Monday, September 7, 2009

The Pretenders

Dominic Sainz

Professor Joahna T. Eduarte

Humanities 014

08 September 2009

The Pretenders: What lead Antonio Samson into committing suicide?

Antonio Samson is a smart man. He knows what is right from what he believes is wrong. Antonio Samson has pride. Although his sister told him not to have it, he is not the same as them. Antonio said that “I am the most comfortable man on earth” (Jose 28), but realizing in the end and even saying that “I’ll be a mess” (Jose 172).

There are some factors that we might consider upon the story why did Antonio “Tony” Samson committed suicide that very early morning in Antipolo at the railroad tracks.

Antonio Samson or “Tony” as what the people close to him address him was a professor but eventually joined his father-in-law in his company. He never liked working with the people his father-in-law’s business partner. He is in contrary with what they believe. But he is also not a revolutionist like his father and grandfather. Tony worked blindfolded as a public relations officer for his father, arranging and making the name Villa sound good to the masses. Though he was living comfortably with his wife in his in-law’s place, he was still not as happy as he was supposed to be.

Tony loves his wife so much. He met her in Washington while studying there. But Tony thought that were it really love that brought them together? Or was it the need for him and rebellion for her? But he cannot get angry with her even after she had done something wrong to him. Carmen Villa, his wife, was pregnant already when they got married. But after three months, Carmen had the child aborted which made Antonio really angry for he was excited to have a child. But she was not disturbed by the fact because she said “But I’m not thirty yet, darling. There are many years still ahead of us. We can have them afterward – a dozen if that’s what you want.” (Jose 97-98).

Emy was the cousin of Tony with whom he had been while he was still studying in college. They shared a common room only divided by an Igorot cloth. They had an affair and it brought a child named Pepe. He was not informed with this fact because after that incident, he left for his doctoral studies in the United States. He only knew of this when Emy’s sister, Bettina, had shown up in Tony’s office and told him about her sister’s condition in the province. When he had the chance, he went to the province and talked to Emy about the child offering her a good life for their boy but she insisted a NO and even denied him as a father to the child. Tony was saddened by this because he never had the chance to see his son grow and never will he. And he was also thinking that one day; his son might hate him for leaving them.

He was also troubled by the infidelity of his wife that he saw on his way home to the Villa’s. Tony saw his wife together with Ben de Jesus, her best friend’s husband. They drove away from the house not knowing that Tony was behind them. After seeing them kiss and go to a motel, he went to find his friends only to find no one. He went home and packed his things so he could go back to Antipolo. Carmen Villa found Antonio on the process of packing his things and the confrontation happened. He was stopped by his mother-in-law but nothing can change his mind now. He was determined to leave her.

I think Antonio was in the state of thinking and summarizing the events in his life where he have nothing to do but to go with the flow of the people who are more powerful than he is. He became numb and indifferent to the fact that these people are the ones whom he hated for they are the ones who rob from the masses. This was all crowding his mind when he arrived to his Manang Betty’s house in Antipolo. He said that he needs a walk for a while, maybe to think over what these events in his life have done to him. He committed suicide after realizing for himself what a monster he has become after being infected by the filthy people whom he considered as family and friends. Antonio freed himself from the miseries and corruption that had been eating him up all these times. And as what he had said, he became a mess after he had accepted his fate of being one of the Minotaur’s, as what he had pertained to the Villas.


Works Cited:
Jose, F. Sionil.(1962) The Pretenders. Solidaridad Publishing House, 531 Padre Faura, Ermita, Manila Philippines

Sunday, September 6, 2009

HUM-ay Gosh!! ahahahah!

"HUMANITIES ZERO FOURTEEN, Oh well... another BORING course for me... at least I won't have CS this time... I would be able to meet new friends, and that's a plus for me!" This was my initial reaction when I got my list of new courses to take for my first term in my 2nd year...

"I stand corrected." Was all I said when we had our first meeting in HUM014. It wasn't boring, really. The load of works and the words that were used were beyond my imagination. I never thought that I would encounter such. I was used into thinking that Humanities don’t catch my slightest attention. But because of the fact that I love reading books and stories, it tickled my mind that I might as well enjoy this course for the whole term. And I was never wrong. Even if the demands were so high. The stories needed to be finished, the essays and reactions, the blogs to be updated, the projects, reporting’s, this and that… woooh beybeh! Also thinking of the fact that HUM014 was a 3-unit course?! Man, give me a break!

Okay, so going away from the complaints and miseries I have received from Humanities; let us talk about the good side of it…

THE CASTS:

MA’AM JOAHNA TOLEDO-EDUARTE - The first time I have entered the room, I have noticed the face of our dearest professor. Not that I am making myself closer to Ma’am or being ‘sip-sip’ I have really noticed that she has a resemblance with my cousin (of course a girl). Her choices of words were just a WOW! Words I haven’t heard yet. But she had made me realize that I have something good in me (though I know I am really good), but she has taught me more, to explore and go deeper into my own self. She surfaced the hidden knowledge in me. I made a good tanaga and made good, scholarly comments about literary works I have read. She is just definitely something. Thanks for everything ma’am!

MEG – I still hate you though! Ahahahahah! You really are great in Humanities… a classmate to look up to. But wait! There’s more! Ahahahah! Don’t forget that when it comes to written exams, your score and mine never makes a big difference… you know!

ABIE – I have nothing to say… but do you still remember our fans club… not the Mr. Right… but MEGGY’S, where the two of us were the sole members.

LARA – Stupida! Isn’t there anything that you cannot do right?! Ahahahahah! You’re a good actress, a good speaker. All praises for you! You'll never know, maybe after graduating as an engineer and suffering the entire math’s you will be a renowned broadcast journalist or a host! JOKE! Good luck to you!

LEA – Bastos! You pervert! You vile and wretched man! You good for nothing—well, even though we’ve been only thoroughly introduced for the last few weeks of the term, still, we've been able to become friends. After the performance, I knew that you have a great potential… to be a good servant. An actress I mean! You’ll never know what lies ahead. Wow, I'm flattered about the compliment that I am one of the funniest man you've ever met. Am I really that funny? Ahahahahaha!

EDWARD – well, there’s nothing I can say so much about you because we have never been able to talk formally… or have we even talked to each other?! Maybe I can simply say ‘till we meet again!’ so we can at least talk.

LEX – hey you! Ahahahahahah! I have nothing to say… I am speechless! Just be good!

ATE EZRHA - aww,, you always smile at me when we see each other! (ayiee!!) joke!!

MERY – good to have you in the club! Ahahahahah… you just laugh a lot… that’s what I have observed.

JESHCA – hey! You’re our assistant director! And a good source of yellow pad! Thanks!

KUYA MARK – thanks for being the camera man always. And you were one of the first people I have been acquainted the first week… when we were grouped to talk about our views on what is literature.

KIM & RALPH – you were always so quiet. There’s nothing I can say.

AND TO THOSE WHOM I HAVE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO FORMALY TALK TO – these people can be called as “Jenny and the Boys at the back” the naughty and noisy people, those who occasionally come in late, the jokers, the noise makers and the starter of the teases. Yet you make the class livelier. It would have never been the same without you, you know.

EVENTS THAT HAPPENED:
The Play Production – even though it was only a small production, it was something everybody looked forward to. Almost everybody, if not all, were ecstatic about it. It showed the hidden actors in everybody. It made a good bonding among us, especially the group where I belonged: D MUCHACHAS.

The numerous reports – though there’s a number of it, and we were required to do in almost every literary works we have discussed, it made us look deeper into the meanings of the contexts we are reading. It has helped us in having more confidence when speaking in front and promoted our PR.

The long Exams – though the effort of reviewing for it was big, it was worth it. I have received good grades in it though I have never expected them.

The Pretenders (reading the book) – ahahahah! A very long story! It was good though. It is a book worth reading. And still I bet that not everybody’s finished with it! :P

I can say that Humanities was the one that gave me a break that I was looking for. After a tiring and brain exploding-exhausting session in Chemistry, I always find comfort when I would remember that Humanities was the next subject.

A LAST MESSAGE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU:
First of all, I would like to thank the good Lord that He has given me the opportunity to meet all of you. I have learned many things in this course and I am still hoping that the acquaintances would eventually progress to being friends. May we all remember and apply the thoughts and knowledge that the stories, writers, authors and poems have given us. This may sound so dramatic and gay, but I would still like to thank all of you! God bless us all.

*Ma’am Eduarte told us to make an essay about the class but I think I have made a speech. Anyways, I have enjoyed saying all of what’s written here.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Salang Wikain....

*(This is a speech made by my classmate in FIL011. I was delighted when I heard it so I asked a copy from him. And I have revised some of the words from his original context.)

Noon pa may hindi na maaalis sa ating mga Pilipino ang paniniwala sa mga kasabihan o sa mga tinatawag nating sabi-sabi ng mga matatanda. Ngunit hindi lahat ng mga kasabihang ito ay tama, ang iba ay sadyang may-tama lamang at ang iba naman ay tila balbal at wala namang kabuluhan.

Mayroong tayong mga kasabihang ikinukumpara o iniuugnay ang mga bagay na wala namang kinalaman sa isa’t isa, halimbawa na lang:

“Ang buhay ay parang gulong, minsang nasa ibabaw, minsang nasa ilalim”. Hindi ko lubos maisip kung anong silbi ng gulong kung ito ay nasa ibabaw ng sasakyan… dahil ba pabigat ng mga pantapal sa butas na bubong nito?

“Aanhin pa ang damo, kung patay na ang kabayo”. Bakit naman, kabayo lang ba ang may karapatang makinabang sa damo.

“Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan hindi makakarating sa pinaroroonan”. E hindi ba mas marami pa nga ang mga jeep na nababangga dahil palingon-lingon ang mga drayber sa mga pasahero na pinanggalingan ng pampagasolina nila.

“Kung may isinuksok may madudukot”. Mayroon ngang isinuksok, mayroon namang mandurukot. Wala rin.

“Kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay”. Ang tanong, tatanggapin ba niya yung tinapay? Di kaya’y bato ka ng bato, di naman nya nasalo, edi nagsayang ka lang?

“Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika, ay mahigit pa sa mabaho at malansang isda”. Kung bakit naman sa dinami-rami ng bagay ay ikinumpra ang tao sa isdang hindi nga maalam magsalita. At ano namang panama ng isda e isang prito mo lang sa kanila pagkain na. Igalang naman natin ang karapatan ng tao na mamili ng wikang kanyang gagamitin.

At mayroong ring mga kasabihang sadyang mali naman at walang katuturan tulad ng:

“Kung anong tinanim, siyang aanihin”…

Ginagamit para sabihin , na kung anong mabuti o masamang gawa ang ibinigay mo sa ibang tao ay siya ring ibabalik nila sa iyo bilang ganti o kaya nama’y bilang pagtanaw ng utang na loob. Teka teka… hindi naman lahat ng tao marunong tumanaw utang na loob. At minsan rin, sa sobrang bait mo sa kanila, ay nagiging dahilan naman iyon para samantalahin nila ang iyong kabaitan at minsan ulit, sobrang bait at mapagbigay ka na sa kanila, pero masama pa ang pag-uugaling ipinapakita nila sa iyo at kilala ka lang kapag may kailangan sila sa iyo.Sabagay kapag sinuri natin ng literal ang kasabihang ito, maling-mali na kaagad, na “kung anong raw ang itinanim, siya ring aanihin” dahil kapag nagtanim ka ng munggo ..hindi ba togue ang tutubo? Talaga naman ah!

Heto pa ang isa:

“Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik na ako”

Kalokohan! Yan ang sasabihin sayo ng karamihang taong mas matatanda sayo kapag makasagutan mo sila o maka-away. Ginagamit nila itong pandepensa para hindi ka na makasabat.
Ang dapat mong gawin sa mga sitwasyong ito ay huwag tumigil sa pagsasalita at pagdedepensa sa katuwiran mo, lalo na kung binanggit na nila ang kasabihang ito, dahil ang katotohanan, ginagamit yan ng karamihang matatanda kapag wala na silang maisip na pantapat sa mga katwiran mo… sa madaling salita ginagamit nila ito tuwing malapit na silang matalo: isa sa masasabing huling alas nila, na talaga naman epektibo sa karamihan.
Kung susuriin ang kasabihang ito, ang pangunahing ipinagmamalaki dito ay ang kanilang edad, kesyo matanda na sila at dapat sila ang tama dahil mas marami na silang alam kaysa iyo.
Ang sa akin lamang “hindi batayan ang edad para maging tama ang isang tao” .

Heto pa ang isa sa mga kinaiinisan kong kasabihan:

“Walang bata ang marunong magsinungaling”

Ano raw?!? Ito ang kanilang sinasabi kapag may isang pangyayari at tinanong natin ay ang isang bata, marami ang naniniwala kaagad dahil hindi daw marunong magsinungaling ang mga ito. Sabi nga natin, ang bata ay maaari nating ikumpara sa isang blankong papel na kahit ano ang isulat ng mga taong nakapaligid at nagpapalaki sa kanya, iyon ang siyang tatatak sa papel na ito, na kung puro kasinungalingan at pagsisinungaling ang nakamulatan ng bata, magiging sinungaling na rin ito. Nagagamit naman ng mga batang sinungaling na ito ang kanilang pagiging bata bilang katibayan sa mga binibitawan nilang kasinungalingan na siya namang kinakagat ng mga walang utak na matanda na naniniwala agad sa mga ito. Mas madalas pa nga sa mga bata ang magsinungaling, ginagamit nila ito bilang panakip sa mga nagawang kasalanan, dahil takot silang mapagalitan, maparusan.

At ang huling kasabihan na alam ko namang alam na alam nating lahat:

“Kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan”…

Kabataan raw ang pag-asa ng bayan. Ibig sabihin ba nito na kung tumanda na sila ay hindi na sila maaasahan. Sarap raw pakinggan no? Oo kase magka-rhyme eh. Pero mahirap ipaliwanag. Ito ba yung mga kabataan na halimbawa walumpung taong gulang ka tapos yung mga anak mo mga limampu’t apat na taong gulang na sa tingin mo ay pag-asa ng bayan dahil sila ang magaalaga at magpapalamon sa iyo habang ikaw ay pahiga-higa na lang at pakuya-kuyakoy sa tumba tumba mo. O ito ba yung mga kabataan na nagkalat sa kalye ngayon na nag gu-grupo grupo para suminghot ng rugby , marijuana, mag-shabu, mag-inuman, magnakaw, makipag talik sa kung sino sino, tumambay habang buhay at maging pabigat sa lipunan?

Bakit nga ba tayo naniniwala sa mga kasabihan at salawikain ito. Dahil ba sa maganda itong pakinggan, o dahil sa ito ang gusto mong marinig. Kasabihan ba o sabi-sabi lamang. Wika nga, sala naman, hindi nga ba kaya ito ay tiniwag na salawikain: salang wika. Hindi naman siguro masamang maniwala sa mga mga kasabihan. “Words of wisdom” nga raw ika nila, ngunit totoong hindi lahat ng kasabihan ay may nakatagong kaalaman.

Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.




Courtesy of: The Iron Raven
In cooperation with: Guru M.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Maningning Miclat's 'Laughter'


He left me
when he could
no longer stand the laughter

that I gave him
while he begged me not
to keep memories

alive in poems
to hurt myself
and make those
who read

sad. I laughed
when he shared
his life with me
while holding him

to make it easier
and maybe
less painful
to live on.

Laugh! I told
him, but
could not get
his attention.

Laugh! I asked
him, but
he left in
anger.

And left
before he understood
the courage
that held my laughter.

An analysis of mine for her poem is that, though she had said the word laughter in the poem for so many times, it does not really mean that she's happy. It is
an irony of what she truly feels. Her feeling of being so alone after being left by her lover. The feeling of sadness that no matter how she tried to be strong, she was left, left misunderstood. She had held on the memories of her past through the poems she writes, she relives the memories by her writings, and that was one of the reasons that she was left. The false laughter that she shows when they are together, laughter that is trying to hide something from him, and that, he could no longer stand.




Maningning Miclat

Tanaga


Rose

Rose, not in full bloom, so sly
entices a butterfly

its dew gives life, its fragrance
draws both together: romance.







A simple explanation of the tanaga is that, as a common representation of a female persona, the rose depicts how a woman, not very open to show how she really is, can be sly, deceiving, and yet, a man, a butterfly, can easily get allured by its fragrance, the dew that gives nourishment. And how both are drawn by romance, because of the rose's beauty and fragrance.



Monday, July 13, 2009

Estrella Alfon's Servant Girl - My Reaction


Estrella Alfon's The Servant Girl is a good story. It touches the heart of its readers. It depicts the life of a common servant who experiences domestic violence from their employers. showing us the common hardships they encounter in their everyday stay.

Rosa is a regular housemaid doing her daily routine of house hold chores. She was forced to wash the clothes inside the house in order for her mistress to save money from paying for their clothes to be washed. Rosa was envious to the other women who can freely chat with each other while she was just kept inside.

Upon meeting the cochero because of the accident she met that day while going through the washed clothes, she felt that she was falling for her cochero everyday. She had even named him as Angel because she did not know his name. But the truth is that, she was just feeling infatuated towards the cochero due to the gratitude she had after him doing her a favor.

In the middle of the story, she felt the courage to fight back to her mistress but she did not do it. Eventually, she came up with a plan of moving out of the house without her mistress knowing. And loitering in the streets, she met a guy who made her angry of its remarks. After throwing a stone towards the man, she realizes that the man was her Angel who's real name is Pedro.

This made her realize that she had not fallen for Pedro but just merely childish infatuation. In the end she had came back to her mistress' house and swallowed the words she once said.

It tells us that not all people are who they really are, sometimes we see them as how we want to depict them. This story has a lot of morals and a very hearty story, showing us the struggles, the false loves and false hopes of a naturally beautiful servant who had once dreamed of becoming rich and getting out of that house and how she came back to where she had started.

Monday, June 22, 2009

2nd POST: Filipino Authors

Bienvenido L. Lumbera was born on April 11, 1932. He spent most of his youth in Batangas until he entered the University of Santo Tomas in 1950 to pursue a degree in journalism. He completed his M.A. and then his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at Indiana University in 1967. Lumbera writes in English and Filipino, and has produced works in both languages.

He has a poetry collection entitled Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa (1993), and Balaybay: Mga Tulang Lunot at Manibalang, a collection of new poems in Filipino and those from Likhang Dila. He has several critical works, including Abot-Tanaw: Sulyap at Suri sa Nagbabagong Kultura at Lipunan (1987) and Writing the Nation/Pag-akda ng Bansa (2000). He has also done several librettos, among them Tales of the Manuvu (1977) and Rama Hari (1980). Sa Sariling Bayan: Apat na Dulang May Musika (DLSU, 2003) collects the four historical musicals Nasa Puso ang Amerika, Bayani, Noli Me Tangere: The Musical, and Hibik at Himagsik Nina Victoria Laktaw.

Dr. Lumbera has been a recipient of numerous awards, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts in 1993, the Gawad CCP, Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas, Manila Critics' Circle and the Palanca. He has also gained Professor Emeritus status in the University of the Philippines. He also serves in the Board of Advisers of the UP Institute of Creative Writing. This 2006, for his creative and critical work directed towards a literature rooted in the search for nationhood, Dr. Lumbera received the much-coveted title of National Artist for Literature.

More details about Bienvenido Lumbera may be accessed at http://www.lumbera.ph.


(source: Panitikan.com.ph: Your Portal to Philippine Literature. 2005. Web. 22 June 2009 http://panitikan.com.ph/nationalartists/blumbera.htm )
(image source: http://www.hawaii.edu/filipino/intlconf2008/images/lumbera_rszd.jpg )



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2nd POST: Filipino Authors

Marjorie Evasco finished her master’s degree in Creative Writing at the Silliman University and her Doctorate of Arts in Language and Literature (DALL) at the De La Salle University-Manila. She served as Director of DLSU's Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center.

Evasco has received Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards, National Book Awards from the Manila Critics' Circle, Philippines Free Press, Arinday (Silliman University), and Gintong Aklat (Book Development Association of the Philippines) prizes. She has received various international fellowships: Hawthornden Castle, Rockefeller grant and residency, Vancouver International Writers' Festival, International Writers' Program fellowship, University of Malaya Cultural Centre and the Wordfeast 1st Singapore International Literary Festival.

Evasco's poetry books are: Dreamweavers: Selected Poems 1976-1986 (1987) and Ochre Tones: Poems in English and Cebuano (1999). Her other books include: A Legacy of Light: 100 Years of Sun Life in the Philippines, Six Women Poets: Inter/Views (with Edna Manlapaz), Kung Ibig Mo: Love Poetry by Women (with Benilda Santos) and A Life Shaped by Music: Andrea O. Veneracion and The Philippine Madrigal Singers.

(source: Panitikan.com.ph: Your Portal to Philippine Literature. 2005. Web. 22 June 2009. http://panitikan.com.ph/authors/e/mevasco.htm )

(image source: http://images.google.com.ph/imgres?imgurl=http://www.festival.org.hk/2006/cropimg.php%3Ff%3Dhttp://www.festival.org.hk/2006/pics/MarjorieEvasco.jpg%26a%3D250,0,0,100,100&imgrefurl=http://www.festival.org.hk/2006/bio.php%3Fauthor%3DMarjorie%2BEvasco&usg=__v5yn0NtGZr4-YSu2NGXr9BLSspE=&h=250&w=195&sz=33&hl=tl&start=14&tbnid=iBA6mBBi7XROnM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=87&prev=/images%3Fq%3Devasco,%2Bmarjorie%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dtl%26sa%3DG )


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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

1st Post - LITERATURE: what is it and why is it important?


Literature is like a can opener. It opens the mind to help us divulge into deeper thoughts. Opens a greater world containing more information. The can opener is Literature itself and the can it opens as its field showing us what the content is, thus giving us the opportunity to enjoy consuming the knowledge it offers us.