Philippine Literature Course Module Content - Gen Ed

Filipino Literature in Various Regions of the Philippines 1
Unit 1 Introduction to Philippine Literature

Ancient/Folk Literature
Genres of Philippine Literature across History
An Overview
Philippine Literature is a diverse and rich group of works that has

evolved side-by-side with the country’s history. Literature had started
with fables and legends made by the ancient Filipinos long before the
arrival of Spanish influence. The main themes of Philippine literature
focus on the country’s pre-colonial cultural traditions and the socio-
political histories of its colonial and contemporary traditions.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:
 read literary texts representing various regions, periods, and genres

 develop appreciation of and awareness on various literatures of the Philippines
by introducing them to different Philippine literary genres
 recognize the social, cultural and political environments in the different periods of
Philippine history that influenced the country’s literature
 write analysis and reflection papers on literary texts
Pretest
Identification
Directions: Read each statement or question below carefully and fill in the blank(s) with
the correct answer.
________________1. The only Visayan oral literature that can qualify as epic.
________________2. This is a long narrative divided into chapters.
________________3. It is part of the oral tradition of the Sulod, the mountain people of
Panay.
________________4. Who wrote the piece “the harvest song of aliguyon’?
________________5. This is a form of prose and the common theme of which is about

the origin of a thing, place, location, or name.
________________6. A collection of songs praising the Virgin Mary. Father Mariano

Sevilla wrote this.
________________7. This word means to excavate.
THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

________________8. He is known for having a photographic mind. His pen name is

JOMAPA.
________________9. This includes the cult of Osiris and the mythology and theology of
Egypt.
________________10. It derives from the Latin term Litera which means letter.
Content
Introduction
Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking,
"literature" is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or
scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative
imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.
Philippine Literature is a diverse and rich group of works that has evolved side by
side with the country’s history. Literature has started with fables and legends made by
the ancient Filipinos long before the arrival of the Spanish influence. The main themes of
Philippine literature focus on the country’s pre-colonial cultural traditions and the socio-
political histories of its colonial and contemporary traditions.
It is not a secret that many Filipinos are unfamiliar with Philippine literature especially
those written long before the Spanish arrived in our country. This is due to the fact that
the stories of ancient time were not written, but rather passed on from generation to
generation through word of mouth. Only in 1521 did the Filipinos become to be
acquainted with literature due to the influence of the Spaniards on us. But the literature
that the Filipinos became acquainted with are not Filipino made, rather, they were works
of Spanish authors.
So successful were the efforts of colonialists to blot out the memory of the country's
largely oral past that present-day Filipino writers, artists and journalists are trying to
correct this inequity by recognizing the country's wealth of ethnic traditions and
disseminating them in schools and through mass media.
Ancient/Folk Literature
The diversity and richness of Philippine literature evolved side by side with the
country's history. This can best be appreciated in the context of the country's pre-
colonial cultural traditions and the socio-political histories of its colonial and
contemporary traditions.
The average Filipino's unfamiliarity with his indigenous literature was largely due
to what has been impressed upon him: that his country was "discovered" and, hence,
Philippine "history" started only in 1521.
So successful were the efforts of colonialists to blot out the memory of the
country's largely oral past that present-day Filipino writers, artists and journalists are
trying to correct this inequity by recognizing the country's wealth of ethnic traditions and
disseminating them in schools and in the mass media.
The rousing of nationalistic pride in the 1960s and 1970s also helped bring about
this change of attitude among a new breed of Filipinos concerned about the "Filipino
identity."
Pre-Colonial Times

Owing to the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists,

we are able to know more and better judge information about our pre-colonial times set
against a bulk of material about early Filipinos as recorded by Spanish, Chinese, Arabic
and other chroniclers of the past.
Pre-colonial inhabitants of our islands showcase a rich past through their folk
speeches, folk songs, folk narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances that
affirm our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors.
The most seminal of these folk speeches is the riddle which is tigmo in
Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog, paktakon in Ilongo and patototdon in Bicol. Central to the
riddle is the talinghaga or metaphor because it "reveals subtle resemblances between
two unlike objects" and one's power of observation and wit are put to the test. While
some riddles are ingenious, others verge on the obscene or are sex-related:
Gaddang:
Gongonan nu usin y amam If you pull your daddy's penis
Maggirawa pay sila y inam. Your mommy's vagina, too,
(Campana) screams. (Bell)
The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community

beliefs or they instill values by offering nuggets of wisdom in short, rhyming verse.
The extended form, tanaga, a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing

insights and lessons on life is "more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus
has affinities with the folk lyric." Some examples are the basahanon or extended didactic
sayings from Bukidnon and the daraida and daragilon from Panay.
The folk song, a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the
people's lifestyles as well as their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous,
didactic and naive as in the children's songs or Ida-ida (Maguindanao), tulang
pambata (Tagalog) or cansiones para abbing (Ibanag).
A few examples are the lullabyes or Ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like

the panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or serenade (Cebuano);
the bayok (Maranao); the seven-syllable per line poem, ambahan of the Mangyans that
are about human relationships, social entertainment and also serve as a tool for
teaching the young; work songs that depict the livelihood of the people often sung to go
with the movement of workers such as the kalusan (Ivatan), soliranin (Tagalog rowing
song) or the mambayu, a Kalinga rice-pounding song; the verbal jousts/games like
the duplo popular during wakes.
Other folk songs are the drinking songs sung during carousals like the tagay
(Cebuano and Waray); dirges and lamentations extolling the deeds of the dead like
the kanogon (Cebuano) or the Annako (Bontoc).
A type of narrative song or kissa among the Tausug of Mindanao, the parang

sabil, uses for its subject matter the exploits of historical and legendary heroes. It tells of
a Muslim hero who seeks death at the hands of non-Muslims.
The folk narratives, i.e. epics and folk tales are varied, exotic and magical. They
explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics,
why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna and, in the case
of legends, an explanation of the origins of things. Fables are about animals and these
teach moral lessons.

Our country's epics are considered ethno-epics because unlike, say, Germany's
Niebelunginlied, our epics are not national for they are "histories" of varied groups that
consider themselves "nations."
The epics come in various

names: Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud (Ifugao);
and Ulahingan (Manobo). These epics revolve around supernatural events or heroic
deeds and they embody or validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a community.
These are sung or chanted to the accompaniment of indigenous musical instruments
and dancing performed during harvests, weddings or funerals by chanters. The chanters
who were taught by their ancestors are considered "treasures" and/or repositories of
wisdom in their communities.
Examples of these epics are the Lam-

ang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen (Maranao); Ulahingan
(Livunganen-Arumanen Manobo); Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (The Maiden of the
Buhong Sky from Tuwaang--Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan (Subanon);
and Tudbulol (T'boli).
The Spanish Colonial Tradition
While it is true that Spain subjugated the Philippines for more mundane reasons,
this former European power contributed much in the shaping and recording of our
literature. Religion and institutions that represented European civilization enriched the
languages in the lowlands, introduced theater which we would come to know
as komedya, the sinakulo, the sarswela, the playlets and the drama. Spain also brought
to the country, though at a much later time, liberal ideas and an internationalism that
influenced our own Filipino intellectuals and writers for them to understand the meanings
of "liberty and freedom."
Literature in this period may be classified as religious prose and poetry and
secular prose and poetry.
Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and
Tagalog were included in early catechism and were used to teach Filipinos the Spanish
language. Fernando Bagonbanta's "Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias de sin
sempiternas" (Unending thanks) is a fine example that is found in the Memorial de la
vida cristiana en lengua tagala (Guidelines for the Christian life in the Tagalog language)
published in 1605.
Another form of religious lyrics are the meditative verses like the dalit appended
to novenas and catechisms. It has no fixed meter nor rime scheme although a number
are written in octosyllabic quatrains and have a solemn tone and spiritual subject matter.
But among the religious poetry of the day, it is the pasyon in octosyllabic

quintillas that became entrenched in the Filipino's commemoration of Christ's agony and
resurrection at Calvary. Gaspar Aquino de Belen's "Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu
Christong Panginoon natin na tola" (Holy Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Verse) put
out in 1704 is the country's earliest known pasyon.
Other known pasyons chanted during the Lenten season are in Ilocano,

Pangasinan, Ibanag, Cebuano, Bicol, Ilongo and Waray.
Aside from religious poetry, there were various kinds of prose narratives written
to prescribe proper decorum. Like the pasyon, these prose narratives were also used for
proselitization. Some forms are: dialogo (dialogue), Manual de Urbanidad (conduct
book); ejemplo (exemplum) and tratado (tratado). The most well-known are Modesto de

Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza"

(Correspondence between the Two Maidens Urbana and Feliza) in 1864 and Joaquin
Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson) in 1879, an adaptation of Daniel
Defoe's novel.
Secular works appeared alongside historical and economic changes, the

emergence of an opulent class and the middle class who could avail of a European
education. This Filipino elite could now read printed works that used to be the exclusive
domain of the missionaries.
The most notable of the secular lyrics followed the conventions of a romantic
tradition: the languishing but loyal lover, the elusive, often heartless beloved, the rival.
The leading poets were Jose Corazon de Jesus (Huseng Sisiw) and Francisco Balagtas.
Some secular poets who wrote in this same tradition were Leona Florentino, Jacinto
Kawili, Isabelo de los Reyes and Rafael Gandioco.
Another popular secular poetry is the metrical romance, the awit and korido in

Tagalog. The awit is set in dodecasyllabic quatrains while the korido is in octosyllabic
quatrains. These are colorful tales of chivalry from European sources made for singing
and chanting such as Gonzalo de Cordoba (Gonzalo of Cordoba) and Ibong
Adarna (Adarna Bird). There are numerous metrical romances in Tagalog, Bicol, Ilongo,
Pampango, Ilocano and in Pangasinan. The awit as a popular poetic genre reached new
heights in Balagtas' "Florante at Laura" (ca. 1838-1861), the most famous of the
country's metrical romances.
Again, the winds of change began to blow in 19th century Philippines. Filipino
intellectuals educated in Europe called ilustrados began to write about the downside of
colonization. This, coupled with the simmering calls for reforms by the masses gathered
a formidable force of writers like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Emilio
Jacinto and Andres Bonifacio.
This led to the formation of the Propaganda Movement where prose works such
as the political essays and Rizal's two political novels, Noli Me Tangere and the El
filibusterismo helped usher in the Philippine revolution resulting in the downfall of the
Spanish regime, and, at the same time planted the seeds of a national consciousness
among Filipinos.
But if Rizal's novels are political, the novel Ninay (1885) by Pedro Paterno is

largely cultural and is considered the first Filipino novel. Although Paterno's Ninay gave
impetus to other novelists like Jesus Balmori and Antonio M. Abad to continue writing in
Spanish, this did not flourish.
Other Filipino writers published the essay and short fiction in Spanish in La
Vanguardia, El Debate, Renacimiento Filipino, and Nueva Era. The more notable
essayists and fictionists were Claro M. Recto, Teodoro M. Kalaw, Epifanio de los Reyes,
Vicente Sotto, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Rafael Palma, Enrique Laygo (Caretas or
Masks, 1925) and Balmori who mastered the prosa romantica or romantic prose.
But the introduction of English as medium of instruction in the Philippines

hastened the demise of Spanish so that by the 1930s, English writing had overtaken
Spanish writing. During the language's death throes, however, writing in the romantic
tradition, from the awit and korido, would continue in the novels of Magdalena Jalandoni.
But patriotic writing continued under the new colonialists. These appeared in the
vernacular poems and modern adaptations of works during the Spanish period and
which further maintained the Spanish tradition.
The American Colonial Period

A new set of colonizers brought about new changes in Philippine literature. New
literary forms such as free verse [in poetry], the modern short story and the critical essay
were introduced. American influence was deeply entrenched with the firm establishment
of English as the medium of instruction in all schools and with literary modernism that
highlighted the writer's individuality and cultivated consciousness of craft, sometimes at
the expense of social consciousness.
The poet, and later, National Artist for Literature, Jose Garcia Villa used free
verse and espoused the dictum, "Art for art's sake" to the chagrin of other writers more
concerned with the utilitarian aspect of literature. Another maverick in poetry who used
free verse and talked about illicit love in her poetry was Angela Manalang Gloria, a
woman poet described as ahead of her time. Despite the threat of censorship by the new
dispensation, more writers turned up "seditious works" and popular writing in the native
languages bloomed through the weekly outlets like Liwayway and Bisaya.
The Balagtas tradition persisted until the poet Alejandro G. Abadilla advocated
modernism in poetry. Abadilla later influenced young poets who wrote modern verses in
the 1960s such as Virgilio S. Almario, Pedro I. Ricarte and Rolando S. Tinio.
While the early Filipino poets grappled with the verities of the new language,
Filipinos seemed to have taken easily to the modern short story as published in
the Philippines Free Press, the College Folio and Philippines Herald. Paz Marquez
Benitez's "Dead Stars" published in 1925 was the first successful short story in English
written by a Filipino. Later on, Arturo B. Rotor and Manuel E. Arguilla showed
exceptional skills with the short story.
Alongside this development, writers in the vernaculars continued to write in the

provinces. Others like Lope K. Santos, Valeriano Hernandez Peña and Patricio Mariano
were writing minimal narratives similar to the early Tagalog short fiction
called dali or pasingaw (sketch).
The romantic tradition was fused with American pop culture or European
influences in the adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan by F. P. Boquecosa who
also penned Ang Palad ni Pepe after Charles Dicken's David Copperfield even as the
realist tradition was kept alive in the novels by Lope K. Santos and Faustino Aguilar,
among others.
It should be noted that if there was a dearth of the Filipino novel in English, the
novel in the vernaculars continued to be written and serialized in weekly magazines
like Liwayway, Bisaya, Hiligaynon and Bannawag.
The essay in English became a potent medium from the 1920's to the present.
Some leading essayists were journalists like Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge Bocobo, Pura
Santillan Castrence, etc. who wrote formal to humorous to informal essays for the
delectation by Filipinos.
Among those who wrote criticism developed during the American period were
Ignacio Manlapaz, Leopoldo Yabes and I.V. Mallari. But it was Salvador P. Lopez's
criticism that grabbed attention when he won the Commonwealth Literay Award for the
essay in 1940 with his "Literature and Society." This essay posited that art must have
substance and that Villa's adherence to "Art for Art's Sake" is decadent.
The last throes of American colonialism saw the flourishing of Philippine literature
in English at the same time, with the introduction of the New Critical aesthetics, made
writers pay close attention to craft and "indirectly engendered a disparaging attitude"
towards vernacular writings -- a tension that would recur in the contemporary period.
The Contemporary Period

The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue especially

with the appearance of new publications after the Martial Law years and the resurgence
of committed literature in the 1960s and the 1970s.
Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels and
essays whether these are socially committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in
intention or not.
Of course the Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the
proliferation of writers workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature available to
him via the mass media including the internet. The various literary awards such as the
Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic,
Home Life and Panorama literary awards encourage him to compete with his peers and
hope that his creative efforts will be rewarded in the long run.
Genres of Philippine Literature across History
All Fiction
Drama
Stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance, where conflicts
and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action.
Fable
Narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals speak as humans;
legendary, supernatural tale.
Fairy Tale
Story about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children.
Fantasy
Fiction with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which invites
suspension of reality.
Fiction
Narrative literary works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not
necessarily based on fact.
Fiction in Verse
Full-length novels with plot, subplot(s), theme(s), major and minor characters, in which
the narrative is presented in (usually blank) verse form.
Folklore
The songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or "folk" as handed down by word of
mouth.
Historical Fiction
Story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting.
Horror
Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader.
Humor
Fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain; but can be contained in all
genres
Legend
Story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, which has a basis in fact but also includes
imaginative material.

Mystery
Fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets.
Mythology
Legend or traditional narrative, often based in part on historical events that reveals
human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the
actions of the gods.
Poetry
Verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that creates emotional responses.
Realistic Fiction
Story that can actually happen and is true to life.
Science Fiction
Story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future
or on other planets.
Short Story
Fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots.
Tall Tale
Humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the impossible
with nonchalance.
All Nonfiction
Biography/Autobiography
Narrative of a person's life, a true story about a real person.
Essay
A short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point.
Narrative Nonfiction
Factual information presented in a format which tells a story.
Nonfiction
Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject.
Speech
Public address or discourse.
Unit 2. Literature from Luzon

Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur
La Union Pangasinan
Ilocos
Among the literary forms found in region 1 are burburtia, pagsasao, arinkenken,
dallot, daniw, dung-aw, and sudario.
Among the writers associated with region 1 are Crecencia alcantara, Edilberto
angco, Rogelio Aquino, amnuel Arguilla, hermogenes Belen, Crispina bragado, Jose
Bragado, Leona florentino, marcelino Foronda Jr., Juan S. P. Hidalgo, Sionel Jose,
Jacinto Kawili, Peter La Julian, Benjamin M. Pascual, Sinanar Robianes-Tabin, Agustin
D. C. Rubin.

The Epic lam-Ang

Pedro Bucaneg, blind since infancy, known to be the author of an epic popularly
known as Biag ni Lam-Ang or life of Lam-Ang around 17 th century. The epic is
considered down from the Christian Filipino group.
Lam-ang is considered as the only authentic epic of the Christianized tribes of the
Philippines. It has five known versions, the earliest one in1889 and the latest in 1947.
Namongan gives birth to Lam-ang, a baby of incredible strength and courage. The
boy asks his mother about his father's whereabouts and learns that he has gone to fight
the Igorot. Lam-ang arms himself with charms and decides to look for his father. From a
dream, he learns that his father Don Juan Panganiban had been killed by the Igorot.
Later, Lam-ang finds the Igorot in a "sagang", a feast celebrating a successful
headhunting expedition. His father's head is displayed in the feast. Lam-ang slays them
all with his spear and mutilates the last among them.
When Lam-ang returns home, 99 maidens wash his hair in the river. For his
shampoo, he burns so much rice straw that the communities near the river are alarmed
by smoke. The dirt from his hair kills all the fish in the river. He then kills a crocodile and
carries it on his shoulder ashore amidst the applause of his companions.
Lam-ang hears of a beautiful maiden named Ines Cannoyan, daughter of the richest
man of the town of Kalanutian. He tells his mother of his desire to court the maiden.
Although his mother discourages him, he goes anyway, dressed in gold and
accompanied by his pet rooster and white dog. The giant Sumarang blocks his way and
belittles him. Lam-ang defeats him in a duel and hurls him nine hills away. Later,
Sarindadan tries to seduce him, but Lam-ang rejects her advances.
Reaching Kalanutian, he impresses Ines with his magic. His rooster crows and
topples a small outhouse. His dog barks and the outhouse is rebuilt. Ines invites him to
the house where the rooster acts as Lam-ang's spokesperson. Ines' parents ask for a
bride price, which Lam-ang agrees to give. Lam-ang returns home to prepare for the
wedding and the presents. He and his townfolk sail on two golden ships to Kalanutian
where Lam-ang and Ines have a Catholic wedding. The townspeople board the two
ships to Nalbuan, Lam-ang's birthplace, to continue the celebration.
After the celebration, Lam-ang agrees to hunt "rarang" a shellfish. He is

swallowed by the giant fish "berkakang" as he has dreamt so. However, a diver recovers
his bones. The pet rooster flaps its wings and resurrects Lam-ang. Lam-ang rewards the
diver and lives happily with his wife and pets.
La Union
La Union became a province in 1854 when the Northern Pangasinenses
demanded that they be separated from Pangasinan. It formed a union and joined the ten
municipalities from the southernmost town of Ilocos Sur and the northernmost tows of
pangasinan. Hence the province was also called The Union. San Fernando, founded in
1734, is its capital.
Ballad
Tarong, Kamatis, Parya
Iti bigbigat nga agsapa
Agtatamdagkam man idiay tawa
Addada tarong, kamatis, paria
Nangngegko ida nga'gsasarita

Ti kunan tarong kadakuada

Siak ti kaimasan kadakay a dua
Ni ngarud parya simmungbat ita
sika tarong napalangguadka
Siak ti mangmangted-salun-atda dagiti tattao
Ay aduda nangnangruna pay dagiti agbasbasa
ken dagiti ubbing nga maladaga
Ni kamatis, immisem laeng ay gagayyem
Inkay agparbeng no siak ti mailaok iti dinengdeng
no maluto naimas manen
Pangasinan
Home to 45 municipalities and two cities, Pangasinan in Ilocano means a place
where salt is made. As it has always been, salt making is an important occupation of the
people living along its coastal areas. Today the province is often referred to as the Rice
Granary of the Philippines as a result of successful agricultural program geared towards
increasing rice productions.
Myth
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars
Long ago, our elders say, the sky was so close to the earth that one could touch it.
But there were only two people who could avail of that fact. They were the first man and
woman.
It has been said that the first woman was so vain. She wore so much jewelry and
despised work. Whenever the first man would ask her to do something, she would pout.
She pouted when he asked her to clean the house. She pouted whenever he asked her
to cook. She pouted whenever he asked her to grind the rice grains every day for their
food.
"But if you don’t grind the rice, we don’t get to eat," the first man reasoned, and
even the vain first woman could not dispute that.
But it was so much work grinding the rice with a little pestles and mortars. So she
poured all their rice for the day into a very large mortar and took up a very large pestle to
grind it with. The pestle was so tall that when it hit the mortar, it touched the sky. The
first woman was oblivious to this. She only knew she had to grind all the rice before her
husband came home for supper.
She still wore all her jewelry. She noticed that her jewelry kept falling off or
hampered her in any other way whenever she worked. So she hung her larger pieces of
jewelry upon the sky, which were her silver comb, her gold ring, and her long pearl
necklace. And then she went to work with the huge pestle, unknowing that as one end of
the pestle pounded onto the rice grains, the other end was pounding onto the sky. The
first woman only knew that having the sky so low only made her task more difficult. So
she pounded harder and harder on the rice. Higher and higher the sky went, until with
one enormous stroke, the first woman sent the sky flying up, never to come so close to
the earth again.
She sensed a draft behind her neck and looked up. She was astonished to see
that the sky had risen so high – and taken her most precious things with it! She could
see her silver comb shining where the moon is now, and the beads of her lovely
necklace twinkling all around it. Her golden ring was nowhere in sight. The first woman
grumbled, "I would have worn those things again if I’d known they would go to waste."

Legend
Legend of Hundred Islands
Centuries ago before the coming of the Spaniards to the Philippines, there was a
brave rajah who ruled over the people of Alaminos, Rajah Masubeg. He had several
hundred warriors to guard his kingdom, led by his son Dam Mabiskeg. The little kingdom
enjoyed peace and prosperity, unmolested by its neighbors.
But one day, a report came that an invading force was coming from across the
sea. The rajah called a council of war among his chieftains. It was decided to meet the
enemy at sea. They must not be allowed to land. One hundred of the bravest warriors
was summoned. They were placed in ten large bancas, armed to the teeth. Datu
Mabiskeg, in the lead banca, commanded the task force.
The two forces were soon locked in mortal combat. Furious hand-to-hand fighting
broke out on the boats and raged until the sun sank in the west and darkness covered
the sea.
When morning came none of the warriors returned alive. The enemy was nowhere
to be seen, they had been annihilated and so were the one hundred warriors led by the
intrepid son. While the kingdom celebrated victory, the old rajah mourned for his son.
A week later, when the towns people woke up in the morning and looked toward
the sea, a wonderful sight met their eyes.Where before has been an empty expanse of
water as far as the eye could see, now there were many tiny islands dotting the sea line.
There were about a hundred of these islets. Some were shaped like over turned bancas;
others looked like bodies of dead men floating in the sea. These people of Alaminos
believed, were the one hundred warriors who had given up their lives in defense of their
homes. The gods had immortalized them in the form of islands so that they might watch
over their native land forever.
Proverbs
1. A broom is sturdy because its strands are tightly bound.
Matibay ang walis, palibhasa'y magkabigkis.
2. While the blanket is short, learn how to bend.
Hangga't makitid ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot.
3. It is hard to wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep.
Mahirap gisingin ang nagtutulog-tulugan.
4. If you persevere, you will reap the fruits of your labor.
Pag may tiyaga, may nilaga.
5. New king, new character.
Bagong hari, bagong ugali.
6. If you plant, you harvest.
Kung may tinanim, may aanihin.

7. Weeds are difficult to kill.
Mahirap mamatay ang masamang damo.
8. Don't trust strangers.
Huwag kang magtiwala sa di mo kilala.
9. Nothing destroys iron but its own corrosion.
Walang naninira sa bakal kundi sariling kalawang.
10. Even though the procession is long, it will still end up in church.
Pagkahaba-haba man daw ng prusisyon, sa simbahan din ang tuloy.
11. There is no need to cry over spilt milk.
Magsisi ka man at huli wala nang mangyayari.
12. Opportunity only knocks once: Grab it or you'll lose it.
Ang pagkakataon sa buhay ay madalang dumating. Kapag narito na, ating

samantalahin.
13. What comes from bubbles will disappear in bubbles.
Ang kita sa bula,sa bula rin mawawala.
14. The early comer is better than the hard worker.
Daig ng maagap and masipag.
15. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Batong pagulong-gulong, di kakapitan ng lumot.
16. If someone throws stones at you, throw back bread.
Kung pukulin ka ng bato, tinapay ang iganti mo.
17. Don't count chicks until the eggs are hatched.
Huwag magbilang ng sisiw hanggang di pa napipisa ang itlog.
18. If a stone thrown upward hits you, don't take offense.
Batu-bato sa langit, tamaan huwag magagalit.
19. A thief hates a fellow thief.
Ang magnanakaw ay galit sa kapwa magnanakaw.
20. Whatever you do, think about it seven times.
Anuman ang gagawin, pitong beses iiipin.
Iloco Short Story

One contemporary short story writer from region 1 is Crispina Bragado, a grantee
of the Philippine writers Foundation, Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1982 for the
essay category. Crispina Bragado is a holder of doctor of philosophy from the Gregorio
Araneta University Foundation, an Associate professor III at the manila Central
University, a school directress, and a textbook author. She was born in bauang, La
Union in 1937.
Short Stories
The Small world of Marina
Crispina Bragado
Marina was sobbing as she walked along the trail up the hill. The rays of the sun
were now streaming between the branches of the tall trees but the dew on the grass was
not yet dry. She could not walk firmly because her bag was heavy with three books and
five notebooks. And on top of her notebooks lay her balon wrapped with heated banana
leaf.
She paused under a molave tree on top of the hill to blow her nose and wiped it with
the back of her hand. She looked downward at their house beside the giant tamarind
tree just after the sloping trail. Her father was leading the goats down the field of
vegetables.
Pain made her wince as she ribbed her legs that had been stricken with a leather
belt. They were now swollen.
It had been still dark when her father awakened her cook the saluyot leaves for their
breakfast. Her mother had to go to market early. Still feeling sleeping and the lamp light
being dim, Marina had been slow cutting the leaves from the stems and roots. Her father
had noticed her sluggishness and said she should put the saluyot in the tayab along with
the roots. So she had to wash the saluyot leaves and put them in the tayab. Her father
angered by her slowness had removed his belt. “Take it out and eat!” her father had
raised his hand with the belt.
“You told me to put it!” she answered back.

“Don’t you have any common sense?” and the belt twisted on her legs.
Marina had scampered down their house and gone up between the hills southeast of
their home. She had gone inside the small hut under the guava tree that overlooked their
field planted with watermelon. She had built hut much earlier when she had been
whipped. Sha had fought a young girl from the other barrio who had tease her. Her
mother had looked for her in the hut and brought her home.
Marina’s classmates in grade four were already inside the classroom when she
reached the school. She bent towards her seat. But their teacher noticed her when her
classmate snickered.
“Why are you late, Marina?” the teacher raised the strip of bamboo which she used
as a pointer.
“I first brought our cows to the field, ma’am. Then I gathered grass for our goats.”
“Your father?”
“It was still dawn when he left to plow the field, ma’am.”
“Your mother?”
“She went to the market early, ma’am.”
“Don’t you have brothers or sisters?”
“They are still small, ma’am.”

The teacher stopped asking questions and remain silent. Marina felt relieved
because she felt her reasons satisfied her teacher. She opened her book to make it
appear that she was reading.
In the afternoon, the teacher selected the participants in the folkdance which they
would present in the town fiesta. Marina was one among those chosen.
They practiced after class in the afternoon. It was dark when they stopped
rehearsing the folkdance.
Marina was worried when they were dismissed. She had no companion in walking up
the hill. She had heard that a ghost usually appeared in the dark of night under the big
bangar tree near the lipit, a narrow part of the trail six feet in height, being a water
passage during the rainy season. She also heard that many passers-by had seen the
ghost, so they avoided walking there in the dark. Islao, the boy who was her partner in
the folkdance, was going eastward, but they followed separate trails before reaching the
lipit.
Nonetheless they walked together. They chatted about the dance. When they were
near the lipit, Marina swiftly grabbed Islao’s fountain pen from his breast pocket and ran
as fast as she could.
“If I can catch you, you’ll see what I’ll do!” shout Islao.
Being familiar with the trail, Marina ran fast without looking back at Islao. She
doubled her speed when she was about to reach the bangar tree, panting hard. She
slowed down when they reached the hill. She stopped when Islao threw a still fresh
carabao manure at her. She gave back the fountain pen and laughed impishly when
Islao went down the narrow trail. “Aha, there’s the ghost!” Marina shouted. But Islao ran
down as fast as his legs permitted.
“Where have you been wandering?” her father frowned at her as she entered their
yard.
“We practiced our folkdance, father,” she answered.
“What dance? Tell your teacher tomorrow that you’ll not dance anymore. You’ve
plenty of work here. You have to come home early.”
She went into their house and was about to lock herself in the sagumbi but her father
followed her and grabbed her arm.
“Bring the goats home,” he said harshly.
Marina went down mumbling to herself. But she did not go where the goats were
pastured. Instead she sought refuge in the granary where the palay and tobacco leaves
were stored. She only left when she heard her father talking as he was waiting for her.
“Why were you so slow?” her father frowned when she led the goats into the corral
under the damortis tree.
“The male goat got loose from the tether and I had to look for him,” she said
brazenly.
“Then I led them to drink at the brook.”
“Faster! We’ll eat now. Then we’ll shell the corn. The kernels are beginning to rot!” It
was near midnight when they finished shelling corn on the cob that filled two labba.
Marina’s thumbs became swollen.
She was still snoring when her father shook her roughly the next morning to awake
her.
“Wake up, sleepy head! Your eye mote is already melting!”

Marina woke up with eyes still half-shut. Her mother had gone to market to sell the
corn grains. Her father ordered her to pound the sliced banana trunk into bits, then boil
them for swine feed.
“I’ll have to go to school, father. I’m late already.”

“Skip your class today. You can go to school tomorrow. Pound the palay, too.
There’s no rice to cook this afternoon.”
“We’ll have a test in Social Studies…”

Marina’s tears were streaming down her cheeks as she pounded the sliced banana
trunk. Then she placed then in can which served as a cooking vessel.
Next she took six bundles of palay from the granary and pounded the grains while at
the same time she tended the cooking of the slices of banana trunk.
The slop was already cooked when she began winnowing the palay. Then she
placed the palay in the mortar and pounded the grains to remove the husks. She was
almost through doing a second winnowing when her mother arrived.
“Why didn’t you go to school?” asked her mother.

“Father told me to pound the palay after I had pounded the sliced banana trunk and
cooked it for the swine.”
“That old man! As if he will miss eating one meal. He is ruing the schooling of his
child!” The woman placed her labba on the ledge. She lit the cigar that her lips clamped.
Marina’s father arrived after he had watered the tobacco plants in the field.
Immediately his wife scolded him.
“You are turning the child into one like you – a baliodong!” she frowned.
“What’s the use of a girl having to study? If she finished grade six that will be
enough. She could get married.”
“You can say that because you weren’t able to finish schooling! You preferred to go
gambling and drinking liquor.”
Marina’s father kept silent. He searched the labba. He bit off the crown of the bottle
of sioktong and took a swig.
“That’s what you’re good for!” Saliva drooled from one side of the woman’s lips.
The next morning, Marina’s teacher asked her why she had been absent the day
before. Marina answered shyly she had to pound palay because their rice bin was
empty. She added that she also took care of her small brothers and sisters because their
neighbor whom her mother usually asked to look after the youngsters also went to
market.
“Tell you parents that if they have you do all these things, you’d better not come to
school.”
When the pupil rehearsed the folkdance in the afternoon, Marina told her teacher
that her father would not let her participate in the dance because they had nothing to buy
her costume.
“Never mind. I replaced you yesterday,” said her teacher. “Go to the garden now.”
Marina felt lonely when she left, especially when Islao smiled at her.
“Why didn’t you bring your seedlings to plant?” asked her teacher in gardening.
“I didn’t know, sir.” I was absent yesterday.”

“I don’t care if you were absent. Zero is the grade of any pupil without eggplant or
tomato seedlings.”
Marina did not say a word. She left with her bag made of silage. She ran as fast as
she could to the east. A classmate shouted that she escaped, but she didn’t care. She
went to the field where her father’s vegetable plants thrived. She unrooted some of the
lush eggplant seedlings. Carefully she wrapped them up with a strip of dried banana
trunk, then rushed back to school.
There was no longer anyone in school except those practicing the folkdance. Her
garden teacher had also gone home. She did the seedlings among the tall grass along
the garden fence. She would give them to her teacher the next day.
Marina though of the ghost in the bangar tree when she went home. Because there
was nobody else she could go with, she ran as fast as she could until she reached the
hill almost breathless.
“Why were you so late, child? Your sister didn’t have a companion,” her mother
frowned when she went upstairs. “Take care of them while I prepare for food.”
“We planted in our garden mother,” Marina lied.

“What did you plant?” her father asked curiouslu.
“Eggplant, father.”
“Where did you get the seedlings? I dropped by the field and found out a wide
uprooted are. I doubt if those left will be enough for the area I plowed”
“I go only a few,” Marina told the truth.
“So it was you who uprooted the seedlings?” His father approached with a bamboo
stick.
“Go get back the seedlings! I don’t want to see your face at home unless you bring
the seedlings. You should not plant for your teachers. They have to plant their own
seedlings.”
“It’s already dark,” said Marina’s mother. “She’ll get them tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is another time. Let her learn.”
Marina was sobbing as she went down the house. She ran fast going west. But when
she reached the hill, she found no more strength in passing through the bangar tree.
She turned eastward towardthe guava trees. She went to her hut. She sat on the grass
and leaned on the wall made of dried anibong leaves. She felt unusually tired.
After a while, she removed the hump of rice stalks on one side of the hut, then lifted
one watermelon which she had picked the other day. She took a knife which she usually
hid on the roof of the hut, covering it with rice stalks. She sliced the watermelon and ate
in the dark.
She had just lain down on the dried rice stalks when she noticed somebody
approaching. She arose and peeped through an uncovered portion of the wall. She saw,
limed in the faint light of the night outside, her mother.
“Maring? Maring?”
Marina lay down carefully and remained silent. She pretended to be asleep.
Her mother entered the hut, stooping somewhat, and tried to awaked her.
“Are you not afraid here? Come, let’s go home.”
Marina Hesitated. “I prefer to die,” she moaned.
“You like to die now?”
“Yes mother. You don’t love me anyway.”

“Who says you’re not loved? Don’t believe what your father says. I’ve scolded him
already.”
“I don’t want to come home, mother.”
“We’ll if you want to see the ghost here. Don’t you know there’s a ghost in the mango
tree nearby?”
Marina shuddered. But she could overcome her fear by proving she really was not
afraid. Her father had already shown how very cruel he was to her.
From below the sloping trail she could hear the creaking sound of the bamboo trees
when the strong wind passed by.
Marina had to overcome her fear. She had to sleep. She was about to fall her sleep
when she felt frightened by the swish of leaves being dragged on the ground under the
guava trees. She arose and peeped to see who was in the dark. She was already back
in her straw bed when she saw her father entering the hut with flashlight in his hand.
“Marina? Cone, let’s go home, my child. Are you not afraid here?”
Marina did not stir. She covered her face from the glaze of the flashlight.
Her father bent towards her. She felt his rough fingers combing her hair soothingly.
“Come, let’s go home, my child. Wouldn’t you want to be a teacher someday?”
“You said it’s useless for a girl to study, father.”
“Yes. But only when you are hard-headed. I always get angry with you not because I
don’t like you. I want you to learn the things that I haven’t known. I want you to go
through difficulties. Not like many children who want an easy life. So you’ll not be afraid
to face life. When we’ll be dead, your mother and I, you and your brothers and sisters
will survive. Certain you will continue and finish your studies…”
Marina got up. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Then she turned her
eyes beyond the light of the flashlight, toward the sloping trail.
Rice
By Manuel Arguila
Slowly, Pablo unhitched the carabao from the empty sled. He laid a horny palm
on the back of the tired animal; the thick; coarse-haired skin was warm and dry like sun
heated earth. The carabao by quietly, licking with its dark colored tongue and beads of
moisture that hung on the stiff hairs around its nostrils. Dropping the yoke inside the
sled, Pablo led the beast to a young tamarind tree almost as high as nipa hut beside it. A
bundle of fresh green zacate lay under the tree and the carabao began to feed upon it
hungrily. Pablo watched the animal a moment, half listening to its snuffling as it buried its
mouth in the sweet-smelling zacate. A sudden weakness came upon him and black
spots whirled before his eyes.
He felt so hungry he could have gone down on his knees beside the carabao and
chewed the grass. "Eat," he said in a thin, wheezy voice. "You can have all the grass
you want." He slapped the animal's smooth, fat rump, and turned to the house, his hand
falling limpy to his side.
"Sebia," he called, raising his voice until it broke shrilly, "Sebia!"
No answering voice came from the hut. He bent low to pass under a length of
hard bamboo used as a storm prop, muttering to himself how careless of his wife it was
to leave the house with the door open. Toward the side where the prop slanted upward
against the eaves, the hunt leaned sharply. The whole frail structure in fact looked as
though it might collapse at any moments. But this year it has weathered four heavy
storms without any greater damage than the sharp inclined toward the west, and that
has been taken care of by the prop.

As he looked at the house, Pablo did not see how squalid it was. He saw the
snapping nipa walls, the shutter less windows, the rotting floor of the shaky batalan, the
roofless shed over the low ladder,but there were familiar sights that had ceased to
arouse his interest. He wiped his muddy feet on the grass that grew knee deep in the
yard. He could hear the sound of pounding in the neighboring hut and, going to the
broken-down fence that separated the two houses, he called out weakly, "Osiang, do
you where my wife and children have gone?"
"Eh?" What is it Mang Pablo?" The loud voice of a woman broke out the hut. You are
home already? Where are your companions? Did you see my husband? Did you not
come together? Where is he? Where is the shameless son-of-a-whore?"
"Andres is talking with some of the men at the house. Osiang, do you know where Sebia
and the children are?" "Why doesn't he come home?" He knows I have been waiting the
whole day for the rice he is bringing home! I am so hungry I cannot even drag my bones
away from stove. What is he doing at the house of Elis, the shameless, good for nothing
son-of-a-whore?"
Pablo moved away from the fence, stumbling a little, for the long blades of grass got in
his way. "There is no rice, Osiang," he called back wheezily over his shoulder, but
evidently the woman did not hear him, for she went on talking: "Mang Pablo, how many
cavanes of rice did you borrow? Sebia told me you are to cook the rice as soon as you
came home. She went with thechildren to the creek for snails. I told them to be careful
and throw away whatever they gather if they see a watchman coming. God save our
souls! What kind of life is this when we cannot even get snails from the fields? Pay a
multa of five cavanes for a handful of snails!" Osiang spat noisily through the slats of her
floor. She had not once shown her face. Pablo could hear her busily pounding in a little
stone mortar.
"There is no rice, Osiang," he whispered. He felt too tired and weak to raise his voice.
He sat on the ladder and waited for his wife and children. He removed his rain-stained
hat of buri palm leaf, placing it atop one of the upright pieces of bamboo supporting the
steps of the ladder. Before him, as far as his uncertain gaze could make out, stretched
the rice fields of the Hacienda Consuelo. The afternoon sun brought out the gold in the
green of the young rice plants. Harvest time was two months off and in the house of
Pablo there was no rice to eat... That morning he and several other tenants had driven
over with their sleds to the house of the Senora to borrow grain. The sleds had been
loaded with the cavanes of rice. Pablo remembered with what willingness he had heaved
the sacks to his sled-five sacks-the rice grains bursting through the tiny holes of the juice
covers. Then the announcement:
"Five sacks of rice borrowed today become ten at harvest time."
"We have always borrowed tersiohan - four cavanes become six," the man had
repeated over and over. Although they used to find even this arrangement difficult and
burdensome, they now insisted upon it eagerly. "Tersiohan!" they had begged.
"Not takipan - that is too much. What will be left to us?"
"The storms have destroyed half of my rice plants..."
"I have six children to feed..."
"Five becomes ten," the encargado said, "Either that or you get no rice."
They had gathered around Elis. In the end every man had silently emptied his
loaded sled and prepared to leave. The senora had come out, her cane beating a rapid
tattoo on the polished floor of the porch; she was an old woman with a chin that quivered
as she spoke to them, lifeless false teeth clenched tightly in her anger. "Do you see

those trucks?" she had finished, pointing to three big red trucks under the mango tree in
the yard. "If you do not take the rice today, tonight the trucks will carry every sack in
sight to the city. Then I hope you all starve you ungrateful beasts!" It was Elis who drove
away first. The others followed. The sacks of rice lay there in the yard in the sun, piled
across each other... "Mang Pablo," loud voice of Osiang broke again, "are you cooking
rice yet? If you have no fire, come here under the window with some dry ice straw and I'll
give you two of three coals from my stove. I am boiling a pinchful of bran. It will do to
check my hunger a bit while I wait for that shameless Andres."
"Wait, Osiang," Pablo said, and finding this mouth had gone dry, he stepped into
the kitchen and from the red clay jar dipped himself a glass of water. He came down with
the sheaf of rice straw in his fist. Passing the tamarind tree, he pulled down a lomb
covered with new leaves, light green and juicy. He filed his mouth with them and walked
on to Osiang's hut, munching the sourish leaves.
"Here I am, Osiang," he said, but he had to strike the wall of the hut before he
could attract the attention of Osiang, who had gone back to her pounding and could not
hear Pablo's weak, wheezy voice.
She came to the window talking loudly. Her face, when she looked out, was a
dark, earthy brown with high, sharp cheekbones and small pig-like eyes. She had a wide
mouth and large teeth discolored from smoking tobacco. Short, graying hair fell straight
on either side of her face, escaping from the loose knot she had at the back of her head.
A square necked white cotton dress exposed half of her flat, bony chest. "Whoresone!"
she exclaimed, as one of the pieces of coal she was transferring from a coconut shell to
the straw in Pablo's hand rolled away.
Pablo looked up to her and wanted to tell her again that there was no rice, but he
could not bring himself to do it. Osiang went back to her pounding after all. He spat out
the greenish liquid. It reminded him of crushed caterpillars.
Smoke began to issue forth from the twisted straw in his hand. He was preparing
to climb over the intervening fence when he saw Andres coming down the path from the
direction of Eli's house. The man appeared excited. He gestured with his arm to Pablo to
wait for him.
Pablo drew back the leg he had over the fence. The smoking sheaf of straw in
his hand, he went slowly to meet Andres. Osiang was still pounding in her little stone
mortar. The sharp thudding of the stone pestle against the mortar seemed to Pablo
unnaturally loud. Anders had stopped beneath the clump of bamboo some distance from
his hut. He stood beside his carabao - a much younger man than Pablo - dark, broad,
squat. He wrote a printed camisa de chino, threadbare at the neck and shoulders, the
sleeves cut short above the elbows so that his arm hung out, thick-muscled awkward.
"Are you coming with us?" he asked Pablo, his voice granting in his throat as he strove
and speak quietly. There was in his small eyes a fierce, desperate look that Pablo found
to meet.
"Don't be a fool, Andres," he said, coughing to clear his throat and trying to
appear calm. Andres breathed hard. He glared at the older man. But Pablo was looking
down at the smoking straw in his hand. He could feel the heat steadily increasing and he
shifted his hold farther from the burning end. Andres turned to his carabao with a curse.
Pablo took a step forward until he stood close to the younger man. "What can you do
Andres?" he said. "You say you will stop the trucks bearing the rice to the city. That will
be robbery.
"Five cavanes paid back double is robbery too, only the robbers do not go to jail,"
"Perhaps there will be a killing... “
"We will take that chance.”
"You will all be sent to bilibid.”
"What will become of the wife and the children behind? Who will feed them?"
"They are starving right now under our very eyes."

"But you are here with them."

"That is worse." The smoke from the burning rice straw got into Pablo's mouth
and he was shaken a fit of coughing. "What do you hope to gain by stealing a truck load
of rice?" he asked when he recovered his breath. "Food," Andres said tersely.
"Is that all?"
"Food for our wives and children. Food for everybody. That is enough!"
"What will happen if the stolen rice is gone? Will you go on robbing?"
"It is not stealing. The rice is ours."
The straw in Pablo's hand burst into sudden flame. He threw it away. It fell in
path, the fire dying out as the straw scattered and burning coals rolled in all directions.
"I must get some rice straws," Pablo said in his thin, wheezy voice. "Osiang, your
wife is waiting for you." As he turned to leave, Andres whispered hoarsely to him,
"Before the moon rises tonight, the first truck will pass around the bend by the bridge..."
Pablo did not look back. He had seen his wife and three children approaching the
hut from the fields. They were accompanied by a man. He hurried to meet them. A
moment later the loud voice of Osiang burst out of the hut of Andres, but Pablo had no
ear for other things just then. The man with his wife was the field watchman.
"They were fishing in the fields," the watchman said stolidly, He was a thickset,
dull-faced fellow clad in khaki shirt and khaki trousers. "You will pay a fine of five
cavanes."
"We are only gathering snails," Sebia protested sobbing. She was wet. Her skirt
clung to her thin legs dripping water and slow trickle of mud.
"Five cavanes," the watchman said. "I came to tell you so that you will know--"
speaking to Pablo. He turned and strode away.
Pablo watched the broad, khaki covered back of the watchman. "I suppose he
has to earn his rice too," he said in his wheezy voice, feeling an immense weariness and
hopelessness settle upon him.
He looked at his wife, weeping noisily, and the children streak with dark-blue
mud, the two older boys thin like sticks, and the youngest a girl of six. Five cavanes of
rice for a handful of snails! How much is five cavanes to five hungry people?
"Itay, I'm hungry," Sabel, the girl said. The two boys looked up at him mutely.
They were cold and shivering and full of the knowledge of what had happened.
"I was just going to get fire from Osiang," Pablo heard himself say.
"You have not cooked the rice?" Sebia asked, moving wearily to the ladder.
"There is no rice."
Sebia listened in silence while he told her why there was no rice.
"Then what were you going to cook with the fire?" she asked finally.
"I don't know," he was forced to say. "I thought I would wait for you and the
children.”
"Where shall we ever get the rice to pay the multa?" Sebia asked irrelevantly. At
their feet the children began to whimper.

"Itay, I'm hungry," Sabel repeated.
Pablo took her up his arms. He carried her to the carabao and placed her on its
broad, warm back. The child stopped whimpering and began to kick with her legs. The
carabao switched its tails, he struck with its mud-encrusted tip across her face. She
covered her eyes with both hands and burst out crying. Pablo put her down, tried to pry
away her hands from her eyes, but she refused to uncover them and cried as though in
great pain.
"Sebia, Pablo called, and his wife hurried, he picked up a stout piece of wood
lying nearby and began to beat the carabao. He gripped the piece of wood with both
hands and struck the dumb beast with all his strength. His breath came in gasps. The
carabao wheeled around the tamarind tree until its rope was wound about the trunk and
the animal could not make another turn. It stood there snorting with pain and fear as the
blows of Pablo rained down its back. The piece of wood at last broke and Pablo was left
with a short stub in his hands. He gazed at it, sobbing with rage and weakness, then he
ran to the hut, crying. "Give me my bolo, Sebia, give me my bolo. We shall have food
tonight." But Sebia held him and would not let him go until he quieted down and sat with
back against the wall of the hut. Sabel had stopped crying. The two boys sat by the cold
stove.
"God save me," Pablo said, brokenly. He brought up his knees and, dropping his
face between them, wept like a child.
Sebia lay down with Sabel and watched pablo. She followed his movements
wordlessly as he got up and took his bolo from the wall and belted it around his waist.
She did not rise to stop him. She lay there on the floor and watched his husband put his
hat and go down the low ladder. She listened and learned he had not gone near the
carabao.
Outside, the darkness had thickened. Pablo picked his way through the tall grass
in the yard. He stopped to look back in the house. In the twilight the hut did not seem to
lean so much. He tightened the belt of the heavy bolo around his waist. Pulling the old
buri hat firmly over his head, he joined Andres, who stood waiting by the broken down
fence. I silence they walked together to the house of Elis.
Unit 3. Literature from Visayas
The bulk of Visayan literature comes from region 6 Western Visayas, Region 7
central Visayas, and region 8 Eastern Visayas.
Visayan Oral Literature

It is said that the only Visayan oral literature that can qualify as “epic” in the strict
sense is the Hinilawod of panay. As of the present, the Hinilawod consists of two epics
identified as those of labaw Donggon and Humadapnen.
The epic Labaw Donggon is part of the oral tradition of the Sulod, the mountain
people of Panay who inhabit the slopes of the headquarters of such rivers as the panay,
Jalaur Halawod, Aklan, Bugasong, Ansuage, and Ulian.
Epic

Labaw Donggon
Labaw Donggon is one of three handsome sons of the "diwata" Abyang Alunsina
and her mortal husband Buyung Paubari, the other two being Humadapnon and
Dumalapdap. Being of semi-divine birth, the three possess extraordinary powers. Labaw
Donggon, for instance, miraculously grows into a sturdy young man shortly after his birth
and embarks upon the first of his three courting adventures.
The first object of his affections is Abyang Ginbitinan, who lives "by the mouth of
Handog, by the river Halawud." Dressed in his best clothes, Labaw Donggon goes to
Ginbitinan’s house to visit her and to tell her that he will send his parents to arrange the
marriage. This is done, the dowry is agreed upon and given, and the wedding is held.
Not long after his wedding to Ginbitinan, Labaw Donggon hears about another beautiful
woman, Anggoy Doronoon, of the underworld, and conceives a desire to court her. So
he visits her and wins her without any difficulty. Presumably [the text does not say so] he
stays with her for a while and then returns to Handog.
Very soon, however, Labaw Donggon is again restless with desire for another
woman. This time he chooses a married woman, Malitung Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata,
"who resides where the brilliant light of the sun starts," for she is the wife of Saragnayan,
who takes charge of the course of the sun. Labaw Donggon dresses in his best, as
usual, and after gazing into a "crystal ball" to know how Malitung Yawa looks, sails
upward in his magic boat to the land of the sun. His coming is, however, detected by
Saragnayan, who intercepts him. Upon learning Labaw Donggon’s intentions upon his
wife, Saragnayan sternly tells him: "You can have Malitung Yawa … if I do not have life
anymore." A long, hard fight between the two men follows, first, by using their respective
charms, and later by using their own native strength. But though Labaw Donggon
submerges Saragnayan into the water for seven years and puts him on top of a stone
and beats him with coconut trunks, he cannot kill Saragnayan. The reason is that
Saragnayan’s life is not within his body but kept inside the body of a pig. After many
years of fighting, Labaw Donggon weakens and Saragnayan eventually defeats him,
binds his arms and feet, and puts him inside a pig pen below his kitchen.
Meanwhile, in Handog, Anggoy Ginbitinan has borne a son, Asu Mangga, who
asks his mother about his father. And down below in the underworld, Anggoy Doronoon
has also given birth to a son, Buyung Baranugun. Though his umbilical cord is still uncut,
Baranugun asks about his father and insists that his mother allow him to search for him.
He dresses up and asks his mother for his poisoned arrow "which with one shot pierces
through seven men." Asu Mangga has likewise decided to go in search of his father and
dresses up in his best clothes. Ginbitinan warns him that he is likely to meet his young
brother and that if he does, they should not fight each other.
The brothers do meet, Asu Mangga riding on a magic boat and Baranugun
walking on the sea. The latter joins his brother in his magic boat and they plan their
search. Looking into the crystal ball, they learn the whereabouts of their father and see
the pitiful state into which he has fallen: he has become hairy all over. Vowing to avenge
their father’s humiliation, the brothers steer their boat to the land of darkness. By
invoking the power of their "pamlang", the boat is able to soar to the Land of the Morning
Sun. Their arrival does not escape the notice of Saragnayan who wonders who they may
be. The two brothers recover their father’s boat, find where he is imprisoned under
Saragnayan’s house, break the iron bars of his cage by invoking their "pamlang", and
lead him out of his cage and to their magic boat. There they wash their father clean until
he is handsome once more. Labaw Donggon tells them of his long and futile fight with
Saragnayan. The two sons then shout their challenge to Saragnayan – ten times. It is so
loud that Saraganayan loses his courage.
Visayan Poetry
Batasan sang Taga-uma
Richard Alayon

Batasan sang Taga-uma Ways of a Country Fellow
‘Ne, pahilog preparar “NE, please prepare

sang panyaga lunch
kaya may bisita kita. for we have a visitor
Barkada ko ini sia He was my companion
sang ako nagiskwela pa When I was still studying
sang kantutuhan sa banwa. the foolish ways of the town
Sugua anay si Dyunyor Tell Junior
nga mag-utang to buy on credit
sang isa ka kaha nga serbesa a case of beer
ditdto sa tyanggi from the store
kag isa ka kabu nga mani. And a coco-shellfull of peanuts
Patya na lang dayon Also kill
inang manok nga galumlum the hen sitting on the eggs
kag lakti sang ubad and mix it with the core
sang saging nga rusing. and rusing banana
Sige, P’re kaon pa Come on, P’re, keep on eating
kag indi maghuya-huya and don’t ever be shy
kay bwas na lang kami maaway for my wife and I are postponing our
sang akon asawa. quarrel
Indi na pagproblemahi for tomorrow.
Ang akon ulumhan Don’t make a problem
Kay ang binhi Out of my farm
Ibayad ko na lang for with the palay seeds for planting
Sa gin-inum ta. I am paying
out drinks.
Short Story
Magnificence
Estrella Alfon
There was nothing to fear, for the man was always so gentle, so kind. At
night when the little girl and her brother were bathed in the light of the big
shaded bulb that hung over the big study table in the downstairs hall, the
man would knock gently on the door, and come in. he would stand for a
while just beyond the pool of light, his feet in the circle of illumination, the
rest of him in shadow. The little girl and her brother would look up at him
where they sat at the big table, their eyes bright in the bright light, and watch
him come fully into the light, but his voice soft, his manner slow. He would
smell very faintly of sweat and pomade, but the children didn’t mind although
they did notice, for they waited for him every evening as they sat at their
lessons like this. He’d throw his visored cap on the table, and it would fall
down with a soft plop, then he’d nod his head to say one was right, or shake
it to say one was wrong. It was not always that he came. They could
remember perhaps two weeks when he remarked to their mother that he had
never seen two children looking so smart.
The praise had made their mother look over them as they stood around
listening to the goings-on at the meeting of the neighborhood association, of
which their mother was president. Two children, one a girl of seven, and a
boy of eight. They were both very tall for their age, and their legs were the
long gangly legs of fine spirited colts. Their mother saw them with eyes that
held pride, and then to partly gloss over the maternal gloating she exhibited,
she said to the man, in answer to his praise, but their homework. They’re so
lazy with them. And the man said, I have nothing to do in the evenings, let
me help them. Mother nodded her head and said, if you want to bother
yourself. And the thing rested there, and the man came in the evenings
therefore, and he helped solve fractions for the boy, and write correct
girl.
phrases in language for the little girl.
In those days, the rage was for pencils. School children always have rages
going at one time or another. Sometimes for paper butterflies that are held
on sticks, and were in the wind. The Japanese bazaars promoted a rage for
those. Sometimes it is for little lead toys found in the folded waffles that
Japanese confection-makers had such light hands with. At this particular
time, it was for pencils. Pencils big but light in circumference not smaller
than a man’s thumb. They were unwieldy in a child’s hands, but in all
schools then, where Japanese bazaars clustered there were all colors of
these pencils selling for very low, but unattainable to a child budgeted at a
baon of a centavo a day. They were all of five centavos each, and one pencil
The father grunted, and said, the man probably needed a new job, and was
softening his way through to him by going at the children like that. And the
mother said, No, I don’t think so, he’s a rather queer young man, I think he
doesn’t have many friends, but I have watched him with the children, and he
seems to dote on them.
The father grunted again, and did not pay any further attention.
Vicente was earlier than usual that evening. The children immediately put
THIS IS A
their GENDER
lessons SENSITIVE
down, INSTRUCTIONAL
telling him of MATERIALand would
the envy of their schoolmates,
he buy them more please?
Vicente said to the little boy, Go and ask if you can let me have a glass of
water. And the little boy ran away to comply, saying behind him, But buy us
some more pencils, huh, buy us more pencils, and then went up to stairs to
Then go ahead and write, and I will watch you.
Don’t hold me on your lap, said the little girl, I am very heavy, you will get
very tired.
The man shook his head, and said nothing, but held her on his lap just the
same.
The little girl kept squirming, for somehow she felt uncomfortable to be held
thus, her mother and father always treated her like a big girl, she was always
THIS ISnever
told A GENDER SENSITIVE
to act like a baby. SheINSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
looked around at Vicente, interrupting her
careful writing to twist around.
His face was all in sweat, and his eyes looked very strange, and he indicated
to her that she must turn around, attend to the homework she was writing.
The little boy did as he was told, asking no questions, for indeed he was
feeling sleepy already.
As soon as the boy was gone, the mother turned on Vicente. There was a
pause.
Finally, the woman raised her hand and slapped him full hard in the face.
Her retreated down one tread of the stairs with the force of the blow, but the
mother followed him. With her other hand she slapped him on the other side
of the face again. And so down the stairs they went, the man backwards, his
THIS
faceIS A GENDERopen
continually SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL
to the force MATERIAL
of the woman’s slapping. Alternately she
lifted her right hand and made him retreat before her until they reached the
bottom landing.
He made no resistance, offered no defense. Before the silence and the

Unit 4. Literature from Mindanao
Davao
Davao is one of the richest and biggest province in the Philippines. It lies at the
Southern part of the island of Mindanao bounded to the north by the Agusan del Sur, to
the East by Davao Oriental, to the South by the Davao Gulf, to the Southwest by Davao
City, and to the Northwest by Bukidnon.
Legend
The Durian Legend

(Davao City)
Barom-Mai was an old and ugly king who lived in a kingdom called Calinan in the
Visayas hundreds of years ago. Although he was powerful, he was helpless when it

came to winning the love of his young bride, Madayaw-Bayho (daughter of Tageb, king
of the pirates).
Barom-Mai asked his advisers to help him win his bride’s love, and Matigam (the
wisest of advisers) told him about Impit Purok, a hermit who lived in a cave in Mt. Apo.
They went to the hermit and he asked for three things: the egg of the black tabon
bird, twelve ladles of fresh milk from a white carabao without blemish, and the nectar
from the flower of the tree-of-make-believe.
The egg will be used to soften the bride’s heart; the milk, to make her kind; and, the
nectar, to make her see Barom-Mai as a young and handsome king.
The king finds the egg through the help of Pawikan, the king of the sea turtles. He
luckily gets milk from a white carabao the following breakfast, thanks to his cook.
Hangin-Bai, the nymph of the air, leads him to her sister, the wood nymph who had the
magic flower in her hair.
Barom-Mai gives the three things to Impit Purok, who asked him to prepare a big
feast after Barom-Mai wins his queen back, and to invite Impit Purok as the king’s guest
of honor.
Impit Purok mixes the three ingredients and instructs Barom-Mai to plant the
mixture in the royal garden. The morning after it was planted, a tree grew. It had a sweet
smell and tasted good. When Madayaw-Bayho was given the fruit, she fell in love with
Barom-Mai.
The king throws a big feast but forgets to invite Impit Purok. In retaliation, Impit
casts a curse upon the fruit: The sweet smell was replaced with a foul odor while the
smooth skin of the fruit was covered with thorns, which is how the durian smells and
looks today.
Lanao
Lanao del Norte is situated in Northern Mindanao, along the northwest and
southwest coast of the Mindanao Island. Its boundaries include Iligan Bay on the North,
the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon to the East, Illana Bay and the Celebes
Sea to the South and Southwest, and the province of Zamboanga del Sur and Panguil
Bay to the West, with the province of Misamis Occidental on the opposite side of Panguil
Bay.
The province is a land bridge that links Western Mindanao to Central and
Eastern Mindanao. Pagadian, Ozamis, Tangub, Marawi, and Iligan are the nearby cities
within the radius of Lanao del Norte. One can reach Lanao del Norte through Cagayan
de Oro or Ozamis airports. The travel time by road is 90mins from Cagayan de Oro and
30 mins from Ozamis (by crossing Panguil Bay via barge).
Five of its municipalities (Linamon, Kauswagan, Bacolod, Maigo, and

Kolambugan) are within the Iligan-Cagayan Industrial Corridor. Ten of its municipalities
are coastal towns blessed with rich fishing grounds: the Illana Bay, Panguil Bay, and
Iligan Bay. Twelve municipalities are upland towns blessed with vast agricultural and
forestry based crops and products. Muslim communities are generally found in the
interior; whereas, Christian communities are found in the coast.
The province prides itself as a major contributor to the overall development of

Mindanao. It hosts three of the seven Agus Hydropower Plants, which generates 80% of
the Mindanao power grid. There are more than 70,000 hectares of coconut land found in
Lanao del Norte, and is the second largest producer of copra in the region. Other major
products include rice, fruits, corn, and aquaculture products.

The province of Lanao was divided into Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur on
July 4, 1959 with the passage of Republic Act 2228. Iligan City once served as the
capital of Lanao del Norte until June 24, 1982. The capital of the province was moved to
the municipality of Tubod in pursuance to Batas Pambansa 181.
Lanao del Norte is currently governed by Imelda “Angging” Quibranza-Dimaporo.
Legend
Origin of the World

(Maranao)
According to Maranaw folklore, this world was created by a great Being. It is not
known, however, who exactly is this great Being. Or how many days it took him to create
this world.
This world is divided into seven layers. The earth has also seven layers. Each
layer is inhabited by a different kind of being. The uppermost layer, for example, is the
place we are inhabiting. The second layer is being inhabited by dwarfs. These dwarfs
are short, plump, and long-haired. They are locally known as Karibanga. The Karibanga
are said to possess magical powers. They are usually invisible to the human eye. The
third layer of the earth which is found under the sea or lake is inhabited by nymphs.
These nymphs also possess certain magical powers. It is stated in the story of Rajah
Indarapatra that he met and fell in love with the princess nymph with whom he had a
child.
The sky also consists of seven layers. Each layer has a door which is guarded
day and night by huge mythical birds called garoda. The seventh layer of the sky is the
seat of heaven which is also divided into seven layers. Every layer in the sky is inhabited
by angels. Maranaws believe that angels do not need food. They all possess wings with
which they fly.
Heaven which is found on the seventh layer of the sky is where good people‘s
spirits go after death. Saints are assigned to the seventh layer while persons who “barely
made it” are confined to the lower most layer which is found at the bottom of heaven.
It is in heaven where we find the tree-of-life. On each leaf of the tree-of-life is

written the name of every person living on earth. As soon as a leaf ripens or dries and
falls, the person whose name it carries also dies.
The soul of every person is found in tightly covered jars kept in one section of
heaven. This particular section of heaven is closely guarded by a monster with a
thousand eyes, named Walo. Walo, in addition to his thousand eyes, has also eight hairy
heads. The epic Darangan speaks of Madale, Bantugan‘s brother and, Mabaning,
Husband of Lawanen, entering this section and retrieving the soul of Bantugan.
Short Story
“Si Pilandok sa Kaharian ng Dagat Maranaw”

(Pilandok in the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea)
There was once a kingdom, where a selfish, cruel, and greedy king ruled. His name was
Datu Usman. In that kingdom also live a young man named Pilandok, of whose great
cleverness thought and made ways of fooling and getting even with the terrible Datu.
Because of this, the Datu’s anger grew more and more.
When the Datu spotted Pilandok in the kingdom, he ordered the guards to capture Pilandok,
then the Datu placed a punishment upon him. Pilandok was to be tied, placed inside a cage,
then thrown into the sea. The palace guards were doing so, but the weather was hot and the
sea was far away. The guards then, went to the coconut trees and rested. Until, they fell

asleep. At that lucky instant, a merchant was passing by so Pilandok thought quickly of a
clever idea. He cried and cried saying he doesn’t want to be married to the Datu’s daughter.
The merchant heard him, and he thought Pilandok was being foolish. Who doesn’t want to
be married into a wealthy royal family? And the merchant got greedy.
The merchant approached Pilandok and offered to trade places with him. Pilandok agreed
urgently. So the merchant freed Pilandok, exchanged clothes with him, and went inside the
cage. Pilandok even adviced the merchant to shout, “I agree now to marry the princess!”
The guards only laughed at the merchant and they threw him into the deep blue sea.
After a few days, Pilandok returned to the kingdom, and the Datu was shocked. “Why are
you still alive?!” he said angrily. Pilandok explained that when the Datu ordered for him to be
thrown into the sea, Pilandok rather landed in a kingdom under the sea! He also found out
that the ruler of the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea was his long lost cousin, and who gave him
lots and lots of riches. Datu Usman believed Pilandok because Pilandok indeed was very
alive and didn’t drown when thrown into the sea. He believed Pilandok even more when
Pilandok said that his cousin, who ruled the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea, was inviting the Datu.
And the Datu was greedy.
Datu Usman immediately ordered his guards to prepare a cage for him, inside of which he
will be thrown into the kingdom at the bottom of the sea. But when they reached the
seashore, the Datu was scared. What Pilandok did was he dove into the water, and when he
surfaced, he was now carrying a beautiful giant pearl. And the Datu was greedy.
The Datu went inside his cage and ordered his guards to throw him into the sea. He just
reminded his guards to pull the cage’s rope when it moved. But they didn’t. Pilandok was
stopping them, saying the Datu and his cousin were just having fun that’s why the rope was
moving.
When the roped suddenly stopped moving, the guards panicked. They pulled the rope and
were shocked upon seeing that the Datu was almost dead. His stomach got so huge from
drinking lots of water.
When the Datu awoke, he was mad and searched for Pilandok. But Pilandok was now
nowhere in sight.
The clever Pilandok escaped once again, and had tricked once more the greedy Datu.
The White Horse of Alih

Alvarez Enriquez
The story happened on July 4th in a city with a parade of people. It was a happy
day for everybody because they are celebrating the big American Holiday. Among the
crowd was Alih, a Moro who was then looking for his brother, Omar. That day was
intended for them to fulfill their plan. Their plan is to kill these people.
So Alih waited for his brother, he went out of the crown and sat under the Balete
tree. While he was sitting and looking at the parade, he remembered his past, his
childhood and his growing years where he met the women whom he wished and longed
for and he remembered his mission. That is—to kill the people. But people can’t notice
them as Moros because they were in disguise.
When he saw a man riding a horse and controlling the crowd, he remembered
how much he longed for a horse for himself. He recalled when his brother punished him
because he spent his earnings just to ride in a merry – go- round. He wanted to ride on a
wooden horse because he saw the girl whom he liked most and her name was Lucy.
Lucy was the girl who lived in the reservation area where the Americans live. Moros
were not allowed to enter that vicinity. But because he needs to go to school, he cross
the river and reached the reservation area. There he saw the first girl he liked. Though,
they were not given the chance to see and talk to each other since then.

When he grew up, Omar told him about how the American soldiers killed their
father without any reason. Their father was known and respected in their village. With
these, Omar taught him to be brave and be able to fight against these people because
he believes that only by killing could they wash away their shame. He taught him words
to live by and beliefs to be respected and attained.
As he grew into a mature individual, he met another woman named Fermina.
Fermina was a beautiful bar maid with a mole near her mouth. He likes her so much but
the woman doesn’t like him because of his impertinent manner towards her. He was put
to jail for six months because of what he did.
Remembering all of these from his past, he thought of what Omar said about the
promise of their prophet to those who are faithful to him. That is to have a white horse
ride to heaven and as many hours as the number of infidel heads he could lay before
Allah. But when he thought of what their Imam said that white horse, as a reward for
killing is a reference conjured by fanatics in their attempt to give reason to their behavior.
The prophet never taught them about that because he was man of peace.
So back to reality, he continued searching for Omar into the crowd. Soon he saw
a float with a girl whom he thought of as Fermina. He went near the float and assisted
the girl to go down to the ground. As he was about to hold her completely, Omar came
but to his surprise, he was drunk and tipsy! All along, he realized that Omar had been
drinking tuba. He knew that Omar was afraid to kill that is why he drink tuba first before
he go to the town.
Omar shouted and leap to the street, and then he gets his fatal blade from his
pants.
The crowd screamed. Fear and panic seized everyone. Everyone is running and
escaping from Omar, even fermina jumped into the ground and run away but she got
stocked from a bamboo frame of the float because of her long flowing robe that hooked
on the edge of the bamboo frame. She tried to set her free but she saw Omar coming to
her swinging his blade. Fermina screamed and screamed because of fear.
The screams struck Alih because he saw that Fermina the girl he was love is in
danger and get his blade from his leg immediately and then he leaped to his brother
Omar and hit its back by his sharp blade repeatedly. Omar died.
The town spoke out about the strange tragedy for many days after. But nobody
had known Alih, and nobody could figure out why he turned against his brother.
Learning Activities
Activity 1: Reading Comprehension

General Directions: Read the summary of the epic “Biag ni lam-ang” and answer the
questions below.
A.
___________________1. The place where Lam-ang lived

___________________2. Lam-ang’s father

___________________3. Lam-ang’s mother
___________________4. Lam-ang’s bride
___________________5. A reverent address in Ilocano used for God or old people or
persons in authority
B.
1. Describe Lam-ang and Ines kannoyan according to:
a. Their physical appearance
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
b. What other characters say about them
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
c. Their perception of love and honor as implied in the story
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. What supernatural elements were present in the story?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Cite some customs and traditions still being practiced today.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. Must a man follow the practice of the group even if it would mean his life?
Explain your answer.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. What is the main idea of the story Biag ni Lam-Ang?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
6. Would you consider Lam-ang as an Ilocano hero? Explain.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

C.
7. What marvelous acts did lam-ang show in the story?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. What savage way of punishing a captured enemy is depicted in the story?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
9. What Christian beliefs or practices are evident in the text?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
10. What valuable measures for the survival of a tribe are conveyed in the story?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
11. What custom of a tribe can be drawn from a son’s search for a missing father
and to avenge his death?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
12. Complete the following story web by writing inside that support strands the
incidents that happened in the epic. You may add or delete some strands if
necessary.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Activity 2. Proverbs Analysis

General Directions: Quote 5 inspiring lines from the list of proverbs from the literature
in Luzon and explain them orally in your own words. See page for the list of proverbs.
1. _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
_____________
2. _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
_____________
3. _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
_____________
4. _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
_____________
5. _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
_____________
Activity 3. Reading Comprehension

Directions: Read the story of the “The Small World of Marina” by Crispina Bragado and
answer the questions below.
True or False
______________________1. Marina was chosen as a participant in the folk dance that
will be presented in the town fiesta.
______________________2. Her father felt glad upon learning that Marina is
participating in the dance. He even encouraged her to go on with it.
______________________3. Marina uprooted the eggplant seedlings in their field so
that she will have something to plant for their school gardening class.

______________________4. His father told her to get the seedlings back even if it was
already dark.
______________________5. Her father was just testing her. He wants her to learn
things the hard way.
A.
1. What is the subject of the story?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. What is the setting of the story?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Which details make the story a local color?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
4. Describe marina as a daughter, if you were in her place do you think you would
be able to behave in the same manner?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. What does Marina do to escape from a seemingly unbearable life?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
6. What is the father’s purpose in asking her daughter to take on so many

responsibilities at the expense of her studies?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
7. Do you approve of the father’s tests on her daughter? Are there tests consider
tolerable? Intolerable?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. How would you describe the mother? How does she provide her daughter with
emotional support?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Activity 4: Compare and Contrast

Directions: Read the story “Rice” by Manuel Arguila and use the venn diagram to
compare and contrast the characters. Answer the guide questions below.
A.
1. Compare and contrast the characters according to their speech:
PABLO AND ANDRES SEBIA AND OSIANG
2. What was the cause of human suffering in the short story?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_______________.

3. What did it do to the characteristics in terms of:

a. Physical health
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_______________.
b. Emotional being
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_______________.
c. Social relationship
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_______________.
4. What does Andres mean by this line: Five cavanes paid back is robbery too, only
the robbers do not go to jail?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_______________.
5. What does the story imply about employer-employee relationship?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________
B.
Directions: Using the details narrated in the story “Rice”, draw and color the native
scenery depicting the first paragraph.
Activity 5: Poetry Analysis

Directions: Read the poem “Batasan sang Taga-uma” by Richard Alayon and answer
the questions below.
1. Who is the persona in the poem?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. To whom is the speaker speaking?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
3. What is the situation?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
4. What is the Tagalog and English equivalents of Ne as used in the poem?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
5. What is the subject of the poem?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
6. What is the one?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
7. What are the speaker’s values and personalities?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
8. What is your attitude towards this speaker?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
9. What values and characteristics among Filipinos are depicted in the poem?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
10. Are these traits worth preserving or discarding? Why?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________

Directions: Read the legend “Origin of the World” of the Maranao and answer the
questions below.
A.
1. Do you believe on Darwin’s theory of creation? Justify your answer?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. Why are there many versions of man’s creation?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. What is the difference between soul and spirit?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. Why should a person be concerned about feeding the soul?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5. What do you mean by the statement He sold his soul to the devil?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
B.
Directions: draw an illustration of the seven layers of the sky as described in the myth.


General Directions: Read the story “The White Horse of Alih” by Alvarez Enriquez and
answer the questions below.
A.
1. How did the brothers, Alih and Omar, decided to kills the Christian?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
2. How did they plan to execute their revenge?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
3. What made Alih decide to save the girl from being killed by Omar?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
4. Compare the fasting done by Christian during lent and the fasting done by
Muslims during Ramadan? Do they have the same purpose?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________
5. Enumerate some similarities of faith between the Christians and the Muslims.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
6. As Filipinos, what suggestions can you give to truly unify Christians and Muslims
as one?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
B.
Directions: Cite and illustrate Christian and Muslim feast/festivals celebrated during the
entire year to attain peace and harmony among people. Explain each.

Mastery Test (Not Graded)

Directions: Enumerate at least 2 literary forms from the literature of Luzon, Visayas,
and Mindanao.
A. Luzon
1._______________________________
2._______________________________
B. Visayas
1. _______________________________
2._______________________________
C. Mindanao
1._______________________________
2._______________________________
Mastery Test (Graded, Performance Based Test)

Reflection Writing

Directions: Select one literary piece from each island (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao).
Write an analysis and reflection about the contents of the literary piece you have chosen
from each island.
Luzon
Title of chosen literary piece: ____________________________
Analysis:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Reflection:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Visayas
Title of chosen literary piece: ________________________________

Analysis:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Reflection:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Mindanao
Title of chosen literary piece: __________________________
Analysis:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Reflection:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

References:
Guerrero (2013). An educational blog for college students at Philippine Christian
University-Dasmarinas. http://instructionalminutes.blogspot.com
Lipetin (2017). Philippine Literature and Texts (Pre-colonial Times and Spanish
Colonizations). https://www.slideshare.net/AttheaJaneLepiten
Kalaw Maximo (2013). General Types of Literarture.
http://bihirangpanitikangpilipino.blogspot.com/2013/07/types-of-literature.html
Mark Joshua (2009). Literature. Introduction. https://www.ancient.eu/literature/
Ortega (2015). The Literary Forms in Philippine Literature.
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Literature/literary_forms_in_philippine_lit.htm

Analytic Rubric for Analysis and Reflection Writing
Below Satisfactory Exemplary Score

Expectation
Organization No apparent The piece has The piece is

organization. a focus and carefully
provides some organized and
Evidence is not
evidence that provides
used to support
support the convincing
assertions. (0-2)
conclusion. (3- evidence to
5) support
conclusions.
96-8)
Content The content is The content is The content is

inaccurate or generally complete and
overly general. accurate, accurate. (6-8)
(0-2) however,
incomplete. (3-
5)

Style The writer The writer is The writer is

appears generally relaxed and
anxious and relaxed and comfortable.
uncomfortable. comfortable. The piece has
The piece is too The piece is enough length
short and not decent, long, and the student
original. (0-2) and used own demonstrates
words. (3-5) ability to write a
piece on his
own. (6-8)
Total Score
Answer key
Pretest (Not Graded)
1. Hinilawod
2. Novel
3. Labaw Donggon
4. Amador T. Daguio
5. Legends
6. Ang mga dalit kay Maria
7. Tibag
8. Jose Maria Panganiban
9. The Book of the Dead
10. Literature
Mastery Test (Not Graded)

Answer may vary
Luzon
1. The Legend of Santiago
2. Ifugao Creation
3. The Ifugao Blood
4. The Repopulation of the Earth
5. The Story of the Unfinished Bridge
6. Biag ni Lam-Ang
7. The Small World of Marina
8. Rice

Visayas
1. Kumintang
2. Malakas and maganda
3. Urbana and feliza
4. On Chastity
5. Taguan
6. Labaw Donggon
7. Kataposang Hapon
8. Magnificence
Mindanao
1. Pantomina
2. Dutuc
3. One Lonely Night in bicol
4. pagkamoot sa Banuang tinubuan
5. Si Nanay, Si tatay, Di Ko Pababayaan
6. The Durian Legend
7. Mindanao: The Origin of its Name
8. Lmabat (One who meets)
9. Origin of the World

Philippine Literature Course Module Content - Gen Ed

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Исходное описание:

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Philippine Literature Course Module Content - Gen Ed

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Filipino Literature in Various Regions of the Philippines 1

Unit 1 Introduction to Philippine Literature

Philippine Literature is a diverse and rich group of works that has

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

 read literary texts representing various regions, periods, and genres

________________2. This is a long narrative divided into chapters.

________________4. Who wrote the piece “the harvest song of aliguyon’?

________________5. This is a form of prose and the common theme of which is about

________________6. A collection of songs praising the Virgin Mary. Father Mariano

________________7. This word means to excavate.

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

________________8. He is known for having a photographic mind. His pen name is

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

Owing to the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists,

Gongonan nu usin y amam If you pull your daddy's penis

Maggirawa pay sila y inam. Your mommy's vagina, too,

(Campana) screams. (Bell)

The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community

The extended form, tanaga, a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing

A few examples are the lullabyes or Ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like

A type of narrative song or kissa among the Tausug of Mindanao, the parang

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

The epics come in various

Examples of these epics are the Lam-

The Spanish Colonial Tradition

But among the religious poetry of the day, it is the pasyon in octosyllabic

Other known pasyons chanted during the Lenten season are in Ilocano,

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza"

Secular works appeared alongside historical and economic changes, the

Another popular secular poetry is the metrical romance, the awit and korido in

But if Rizal's novels are political, the novel Ninay (1885) by Pedro Paterno is

But the introduction of English as medium of instruction in the Philippines

The American Colonial Period

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

Alongside this development, writers in the vernaculars continued to write in the

The Contemporary Period

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue especially

Genres of Philippine Literature across History

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

Unit 2. Literature from Luzon

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

The Epic lam-Ang

After the celebration, Lam-ang agrees to hunt "rarang" a shellfish. He is

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

Ti kunan tarong kadakuada

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

Matibay ang walis, palibhasa'y magkabigkis.

2. While the blanket is short, learn how to bend.

Hangga't makitid ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot.

3. It is hard to wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep.

Mahirap gisingin ang nagtutulog-tulugan.

4. If you persevere, you will reap the fruits of your labor.

Pag may tiyaga, may nilaga.

5. New king, new character.

Bagong hari, bagong ugali.

6. If you plant, you harvest.

Kung may tinanim, may aanihin.

THIS IS A GENDER SENSITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

7. Weeds are difficult to kill.

Mahirap mamatay ang masamang damo.

8. Don't trust strangers.