This summary provides an overview of the document in 3 sentences: The document profiles Ilocano author Ariel S. Tabag and summarizes his short story "Voice Tape". It describes Tabag's background and achievements, and outlines the plot of the story which follows Dante learning about the mysterious circumstances surrounding his Uncle Ato's death from a voice tape. The story explores themes of dealing with loss and Filipino superstitions through flashbacks as Dante pieces together that his uncle committed suicide due to not being able to help his wife who was facing abuse abroad.

1. By: Ariel S. Tabag
VOICE TAPE

2. AUTHOR
NAME: Ariel S. Tabag
- Bilingual Ilocano fictionist (writes in
Ilocano and Tagalog), poet, editor,
translator and musician.
BORN: August 16, 1978 (Santa
Teresita Cagayan)

3. ACHIEVEMENTS:
 Received the Palanca awards for his
Ilocano short stories.
 Has been awarded the Talaang Ginto-
Gantimpalang Collantes.
 Has received awards from Ilocano
literary contests such as AMMAFLA,
GUMIL California, SABALI, RFAAFIL,
ATILA and Tugade awards

4. CHARACTERS
 DANTE – Nanang’s son and Renato’s nephew
 UNCLE ATO (RENATO) – Dante’s uncle who died from being hit by
a bus
 MAGDALENA – Uncle Ato’s wife
 NANANG – Dante’s mother
 BOYING – Dante’s friend that is always late like him.
 UNCLE MULONG – the 3rd sibling of Nanang ( No read no
write)
 UNCLE CEFERINO - 2nd sibling of Nanang that is abducted
by NPA
 LILONG MARTIN – man who does circumcision
 THE BALD MAN – CAFGU who beats up uncle Mulong

5. SUMMARY
This story starts when Dante and his mother
Nanang go back to their old house to find his
certificates for being best in math in elementary and
high school but instead of certificate, they saw a voice
tape owned by his uncle Ato. He still remember the
things happened to his uncle. By the time, his uncle
decided to get married until they build a small house
for his family. They live with a simple life until his wife
decided to go to Abu Dhabi to work. He sell his land to
get some money that is needed by his wife.

6. One morning, when Dante is on his way school,
he heard a scream so he ran as fast as he could to get
home. He told his mother what he saw. He felt nervous
because he taught his friend is the one in danger but
he was wrong, his uncle died in that accident. One day,
when he and his mother clean the house of his Uncle
Ato, his mother saw a voice tape under his uncle's
pillow. His mother , his father and his Uncle Mulong are
the only persons who knew the message in the voice
tape and since he has reached his right age, they let
him know the message. His uncle's wife was maltreated
by her boss but his Uncle Ato doesn't have anything to
do.

7. SETTING
The story takes place in 1990’s and
people believe in superstitions since then.
It happens in the author’s place itself,
Santa Teresita Cagayan.

8. PLOT SUMMARY
Dante and his mother
Nanang go back to
their old house to get
his certificates for
being best in Math.
Dante’s friend told him that
his uncle intentionally
jump within the running
bus. He thought about the
reason why would his uncle
do that.
They saw a voice tape
owned by his Uncle Ato
And he remembered
everything about his
uncle.
Since Dante reach his right age,
his mother let him hear what’s
in the voice tape. He had knew
that his uncle did suicide
because his wife was
maltreated abroad and he didn’t
have anything to do about it.
Uncle Ato died after being
hit by a bus near Dante’s
school.

9. CONFLICT
The death of Uncle Ato and the message
inside the voice tape under uncle’s pillow run
rampant in the story. They thought that Uncle’s
death was just an accident but it was not. Uncle
Ato’s death has something to do with the
message in the voice tape. When they heard
the message, they knew that Uncle Ato did
suicide because he can’t do anything while his
wife was being maltreated by her boss abroad.

10. THEME
 People’s life experiences and emotions is seen in
the story. Uncle Ato suffered in a deep sadness
after hearing the voice tape’s message that his
wife was being aggrieved by his boss in Abu
Dhabi.
In the story, it is seen that Pilipino’s believe in
superstitions though it was uncertain. They don’t
even know if it was true but they said that there’s
nothing to happen if they follow.

11. SYMBOLISMS
-Served as an instrument to
know the real reason why Uncle Ato
died.
VOICE TAPE

12. PLOT TYPE
Flashback
- because the story goes back to the
time when Uncle Ato was still alive. Dante
reminisce the things happen about his Uncle
Ato’s death after seeing the voice tape
instead of certificates.

13. POINT OF VIEW
First Person Point of View
- One character in the story is
narrating the whole story with the use
of pronouns; I, me, mine, myself, we,
ours, and ourselves.

14. REFERENCES
Idi, Asseng. assengtabag.blogspot. 13 July 2012.
assengtabag.blogspot.com/2012/07.voice-
tape.html
Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. 17 October 2016.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_S._Tabag

15. MEMBERS
HERNANDEZ, SHENNA BABE S.
VELASQUEZ JOCKLYN ROSE P.
STEM-A