1. 1
Chapter I
THE PROBLEM
Introduction
Interpreting literature is considerably a very subjective activity wherein the
most common tool to decode its message is solely experience. For each individual
has unique adventures in life that may be related in a given literary work, it is
impossible to come up with one interpretation. Consequently, there is a zero
chance in obtaining objectiveness in interpreting literature and the only known
purpose it plays on Basic Education is enhancing children’s reading and
comprehension skills and nothing more. Thus, the profitable use of literature and
its real value for education is not recognizable even if it can help Filipino youth to
connect with their cultural roots for it is the written record of their ancestors’
struggles and traditions.
With the light of promoting nationalism, the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) updated the Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the
Higher Education Act of 1994, with CHED Memorandum Order (CMO), No. 59,
Series of 1996. It adopted a new general education curriculum which must be
implemented as part of all baccalaureate degree programs in all Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines. The said order involved implementing an
interdisciplinary approach which would help the students see the human beings as

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in integral person living in both a national and a global community. To achieve
such goal, the said order specifically stressed the application of the Regional
Approach in the subject Literature One or Lit 1 which must cover “The Literatures
of the Philippines”. It emphasizes the need to focus on the literatures of all regions
of the Philippines, whether written in native or foreign languages from the
beginning of Philippine history to the present wherein literary texts and authors
outside the National Capital Region should be taken with adequate attention.
In accordance with the preceding order which aimed to produce culturally-
sensitive and nation-loving citizens which the Philippines is dramatically losing
today, the Republic Act 10533 or The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 was
passed. It states that there will be additional two years on the Basic Education
which is the Senior High School. Based on Department of Education’s
Qualification Framework Articulation, Senior High School students should
possess an understanding of right and wrong; one’s history and cultural heritage;
and deep respect for self, others and their culture, and the environment. Also, for
the medium of instruction, the Department of Education (DepEd) mandated the
Mother Tongue – Based Approach to make cognition easier for children with the
justification that students learn better if lessons are delivered by their first
language which is Filipino in Philippines’ case. To aid schools situated in the
provinces which speak of different dialects, there are 19 dialects in focus and

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Tagalog is one of those that is used in the Batangas, the part wherein this study
referred to.
In fact, aside from its dialect which is commonly known as the exaggerated
Tagalog, Southern Luzon is also rich in Batangas folk literature. Their folktales
are imbued with morals, religion and values to live by. A study about Batangas
folktales by Ilagan (2006) revealed that the predominating themes drawn from its
popular folktales are curses, fear, fantasy, friendliness and hatred. To further
pursue cultural development specifically provincial progress, each family which
is the basic unit of society, the local government, educational institutions and other
sectors concerned with the improvement of society must continue to enrich the use
of existing literature where values maybe deduced, applied to their everyday life
and passed on to the younger generations.
The aforementioned acts K-12 Act and CHED Memorandum Order No. 59,
Series of 1996 hoped to infuse a sense of nationalism that is deteriorating among
Filipino youth, literature could play a vital part in addressing its agenda. Sadly,
this would be infeasible if there is always an imprecise interpretation for every
literary piece, a dilemma that motivated researchers to conduct this study.
This study was anchored in the said acts as the researchers wanted to
support President Noynoy Aquino’s and CHED’s vision and priority for the
country’s literature in highlighting Philippines’ cultural heritage. Additionally, the
researchers aspire to materialize the goal of the DepEd which was to make

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Filipino youth aware of their roots, their culture, their own stories and songs, most
specially their identity as Filipinos.
As future educators, the researchers aimed to provide useful information to
improve the instruction of literature by using the Structuralist approach in
conducting this study. Structuralism, is at least seemingly, scientific and objective.
It identifies structures, which endow signs or items with identities and meanings,
and shows the way in which people think (Pettit, 2003).
Since Literature speaks about the ideals and beliefs of the society where it
originated, it is therefore imperative to distinguish the role of the local folktale in
Batangas as a means for cultural transmission and basis in supplementing the
teaching of Creative Writing course. The researchers chose to conduct a study to
acquire information they could adapt in addressing the structure of narratives in
Batangas. This research could also be of great importance to literature instructors
in terms of its in-depth analysis of narrative functions, characters involved, the
process they exhibit, and the functional grammar applied to narratology. Also,
conclusions drawn from this study can be of good foundation for improving the
instruction of the Philippine narratology.

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Statement of the Problem
This study described the common structure of selected folktales in
Batangas. In order for the researchers to achieve this endeavor, the researchers
used the Structuralist Approach.
Specifically, the study attempted to answer the following questions:
1. What are the narrative functions drawn from the selected Filipino folktales
in Batangas:
1.1. Juan and His Adventures as narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a Tagalog
from Lipa, Batangas
1.2. The Story of Carancal as narrated by José P. Caedo, a Tagalog from
Batangas City; and
1.3 Juan and Clotilde as narrated by Vicente Hilario, a Tagalog, who heard
the story from an old man living in Batangas?
2. Which dramatis personae are involved in each narrative function?
3. Which transitivity process is dominantly exhibited by the dramatis personae
involved in each narrative function?
4. How may the structure of Filipino folktales from Batangas be described

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considering the narrative function, dramatis personae, and transitivity
process?
5. What is the implication of the findings to Philippine narratology and to the
teaching of Creative Writing?
Significance of the Study
Since the study was anchored in the principle of Structuralism, its primary
aim was to describe the structure of Batangas narratives by drawing the narrative
functions, dramatis personae and the transitivity processes presented in each
selected folktale from Batangas. It is believed that this study is beneficial to the
Literature teachers, to the students, to Literature students, to the Philippine
narratology, and to the researchers as future teachers.
To the Literature teachers, this study may aid them in making specific
interpretation for every literary piece by studying its elements and structure in an
objective and scientific process. Moreover, teaching Creative Writing would be
easier if they were well-acquainted with the structure of Philippine narratology
that could serve as model in writing narratives.
The results of this study could also benefit the students as it could serve
them pattern and structure in writing their own story. They may be able to
experiment in manipulating plots observed from the common structure they
already know. By doing so, they may unfold and explore their creativity for their
writing skills. This study could support the dreams of the aspiring writers in the

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country. This would also benefit students enrolled in Literature courses for this
study may widen their skills in interpreting literature with a more scientific and
objective approach.
This study could benefit the Philippine narratology for it described the
structure of local folktales distinguishing its nature, style and linguistic feature
from other regional narratives. This would help the practitioners of the said
discipline to identify the characteristics of folktale unique to narratives in
Batangas. This would also lead to the recognition of local styles and colors in
literature.
For the researchers as future educators, this study could serve their purpose
in opening the minds of Filipino youths that literature is worth their appreciation
as they could recognize its value in orienting themselves into their cultural
heritage. The experience of conducting structural analysis might also provide
opportunity for the researchers to hone their literary perception and judgement that
they will soon pass to their future students.
Furthermore, this study can serve as inspiration or basis for future
researchers who will conduct related studies. They may explore other structural
and linguistic features present in other forms of narratives.

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Scope and Delimitation
This research work analyzed the structure of the selected folktales in
Batangas for the researchers were also from the aforementioned region. The said
stories were chosen according to the availability and appropriateness of reference
materials. Although there were 16 texts matching the category needed, there were
only three which were deemed applicable for the study. The researchers analyzed
the stories “Juan and His Adventures” as narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a
Tagalog from Lipa, Batangas, “The Story of Carancal” as narrated by José P.
Caedo, a Tagalog from Batangas City and “Juan and Clotilde” as narrated by
Vicente Hilario, a Tagalog, who heard the story from an old man living in
Batangas.
While there were many narrative functions, dramatis personae and
transitivity process that could be enumerated, the data that this study revealed
were delimited to what the stories reflect as dominant and common among them.
As to the identification of the structure folktales in Batangas, this exploration was
geared on the Structuralist Approach where the researchers focused only on the
narrative functions, dramatis personae involved in each narrative function and to
the transitivity process exhibited by the dramatis personae which are manifested in
the stories used as subjects under this study.
This study did not focus on folktales narrated outside the premises of
Batangas. While in enumerating the functions exposed on the said stories, the

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researchers only used three theories proposed by well-known Structuralists namely
Vladimirr Propp, Joseph Campbell, and David Adam Leeming. The researchers
dealt with the dramatis personae involved in each narrative functions using Gary
Pullman’s writings in Creating Compelling Characters. The researchers also
utilized M. A. K. Halliday’s theory of Transitivity Process in describing how the
dramatis personae acted in each narrative function. This exploration was bound to
identify the structure of the Batangas Folktale narratives and their implication in
cultural transmission. Lastly, the researchers did not dwell on the lesson implied in
each story.

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Chapter II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter presents the relevant literature and related studies which aided
the researchers to determine and evaluate the different narrative functions,
dramatis personae involved in each narrative functions, and the transitivity process
exhibited by each dramatis personae presented in the selected Philippine folktales
from Batangas.
Conceptual Literature
This part deals with the theoretical literature gathered by the researchers
from various sources. These concepts aided them in coming up with the
framework of the present study.
Structuralism is defined as an approach to literature and other social
sciences that interprets and analyses its subject in terms of oppositions, signs, and
hierarchical structures, as they reflect universal mental characteristics or
organizing principles. It is the specific method for interpretation for it follows a
system in deciphering the message of a text and focuses solely on the text and its
grammar.
In concern with the said approach, there are three most prominent icons in
literature who devoted their time and dedication in flourishing Structuralism. They

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are Vladimir Propp, Joseph Campbell and David Adam Leeming. Their
propositions are presented below.
Vladimir Propp (2005) developed his theory of Russian fairy stories. His
approach is understood by comparing the subject of a sentence with the typical
characters or what he later termed as dramatis personae (hero, villain, etc.) and the
predicate with the typical actions in the stories. While there is an enormous
profusion of details, the whole corpus of tales is constructed upon the same basic
set of thirty-one functions of dramatis personae as he concluded that Russian tales
always end with a wedding.
The first function is Absentation. It happens when a member of a family
leaves the security of the home environment or one of them absents himself from
home that the hero will later need to rescue. Sometimes, it is represented by the
death of the parents or other member of the family.
It is followed by Interdiction. This occurs when a prohibition is addressed
to the hero. Since the two functions form available here are interdiction and
command, one might choose for the general term Injunction that may be followed
or obeyed. Sometimes, on the contrary, an interdiction is evidenced in a request or
bit of advice such as a mother warns her son not to go out fishing.
The Violation of the Interdiction comes next. The interdiction is violated.
This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although
not necessarily confronting the hero. They are just a lurking presence or they
attack the family while the hero is away.

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Reconnaissance is the fourth function. In this function, the villain often in
disguise has the aim of finding out the location of children, or sometimes of
precious objects. He may speak with a member of the family who innocently tells
information. The villain may also seek to meet the hero knowing already that the
hero is special in some way. An inverted form of reconnaissance is evidenced
when the intended victim questions the villain.
The aforementioned function is followed by Delivery. The villain directly
receives an answer to his question. The villain gains information often about the
hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or
treasure location. Delivery can be done in a direct responsive manner. In some
cases the delivery of information takes the form of a care-less act like when a
mother calls her son home in a loud voice and thereby betrays his presence to a
witch.
The above mentioned function is followed by Trickery. The villain attempts
to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings. The
villain assumes a disguise and makes an attempt using persuasion like asking for
alms. If not given, the villain proceeds to act by the direct application of magical
means or he will employ other means of deception or coercion.
The seventh function is Complicity. The victim submits to deception,
unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero
or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. The hero mechanically reacts
to the employment of magic or other means. It is possible to observe that this

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function can also exist separately. No one lulls the hero to sleep: he suddenly falls
asleep by himself in order to facilitate the villain's dirty work.
After Complicity, Villainy follows. The villain causes harm or injury to
family member by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in
other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone,
substitutes child, commits murder, imprisons someone, threatens forced marriage
or provides nightly torments. Alternatively, a member of family lacks something
or desires something.
The preceding function is followed by Mediation. The misfortune or lack is
made known. Hero is dispatched or hears call for help. Alternative is that
victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment. The hero now discovers
the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or
caught up in a state of anguish and woe. The hero is approached with a request or
command. He is gone or dispatched.
After the prior stated function is Beginning Counter-Action. It happens
when the seeker agrees or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to
act in a way that will resolve the lack. This is a defining moment for the hero as
this is the decision that sets the course of future actions and by which a previously
ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.
Then Departure comes next. Hero leaves home. Departure here denotes
something different from the temporary absence element. The departure of the
seeker-heroes and victim heroes are also different. The departures of the former

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group have search as their goal, while those of the latter mark the beginning of a
journey without searches, on which various adventures await the hero.
After the previous cited function, the First Function of the Donor occurs. It
is identified when the hero is tested, interrogated, attacked and preparing the way
for his /her receiving of a magical agent or helper (donor). It can be that the donor
tests the hero, the donor greets and interrogates the hero, a dying or deceased
person requests the rendering of a service which takes on the character of a test, a
prisoner begs for his freedom, or the hero is approached with a request for mercy.
The next function is The Hero’s Reaction. The hero reacts upon the actions
of the future donor which may be negative or positive. For instance as the hero
gives the request of the future donor, he will receive an object as a fruit of his
kind-heartedness. It can be that if the hero defeats a creature that tests or
interrogates him, he will obtain something (a sword) from the beast.
After the aforementioned function is the Provision or Receipt of a Magical
Agent. The hero acquires and uses four magical agent; animals, objects out of
which magical helpers appear, objects possessing a magical property and qualities
or capacities which are directly given. All of these objects of transmission are
conditionally termed as magical agents. The forms by which they are transmitted
can be the agent is directly transferred, pointed out, prepared, sold and purchased,
falls into the hands of the hero by chance.
The prior function is followed by Spatial Transference Between Two
Kingdoms, Guidance. This can be seen when the hero is transferred, delivered, or

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led to the whereabouts of an object. Generally the object of search is located in
another or different kingdom. The means of unification may be identical in all
cases, but specific forms do exist for great heights and depths.
Then the Struggle comes next. This is when the hero and the villain join in
direct combat. This form needs to be distinguished from the struggle or fight with
a hostile donor. These two forms can be distinguished by their results. If the hero
obtains an agent, for the purpose of further searching, as the result of an unfriendly
encounter, this would be the element of the First function of the donor. On the
other hand, the hero receives through victory the very object of his quest.
The previous function is followed by Branding or Marking. This occurs
when the hero is branded with a wound or scar either from a villain or a princess
who awakens him before the fight by making a small wound in his cheek with a
knife.
After that is Victory. This is when the villain is defeated. The hero wins
against his opponent. This is followed by Liquidation of Initial Misfortune. This
function, together with Villainy, constitutes a pair. The narrative reaches its peak
in this function. Here, the hero resolves the dilemma brought by the villain.
Return is the subsequent function. It is when the hero returns home where
sometimes its natural way is fleeing. Afterwards, there is the function Pursuit or
Chase, it is the pursuer flies after the hero. This will be followed by Rescue, this is
the rescue of the hero from pursuit wherein he is carried away through the air from
his pursuer. The hero is rescued from without.

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The function Unrecognized Arrival then follows. This is when the hero
arrives home or in another country unrecognized. Then there will be the function
Unfounded Claims, it is the false hero presents unfolded claims. If the hero arrives
home, the false claims are presented by others like his brothers. To resolve the said
function, the next function termed as Difficult Task immediately occurs. This is
where a difficult task is proposed to the hero. Consequently, the function Solution
follows when the hero resolves the difficult task.
After Solution, Recognition follows. Here, the hero is recognized by a
mark, a brand or a thing given to him. In this case, recognition serves as a function
corresponding to branding and marking. The hero is also recognized by his
accomplishment of a difficult task. This is almost always preceded by an
unrecognized arrival. Finally, the hero may be recognized immediately after a long
period of separation. In the latter case, parents and children or brothers and sisters,
may recognize one another.
Then, there will be Exposure. This function is connected with the one
preceding. Sometimes it is the result of an uncompleted task such as the false hero
cannot lift the dragon’s heads.
The function Transfiguration occurs after the above mentioned one. The
hero is given a new appearance directly affected by means of the magical action of
a helper. The hero passes through the ears of an animal and receives a new,
handsome appearance.

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Next, is the function Punishment. Usually only the villain of the second
move and the false hero are punished, while the first villain is punished only in
those cases in which a battle and pursuit are absent from the story. Otherwise, he
is killed in battle or perishes during the pursuit.
Lastly, as Propp cites that the ending of almost every Russian fairy tales is
the function Wedding. The hero is married and ascends the throne. Sometimes the
hero simply marries without obtaining a throne, since his bride is not a princess.
With his work, Propp inspired Lévi-Strauss (2013) to analyze the Oedipus Rex
myth in a manner which is truly structuralist and uses a linguistic model. He later
called the unit of myth as mythemes. They are organized in binary oppositions like
the basic linguistic units. He believed that this linguistic model will uncover the
basic structure of the human mind – the structure which governs the way human
being shape all their institutions, artifacts, and forms of knowledge.
Greimas (2013) offered an elegant streamlining of Propp’s theory. He
arrived at the universal grammar of narrative by applying a semantic analysis of
sentence structure. He came up with three pairs of binary oppositions and termed
them as six roles or actants: Subject/Object, Sender/Receiver, and
Helper/Opponent. These pairs describe three basic patterns which perhaps recur in
all narrative: desire, search, or aim (Subject/Object), communication
(Sender/Receiver), and Auxillary support or hindrance (Helper/Opponent).
Fischer (2007) is also influenced by Propp when he analyzed the
sociopsychological structure of folktales which involves the study of the relations

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between the first of these systems and the other two. This includes the tale itself
that is considered as connected and rather tightly structured discourse, the modal
personality of the typical audience-narrator group for the tale, and the social
system relevant to the tale including not only that segment of the society in which
are found the active and passive participants in the tale but the pattern of the whole
society.
As one of the most celebrated writings in comparative mythology,
Campbell (2008) stressed his theory that the important myths from around the
world which have survived for thousand years all share a fundamental structure,
which he called the monomyth. In laying the monomyth, he cited three-part stages
or steps along the hero’s journey.
The first part is the Departure which consists The Call to Adventure,
Refusal of the Call, Supernatural Aid, The Crossing of the First Threshold, and
The Belly of the Whale. This part deals with the setting of the hero’s journey
before he enters a whole new world full of trials and struggles. The Call to
Adventure is an incident in which the adventure can begin. Refusal of the Call is
where the hero refuses to answer the call to adventure. Supernatural Aid is for
those who have not refused the call, the first encounter of the hero-journey is with
a protective figure who provides the adventurer with amulets against the negative
forces he is about to pass. The Crossing of the Threshold is about the
personifications of his destiny to guide and aid him, the hero goes forward in his

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adventure until he comes to the threshold guardian at the entrance to the zone of
magnified power. The Belly of the Whale is the idea that the passage of the
magical threshold is a transit into a sphere of rebirth is symbolized in the
worldwide womb image of the belly of the whale. The hero, instead of conquering
or conciliating the power of the threshold, is swallowed into the unknown, and
would appear to have died.
The second part is Initiation comprised with The Road of Trials, The
Meeting with the Goddess, Woman as the Temptress, Atonement with the Father,
Apotheosis, and The Ultimate Boon. The Road of Trials is where the hero moves
in a journey where he must survive a succession of trials. The Meeting with the
Goddess occurs when ultimate adventure is commonly represented as a mystical
marriage of the triumphant hero-soul with the Queen Goddess of the World.
Woman as Temptress is the marriage with the queen represents the hero's total
mastery of life; for the woman is life, the testing of the hero, which were
preliminary to his ultimate experience were symbolical of those crises in realizing
his consciousness. Atonement with the Father is the event wherein the hero
experiences being at one with the only Father, the creator. Apotheosis is the hero’s
achievement of godlike being as pattern of the divine state to which the human
hero attains who has gone beyond the last terrors of ignorance. The Ultimate Boon
is where the hero gathers the fruits of his struggles, may it be magic, object, or
throne.

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The third and last part is Return. It is consisted of Refusal of the Return,
The Magic Flight, Rescue from Without, The Crossing of the Return Threshold,
Master of the Two Worlds, Freedom to Live. Refusal of the Return is when the
hero refuses to go home after his triumph from a different world. The Magic Flight
is the flight that may be complicated by marvels of magical obstruction and
evasion back home of the hero after ignoring the idea of The Refusal of the
Return; this commonly becomes a pursuit in trying to keep his boon from demon
guardians of the threshold. Rescue from Without is where the hero has to be
rescued by an outside force and pulled back into the world because he do not want
to return and at other times, he do not know he is willing to share the boon till
someone puts the idea into his head. The Crossing of the Return Threshold is
when he accomplishes his adventure, or again is simply lost, imprisoned, or in
danger. His return is described as a coming back out of that yonder zone. Masters
of the Two Worlds completes the journey out and back in. The hero is now a
master of both the domestic and alien worlds and can pass over the threshold
between the two without further trial. Lastly, Freedom to live means having
conquered the demons without and within, the hero has earned the right to live life
as they please.
One of the most important contributors to the development of Structuralism
is Leeming. Like Campbell, he is also related to the identification of structures
endowed from mythology. He stressed that mythology has its own metaphor
which became idioms of the unknown that man must decipher. The myths he

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presented spoke of the most fundamental human experience, a part of Campbell
called the wonderful song of the soul's high adventure. He arranged eight-part
events of the monomyth.
Part one deals with The Miraculous Conception and Birth and the Hiding of
the Child. In this event, the hero begins his high adventure by being born. The
conception or the birth or the events immediately following the birth are
miraculous or unusual in the extreme. This is not surprising. For all humans birth
is the first experience of trauma and the first miracle of life. For the hero who will
burst through the limitations of the local and historical, this first event, like all the
events in his life, must be special.
Part two expounds on Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs wherein
childhood is considered as a stage of basic initiation. The child is suddenly aware
of forces infinitely larger than himself which he cannot fully comprehend. In
myth, this is expressed by struggles with wild animals or with giants in a sense
that to little children, all adults must be giants, friendly or cruel. To get through
this stage, the child often requires outside assistance—a sense of security based in
a more powerful being. Mythically, this often becomes the divine sign. The
modern individual seeking to achieve a mythic consciousness must work through
this primitive but idyllic stage of existence.
Part three is composed of Preparation, Meditation, Withdrawal and Refusal
in which the initiated hero withdraws for meditation and preparation. Anyone in
search of personal destiny must use intellect and spirit to find the god within the

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self. This is a major step in the losing of the self to find the self. Often the hero,
like any individual in this stage, is tempted by the world, which is represented
mythically by a devil figure who attempts to disrupt the lonely vigil.
Next is the Part four which is characterized by Trial and Quest. The quest
or trial comes in the form of agony and rewards of adult life. For the hero, this
might be a quest for a Golden Fleece or a Holy Grail, or it might be the labors of a
Heracles or a Christ. The source of these myths is man's need to cope with the
externals of life, as he has coped with the internals in his stage of meditation.
The hardship or the quest continue essentially in Part five termed as Death
and the Scapegoat. At this stage, where the hero must confront physical death. For
the hero, death, like birth, is miraculous or unusual. As his birth is definitive in the
extreme, so is his death apparent. Often he is dismembered. In death, the hero acts
psychologically for the benefit of the majority. He becomes a scapegoat for
people’s fear and guilt. He also serves as a reminder that everyone must follow his
undertaking. In any case it is important that his death be memorable
Part six signifies The Descent to the Underworld. The hero continues his
role as scapegoat and his role as quester or laborer. He is now the representative of
the wish that death might somehow be known and understood. So he descends to
the underworld to confront the forces of death. Sometimes he goes as one who has
suffered physical death, sometimes as a living being who in his descent suffers a
symbolic death. In a sense this stage is a more dramatic expression of the
withdrawal stage. It is the final confrontation of the self—now on a cosmological

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level—with its depths. But the dismemberment and the descent into the earth hold
promise of a new life. Fertility and death are inseparable in the cycle of nature,
whether that cycle be expressed by the seasons, the moon, or the sun. And
logically enough the hero, usually with the help of a woman representing both
fertility and the hope of the eventual union of all things ascends from the
underworld.
Part seven illustrates the Resurrection and Rebirth. Continuing in his role as
scapegoat, the hero rises from the dead. He thus acts out humankind's most
elementary desire—he physically overcomes death and is united with the natural
cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
Lastly, Part eight deals with Ascension, Apotheosis, and Atonement
wherein the hero reflects a later desire, to be given special treatment by being
taken out of the cycle and placed in a permanent state in relation to the cosmos and
to the creator-father god. Man longs for eternal life or for immortality. Thus, the
hero in this part ascends to heaven, achieves atonement, or is made a god himself
if he was not one. In a purely psychological sense this is the individual's final step.
Having dealt with his childhood, his inner self, his adult life, and the problem of
death, he is prepared to discover God once and for all. The wonderful song of the
soul's high adventure is complete.
An additional concern of Structuralism is the Dramatist Personae or the
Type of Characters involved in each narrative function drawn from the selected
folktales. A prominent theory in creating compelling character is proposed by

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Pullman (2008). This method suggests that there is a general, adaptable way to
create characters. It used traits and situations to develop literary characters. In
creating compelling characters, Pullman cited nine types of characters, namely:
Protagonist, Confidant (feminine, confidante), Antagonist, Foil, Stock, Dynamic,
Static, Flat, and Round character.
Protagonist is the focal point in which any given story revolves. He is faced
with a conflict that must be resolved but he may not necessarily be of good
character at all times. As support for the role of the protagonist, the confidant, for
male figure or confidante, its female counterpart, is a character in a story that the
protagonist confides in, trusts, and asks for help. Sometimes, the confidant aids the
protagonist with initiative and does not need to hear the protagonist ask for help.
While the antagonist represents the opposition against which the
protagonist must contend. In other words, the antagonist is an obstacle that the
protagonist must overcome. In accordance with the antagonist goal, a foil is any
character or an important supporting character whose personal qualities contrast
with another character usually the protagonist.
Stock character is the character that has become conventional or
stereotypical through repeated use in particular types of stories. It is usually
represented by kings, princesses, wise old man, fairy god mothers, and the likes.

25. 25
Pullman described dynamic character as a person who changes over time,
usually as a result of resolving a central conflict or facing a major crisis. While
Static character is someone who does not change over time; his or her personality
does not transform or evolve. As for rounded character, Pullman cited it is anyone
who has a complex personality; often portrayed as a conflicted and contradictory
person and flat character has a notable personality for it only possesses one kind of
personality trait or characteristic.
Another priority of the discipline of the structuralism is to describe the
Transitivity Profiles of the dramatis personae involved in a given narrative. A
systemic functional linguistics (SFL) approach was proposed by M. A. K. Halliday
(2010) to establish a method of analyzing the transitivity profile. This approach
deals with the description of the transitivity system that functions as one of the
clause analysis methods in an ideational function of language. In Transitivity
analysis, Halliday cited three components, namely: processes which deals with
kind of event, participants which describes the entities involved in each process
such as the actor, sayer, senser, and the circumstances which specifies the when,
where, why and how of the process. Halliday also divided the system of
transitivity or process types into six processes, namely: material, mental,
relational, behavioral, verbal, and existential.

26. 26
Research Literature
This part examines the various related studies which dealt with the use of
Structural Approaches in interpreting various materials. The researchers were
enlightened by these studies and enabled them to discover the essence and
effectiveness of Structuralism in teaching writing and cultural study as well.
Divya (2010) examined narrative strategies employed in feature films as
they accomplished the dual role of entertainment-education to shape social reality
surrounding health issues. He also illuminated how a coherent HIV/AIDS
narrative is woven into cinematic artifacts laden with specific cultural values,
beliefs and practices. As narratives are transmitted through various media and
consumed within a culture through storytelling, so are the values and beliefs that
guide behavior. He applied Proppian Approach to analyze films containing
HIV/AIDS messages. He employed a cross-cultural study design to investigate
films in four different languages. The films were Longtime Companion, All About
My Mother, Yesterday and Mirugam in English, Spanish, Zulu and Tamil
respectively.
Opheim (2010) identified two major common features found in all the
books. He noted that the structure of fantasy resembles the structure found in fairy
tales. Many of Propp’s functions could be applied to the fantasy genre. Some
functions were present in all the books. His study also realized that some functions
were classified into different circumstances.

27. 27
Bordwell (2007) criticized television programs using Propp’s approach. He
concluded that American television was remarkably structured as Russian
fairytales and that stories were governed by a set of unwritten rules acquired by all
storytellers and receivers, much the way people acquire the basic rules of
grammar.
Sjöström (2013) analyzed the prototyping and subsequent production of a
digital narrative experience utilizing the theories of Propp. The prototype
examined the theories detailed in Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale. He
implemented Propp’s narrative functions according to a general scheme,
connected by connectives. His prototype dynamically generated narratives
according to this scheme. His research concluded that there were advantages in
applying Propp-based system of narrative generation. Propp-based narratives were
better than what other digital narratives produced such as hypertext.
Zhang (2008) concluded that although Propp‘s work appeared much earlier
than Campbell’s, his analysis of plot typology in Russian folktales corresponded
with Campbell‘s monomyth and with Jung‘s ideas of the collective unconscious
that was discernable in mythology. Propp studied the narrative functions, while
Jung and Campbell focused on the archetypes and meaning, to come to a
conclusion that everyone in the world was born with the same basic subconscious
model of what a hero, a mentor, or a quest is, even though they did not speak the
same language.

28. 28
Hammond (2011) applied concepts from Propp’s model of the narrative
structure of fairy tales to a story authoring tool for children. He developed a
computer story authoring application based on Propp’s morphology and evaluated
this through empirical studies with children. Using the Propp-based authoring tool
that is presented in his study, children were able to grasp Propp’s abstract concepts
and apply them to their own story writing. The use of a story authoring tool based
on Propp’s morphology improved some aspects of the narrative structure of the
stories written by children, and children reported that they enjoyed using the tool
and felt it was helpful to their story writing. This study laid the foundation and
identified the methods for further study of children’s appropriation of narrative
structure by constructing stories using a story authoring tool based on Propp’s
morphology.
Samuels (2006) examined the Russian piece The White Duck using the
fusion of Proppian Approach and Feminist Criticism. She narrated how the said
text follows the format Propp had enumerated and how the world sees women as
naïve and illogical ones and men as polygamous ones which affect the progression
of any story. She concluded that these are the types of things writers inject into
children’s minds at a young age as they were the major audience of fairy tales.
An and Garcia (2013) employed content analysis in studying the existing
literary forms known to Batangueños such as folksongs, poetry specifically luwa,
proverbs and folktales. They concluded that these forms of literature reflect not
only their culture but also the unique traits of Batangueños. These unique

29. 29
Batangueño traits are what they use as basis for checking human flaws in society,
in improving their spiritual and social relations, and in working together to achieve
developmental goals.
Synthesis
In this portion, the researchers analyzed the ideas and concepts learned
from the present readings and their relevance to the present study. This
summarizes the conceptual and research literature mentioned, and discussed the
similarities and differences of the present study to the previous studies that have
been examined. The ideas gleaned from the conceptual literature were found very
useful for the in-depth analysis of the present study.
The narrative structures proposed by Propp, Campbell and Leeming were
utilized as basis for describing the narrative functions drawn from selected
folktales. Pullman’s nine types of compelling characters served as basis for
classifying the dramatis personae involved in each narrative function. Meanwhile,
Halliday’s systematic functional linguistic was used in describing the transitivity
process associated to each dramatis personae.
There are similarities found among the studies of Samuels, Zhang,
Bordwell, Hammond, Divya, Opheim, Sjöström and in the present study in terms
of using the Proppian-based approach. However, the present study differs from the
previous studies for it did not only use Propp’s structure of narratives as basis of
analysis but combined it with other approaches such as those of Campbell and

30. 30
Leeming which is similar with Samuels who also used other approach such as
Gender Criticism.
The studies of Bordwell, Divya, and Sjöström utilized electronic and audio-
visual materials such as computer software, television programs, and feature films
as materials for structural analysis. In contrast, the present study analyzed local
folktales to describe their structural and linguistic features.
The study of An and Garcia is parallel to the present study in the sense that
it also covered the literary pieces found in Batangas in identifying how these
forms of literature may be conducive for enriching the awareness of Batangueños
for their local literary collection in order to gain love and respect for their cultural
heritage.
However, the present study differs from the previous study for it used
content analysis and focused on the unique Batangueño traits dominantly exhibited
by the varied forms of literature in Batangas. While the present study utilized
structural analysis in examining the three selected folktales from Batangas as they
concentrated on their linguistic features such as the dramatis personae, for
objective and specific interpretation.
The difference of the present study with the previous studies is that the
present study did not only use Propp’s theory combined with other narrative
structures proposed by Campbell and Leeming but also utilized the transitivity
process associated with the dramatis personae involved in a given narrative
function to identify the local features of selected Filipino folktales in Batangas. In

31. 31
addition, the past studies focused on canonical works while the present study
analyzed three selected folktales in the Philippines limited to the home region of
the researchers.
With the fusion of Structural, Pullman’s, and SFL approaches, there was no
doubt that the researchers came up with objective and specific interpretations, for
all the aforementioned methods are logical and systematic in nature. Also, each
method focused on structures and units which are beneficial in establishing the
identity of the narratives in Batangas and its cultural heritage.
Theoretical Framework
This study described the structure of selected folktales in Batangas by
examining their narrative functions, the dramatis personae involved in each
function and the transitivity process associated with each dramatis personae. This
is anchored on the structuralist narrative theory advocated by Todorov (Selden et
al., 2013). This theory develops from elementary linguistic analogies that illustrate
syntax or the rules of sentence construction as the basic model of narrative rules.
As applied in narratives, a sentence composed of the subject and its
predicator serves as the core of an episode or even an entire tale. This entails that
each event of a narrative plot may be deduced to a single sentence which will
serve as a narrative function. A narrative function is represented by a sentence
having a subject which denotes a typical character such as a hero or villain, and a

32. 32
predicate which exemplifies a typical action associated with the subject of the
sentence.
A whole corpus of tales is constructed upon the same basic set of thirty-one
functions that describe the morphemes of a given narrative. Propp (2005) stresses
that each morphemes of given actions which form the narrative and follow a
logical sequence such as hero punishes the villain, is married, and ascends to the
throne. This is governed by the core of the narrative which is again a sentence with
the character acting as subject and an action associated with the nature of the
subject and regarded as a predicator.
In analyzing the structure of a narrative such as folktale, it is important to
trim the plot into sentences and examine them closely to describe the narrative
progression of the relationship of each event to one another. This would only be
possible by conducting an in-depth analysis of the characters or dramatis personae
who caused the action in each event. By describing the structure of a folktale, one
can identify its unique features which distinguish this from the narratives of other
cultures leading to a heightened literary appreciation as the former explores his
cultural heritage gleaned from the narrative that have been analyzed.

33. 33
Selected Folktales
from Batangas
 Juan and His
Adventures as
narrated by José
Ma. Katigbak;
 The Story of
Carancalas
narrated by José P.
Caedo; and
 Juan and Clotilde
as narrated by
Vicente Hilario
Structural Analysis of
the Selected Folktales
employing Propp’s,
Campbell’s, and
Leeming’ Narrative
Theories
Classifying the Dramatis
Personae Involved in
each Narrative Function
using Gary Pullman’s
Creating Compelling
Characters
Analysis of the
Functional Transitivity
Processes Exhibited by
the Dramatis Personae
Involved in each
Narrative Function
utilizing Halliday’s
Theory of Transitivity
PROCESS OUTPUTINPUT
Conceptual Framework
This part illustrates the flow and the process of the study. A paradigm is
presented in Figure 1 to provide information on how the researchers conducted the
study. It also serves as the framework of this research work.
Figure 1
Paradigm of the Study
Implications to
Philippine
Narratology and to the
Teaching of Creative
Writing course

34. 34
Figure 1 illustrates the various processes that aid the researchers in
identifying the narrative functions exposed in selected folktales in Batangas and
determining their structure which served as a basis in identifying the unique
features of folktales in Batangas.
The first box presents the input of the study which is composed of the
selected folktales from Batangas and used as the subject of this study. The Tagalog
folktales are Juan and His Adventures as narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, The
Story of Carancal as narrated by José P. Caedo, and Juan and Clotilde as narrated
by Vicente Hilario. These were read in depth taking into consideration the
narrative functions presented in each story. Meanwhile, the dramatis personae and
how they acted in each story were also analyzed according to their importance in
the progression of each narrative function.
The second box expounds the processes of the study. In determining the
narrative functions found in each selected story, the researchers extracted the core
of each tale using the Structuralist Approach and guided by the proposed narrative
structure from Propp, Campbell, and Leeming. In identifying the dramatist
personae involved in each function, the researchers used Gary Pullman’s Creating
Compelling Characters as their basis in classifying the character involved in each
narrative function. As for addressing the transitivity process exhibited by each
dramatis personae involved in a certain narrative function, the researchers utilized
Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach to identify the transitivity
processes dominant in each narrative function.

35. 35
Having the noble goal of redefining literature instruction, the input and the
process boxes are directed towards the output box. The result of the study served
as a basis for the researchers in identifying the unique features of narrative in
Batangas. Moreover, the result would also help language instructors in providing
models for narratives while teaching Creative Writing courses. This would help
the students to have a deeper concept about literature and to develop their utmost
appreciation of their cultural heritage and their identity as Filipinos. This would
motivate them to be productive and efficient members of the society.
Hypothesis
The study did not test any hypothesis for it is purely a descriptive one.
Definition of Terms
To facilitate understanding of the study, the researchers listed terms which
are defined conceptually and operationally. They are arranged alphabetically.
Dramatis Personae. This refers to the characters or a list of characters in a
play or story (Feist et al., 2009). In this study, it denotes the characters involved in
the selected stories.
Folktales. It is a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people
or folk, especially one forming part of theoral tradition of the common people
(Aarne et al., 2006). In this study, the term applies to the selected stories in
Batangas which served as the subject of the study.

36. 36
Narrative Functions. A concept employed in structuralist literary theory as
to which language can be directed, or as an action contributing towards the
development of a narrative (Feist et al., 2009). In this study, this is the events that
occur as result of the characters’ motives and actions.
Narratology. It refers to the branch of knowledge or literary criticism that
deals with the structure and function of narrative and its themes, conventions, and
symbols (Feist et al., 2009). In this study, this term suggests the trend of literature
narration exclusive to Batangas as subject of this research.
Structure. This term refers to the construction, the syntax, or the
morphology of a narrative (Propp, 2005). In this study, it signifies the sequence of
events that constitute the selected folktales.
Transitivity Process. It is normally understood as the grammatical feature
which indicates if a verb takes a direct object (Halliday, 2010). In this study, it
pertains to the relationship of the verb to its doer and to its direct object.

37. 37
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with the research design, subject of the study, research
instrument, data gathering procedures and statistical treatment of data depicted in
three selected folktales from Batangas.
Research Design
This study identified the common structure of selected folktales from
Batangas and described their narrative features based on how the stories were
constructed. This study utilized the documentary analysis type of research. It
described the structure of previous documents which are the stories originated
from Batangas. This study allowed the researchers to systematically explore in
written documents and described certain properties, structures or characteristics
that are evident.
The method of documentary analysis enables the researcher to include large
amounts of textual information and systematically identify its properties.
Researchers quantify and analyze the presence, meanings and relationships of such
words and concepts, then make inferences about the messages within the texts, the
writer, the audience and even the culture and time of which these are a part.
(Picciano, 2005).

38. 38
The researchers deemed this method appropriate to use for they examined
the narrative functions, dramatis personae and the transitivity process presented in
the three selected folktales from Batangas which exist in Philippine Literature and
identified the common structure in each story. The researchers also determined the
implication of the result of the study to Philippine narratology and in teaching
Creative Writing courses.
Subject of the Study
This research work dealt with three selected folktales from Batangas
province which exist in Philippine narratology. The researchers used the Project
Guttenberg Ebook of Filipino Popular Tales which is collected and edited with
comparative notes by Dean S. Fansler as their reference. This anthology contains
the most popular folktales in the Philippines during the years from 1908 to 1914
which have not appeared in print before and this was released last December 09,
2008 by the American Folklore Society.
The researchers found that there are 74 folktales in Dean S. Fansler
compilation of Filipino Popular Tales. This published collection of folktales
originated in nine different Christian provinces in the Philippines; eleven in
Pampanga, sixteen in Batangas, seventeen in Laguna, five in Rizal, eight in
Mindanao, four in Bicol, seven in Pangasinan, three in Catanduanes and three in
Ilocos.

39. 39
The folktales from Pampanga are Suan’s Good Luck, Suac and His
Adventures, Juan Manalaksan, Juan Wearing the Monkey’s Skin, How Salaksak
Became Rich, Is He the Crafty Ulysses? The Devil and the Guachinango, Juan and
Maria, Tomarind and the Wicked Datu, Sagacious Marcela and Ruined Because of
Invidiousness. Thus, the folktales from Batangas are The Story of Carancal, The
King’s Decision, The Manglalabas, The Story of Zaragoza, Juan the Peerless
Robber, Lucas the Strong, Strong Juan and His Six Companions, The King and the
Dervish, Juan and his Adventures, The Golden Lock, The Woman and
Her Coles Plant, The Fate of an Envious Woman, Juan and Clotilde, The
Miraculous Cow, The Charcoal-Maker Who Become King and Juan the Poor
Who Became the King.
There are also folktales from Laguna and these are King Tasio, Pablo and
the Princess, Legend of Prince Oswaldo, Lucas the Rope-Maker, The Mysterious
Book The Two Friends, Juan the Orphan, The Reward Of Kindness , An Act of
Kindness, The Servant of Emilio Chonguita, Who is the Nearest Relative?, The
Three Humpbacks, Alberto and the Monsters Maria and the Golden Slipper, The
Denied Mother and Clever Juan and Envious Diego. Hence, there are also
folktales coming from Pangasinan. These are The Seven Crazy Fellows, The Story
of King Kalmarin, Three Brothers of Fortune, The Golden Rule, The Magic
Ring, Juan the Poor, Andres the Trapper and Abadeja .

40. 40
Aside from the folktales mentioned above, there are also folktales coming
from Rizal, Mindanao, Bicol, Catanduanes and Ilocos. These are the folktales
Suan Eket, How Suan Became Rich, The Poor Man and his Three Sons ,The rich
and the poor, and Respect Old Age from Rizal, The Four Blind Brothers,The
Three Brothers, The Prince’s Dream The Indolent Husband A Negrito Slave, The
Monkey and Juan and Pusong Tambi-Tambi from Mindanao, Teofilo the
Hunchback and the Giant Juan, The Buringcantada The Enchanted Prince
and The Wicked Woman’s Reward from Bicol, The Four Blind , Pedro and Satan,
Pedro and the Witch from Catanduanes and The Three Brothers, Cochinango and
Juan Sadut from Ilocos.
From the stories mentioned, the researchers found 16 stories matching the
category needed. They read, examined, re-examined and have an in- depth
analysis of the said stories by detailing the instances where the narrative functions
were found. Based on the data extracted by the researchers, they only chose the
most appropriate stories to be used. The researchers worked with the stories, “Juan
and His Adventures,” as narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a Tagalog from Lipa,
Batangas, “The Story of Carancal,” as narrated by José P. Caedo, a Tagalog from
Batangas, Batangas and “Juan and Clotilde,” as narrated by Vicente Hilario, a
Tagalog, who heard the story from an old man living in Batangas.

41. 41
Research Instrument
To facilitate analysis on the narrative functions, dramatis personae and
transitivity process drawn in each story, the researchers made use of five structural
theories proposed by prominent figures in Structuralism as the instrument of this
research. These are the theories proposed by Joseph Campbell, Vladimir Propp,
Adam Leeming, Gary Pullman, and M.A.K Halliday.
This research work used Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth which named the
nuclear unit of monomyth as : Departure – Initiation - Return, Vladimmir Propp’s
theory of Russian Fairytales which has 31 funcions as stated : Absentation,
Interdiction, Violation of Interdiction, Reconnaissance, Trickery, Complicity,
Villainy or Lack, Mediation, Beginning Counteraction, Departure, First Function
of the Donor, Hero’s Reaction, Receipt of a Magical Agent, Guidance, Struggle,
Branding, Victory, Liquidation, Return, Pursuit, Rescue, Unrecognized Arrival,
Unfounded Claims, Difficult Task, Solution, Recognition, Exposure,
Transfiguration, Punishment, Wedding, and David Adam Leeming’s Eight Part
Events of Monomyth: The Miraculous Conception and Birth and the Hiding of the
Child: Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs: Preparation, Meditation,
Withdrawal and Refusal: Trial and Quest: The descent to the Underworld:
Resurrection and Rebirth: Ascension, Apotheosis, and Atonement as the basis in
determining the narrative functions drawn in each story according to the narrative
functions explicited in the aforementioned theories.

42. 42
To figure out the dramatis personae in each narrative function, the
researchers made use of Gary Pullman’s Creating Compelling Characters. There
are nine types of dramatis personae or characters involved in a specific story
which are the Protagonist, Antagonist, Confidant (male) or Confidante (female),
Foil, Flat, Round, Static, Dynamic, Stereotypical, and Stock character. However,
the researchers only used the five main types of characters which are the
Protagonist, Antagonist, Confidant or Confidante, Foil and Stock as they named
and enumerated the dramatis personae involved in the narrative functions drawn in
the three selected folktales from Batangas, the subject of this research study.
Moreover, to find out the transitivity process which is dominantly exhibited
by the dramatis personae involved in each story, the researchers made use of M.
A. K. Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach. As cited in this
approach, there are six transitivity processes namely: material, mental, relational,
verbal, existential, and behavioral.
Data Gathering Procedure
The availability and the appropriateness of materials were the primary
consideration in selecting the folktales to be used in the study. Since the
researchers are from Batangas, they looked for the list of folktales from Batangas
which exist in Philippine Literature in books and internet. Upon searching, they
found out the most comprehensive and convenient reference in selecting the
folktales. The researchers made used of the Project Guttenberg Ebook of Filipino

43. 43
Popular Tales which is collected and edited with comparative notes by Dean S.
Fansler as their reference. Fansler’s life was interwoven with the Philippines for
several years. His anthology contains the most popular folktales in the Philippines
during the years from 1908 to 1914 which have not appeared in print before and
this was released last December 09, 2008 by the American Folklore Society,
the US-based professional association for folklorist.
Dean S. Fansler’s Filipino Popular Tales provided English translation of the
Filipino tales rather than in vernacular since Fansler wants to present them in the
most convenient way for the readers. The published collection is further limited to
the Christian Filipino provinces and does not include materials from the Pagan or
Muslim groups. The published folktales came from nine ethnolinguistic groups:
Tagalog, Bikol, Pangasinan, Iloko, Zambali, Hiligaynon, Sugbuanon, and Samar-
Leyte, and divisions of Visayan.
The researchers found out 74 folktales in Fansler’s anthology. They
examined the stories and they located folktales coming from respective places in
Batangas. They found 16 folktales which considered Batangas as their etymology.
Although there are 16 folktales matching in the category needed, the researchers
selected the three most appropriate stories to be used in the study as they read,
examined, re-examined and analyzed the instances in each story.

44. 44
In conducting this study the researchers followed a process under the
influence of Structuralism as proposed by Propp, Campbell, and Leeming. After
the careful and in-depth reading of the three selected folktales from the province
of Batangas, the researchers then analyzed their structure by taking consideration
the functions or events cited by the above mentioned Structuralists.
For the analysis of the folktales, the researchers based upon the narrative
functions cited which is done in a matrix form. The researchers checked a given
function exhibited from the stories used as subject for this study. The logic behind
the use of matrix was it aimed to reveal the dominant functions similar to each
said stories. The use of matrix was to give the researchers a systematic and
organize view towards the structure of the selected stories. Consequently, the
identified functions out of this matrix described the narratives in Batangas and the
culture and tradition they speak.
After analyzing the narrative functions from the selected folktales, the
researchers then analyzed the dramatis personae or characters involved in a
specific narrative function of a given folktale. Like that of the first process, it was
done in a matrix form where the characters that appeared in each function for
every folktale studied were presented. The researchers did so to determine which
type of dramatis personae contributes in the occurrence of a specific narrative
function as the given folktale progressed. The researchers also believed that using
the matrix helped them to conclude how the different dramatis personae involved
in the studied folktales mirror the traits of the people in Batangas.

45. 45
As soon as the researchers had examined the dramatis personae involved in
each narrative function, they analyzed the transitivity process which the dramatis
personae dominantly exhibited in each narrative function. This is also done in a
matrix form under the principle of Halliday’s Transitivity Process. The matrix
served the purpose of the researchers to derive the formula present in the
occurrence of each function or why such events happen in the story. In applying
Halliday’s Transitivity process, the researchers can objectively identified the
characters profile and how it could affect the progression of the story with regards
to their involvement in each function.
To ensure the accurateness of the findings, the researchers re-examined the
narrative functions, dramatis personae and the transitivity processes that they have
found. This helps the researchers to come up with a list of functions that best
described the structure of the folktales and build a basis in describing the
narratives in Batangas. The findings of this study could also foresee the
possibilities of its contribution in enhancing the instruction of Literature in the
Basic Education and in Creative Writing Courses.
Statistical Treatment of Data
In the analysis of the three selected folktales, the researchers did not apply
any statistical treatment but instead a literary analysis was used. Structuralist
Approach was used in depth analysis of the folktales since the structure which was

46. 46
found dominant functioned as the common structure. By applying this approach,
the focus of the analysis was on the structure of the folktales mentioned earlier
which are from Batangas and exist in Philippine Literature.

47. 47
Chapter IV
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter presents the data gathered together with its corresponding
analysis and interpretation. The data gathered are presented in tabular form
organized in sequential manner which resembles the order of presentation of the
specific problems posed in Chapter I.
1. Common Narrative Functions of the Selected Folktales from Batangas
In this portion, the narrative functions gleaned in each selected folktales
from Batangas were presented. Guided by the light of the theories proposed by
Propp, Campbell, and Leeming who are considered as prominent icons in the field
of Structuralism, the researchers analyzed the selected texts using Structural
Approach to identify the common narrative functions in the selected folktales.
They enumerated the events important to the progression of each presented
folktale and carefully examined each. Through a critical examination of the events
in each selected folktale, the researchers were able to extract and classify the
narrative functions present in Batangas folktales as described by the
aforementioned icons in Structuralism.
The succeeding tables show the narrative functions gleaned from
Katigbak’s Juan and His Adventures, Caedo’s The Story of Carancal, and
Hilario’s Juan and Clotilde. The narrative functions branded with an asterisk (*)

48. 48
are originally coined by the researchers to supplement those functions which are
not present among the studies of those cited structuralists. Nevertheless, the
following functions are based from the principles of Propp, Campbell, and
Leeming - the three prominent icons in Structuralism to describe the progression
of the examined folktales.
1.1 Juan and His Adventures as narrated by Jose Ma. Katigbak
This folktale is about a boy named Juan who dared to leave the comfort of
his parents’ guidance and shelter upon discovering the abduction of his three
sisters as a result of his father’s trouble with an enchanted snake before the time
Juan was born. As he went on to look for his sisters, he eventually found them
with their good husbands. Just as he was off to return home, he found himself into
another adventure of saving another country’s dilemma of their stolen princess.
Juan encountered many obstacles his brothers-in-law willingly helped him and
succeeded altogether.
Table 1 presents the narrative functions gleaned from Katigbak’s Juan and
His Adventures. Each narrative function is described by the events from the said
folktale.

49. 49
Table 1
Narrative Functions of Katigbak’s Juan and His Adventures
Events Narrative Functions
Pedro earned their living by selling the leaves of the
magical tree.
*Synergy
A snake came out after Pedro cut down the tree. *Dissonance
The enchanted snake gave punishment to Pedro. Trickery
Pedro’s three daughters agreed to be brought to the snake. Complicity
Each of the three girls gave her mother a handkerchief as
a remembrance.
First Function of the
Donor
The sisters of Juan disappeared. Absentation
Juan was born to the old couple. Miraculous
Conception and Birth
Juan discovered that her sisters were taken away by snake. Preparation,
Mediation,
Withdrawal and
Refusal
Juan asked permission to search for his three daughters. Beginning Counter-
Action
Juan was permitted and went to the mountains. Departure
Juan received three articles from the three boys who were
quarrelling over the possession.
*Second Function of
Donor
Juan flew with the magical agent. Provision or Receipt
of a Magical Agent
Juan opened the door inside the cave. Crossing of the First
Threshold
Juan was not recognized by her sister. Unrecognized Arrival
Juan showed the handkerchief to his sister. Branding
The king of the lion, his brother-in-law pointed where his
other sisters were.
Spatial Transparence
between Two
Kingdoms
The three brother-in-laws of Juan promised to aid him
whenever he needed.
Liquidation of Initial
Misfortune
The king offered his wealth and his daughter’s hand to
anybody who could save the princess
Call to Adventure
Juan used the three articles to look for princess. Beginning Counter-
Action
Juan used the key to enter giant’s cave. *Crossing of the
Second Threshold
Juan remained near the princess until the giant went away. Meeting with the

50. 50
Goddess
Juan flew away with the princess. Rescue
Giant stole back the princess.
Road of Trials
Juan went to his brother-in-law for help.
The king of the eagles the solution to kill the giant.
The king of the fishes to fetch the box for Juan’s request.
The king of the lions willingly opened the box for Juan.
The king of the eagles caught the bird from the box for
Juan.
Juan was startled by the giant that he crushed the egg and
killed the bird.
*Indirect Struggle
The giant fell on its back and Juan carried the princess
back to the palace.
*Liquidation of
Second Misfortune
Juan was married to princess and ascends the throne. Wedding
Juan visited his parents and told them all about his
adventures.
Return
Juan took his parents to his own kingdom. Reward
As manifested in table 1, Synergy is the first narrative function appeared in
folktale. This narrative function refers to the established relationship between the
characters of Pedro the father of Juan and the enchanted snake. It is followed by
the function Dissonance which pertains to the established gap between the
connections of Pedro’s family to the magical tree after cutting it down in order to
get all the money he could acquire from it. Consequently, the function Trickery
became visible when the snake acted directly by asking Pedro’s daughters custody
as an act punishment for his ungratefulness. Complicity was the next narrative
function found in the story when Pedro submitted to the snake’s deception. He
agreed to the snake and brought his three daughters to the enchanted snake.

51. 51
The narrative function First Function of Donor appeared next when the
mother received a handkerchief from her three daughters which will later play a
vital part in the progression of this folktale. The next function Absentation came
out when the three sisters of Juan disappeared as soon as they reached the snake’s
territory located at the foot of the mountain. This loss of the family is the first lack
in this folktale which the Protagonist will resolve.
Then there is the narrative function Miraculous Conception and Birth. Juan
was born with miraculous and unusual attributes when in fact his parents were too
old to have a baby. After a long time, it is followed by the narrative function
Mediation when Juan discovered that his sisters were taken away by the snake.
The narrative function Beginning Counter-Action appeared next when Juan
decided to search for his three sisters and promised his mother that he will resolve
the lack. It is followed by the narrative function Departure, Juan left his family. It
was the mark of the beginning of Juan’s search, on which various adventures
awaited him.
On the beginning of his journey, the narrative function Second Function of
the Donor occurred. Juan received the three amulets, the key, the cap and the
shoes from the three boys that served as magical agents or helpers which Juan can
use in his journey. It is followed by the narrative function Provision or Receipt of
a Magical Agent, Juan acquired the use of the magical agents. He flew away by
the use of the magic shoes. He made himself invisible by using the cap and

52. 52
unlocked the door in saving the princess inside the cave of the giant by using the
key. Consequently, it is followed by the narrative function Crossing of the First
Threshold wherein Juan went forward in his adventure until he reached the cave of
the King of the Lion which is the husband of one of his long lost sisters.
Then the narrative function Unrecognized Arrival appeared next when Juan
arrived at the mountain not recognized by one of his sisters. After not seeing each
other even once, Juan was acknowledged by his sister by showing the
handkerchief she left before to their mother as remembrance. This event plays the
narrative function Branding where Juan, the Protagonist, was recognized because
of the evidence showing their connection as siblings.
The next narrative function occurred is Spatial Transparence between Two
Kingdoms wherein Juan was led by his brother-in-law, the King of the Lions, in
another mountain where he can find his other sisters. It is followed by the
narrative function Liquidation of Initial Misfortune. In this event, Juan resolved
the dilemma brought by the enchanted snake and was able to build a relationship
with his brothers-in-law who all promised their help whenever he needed it.
Just as Juan decided to return home, he took another way and came across a
town which is doomed with the abduction of their princess. Here, enters the
narrative function Call to Adventure when the King announced and offered his
wealth and his daughter’s hand to anybody who could save their town’s princess.
This is the call in which Juan began his next adventure. The second appearance of

53. 53
the narrative function Beginning Counter-Action appeared when Juan promised
the king to save his daughter and used the three amulets that served as the magical
agents to find the princess. It is followed by the narrative function Crossing of the
Second Threshold. Juan went forward in his adventure until he came at the
entrance of the giant’s cave.
The narrative function Meeting with the Goddess appeared next when Juan
finally found the princess and stayed with her until the giant was gone so that they
he could finally take her back to their castle. Then the narrative function Rescue
followed when Juan rescued the Princess by flying away. Subsequently, it is
followed by the narrative function The Road of Trials. First, the Giant used its
magic in steeling again the princess just as Juan was about to take her back.
Second, Juan asked help to his three brothers-in-law. Third, when the king of the
eagles detailed the solution to kill the giant. Fourth, the king of the fishes helped
Juan to fetch the box according to the advice of the King of the Eagles. Fifth,
when the King of the Lions willingly opened the box for Juan still from the advice
of the King of the Eagles. Lastly, the King of the Eagles caught the bird as it
immediately flew out from the box for Juan.
Then the narrative function Indirect Struggle followed when Juan
accidentally defeated the villain without using any force as he was startled by the
raging giant who was fast approaching him. It is followed by the narrative function
Liquidation of Second Misfortune when Juan resolved the dilemma when he

54. 54
released the ladies along with the princess after the giant fell on its back and can
no longer stand up. Apparently, the dead giant had long been abducting innocent
ladies in town and kept them in his cave.
The result of Juan’s labor is the narrative function Wedding as Juan was
married to the princess and ascended the king’s throne. It is followed by the
narrative function Return when Juan paid homage and later visited his parents, and
told them of all his adventures. Finally, he took them to his own kingdom where
they lived happily together and this was the last function cited in the folktale, the
narrative function Reward.
1.2 The Story of Carancal as narrated by Jose P. Caedo
Caedo’s Story of Carancal deals with the Protagonist born by parents who
never stopped praying so that they could have a child. But because he grows
unbelievably fast unlike his boys of common age and eats ferociously that his
parents could no longer handle, his parents tried to drive him away by all means
they could imagine. Carancal, noticing that he was no longer loved, decided to
leave home with no certain destination to go. He had so many adventures that led
him to the company of his friends who eventually helped and shared with him the
challenges, triumphs, and rewards he had.

55. 55
Table 2
Narrative Functions of Caedo’s The Story of Carancal
Events Narrative Functions
Carancal is born as a result of childless couple’s
unceasing prayers.
Miraculous Conception
and Birth
Carancal grows stronger than what he expected to be. Childhood, Initiation
and Divine Signs
Carancal parents planned to bury him under the tree.
Preparation, Mediation,
Withdrawal and
Refusal
Carancal came home carrying a big tree.
Carancal parents planned him to be devoured by a
fish.
Carancal went home carrying an alligator.
Carancal’s parents gave him an enormous bolo. First Function of The
Donor
Carancal took the bolo. Hero’s Reaction
Carancal leaves home with a bolo. Departure
Carancal defeated Bugtongpalasanin wrestling.
The Road of TrialsCarancal defeated Tunkodbola in wrestling.
Carancal defeated Macabuhalbundok in wrestling.
The three men joined Carancal in his journey.
The monster attacked Butongpalasan.
*Indirect VillainyThe monster beat Tunkodbola.
The monster crushed Macabuhalbundok.
Carancal deceived the monster. *Inverted Trickery
Carancal destroyed the monster. Liquidation of Initial
Misfortune
The four men heard a rumor about the huge stone Call to Adventure
The four set out to try their strength.
Road of TrialsThe four men swam for three weeks.
They landed on the wrong island.
The fish carried the travelers in a kingdom. Spatial Transference
Between Two
Kingdoms
The four men presented themselves to the king. Unrecognized Arrival
Bugtongpalasan hardly budged the stone.
Tunkodbola moved the stone in a few yards.
Difficult TaskMacabuhalbundok moved the stone half a mile.
Carancal throw the stone. Solution
The king was pleased with Carancal. Recognition
Bugtongpalasan married the king’s daughter. Wedding

56. 56
The three unmarried men lived with Butongpalasan. Reward
King Walangtacut sent a letter to the four men. Call to Adventure
People in town welcomed the three strong men. *Recognized Arrival
Tunkodbola and Macabuhalbundok tried to drag out
the fish.
Difficult Task
Carancal drag the fish out into the sea. Solution
The king and the people congratulate Carancal. Recognition
Tunkodbola married King Walangtacut’s daughter. Wedding
The king sent a letter to Carancal and
Macabuhalbundok.
Call to Adventure
Macabuhabundok cannot remove the big stone. Difficult Task
Carancal removed the big stone. Solution
Carancal considered as the father of the three princess. Recognition
Macabuhalbundok married the king’s daughter. Wedding
Carancal came home again. Return
As stated in table 2, the first narrative function appeared in the story is
Miraculous Conception and Birth, Carancal was born as a result of childless
couples’ unceasing prayers to Gods and even in witches. It is followed by the
narrative function Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs which pertains to the
incident when Carancal grew stronger than what he expected to be. When born,
Carancal never grew taller than four feet but he developed enormous appetite and
possessed great power.
The narrative function Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal and Refusal
comes next. Due to poverty, Carancal withdrew for meditation by his parents. His
parents planned schemes to send him off. First, his parents planned him to bury
under a huge tree in the forest. Carancal’s father ordered him to stand under a huge
tree when it was about to fall so that when it fell, Carancal would be entirely

57. 57
buried. After that, his father went home thinking that Carancal was already dead.
However, while his parents were talking, Carancal came home with a big tree on
his shoulders. The next day, Carancal’s parents planned another scheme. Carancal
was invited by his father to go fishing. They rowed and rowed until they were far
into the sea. They put their net in the water and Carancal’s father ordered him to
dive down for him to be devoured by a big fish. After a minute, the water became
red and foamy and this made the old man think that Carancal was already dead.
The father rowed homeward but while Carancal’s parents were eating their supper,
Carancal came in carrying a big alligator. The couple were now discourage to get
rid of Carancal and at last they already said their intention to him and this is where
the narrative function First Function of the Donor takes place.
The narrative function First Function of the Donor is very evident in the
instance where Carancal’s parents gave him a bolo before leaving. Then the
narrative functions Hero’s reaction and Departure appear next. Carancal took the
bolo and finally left home. Consequently, the first appearance of the narrative
function The Road of Trials is explicited in the next successive instances. In this
function, Carancal surpasses the three strong men Bugtongpalasan, Tunkodbola
and Macabuhalbundok consecutively in strength-tests. Upon defeating such men,
the four became companions and they walked on together and continue their
journey. In their journey, they saw a big house which seemed uninhabited. This is
where the narrative function Indirect Villainy and Inverted Trickery take place.

58. 58
In Indirect Villainy, the monster caused harm and injury to Carancal’s
companions; first to Bugtongpalasan, secondly to Tunkodbola, and lastly to
Macabuhalbundok. After the previous event, the narrative function Inverted
Trickery is immediately revealed. In this function, Carancal used his wit, strength
and luck to deceive the monster and destroy it. Luckily, he made it. He destroyed
the monster as he set its body on fire and this instance details the narrative
function Liquidation of the Initial Misfortune. Then, the first occurrence of the
narrative function Call to Adventure is exemplified in the story when the four
companions: Carancal, Bugtongpalasan, Tunkodbola and Macabuhalbundok
heard a rumor that in a kingdom on the other side of the sea there lived a king who
wanted to remove a huge stone from his kingdom.
After the aforecited incident, the second appearance of the narrative
function The Road of Trials occurs in the next instances in the story. In this
narrative function, the four strong men, Carancal, Bugtongpalasan, Tunkodbola
and Macabuhalbundok set out to try their strengths. They swam for three weeks
since there were no boats to sail on. Then, they landed on the wrong island. They
rested on a smooth and slippery island and this made them wonder what it could
be, Carancal drew his bolo and the thrust it into the island. The island moved after
a stroke and the island was not really an island but a big fish. Fortunately, the fish
carried the strong men near the shores of the kingdom that they were seeking. This
event shows the narrative function Spatial Transference Between Two Kingdoms.

59. 59
When the four men arrived in the kingdom, the narrative function Unrecognized
Arrival occurs when the four men presented themselves in the king and told him
that they would try to remove the stone out of the kingdom.
The preceding narrative function is followed by the first appearance of the
function Difficult Task. In this function, the four men were proposed into a
difficult task which was to remove the huge stone in the kingdom. Bugtongpalasan
was the first to try but he could hardly budge it. Then Tunkodbola tried, but
moved it only few yards. When Macabuhalbundok’s turn came, he moved the
great stone half a mile. The king is not satisfied leading to the narrative function
Solution. Carancal took hold of the rope tied to the stone and gave a swing. In a
minute, the great stone was out of sight. Then, the first appearance of the narrative
function Recognition and Wedding came. The king was very much pleased with
Carancal and he asked him to choose a princess for his wife but he refused.
However, he gave the privilege to Bugtongpalasan and he was made a prince. The
narrative function Reward comes next when the three unmarried man lived with
the palace of Bugtongpalasan.
The second occurrence of the function Call to Adventure follows. A letter
from King Walangtacut addressed to the four strong men came. Recognized
Arrival immediately follows this narrative function. As the four men passed in
every town, the people recognized their heroic deed. The king received them with
a banquet and all the houses in the town were decorated with flags. The second

60. 60
appearance of the narrative function Difficult Task follows. Tunkodbola and
Macabuhalbundok try to drag the dead fish but they did not make it. The second
appearance of the narrative functions Solution and Recognition happens when
Carancal successfully removed the decaying fish. The king and the people
congratulated Carancal in doing so. The second occurrence of the narrative
function Wedding takes place. Carancal refused to marry King Walangtacut’s
daughter; however, he chose Tunkodbola to marry the princess in replace of him.
The third appearance of the function Call to Adventure occurs. Another
king sent a letter to Carancal and Macabuhalbundok. The two responded, they
travelled to the other kingdom and faced the third occurrence of the narrative
function Difficult Task and Solution. Macabuhalbundok did not make the work
but Carancal did. Then, the third existence of the narrative function Wedding takes
place wherein Macabuhalbundok marry a princess just like what happened to
Bugtongpalasan and Tunkodbola. Carancal considered as the father of the three
princess yet remained bachelor until one day he thought about visiting his parents
and lived once more with them and it is the incident where the last narrative
function in Caedo’s story of Carancal was found, the narrative function Return.
1.3. Juan and Clotilde as narrated by Jose Vicente Hilario
Perceived to be the Filipino version of Grimm’s Tale Rapunzel, the
folktale pertains to a boy named Juan who tried his luck even against the will of
his family in saving a princess abducted by her upset aged magician lover. But

61. 61
before he could go on his journey, his family tried innumerable times to stop him
for fear that he could only worsen his older brothers’ shameful failures. Juan
succeeded in saving the princess but was lost in a strange country after mounting
on her winged horse to avoid the magician’s friend who guards the tower. Upon
arriving at a new country, he met a rich old man who adopted him as his son and
helped Juan in proving he was the real savior.
Table 3
Narrative Functions of Hilario’s Juan and Clotilde
Events Narrative Functions
The king has a magician friend who increased his riches
twofold.
*Synergy
The magician fell in love with Clotilde but does not love
him back.
*Dissonance
The magician left the king and the princess magical
agents.
First Function of
Donor
He locked Clotilde and the three magic horses. Villainy
King Ludovico offeredhis wealth to anybody and Juan
tried his luck.
Call to Adventure
Juan’s family advised him to abort his mission.
Preparation,
Mediation,
Withdrawal, and
Refusal
Juan took things he could use to save Clotilde
Beginning Counter
Action
Juan had to make the trip on horseback. Departure
Juan’s brother led him in the wrong direction.
Road of Trials
Juan’s parents tried to poison his food.
Juan gave his horse some of his food.
The horse died.
Juan was obliged to finish the journey on foot.
Juan climbed the tower with nails and ropes.
Crossing of The First
Threshold
Juan and Clotilde whispered words of love in each
other's ears.
Meeting with the
Goddess

62. 62
Clotilde gave Juan one of the magic necklaces as
reward.
*Second Function of
Donor
Juan’s brother pulled out the nails he used to climb the
tower.
Road of Trials
Clotilde told Juan to mount on one of the magical
horses.
Provision or Receipt
of a Magical Agent
The magical horse flew from the tower. Rescue
The magical horse landed on a country strange to Juan’s
eyes.
Unrecognized Arrival
Juan was at last able to make his way back to his native
country.
Return
A rich old man named Telesforo adopted Juan as his
son.
Atonement with the
Father
The townspeople have tried to produce the exact
counterfeit of the necklace.
Unfounded Claims
Juan asked Telesforo to borrow the necklace and saw
they didn’t differ.
Difficult Task
Clotilde confirmed the authenticity of the necklaces. Solution
Clotilde asked Telesforo to bring Juan to the Palace. Recognition
Juan and Clotilde were married and he became the King
after Ludovico’s death.
Wedding
As manifested in table 3, the first narrative function appeared in the story
Juan and Clotilde as narrated by Hilario is what the researchers originally coined
as Synergy. It refers to the established relationship between the characters of King
Ludovico and his magician friend and how the king’s powers were maximized by
his friend. It is followed by the narrative function Dissonance which pertains to the
ruined connection of King Ludovico and his magician friend when Clotilde, the
king’s daughter, cannot give back the magician’s love towards her. Then, the
narrative function First Function of the Donor appeared. It is exhibited in the
instances when the magician gave the king three enchanted winged horses; the

63. 63
princess, two magic necklaces of exactly the same appearance, of inimitable
workmanship and of priceless worth.
However, before the magician died, he locked Clotilde and the three magic
horses in a high tower inaccessible to any human being. This event plays the
narrative function of Villainy which sets the course that the Protagonist must solve
or accomplish. It is followed by the first appearance of the narrative function Call
to Adventure. The king called out to every man that whoever can set his daughter
free shall receive his wealth, his crown, and his daughter’s hand. The narrative
function Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal, and Refusal comes. The Protagonist
named Juan was advised by his family not to go on the journey of finding the
princess. Thus, Juan insisted on his plans to save the princess. He collected all the
biggest nails and ropes that he could use in attaining his plans. This event
exemplifies the narrative function Beginning Counter Action. After preparing all
his tools, the narrative function Departure comes next. Juan left home and went on
to the journey with his horse.
After the occurrence of the narrative function Departure, the narrative
function The Road of Trials comes next as Juan crosses several obstacles. First,
his older brother tried to divert him by giving him a wrong direction. Secondly, his
parents tried to poison him. Then, his horse died after he let it eat a portion of his
food. These are the reasons why he had to make the trip on foot. Upon reaching
his destination, Juan drove out the nails with his rope to make an improvised

64. 64
ladder to enter the tower. This incident details the instance where the narrative
function Crossing of The First Threshold was found. The narrative function
Meeting with the Goddess exists next. Juan met Clotilde with flooded tears and
they immediately whispered their words of love to one another. Then, Clotilde
gave Juan one of the necklaces given by the magician to her and this event
signifies the narrative function Second Function of the Donor.
The second occurrence of the narrative function The Road of Trials
appeared next. It is when Juan discovered that his older brother pulled out the nails
when he was about to climb in the tower to avoid direct combat with the guardian
of the tower. That is why Clotilde told Juan to mount on one of the magical horses
given by the magician before he died. This event functioned as the Provision or
Receipt of a Magical Agent. Then, the magical horse flew from the tower which
expounds Rescue as narrative function. It is followed by the narrative function
Unrecognized Arrival which pertains to the incident when Juan and the magical
horse landed on a country which seems strange or unfamiliar to Juan.
Thus, after a long journey Juan was at last able to make his way back to his
native country. This event details the narrative function Return. It is then followed
by the narrative function Atonement with the Father when a rich old man named
Telesforo adopted Juan as his son. The old man became the father figure for Juan
from then on. Then, the narrative function Unfounded Claims appeared next when
King Ludovico gave out proclamations stating that anyone who could exactly

65. 65
match his daughter's necklace should be his son-in-law. Thousands tried, but they
tried in vain. It is followed by the narrative functions Difficult Task and Solution.
Juan asked Telesforo to borrow the necklace and saw that they were exactly the
same. However, Clotilde confirmed the authenticity of the necklaces. Then,
Clotilde asked Telesforo to bring Juan to the Palace. This incident expounds the
narrative function Recognition. Later on, Juan married Clotilde and Juan ascended
the throne after Ludovico’s death. It is the incident where the last narrative
function in Hilario’s Juan and Clotilde was found, the narrative function Wedding.
The table that follows presents the summary of the narrative functions that
were present among the three selected Batangas folktales.
Table 4
Summary of the Narrative Functions Gleaned from the Selected
Folktales from Batangas
Act 1
Departure
*Synergy
*Dissonance
Miraculous Conception
Absentation
Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs
Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal,
and Refusal
Beginning Counter Action
First Function of the Donor
Hero’s Reaction
Trickery
Complicity
Villainy
Call to Adventure
Departure
Road of Trials

66. 66
Act 2
Initiation
*Second Function of the Donor
Provision or Receipt of a Magical Agent
*Crossing of the First Threshold
Branding
Spatial Transparence between Two
Kingdoms
Liquidation of Initial Misfortune
Call To Adventure
Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal,
and Refusal
Beginning Counter-Action
Departure
Crossing of the Second Threshold
Meeting with Goddess
Rescue
The Road of Trials
*Indirect Villainy
*Inverted Trickery
*Indirect Struggle
*Liquidation of the Second Misfortune
Atonement with the Father
Unfounded Claims
Unrecognized Arrival
Difficult task
Solution
Recognition
Wedding
Reward
Call to Adventure
Recognized Arrival
Difficult Task
Solution
Recognition
Wedding
Call to Adventure
Difficult Task
Solution
Act 3
Return
Return
Recognition
Wedding
Return

67. 67
Table 4 enumerated the narrative functions gleaned from the three selected
folk tales from Batangas. The narrative functions with an asterisk (*) are the
narrative functions originally named by the researchers since the instances labelled
are important in showing the established structure of the three folktale. However,
it is still based on the idea proposed by Propp, Campbell and Leeming, the three
prominent icons in Structuralism which this study is anchored to.
For each function there is given a brief summary of its essence and its
examples from the studied folktales. The citation of examples illustrates and
shows the presence of the function as a certain generic unit. The series of
functions given below does not represent the morphological foundation of
folktales in general but it shows the important features of the Batangas Folktales.
In discussing the narrative functions present among the three selected
folktales, the researchers used the outline format. This was so because the
researchers believed it could provide the utmost convenience of understanding the
structure found and the description of events which contributes to the progression
of the selected Batangas folktales. In accordance with this, the researchers used
numeric representations for each folktale in detailing the events which describes a
specific narrative function whereas 1.1 refers to Katigbak’s Juan and His
Adventures, 1.2 pertains to Caedo’s The Story of Carancal, and 1.3 concerns to
Hilario’s Juan and Clotilde. There are 33 functions narrative functions listed
below.

68. 68
A folktale usually begins with some sort of an initial situation; mostly the
initial situation present in Batangas folktales refers to a relationship between two
parties. This situation plays a vital part in describing the so-called “the calm before
the storm” which the researchers coined as:
I. SYNERGY. A mutually advantageous conjunction or compatibility of distinct
business participants or elements
1. A person benefits himself from an object or a person that has
supernatural attributes. (1.1) “This family was very poor at first. Near
the foot of a mountain was growing a tree with large white leaves. Pedro
the father earned their living by selling the leaves of that tree.” (1.3)
“His power was increased twofold by his attachment to an aged
magician, to whom he was tied by strong bonds of friendship.”
This function can be explained easier through the idea of a Commensalism
type of symbiotic relationship where only the other organism benefits while the
other one is unaffected.
II. DISSONANCE. Lack of agreement or an instance of such inconsistency or
disagreement
1. The benefiting party takes advantage of the situation. (1.1)”After a year
he decided to cut down the tree, so that he could sell it all at once and
get much money.”

69. 69
2. The benefiting party could not give back to the needs/wants of the
giving party. (1.3) “Ludovico had an extremely lovely daughter by the
name of Clotilde. Ever since his arrival at the palace the magician had
been passionately in love with her; but his extreme old age and his
somewhat haughty bearing were obstacles in his path to success.”
The said function shows the kind of a Parasitism type of symbiotic
relationship where one organism benefits while the other one is negatively
affected. Sometimes, the benefiting party has no power to give back to the host
party for it is beyond their control. Like for example, the king, being a loving
father, cannot force his daughter to love the old magician even if he made their
riches double. This kind of disagreements usually sets the problem in common
Batangas folktales.
III. MIRACULOUS CONCEPTION. The bearing of a child under the most
impossible situations.
1. A couple too old to bear a child carries one. (1.1) “A year had not
passed by before a son was born to the old couple.”
2. A couple bears a child after doing desperate measures for a long
time. (1.2) “Once upon a time there lived a couple who had long
been married, but had no child. Every Sunday they went to church
and begged God to give them a son. They even asked the witches in
their town why God would not give them a child. After a year a son
was born to them.”