MODULE 2

Author: Marites M. Aguilar

Illustrator & Layout Artist: Apolinario V. Rosanes Jr.
 MODULE 2

Introduction

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

Module aims to engage students in appreciation and critical study
of 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World, en-
compassing their various dimensions, genres, elements, structures,
contexts, and traditions.

This module allows the students to embark on a journey from

Philippine regions to the different parts of the world through various
literary encounters.

Here, the learners will be accompanied by Lito and Letty, the

ship captains of Balangay ( an old name of a Philippine boat). Lito
is a Filipino Ship Captain who is in-charge of the local destinations.
And Letty is a Lady Ship Captain from other country. She is in-
charge of the tour abroad. Lito and Letty assist each other in every
module visit.

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 MODULE 2

Legend

This Self Learning Kit is divided into 27 modules with varied

parts and respective icons:

Gearing Up
(Review)

Testing the Water

( Pre-test)

Leaving the Shore

( Priming Activity)

Rocking the Boat

( Activity Proper)

Plotting the Course

( Analysis)

Keeping Track
( Analysis)

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 MODULE 2

Legend

Approaching Destination
(Application)

Seeing the Lighthouse

( Reflection)

Dropping the Anchor

( Post Test)

Going Back to the Ocean

( Remediation)

Discovering the Gems

( Answer Key)

Every module targets a specific Learning Competency and asks

learners to perform multiple tasks.

4
 MODULE 2 2

Hello, dear student, our fellow voyager!

Welcome…

I’m Letty. Are you ready to set

sail and BEGIN your voyage with
this module?

I’m Lito
Well, it’s time to GO ABOARD to set your
quest for KNOWLEDGE in motion.
Have FUN!

5
 MODULE 2

Connect with the Module:

Some reminders before cruising:

Use the module with care especially in turning each

page.

Be reminded to answer the Pre-Test before moving

on to the Self-Learning Kit (SLK) Proper.

Read and understand the directions in every exer-

cise.

Observe honesty in answering the tests and exer-

cises and in checking your answers.

Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of this

module.

Try to finish the task at hand before proceeding to

the next.

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 MODULE 2

Horizon Overview

This module is a self-learning material to guide you in deve-

loping a target competency in the course, 21st Century Literature
from the Philippines and the World.

Learning Competency:
EN12Lit-Ib-22 Identify representative texts and authors from each re-
gion (e.g. engage in oral history research with focus on key personalities
from the students’ region/province/town).

By the end of this module, you are expected to:

 discover the richness of Philippine literature through
varied texts and authors from selected provinces;
 respond to a text through a critical interpretation
of specific literary elements of the genre; and
 appreciate deeply ingrained Filipino values, beliefs, and
traditions reflected in their regional literature.

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 MODULE 2

The country’s rich repertoire of literary masterpieces may be

rooted from the diverse cultural heritage of the Filipino people.
From the mighty roar of the uplanders from the North to the fiery
temperament of the lowlanders from the South, the Filipinos have
produced varied texts that speak of the collective experiences of a
people that have gone through difficulties, triumphs, struggles, suc-
cesses, armed conflicts, bloodless revolutions, and others that reso-
nated loud and clear in the whole of the Philippine archipelago.

In this Module, you will encounter representative texts and au-

thors coming from the different parts of the country. You will be able
to identify how these texts reflect the aspirations, goals, and values of
a people who have arisen from more than three centuries of subjuga-
tion from colonial masters to become the unified, developing country
that it is now.

Gearing Up

Hello there Senior High Student!

Can you still recall your topic from
Module 1?

In the previous Module, you were able

to identify the geographic, linguistic,
and ethnic dimensions of Philippine lit-
erary history. You were able to catch a
glimpse of the different forms and
functions of literature from pre-colonial
to the contemporary period.

8
 MODULE 2 2

Testing the Waters

Direction: Using the given answer sheet, darken the circle
corresponding to the letter of the best answer for each item.

1. Philippine regional literature can be BEST described as –

A. Dynamic
B. Outdated
C. Spoken
D. Traditional
2. Imagery in poetry pertains to –
A. Mental pictures
B. Unique drawings
C. Vague resemblances
D. Word creations
3.The use of the vernacular in regional literature is –
A. discouraged because many people do not understand a
piece not written in either English or Tagalog.
B. encouraged so that the culture and tradition of a people are
upheld despite effects of modernity.
C. opposed for the reason that it constrains the expression of
thoughts, feelings, and ideas of a writer.
D. affirmed by many for it allows free flow of feelings and in-
sights not understandable to readers.
4. A valid observation of literary development in the Philippines is that –
A. History is recorded only in the oral tradition of the country.
B. No literature could reflect the richness of our country’s experi-
ences.
C. Literary masterpieces are written by great persons with great
remembrances.
D. Literature developed alongside Philippine history.
5. Because of the archipelagic nature of the Philippines, its geographical
features, and the presence of various ethno-linguistic groups in the
country, regional literature has become –
A. Anti-modern and traditional
B. Short yet vivid
C. Rich and varied
D. Nationalistic

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 MODULE 2

Let’s Navigate

I think we are now ready to explore! But

before we do so, let us have first a taste of
Philippine poetry.

Yeah that’s right Letty! Allow us to share

you who is Carlos A. Angeles and what
were his works.

Text No. 1: A Taste of Philippine Poetry

Located in the northwest of Luzon, the IIocos Region or Region

1 is comprised of four provinces namely: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La
Union and Pangasinan. It is bordered to the west by the turbulent
South China Sea, to the east by the Cordillera Administrative Region,
the northeast and southeast by Cagayan Valley and the south by Cen-
tral Luzon. Most of the inhabitants of the Ilocano homeland is concen-
trated along a narrow coastal plain and because of geographical
boundaries, these people often experience heavy rains and tumultuous
typhoons especially during rainy seasons.

The region, then, takes pride of

long stretches of white sand and clear
waters alongside its rich cultural herit-
age. What you are about to read is a
poem written by a Carlos Palanca Me-
morial Awardee in Poetry in 1964, Carlos
A. Angeles. His collection of poems enti-
tled, Stun of Jewels, also bagged him
the Republic Cultural Heritage Award in
Literature in the same year.
Carlos A. Angeles
Source: http://www.goodreads.com/author/
show/220633.Carlos_A_Angeles
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 MODULE 2

Leaving the Shore

Ahoy there! Read the poem below and

then proceed to the tasks that follow.
Happy reading!

Gabu
by Carlos A. Angeles

The battering restlessness of the sea

Insists a tidal fury upon the beach
At Gabu, and its pure consistency
Havos the wasteland hard within its reach.

Brutal the daylong bashing of its heart

Against the seascape where, for miles around,
Farther than sight itself, the rock-stones part
And drop into the elemental wound.

The waste of centuries is grey and dead

And neutral where the sea has beached its brine,
Where the spilt salt of its heart lies spread
Among the dark habiliments of Time.

The vital splendor misses. For here, here

At Gabu where the ageless tide recurs
All things forfeited are most loved and dear.

It is the sea pursues a habit of shores.

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 MODULE 2

Rock the Boat

Draw Me the Image

Imagery is a poetic element that tries to create a picture in
the mind of the reader or a mental image through the use of figu-
ral language. It represents objects, places, ideas, or even actions
that appeal to the senses of the readers.
 What image does the poem, Gabu, try to create?
 Which word or group of words from the poem help you form
this image? Draw this.

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 MODULE 2

Plotting the Course

Jour

This time, delve deeper into the poem by us-

ing the graphic organizer. You may re-read
the poem in order to get the details that
would complete your organizer.

Title of the Text:

Author:

QUESTIONS RESPONSE

TOPIC
What is the text all about?

SITUATION
What is the setting referred to or
described in the text?

CLIENT
Who is the target group of readers
of the text?
How would you describe this
group in terms of skills, values,
beliefs and attitudes?

PURPOSE
Why is the text written?
What does it hope to achieve es-
pecially among its clientele?

PERSONA
Who is the voice behind the text?
What is known about him or her?

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 MODULE 2 2

Keeping the Track

Let us begin our learning exploration.

A Moment of Silence

Gabu depicts a coastline in Ilocos that is constantly experienc-

ing the battering restlessness of the sea. The water that comes
back to the shore seems furious and ruthless with its daylong bash-
ing which havocs the wasteland. Being an archipelagic country, the
Philippines knows the importance of the water and the sea. They
are representations of life. If all things forfeited are most loved and
dear, what are those that are forfeited in life? Which are not?

The form or structure of the poem is simple. It is composed of

four quatrains, a stanza with four lines, with the last line of the fourth
quatrain being set off. Why do you think is this so? How would you
interpret this last, most important line in the poem? How would you
relate this poem to the Filipino characteristic of being reflective and
religious?

Answer the given questions through a short reflective essay:

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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 MODULE 2

Text No. 2: A Taste of Tagalog Essay

More popularly known now as the

CALABARZON referring to the provinc-
es of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal,
and Quezon, Region IV-A is home to
Tagalog-speaking people in the Philip-
pines. Recognized all over the country
for their bravery and fearlessness in
battles, CALABARZON has participated
actively in the country’s fight for free-
dom and democracy. It is home to
many a Philippine hero foremost and
CALABARZON Map
among them are: Rizal of Laguna, Ma-
bini of Batangas, Aguinaldo of Cavite,

The blog you are about to read is a critical essay about the power of
the Filipino language in combatting colonial mentality and commercialism.
Discover how some of the prominent writers of the Region like Efren Abueg,
Rogelio Ordoñez, Edgardo Reyes, Dominador Mirasol and Rogelio Si-
kat compiled their written works in the vernacular to prove that the Ta-
galog short story could stream once again into the parched desert-like state
of the Filipino state of mind.

Mga Agos sa Disyerto

(first published in 1964) is a collec-
tion of short stories written by promi-
nent Filipino authors. Powerful and
compelling, this compilation of pure
fiction talked about some of the real
problems faced by Filipinos all over
the country. It reached out to a num-
ber of readers as it used the vernac-
ular language, a language under-
standable especially to the masses.

Mga Agos sa Disyerto

Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15640993
-mga-agos-sa-disyerto

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 MODULE 2 2

After having a taste of Tagalog essay, now

read the critical essay below, try to answer
the guide questions on the side to direct
you in understanding the whole text.
Have fun!

1.In what language was 20 Aug 2009 by SIGLIWA

the text, Mga Agos sa
Disyerto written?
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
2. What did this collec-
tion aim to accom-
plish?
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
__________________
Salubungin ang (Bagong) Daluyong ng mga
Agos sa Disyerto
SA PANAHONG tila natutuyuan ang mga
linang ng panitikan noong gitnang bahagi ng
dekada ’60, dumaloy ang mga akda nina Efren
R. Abueg, Dominador B. Mirasol, Rogelio L.
Ordo-ñez, Edgardo M. Reyes at Rogelio R. Si-
kat, sa aklat katipunang Mga Agos sa Disyerto.
Unang buhos ng daluyong ay noong 1964
at isang dekada ang lumipas, muling umalon at
binasa ang namimitak na lupain ng panitikang
Filipino nang mailimbag ang ikalawang edisyon
ng Mga Agos sa Disyerto noong 1974.
Huling sargo ng daluyong ng Agos ay 16
na taon ang nakararaan, nang lumabas ang ikat-
long edisyon nito noong 1993.
Ngayon, sa panahong sampu isang pera
ang patakbuhing literaturang patuloy na lu-
muluoy sa diwa at kaluluwa ng mga Pilipino,
muling nagbabanta ang pagbugso ng mga Agos
sa Disyerto.

Pananalamin sa tubig ng katotohanang pan- 3.How many short sto-

lipunan ries in Tagalog were
Sinalamin ng 25 akdang isinama sa Agos included in the com-
(na 20 lamang noong ika-2 edisyon) katoto- pilation?
hanang umiiral sa lipunan. Binigyang mukha ng __________________
mga ito ang kalagayan ng karaniwang tao,
maging ang pingkian ng kapangyarihan at
4.What did this text
karumaldumal na karalitaan at kawa-
langhiyaang umiiral sa ating lipunan. contain?
Nilaro ng mga akda ang emosyon at kai- ___________________
sipan, na bagaman ginagawa na noon, hindi ___________________
ganoong kahantad. ___________________

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 MODULE 2

Mga Ariel at Cleofe sa Pilipinas sa

5. What is the main kuwento ni Abueg
idea of the story, Sa
Amor vincit omnia, sabi ng matandang
Bagong Paraiso by
kasabihang Latin—hahamakin ang lahat,
Efren Abueg?
___________________ maging ang umiiral na mga patakarang pan-
___________________ lipunan, sa ngalan ng pagibig at ito ang tila
___________________ ibig patunayan ng akda ni Abueg na Sa Ba-
gong Paraiso.
6. What do you think Magkalangkap, at hindi mapaghihiwa-
was conflict experi- lay, ang laman at ang puso, ang libog at ang
enced by Cleofe and pagibig; ito ang nalaman nina Cleofe at Ariel
Ariel? nang pangahasan nilang lasapin ang bawal
___________________ na bunga at magsupling ito, sa kuwento ni
___________________ Abueg na Sa Bagong Paraiso.
___________________ Sabi ng pamosong sikoanalistang si
__________________ Sigmund Freud, ang pagnanasa ang isa sa
pinakamalakas na emosyong maaaring
7. Do you think this is maramdaman ng isang tao.
likely to be experi- Aniya pa, ang seksuwal na pagnanasa’y
enced by teenagers nararanasan ng isang tao mula sa kanyang
today? Why or why pagkabata hanggang sa kanyang pagtanda.
not?
Tila ito ang binaybay ng istorya ni Abueg.
___________________
Sa ngayon, maraming Cleofe at Ariel sa
___________________
___________________ mga kabataang Pilipino. Dahil ayon nga sa
___________________ Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey
___________________ (2003) 23 porsiyento ng kabataang Pinoy,
ang tumitikim ng ipinagbabawal na bunga,
gaya nang sinasabi sa istorya ni Abueg.

Karalitaan at ang mga Clemenia, Carina, at iba pang babae sa dam-

pang may ilaw-dagitab sa lipunang Pilipino

Prostitusyon, anila, ang pinakamatandang propesyon sa daigdig. Sa

Bibliya, maraming puta. Karamihan sa kanila, nasa templo mismo ni Yah-
weh.
Sa kasalukuyan, pagtantiya ng Amihan (Pambansang Kalipunan ng
Kababaihang Magbubukid), nasa 800,000 noong 2005, ang mga kaba-
baihang nasadlak sa prostitusyon bunga ng kahirapan.
Sa mga kuwentong Mapanglaw ang Mukha ng Buwan at Ang Lung-
sod ay Isang Dagat ni Abueg at Di Maabot ng Kawalang Malay ni Edgardo
M. Reyes, tinalakay ang isyu ng prostitusyon.

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 MODULE 2

Batay sa pagtaya ng Amihan, 8. What social problem(s) was

200,000 kababaihang napilitang
magputa para lamang may mai-
pakain sa kanilang mga pamilya,
ang nasa kanayunang giyagis pa
rin ng karalitaan. At karamihan sa
kanila, ang puri ang bayad para sa
ilang kilong bigas.
Saglit na nag-atubili si Cleme-
nia. Subalit nang manlalim sa
kanyang paningin ang mga guhit sa
mukha ni Aling Maring ay maliksi
niyang dinampot ang isang pa-
nyuwelong itim sa sandalan ng silya
at ipinugong iyon sa kanyang
buhok…
Ngunit hindi lamang si Cleme-
nia ang nagputa sa kuwento ni
Abueg, maging si Mang Itoy. Isin-
uong niya ang dangal at buhay para
lamang mailigtas ang buhay ng
naghihingalong asawa.
Karalitaan din ang nagbunsod
sa ina ni Ida, kung bakit naging ka-
lapati itong mababa ang lipad, sa
kuwento ni Reyes (Di Maabot…).
presented by Edgardo M.
Reyes in his Mapanglaw ang
Mukha ng Buwan and by Efren
R. Abueg in his Ang Lungsod
ay Isang and Di Maabot ng
Kawalang Malay?
___________________________
____________________________
__________________________
___________________________
9. According to the text, why is
this a seemingly prominent
problem in the Philippines?
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
10. How do you think can we
combat this problem in our
present time?
____________________________
____________________________
__________________________

“M-magugulat si… si Emy,” ang sabi ni Ida. “’Kala siguro n’ya, di tayo… di
tayo nagkakaro’n ng pansit! ‘Kala siguro n’ya, panay lu…lugaw ang kinakain na-
tin!”
Sa puntong ito, hindi na kagulat-gulat kung bakit marami ang babaing nag-
sasangla ng kanilang puri at parang pansit na sumabulat, gaya nang dala ni Ida
na ibibigay sana sa kalaro, at humagis pakalat, hanggang sa makutim na na labak
sa kanal: dahil maraming pamilya pa rin ang lublob sa kahirapan.
Napakabangis pa rin ng lungsod sa kakaning-itik
Hindi nagliliwat ang isyu ng karalitaan sa Pilipinas, sa kabila ng sinasabing
pag-unlad na ipinamamalita ng gobyerno.
Sa pinakahuling sarbey ng Social Weather Stations (SWS), 9.3 milyong
pamilyang Pinoy ang lublob sa karalitaan; 7.2 milyon naman ang nasasalat sa
pagkain; at sumirit ang bilang ng nagugutom: mulang 2.9 milyong pamilya,
patungong 3.7 milyon sa ikalawang kuwarto ng 2009.
Si Adong, maralita at gutom, sa kuwentong Mabangis na Lungsod (Abueg).
Maraming tulad niya sa Pilipinas—40.8 porsiyento ng populasyon ng mga ba-
tang tulad ni Adong, maralita—ayon sa National Statistical Coordination Board.

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 MODULE 2

Iniluluwal nang labis na karalitaan, ang kara-

hasan (Eli, Eli Lama Sabachtani?; Ang Biktima Ni
11. What do you think Dominador B. Mirasol). At karaniwan ang maralita’y
does Dominador pinagkakaitan ng katarungan (Isang Ina sa Panahon
Mirasol’s line, “Ang ng Trahedya, Mirasol).
maralita’y pinagkakai- Bulok kasi ang sistema ng katarungan sa Pilipi-
tan ng katarungan,” in nas. Ang timbangang hawak ng babaing nakapiring,
his Isang Ina sa laging nakasandig sa may mga kuwarta, karamihan
Panahon ng Trahedya
sa mga abugado de kampanilya (kuno) ay mga
mean?
__________________ mukhang pera, at sa pulitiko, nananaig ang padronis-
__________________ mo.
__________________ “Tulad ng naipangako ko sa inyo, lumapit ako
__________________ sa Presidente kahapon din,” simula ng Diputado. “At
__________________ komo nga magkasalungat kami ng paniniwala at
__________________ magkaibang partido, medyo pinaringgan ako. Puwede
raw hong pagbigyan niya ako sa gusto ko, pero por
12. Based on the text,
why are Filipinos ex- pabor naman daw, pagbigyan ko raw siya sa hi-
periencing poverty hilingin niya sa akin…” – sipi mula sa Eli, Eli…,
and hardships? Mirasol
__________________ Sa lipunang ito, kung sino ang gumagawa at
__________________ nagpapagod, siya ang hindi umaani ng bunga ng
__________________ kanyang pinagpawisan.
__________________
__________________ Sina Rogelio L. Ordoñez at Mirasol ang nagpakita ng
__________________ napakarawal na kalagayan ng uring manggagawa sa
kanilang mga kuwentong Dugo ni Juan Lazaro,
13. Aside from our Fili- Buhawi, Inuuod na Bisig sa Tiyan ng Buwaya, Mga
pino farmers and Aso sa Lagarian at Makina.
workers, who else Bagaman ang mga manggagawa at magsasaka
could we consider as ang pinakagulugod ng pambansang ekonomiya, sila
our modern-day he-
roes? ang umaamot sa kaunting mumong nalalaglag sa du-
__________________ lang ng namamanginoon:
__________________ “Putang ‘nang White ‘yan,” sabi minsan ng isa
__________________ nilang kapwa trabahador sa dapithapong magkasa-
__________________ bay silang lumalabas sa dambuhalang pabrikang
__________________ iyon. “Wala yatang kaluluwa! Matagal na tayo rito, di
__________________
man lang tayo inuumentuhan. Alam niyang pambili
14. What rights are the lang ng pandesal ang suweldo natin. Malaki naman
stories of Dominador ang kinikita ng pabrikang ito. (Inuuod…, Ordoñez)
Mirasol and Rogelio L. Ipinagmamaramot pa sa kanilang mga kakaning
Ordoñez fighting for? -itik, kadalasan, itong mumong ito, kadalasan:
__________________ Basta, sasabihin niya: “Meron ho ‘kong
__________________ kar’patan! T’yak hong meron ‘kong karapatan! (Isang
__________________
sipi mula sa Makina, Mirasol).
__________________
__________________ Dahil sa kaapihang dinaranas, natututong lumaban
__________________ ang mga manggagawa. Pagkaminsa’y marahas na uri
ng paglaban ang ginagamit ng mga obrero para igiit
ang kanilang mga karapatan sa disenteng sahod at
pamumuhay.

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 MODULE 2

Bigla ang hindi magkamayaw na mga hugong na pumuno sa diwa ni

Andong. Iglap niyang sinunggaban ang nakasandal na piko sa sulok ng bo-
dega. Itinaas. At hinabol niya ang nakatalikod at papalayong kapatas.
Iniwan ni Andong na nakabaon ang matulis na dulo ng piko sa kaliwang ma-
ta ng nakabulagtang kapatas. (Buhawi, Ordoñez)
Sa mundo ng paggawa, gaya halimbawa ng call center, ipinalalaganap
ang espiritu ng indibiduwalismo. Ang cubicle ang nagsisilbing hadlang para
malayang makapagtalakayan ukol sa karapatan ang mga manggagawa.
Ginamit ng kapitalista ang pangangailangan ng manggagawa upang
banggain ang kapwa niya obrero, gaya nang isang senaryo sa Dugo ni Juan
Lazaro:
“Basta magpatuloy ka lang sa pagtatrabaho, daragadan ko ng limam-
pung piso ang sahod mo,” sabi ng tagapamahala. “At kahit matapos ang
welga, mananatiling gayon ang iyong sahod.”

Patuloy na nalulugmok ang mga

15. What socio-political prob-
lems are being tackled in
the stories of Rogelio R.
Sikat, Rogelio L. Ordoñez,
and Edgardo M. Reyes?
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
16. In your opinion, if the
Philippines is truly rich in
natural resources, why
are Filipinos experiencing
these problems?
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
17. What do you think must
be done about this?
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
nayon at naghihimagsik ang mga An-
to
Ayon pa rin sa NSCB, nasa ka-
nayunan pa rin ang napakaraming
bilang ng maralita sa Pilipinas. Kara-
mihan sa kanila, mangingisda at mag-
sasaka.
Itinuturong dahilan ng karalitaan sa
kanayunan ang kawalang lupa ng mga
magsasaka. Malaking bahagdan pa rin
ng mga magsasaka ang walang lupa.
Isyu ng kawalan ng lupa ang
kuwentong Tata Selo ni Rogelio R. Sikat
at Si Anto ni Ordoñez.
Sabi ng mga palamasid, ang
naglalagablab na digmang bayang inilu-
lunsad ng New People’s Army (NPA),
ang naaarmasang sektor ng Partido
Komunista ng Pilipinas (1968), ay dahil
sa isyu ng lupa.
Hindi lamang ngayon nagsimula
ang paglaban ng mga magsasaka para
sa karapatan sa lupa. Mula panahon ng
pananakop ng mga Kastila, ang himag-
sikan ay nag-ugat sa pangangamkam
ng mga lupain ng mga prayle at mga
nasa gobyernong Espanyol.

20
 MODULE 22

Hindi iilang buhay ang nabuwis sa ngalan ng lupa. Ang pinakatanyag,

ang naganap na pagbubuwis ng buhay ng mga magsasakang nagmartsa
pa-Mendiola noong Enero 22, 1987 at ang pagpatay sa mga nagaklas sa
Asyenda Luisita noong Nobyembre 16, 2004.
Pawang mga biktima ng pangangamkam ng kanilang mga lupain—
mga lupaing karugtong ng kanilang buhay at pagkatao—ang mga tauhan
sa mga kuwento nina Ordoñez at Sikat.
Marahas ang kanilang naging paghihiganti sa mga kasiki. Tinaga ni
Tata Selo sa bunganga ang kabesa samantalang si Anto, nilaslas ang
lalamunan at winakwak ang tiyan, ni Ka Mamerto.
Ipinakita naman ni Reyes, ang kabalintunaan sa kanyang kuwentong Lug-
mok na ang Nayon.
Nakangingilo ang ingit ng gulong ng kariton. Malayo na kami. Sa
tingin ko’y tila madilim na dawag na lamang ang Sapang-Putol. Pinag-
masdan ko ang laman ng kariton. Ito’y isa nang napakalaking kayamanan
ng nagsasalat na nayon, naisip ko. At sa Sabado, ito’y pagpapasasaan at
sasandat sa maraming tagalunsod. Totoo, ito, sa abang palagay. Totoong
mayaman ang Pilipinas ngunit naghihirap ang maraming Pilipino.

18. Why do you think was Ibang pang mga tálâ

this collection of short
stories entitled Ang
Mga Agos sa Disyer-
to?
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
19. Symbolically, what do
the waves (agos) hope
to create or achieve in
the desert (disyerto)?
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Gaya nang katubigan, husto Ang
Mga Agos sa Disyerto, sa lalim at babaw;
sa lapad at kitid; sa pagiging maingay at
tahimik.
May mga kuwentong nakapa-
gngingitngit, gaya nang nabanggit na sa
itaas. May humihipo sa puso. May su-
musugat at may nagpapahilom.
Kuwento ng sakripisyo at pagibig ng
mga ina ang kuwentong Isang Ina sa
Panahon ng Trahedya (Mirasol); Eli, Eli,
Lama Sabachtni? (Mirasol); at Gilingang
Bato (Sikat).
Paghahanap ng kahulugan sa
buhay at pagkatao, ang ibig iparating sa
mambabasa ng mga kuwentong Sa Piling
ng mga Bituin (Ordoñez) at Emmanuel.
Pagibig at kasawian naman ang
tumining sa kuwento ni Sikat na Quentin
(ala-Hunchback of Notre Dame ni Victor
Hugo), samantalang pagbabagong-loob
ang kuwentong Ang Kura at ang Agwa-
dor (na dahil sa kasimplehan, parang
kuwentong pambatang naligaw sa isang
katipunan ng akdang “pangmatanda”).

21
 MODULE 2

Kung totoo man ang pamahiin, ang tinatawag na balisa, ang Dugo sa
Ulo ni Corbo (Abueg) at Lupain sa Sariling Bayan (Sikat) ang mabisang
naglarawan sa mga ito; ang una’y ukol sa sundalong malapit nang mama-
matay at ang huli, ukol sa abugadong ayaw bumalik sa lupang tinubuan,
gayunman, doon din magbabalik sa araw ng kanyang libing.
Katapatan at korupsiyon ang ibig namang ipamarali ng kuwentong
Daang-bakal ni Reyes.

Panahon na muling padaluyin ang Agos

Sa panahong muling nararanasan ang katuyuan sa linang ng pani-
tikang Pilipino, dahil na rin sa pamamanginoon sa diyos ng komersiyalismo,
gaya nang sinabi ni Lumbera noong 1993, umaasam ang maraming mulat at
uhaw ang pag-iisip sa muling pagdaloy ng Mga Agos sa Disyerto.
Hindi himod sa pundilyo, ang pahayag; isa itong katotohanan, sa
abang palagay, nalalaman ng lahat bagaman patuloy na itinatanggi ng kara-
mihan.
Patuloy na nararahuyo ngayon sa panitikang nagkakandili nang hindi malu-
lunok na mga ilusyon, nakasentro sa libog at pagkamakasarili, ang
maraming mambabasa.
Panahon na para muling padaluyin—hindi—dapat pasarguhin ang
agos. At hayaang paglawain nito ang uhaw at namimitak na linang ng pani-
tikang Pilipino at nang sa gayon, hindi ito maging disyertong katatagpuan ng
mga kalansay, mga siit, ng damong tuyo at naghihingalong Oasis na hindi
man lamang makatighaw ng pagkauhaw ng puso, isip at kaluluwa ng isang
Juan de la Cruz.

Antipulo, Rizal | Agosto 20, 2009

MORE and more Filipino writers are

using their mother tongue in creating ripples
in society. With language as a tool in ef-
fecting changes, we might very well suc-
ceed in a greater, more passionate green-
ing the Philippine creative expressions.

22
 MODULE 2

Approaching Destination

The Power of Language

The blog above is a persuasive essay that focuses on the potent ca-
pacity of a national language to arouse patriotism and love of country in its
people. Despite the numerous advantages of knowing how to communi-
cate in the English language, a Filipino must not be confused in knowing
when, where, and how to use his native tongue.
Task 1
What does the writer want to say about the use of Filipino especially
in awakening the social and moral consciousness of the masses? Outline
the main points of the essay through the graphic organizer below.

INTRODUCTION

1st REASON 2nd REASON 3rd REASON

Supporting Evidence Supporting Evidence Supporting Evidence

CONCLUSION

23
 MODULE 2

Loving the Philippines

A great hero that is Rizal once said, “It is a useless life that is not con-
secrated to a great ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field without be-
coming a part of any edifice.”

Task 2
How have these authors of our region, Abueg, Ordoñez, Mirasol,
Reyes and Sikat dedicated their writing in the service of the Filipinos? In
what ways have they let the water flow and stream into the desert of Philip-
pine literary creations? Enumerate these ways in the blocks of conscious-
ness below. You may write one or two words in each block.

Building Blocks of Consciousness

24
 MODULE 2

Seeing the Lighthouse

Text No. 3: A Taste of Creative Nonfiction

The island of Visayas is one of the major geographical divisions in
the Philippines; the other two being Luzon and Mindanao. Located in
the middle of the Philippine archipelago and subdivided into Western,
Central and Eastern Visayas, the Visayas region is comprised of sever-
al islands circling the Visayan Sea. Its people, therefore, share a sea-
based culture and tradition that may be rooted to very strong religious
foundations.
The dwelling place of many festivals such the Ati-Atihan, Di-
nagyang, Sinulog, Pintados and Maskara, the Visayas may indeed be
considered as one of the cradles of Philippine civilization.
The text you are about to encounter is written by a native Visayan
who was born in Maribojoc, Bohol. Considered by many as a feminist
Filipina who strongly promotes women’s rights, Marjorie Evasco is not
only a Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awardee but also recipient to
several accolades here and abroad.

After being knowledgeable about varied texts

and authors from some provinces of the Phil-
ippines. I do hope that you have got a deeper
understanding and mastery about the rich-
ness of Philippine Literature.

This time, as a form of generalization, write your

response to the essay. Be guided by the following
questions and then develop your essay by citing
concrete examples from your experience and ob-
servation.

25
 MODULE 2

A. In what ways can you as a Filipino reader be affected by such

works (short stories in Tagalog) that endeavor to open the minds of
people on socio-political and moral issues confronting the country.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

B. Is it still important to read, write, and learn in our national lan-

guage? Why or why not?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

26
 MODULE 2

Dreamweavers
Marjorie Evasco

We are entitled to our own

definitions of the worlds
we have in common:

earth house (stay)

water well (carry)
fire stove (tend)
air song (sigh)
ether dream (died)

and try out new combinations

with key words
unlocking power

house on fire sing!

stove under water stay.
earth filled well die.

The spells and spellings

Of our vocabularies
Are oracular
In translation
One woman in Pagnito-an
Another in Solentiname
Still another in Harxheim
And many other women
Naming
Half the world together

can move their earth

must house their fire
be water to their song
will their dreams well.

27
 MODULE 2

Task 3: My Country, My Home

What words would you associate to building a house? Safety? Gran-
deur? Belongingness? Security? Happiness? Affection? Choose which
you consider as important elements in building a house. Which one would
you put in the building block of your own house? Put it accordingly in the
image below.

DID YOU KNOW…? Marjorie Evasco’s po-

em seem to not follow the traditional stanzaic
formula. It appears to deliberately deviate
from the norm. The first set-off list of vocab-
ulary words is referencing to the stereotypical
roles that women play in society.

They are the mothers – assigned to cleaning

the house, cooking for the family, taking care of
the children, being the light of the house. But
the poem ends with more word combinations or
expressions the suggest various possibilities for
women.

28
 MODULE 2

TASK 4
In a conservative society such as ours, women have always taken the
supporting part, the secondary position as compared to their male counter-
parts. In the concept map below, write ideas, even insights, that define your
concept of a woman in the 21st century.

Words Interpretations
Set 1:
house on fire sing!

stove under water stay.

earth filled well die.

Set 2:

can move their earth

must house their fire

be water to their song

will their dreams well.

29
 MODULE 2

Dropping the Anchor

DIRECTIONS: Read the given statements carefully and choose the
BEST answer by shading the letter that corresponds to your choice.
1. A statement of fact about Philippine regional literature is –
A. It mirrors the deeply ingrained Filipino values, culture and tradition even
when keeping up with the changing times.
B. It reflects the conservatism of indigenous folks who have maintained a
backward expression styles.
C. It embraces only the written compilation of literary works in various styles
and genres.
D. It depicts the influences of various colonizers that occupied the country for
more than three centuries.
2. An element in poetry that refers to the image or picture created in the minds
of readers that helps give light to the main idea is –
A. Form
B. Imagery
C. Rhythm
D. Sound pattern
3. Many Filipino authors, writers, or poets are encouraged to use the mother
tongue as the medium of expression in their craft because –
A. Readers fail to comprehend a piece not written in either English or Taga-
log.
B. Our people’s culture and tradition are upheld through this despite effects
of colonization or even modernity.
C. The expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas of a writer are empha-
sized in the personalized codes that they use.
D. The continuous flow of feelings and insights are inhibited when a foreign
language is used instead.
4. The development of literature in the Philippines –
A. is given life only in the oral tradition of the country.
B. could reflect the richness of our country’s resources.
C. may be attributed to both local and foreign influences.
D. grew and prospered alongside the country’s history.
5. Philippine regional literature has become rich and varied because of -
A. the contributions of numerous artists who patterned after the Western liter-
ary masters.
B. the nationalistic fervor of texts written in various stages of our history as a
nation.
C. various topics used as themes by the writers and their alignment to world
events.
D. the archipelagic nature of the Philippines, its geographical features, and
the presence of various ethno-linguistic groups in the country.
30
 MODULE 2

Encountering Regional Literature

The different regions in the Philippine have a variety of literature that
reflects the growth of a nation rich in socio-cultural and historical experi-
ences. Their way of life, their tradition, their language, and their belief in a
Supreme Being that subsumes all of creation are mirrored in the myriad of
literary pieces that developed alongside their own history.

Actually, the final literary piece in this Mod-

ule is a 21st century creative nonfiction writ-
ten by another award-winning writer and
teacher, Alexis “Exie” Abola.

That’s true Letty! His insightful recount of

memoirs he and his family created as they
moved from one dwelling place to another ap-
pears to reflect how Filipinos value their own
space and how, as they re-located, brought with
them their most-prized possessions buried deep
into their own hearts, minds, and personal
consciousness.

31
 MODULE 2

Going Back to the Ocean

Five Brothers, One Mother

Taurus St., Cinco Hermanos, Marikina

The Marikina house wasn’t finished yet, but with an ultimatum hanging over
our heads, we had no choice but to move in. Just how unfinished the house was
became bruisingly clear on our first night. There was no electricity yet, and the win-
dows didn’t have screens. There were mosquitoes. I couldn’t sleep the whole night.
My sister slept on a cot out in the upstairs hall instead of her room downstairs, may-
be because it was cooler here. Every so often she would toss and turn, waving
bugs away with half-asleep hands. I sat beside her and fanned her. She had work
the next day. In the morning someone went out and bought boxes and boxes of
Katol.
Work on the house would continue, but it remains unfinished eight years later.
All the interiors, after a few years of intermittent work, are done. But the exterior re-
mains unpainted, still the same cement gray as the day we moved in, though grimi-
er now. Marikina’s factories aren’t too far away. The garden remains ungreened;
earth, stones, weeds, and leaves are where I suppose bermuda grass will be put
down someday.
In my eyes the Marikina house is an attempt to return to the successful
Greenmeadows plan, but with more modest means at one’s disposal. The living
room of the Cinco Hermanos house features much of the same furniture, a similar
look. The sofa and wing chairs seem at ease again. My mother’s growing collection
of angel figurines is the new twist. But there is less space in this room, as in most of
the rooms in the Marikina house, since it is a smaller house on a smaller lot.
The kitchen is carefully planned, as was the earlier one, the cooking and eat-
ing areas clearly demarcated. There is again a formal dining room, and the new one
seems to have been designed for the long narra dining table, a lovely Designs
Ligna item, perhaps the one most beautiful piece of furniture we have, bought on
the cheap from relatives leaving the country in a hurry when we still were on Heron
Street.
Upstairs are the boys’ rooms. The beds were the ones custom-made for the
Greenmeadows house, the same ones we’d slept in since then. It was a loft or an
attic, my mother insisted, which is why the stairs had such narrow steps. But this
"attic," curiously enough, had two big bedrooms as well as a wide hall. To those of
us who actually inhabited these rooms, the curiosity was an annoyance. There was
no bathroom, so if you had to go to the toilet in the middle of the night you had to go
down the stairs and come back up again, by which time you were at least half
awake.

32
 MODULE 2

Perhaps there was no difference between the two houses more basic, and
more dramatic, than their location. This part of Marikina is not quite the same as the
swanky part of Ortigas we inhabited for five years. Cinco Hermanos is split by a
road, cutting it into two phases, that leads on one end to Major Santos Dizon, which
connects Marcos Highway with Katipunan Avenue. The other end of the road stops
at Olandes, a dense community of pedicabs, narrow streets, and poverty. The noise
– from the tricycles, the chattering on the street, the trucks hurtling down Marcos
Highway in the distance, the blaring of the loudspeaker at our street corner put
there by eager-beaver barangay officials – dispels any illusions one might harbor of
having returned to a state of bliss.
***
The first floor is designed to create a clear separation between the family and
guest areas, so one can entertain outsiders without disturbing the house’s inhabit-
ants. This principle owes probably more to my mother than my father. After all, she
is the entertainer, the host. The living room, patio, and dining room – the places
where guests might be entertained – must be clean and neat, things in their places.
She keeps the kitchen achingly well-organized, which is why there are lots of cabi-
nets and a deep cupboard.
And she put them to good use. According to Titus, the fourth, who accompa-
nied her recently while grocery shopping, she buys groceries as if all of us still lived
there. I don’t recall the cupboard ever being empty.
That became her way of mothering. As we grew older and drifted farther and
farther away from her grasp, defining our own lives outside of the house, my mother
must have felt that she was losing us to friends, jobs, loves – forces beyond her
control. Perhaps she figured that food, and a clean place to stay, was what we still
needed from her. So over the last ten years or so she has become more involved in
her cooking, more attentive, better. She also became fussier about meals, asking if
you’ll be there for lunch or dinner so she knows how much to cook, reprimanding
the one who didn’t call to say he wasn’t coming home for dinner after all, or the per-
son who brought guests home without warning. There was more to it than just
knowing how much rice to cook.
I know it gives her joy to have relatives over during the regular Christmas and
New Year get-togethers, which have been held in our house for the past half-
decade or so. She brings out the special dishes, cups and saucers, platters, glass-
es, bowls, coasters and doilies she herself crocheted. Perhaps I understand better
why her Christmas decor has grown more lavish each year.
After seeing off the last guests after the most recent gathering, she sighed,
"Ang kalat ng bahay!" I didn’t see her face, but I could hear her smiling. My father
replied, "Masaya ka naman." It wasn’t a secret.
Sundays we come over to the house, everyone who has moved out, and have
lunch together. Sunday lunches were always differently esteemed in our household.
Now that some of us have left, I sense that my siblings try harder than they ever did
to be there. I know I do. I try not to deprive my mother the chance to do what she
does best.

33
 MODULE 2 2

When we were little, my siblings and cousins, we spent Sundays there. I

learned how to ride a bicycle on the long driveway. We played tennis on a
neighbor’s court after climbing the back wall. In the grassy front yard we played
baseball, and I hit the first homerun in that tiny ballpark. We fished for star apples
with long bamboo sticks, picked dewy santan, got caught in the thorny bougainvillea
bushes retrieving errant pingpong balls. The last time I passed by the lot the house
had been torn down.
My father would have been thirteen when he moved into it; he was over sixty
when he and his brothers and sisters let it go. It made sense to sell it, but I wonder
if anything was bargained away in the transaction. He had lost his parents years
before. Was losing the house a final orphaning?
***
Is this the last one? Am I here for good? Or should I keep the boxes and
packing tape handy? Houses provided us the necessary certainties – somewhere
to come home to where you’d find your family, your things, a hot dinner, a bed or
a good couch. Write to me here. Call me at this number. But I’ve changed a
dresses and phone numbers enough times to know better. Perhaps that’s what-
houses are really about: the fundamental uncertainty of life, the slowly learned fact
that the reference points by which we draw our maps and chart our course are ever
shifting, and a life’s cartography is never quite done.

That isn’t necessarily a sad thing. Perhaps the houses are no longer, but
somewhere inside me I am still marveling at the break of day, at the way the moon
illuminates the grass, at the way the lives of those I’ve lived with have criss-
crossed and intertwined with mine, no matter how tangled up it all sometimes got.
I count my blessings, the ghosts of houses past included.

Do you know that this essay won First

prize for the Essay in the 2000 Palanca
Awards?

34
 MODULE 2

After reading the final literary works, now

it’s your time to answer this final questions
for discussion! This time I believe you can
easily do it!

Questions for Discussion:

1. What does a house mean to someone? What does a home? What is the
difference?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

2. What is the role of a mother in a home? How does this role change when
the children are all grown-up and have their own lives to lead?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

3. What forces a family to leave their homes? Was this what happened to
the family in the story?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

4. What fond recollections does the speaker have in his house? Why do you
say so?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

5. The third to the last paragraph is a musing on the part of the speaker?
What does he say about a house? Do you agree with him? Why or why
not?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

35
 MODULE 2

Thank you very much for giving your time to finish

this module. There are just few important things to
remember.

Our dear student, literature from the different re-

gions of the Philippines especially now in the 21st
century has adapted to the changes brought about
by the digital age. The great divide between the
users and writers of English and of Filipino has
lessened over the years as more and more of them
have re-discovered the effectiveness of reaching
their audience through their own mother tongues.

In addition, the writers of Philippine literature have

identified and connected to their regions and the
world through their local dialects and increasingly,
their voices are not only being heard but more im-
portantly, already being recognized globally.

And finally, the Filipino diaspora constantly and at a

speed sometimes too difficult to catch up with is
ever expanding. Filipinos making their own marks
in the global world we now live in only proves how
great our nation is and how visibly important that we
preserve our unique identity through our writings
and let the world know about it through various me-
dia.

Once again, thank you very much,

and we are looking forward for your
success. May the knowledge you
have gained from this module will
help you in the future! Good luck!

36
 MODULE 2

Discovering the Gems

Answers can be found at the last page of this module. The inter-
pretation below will help you determining your readiness to face the
new lesson.

How did you perform in this module?

5- Excellent
4- Very Satisfactory
3- Satisfactory
2- Basic
0- Need Review

Key to Correction

PRE-TEST POST-TEST

1. A 1. A
2. A 2. B
3. B 3. B
4. D 4. D
5. C 5. D

REFERENCES

Chua, R. G. (2016). 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World. Makati City: DIWA Learning
Systems
https://panitikanatbp.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/salubungin-ang-bagong-daluyong-ng-mga-agos-sa-
disyerto/

https://marjorieevasco.jimdo.com/dreamweavers.php

https://versozanelson.blogspot.com

37