the barrier sand,
rolling through rafts of mangrove,
smashing its salt-steeped flood
on guardian cliffs, breaking itself
against rock faces, landlocks, hills,
reaching through to fields, forests,
grazelands, villages by the water,
country lanes, towns, cities where
people walk about in a dream,
deaf to the wind shushing
the sea’s sibilant sighing

somedaywecome
somedaywe come
someday . . . .

Only the old women hear

the ceaseless warning, watching
the grain drying in the sun,
or tending the boiling pot
or gutting a fish for the fire, fingers
bloody, clothes stained, scent of the ocean
rising from the mangled flesh into their lungs.

Nights, as they sit on their mats

rubbing their knees, waiting for ease
to come, and sleep, they hear the sea
endlessly muttering as in a dream
someday someday someday . . . .
Nudging the old men beside them,
their mates—empty-eyed seafarer,
each a survivor of storms, high waves,
and the sea’s vast loneliness,
now half-lost in their old age
amid the household clutter—
old women in my village
nod to themselves and say,
one uncharted day, the sea
will open its mouth and drink in
a child playing on the sand,
a fisherman with his nets,
great ships laden with cargo,
and still unsated, they say,
suck up cities towns villages—
one huge swallow to slake its hunger.
As to when or how it would happen,
who knows, the women say, but this much
is true—no plea for kindness can stop it—
nodding their heads this way and that,
tuning their ears to the endless mumbling . . . .
somedaywecomewecomewecome
somedaywecomewecomewecome
somedaysomedaysomeday

(Reproduced by permission of Prof. Merlie M. Alunan)

Explanation:

The imagery in “Old Women in Our Village” (2012) is heightened through the use of sound
devices. For instance, the cacophony in the first stanza implies strong feelings, like in the line
“against rock faces, landlocks, hills.” Then euphony in the next stanza evokes pleasant feelings
as in the line “the sea’s sibilant sighing.” This suggests an impending disaster, which is echoed
in the rest of the poem.

Gutierrez Mangansakan II, an advocate of the Moro culture, is a filmmaker and writer from
Pagalungan, Maguindanao. In 2001, his film House under the Crescent Moon won the grand
prize for video documentary from the Cultural Center of the Philippines Prize for Independent
Film and Video. Since then, he has made films that focus on the plight of women and children.
Also, he was the editor of Children of the Ever-Changing Moon (2007), a collection of essays by
young Moro writers. He became a fellow at the University of Iowa’s International Program in
2008.

Mangansakan wrote a short story entitled “A Harvest of Sorrows” for the collection Peace
Mindanaoedited by Jaime An Lim, a multi-awarded writer, it is also published by UST Publishing
House in 2013. The story features a narrator whose experience mirrors Mangansakan’s
experience in relief work. For him, the issue and images of refugees and displacement have
always been a consistent element in both his films and writing.

Example:

A Harvest of Sorrows
by Gutierrez Mangansakan II

“A Harvest of Sorrows” begins with the narrator’s arrival at an evacuation center at 9 AM in a

remote village in Mindanao. He has come to give away several sacks of rice to the refugees in
the center. The refugees have fled their homes because fighting broke out in their villages. At
the center he meets his friend Ayesha, the social worker who is in charge of supervising relief
operations. Ayesha tells him that a woman in the center gave birth to a stillborn child, and the
father does not know it yet. The father, together with the other men, has gone back to the village
to guard the rice fields, where crops are ready for harvest in ten days. Later, while the narrator
and Ayesha are having coffee, the latter announces that the father will be sent for and that the
child will be buried after the noon prayer.

 Each writer in the lesson tackles a theme that situates his or her work in a context
specific to the region.
 Merlie Alunan’s poem “Old Women in Our Village” depicts sea, an important part of life
of the Visayans, as an agent of destruction and death. On the other hand, Gutierrez
Mangansakan II’s short story “A Harvest of Sorrows” highlights the plight of refugees
from war.
 Context – This is the background of the text which may have been influenced by the
author’s life, language, society, and culture.
 Imagery – This language awakens the reader’s sensory perceptions through words and
phrases.
 Cacophony – This sound device refers to words or phrases with harsh sounds that
create a disturbing tone.
 Euphony – This sound device refers to words or phrases with melodic sounds that
create a calming tone.

Literary Works by Writers from Luzon

 Kundiman - This is a genre of Tagalog folk love songs that express an intense longing
for a beloved, a cause, or the motherland. They are usually played in minor chord, giving
them a sad, melancholic sound.
 Kambubulag - This is the Kapapampangan term for a type of native moth. It comes
from the root word “bulag” meaning “blind,” and there are Filipino superstitions about
becoming blind after encountering moths.
 Mikael de Lara Co is a writer and musician. He was born in Makati City and graduated
with a degree in Environmental Science from Ateneo de Manila University. His English
and Filipino poetry collections have received awards including Palanca Awards and the
Meritage Press Holiday Poetry Prize. He was also a member of the Los Chupacabras
band. At present, he works for the Presidential Communications Development and
Strategic Planning Office at the Malacañang.
 Example:
 Kundiman (An Excerpt)
By Mikael de Lara Co
 I ate alone. I grew old. I grew older.
I said hold in my own language
again and again, hawak, kapit,
tahan na, uwi na. Then strained
to hear all the engines in this city
droning in A minor. A knife
scraped against marble. A stick
rattled towards stillness. A minor.
All the lullabies ever hummed
coming together to vibrate
in the saddest of frequencies.
 Your keys dangled by the sink.
Somewhere a chord is diminished
to static. Kundiman means
the opposite of if ever.
 (Reproduced by permission of Mikael de Lara Co)
 Explanation:
 Co used diction to create a specific tone for “Kundiman” (2014). He used Tagalog words
and phrases: kundiman; hawak (hold); kapit (hold on); tahan na (stop crying); and uwi
na (go home now). These words, which have an emotional ring to them like the words in
a kundiman, create a mood reminiscent of Filipino sentimentality. Also, the mention of
the A minor chord evokes sad, longing feelings that contribute to the sentimental tone of
the poem.

Catherine Batac Walder hails from Pampanga. She graduated from the University of
the Philippines and moved to Europe in 2005 to pursue a Master of Philosophy degree.
Her works have been featured in local publications including Inquirer’s Youngblood,
Philippines Free Press, and Philippine Speculative Fiction 8. Also an avid reader, her
letters have been published in international magazines like Reader’s Digest and Time.
She is now a blogger and a full-time mother based in South East England.
 Example:
 The Kambubulag (An Excerpt)
By Catherine Batac Walder
 “I can’t believe that woman,” Delia said.
 “What woman?” Odessa asked.
 “Oh, one I met while smoking just now. Kept asking if we passed Kambubulag Road on
the way here. ‘Never heard of the road,’ I told her. She said it’s four kilometers from the
hotel and mentioned how we should be careful because we might encounter
the kambubulag. ‘Most residents here have resigned themselves to the fact that they
have more chances of dying on that road than any other non-resident. But as anyone
would say, if it’s your time, then it is,’ she said [. . .]”
 (Reproduced by permission of Catherine Batac Walder)
 Explanation:
 In “The Kambubulag” (2013) the writer used a Filipino cultural symbol of bad luck,
the kambubulag, to create the fictional urban legend of the Kambubulag Road. Old folk
legends of the moth being a harbinger of death is prevalent in Luzon. It signals the
reader to regard the woman and her superstition as out of the ordinary.
 Context is the background of the text which may have been influenced by the author’s
life, language, society, and culture.
 Diction is the choice of words that suit the writer’s intended purpose.
 Kundiman and kambubulag folk tales are part of Filipino folk literature. They can be a
source of inspiration, or they can be used as literary devices. Also, writing a poem or a
story around those cultural symbols reawakens interest in those literary forms.