part 1

1. Academia DePulilan , Inc.
In affiliation with The City School
Cut-cot, Pulilan, Bulacan
2020 - 2021
MODULE/WORKSHEETS
21st
CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD
( Grade 11 )
Prepared by: Mr. Aries A Sunga
Subject Teacher

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
21st
Century Philippine Literature from the Regions
Lesson 1 Philippine Pre-colonial Literature…………………………………………………. 1 - 4
Lesson 2 Spanish Colonial Philippine Literature………………………………………….. 5 - 6
Lesson 3 Philippine Poetry: its Form, language and Speech……………………….. 7 - 10
Lesson 4 Novels of Philippine Literature…………………………………………………….. 11 - 13
Lesson 5 The Landscape of Philippine Fiction……………………………………………… 14 - 19
Lesson 6 Remapping of the Philippine Literature through Criticism
Lesson 7 Looking Beyond: The Future of Philippine Literature
Lesson 8 Finding the Literary Space within You

3. I. Objectives:
● Identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary history from the
pre-colonial era to the contemporary.
● Enumerate the different forms of literature.
II. Content
Introduction
The pre-colonial literature of the Philippines was marked by your ancestors’ daily observations about life, explanations for
natural phenomena, and beginnings of rituals. These also function as an explanation for society and culture as they know
it to be.
Hinilawod is one of the best example of a pre-colonial literature which shows how our Filipino ancestors have relied on
their familial relations and bravery to get them through any situation. Nowadays, relying on strong family ties and
friendships is still one of the best ways to get through any difficult situation that you may encounter in your daily life.
Forms of Pre-Colonial Literature
1. Proverbs - are practical observations and philosophy of everyday life that are written
usually in a rhyming scheme. It is obviously meant to entertain while teaching
basic skills in surviving local life. In Filipino, these are called salawikain.
examples:
a. Kung ano ang puno, siya ang bunga.
b. Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga.
2. Riddles - are like proverbs with one main difference: they demand an answer and are
used to test the wits of those who are listening to them. usually, riddles or
bugtong are used in a battle of wits, whUNIT 1ere locals young and old join and/or
watch to see who is smartest. Another characteristics of Filipino riddles is their
flippant nature – they seem to be referring to something laughable, but in
reality, the answer is more serious than expected.
examples:
a. Heto na si Kaka, bubuka-bukaka.
b. sa araw ay bungbong, sa gabi ay dahon.
3. Folksongs - are beautiful songs that are informal expressions of our ancestors’ experiences
in life. These range from courtship, which they sing in a harana or a serenade for
a girl, to lullabies, harvests, funerals, and others.
4. Tales - are stories of origin for certain places, their names, and their creation. These are
also known as myths and legends. They are usually used to explain certain
events or phenomena in our ancestors’ lives that cannot be explained by the
limited practical kind of science.
examples:
the origin of Mount Makiling , legends of great heroes like Bernardo Carpio
5. Epics - are long-winded poems about a hero and his adventures and misadventures. It
usually tells of a male hero who is born with all the pleasing qualities that your
ancestors like in a person and who also has superhuman capabilities. This male
hero is also paired with a beautiful young maiden, whom he will fall in love with
and will usually have to go to battle for. Sometimes, supernatural elements are
also introduced to show the strength of the hero and his capabilities. One of the
best epics of the Philippines comes from Negros, which is Hinilawod.
Lesson 1: Philippine Pre – Colonial
Literature

4. - 1 –
III. Assessment Activity
The following story is an epic from Central Panay. Read and understand the story, and then answer the questions. Write
your answer on the space provided on page 4.
The Hinilawod
When the goddess of the eastern sky Alunsina ( also known as Laun Sina , “The Unmarried One” )
reached maidenhood, the king of the gods, Kaptan, decreed that she should marry. All the unmarried gods of the
different domains of the universe tried to win her hand to no avail. She chose to marry a mortal, Datu Paubari, the
mighty ruler of Halawod. Her decision angered her other suitors. They plotted to bring harm to the newlyweds. A meeting
of the council of gods was called by Maklium-sa-t’wan, god of the plains, where a decision by those present was made
to destroy Halawod by flood.
Alunsina and Paubari escaped harm through the assistance of Suklang Malayon, the goddess and
guardian of happy homes and sister of Alunsina, who learned of the evil plot and warned the two so they were able to
seek refuge on higher ground. After the flood waters subsided, Paubari and Alunsina returned to the plains secretly. They
settled near the mouth of the Halawod river.
Several months later, Alunsina became pregnant and told Paubari to prepare the siklot,
things necessary for childbirth. She delivered a set of triplets and summoned the high priest Bungot-Banwa to perform
the rites of the gods of Mount Madya-as( the mountain abode the gods) to ensure the good health of the children. The
high priest promptly made an altar and burned some alanghiran fronds and a pinch of kamangyan. When the ceremony
was over he opened the windows of the north side of the room and a cold northernly wind came in and suddenly, the tree
infants were transformed into strong, handsome young men.
Labaw Donggon, the eldest of the three, asked his mother to prepare his magic cape, hat, belt, and
kampilan ( sword) for the head of a place called Handug were a beautiful maiden named Angoy Ginbitinan lived. The
journey took several days. He walked across plains and valleys, climbed up mountains until he reached the mouth of
Halawod River. When he finally met the maiden’s father and asked for her hand in marriage, the father asked him to fight
the monster Manalintad as part of his dowry. He went off to confront the monster and with the help of his magic belt,
Labaw Donggon killed the monster and prove his feat he brought to Anggoy Ginbitinan’s father to monster’s tail.
After the wedding, Labaw Donggon proceeded home with his new bride. Along the way they met a group
of young men who told him that they were on their way to Tarambang Burok to win the hand of Abyang Durunuun,
sister of Sumpuy, the lord of the underworld and whose beauty was legendary. labaw Donggon and his bride continued
on their journey home. The moment they arrived home, Labaw Donggon told his mother to take care of his wife because
he is taking another quest, this time he was going to Tarambang Burok.
Before, he can get to the place he has to pass a ridge guarded by a giant named Sikay
Padalogdog who has a hundred arms. The giant would not allow Labaw Donggon to go through without a fight.
However, Sikay Padalogdog was no match to Labaw Donggon’s prowess and skill in fighting so he gave up and allowed
him to continue. Labaw Donggon won the hand of Abyang Durunuun and also took her home. Before long he went on
another journey, this time it is to Gadlum to ask for the hand of Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata who is the young
bride of Saragnayan, the lord of darkness.
This trip required him to use his biday nga inagta ( black boat ) on which he sailed across the seas for
many months, went across the region of the clouds, and passed the land of stones until finally he reached the shores of
Tulogmatian which was the seaside fortress of Saragnayan. The moment he set foot on the ground Saragnayan asked him,
“Who are you and why are you here?” To which he answered, “I am Labaw Donggon, son of Datu Paubari and goddess
Alunsina of Halawod. I came for the beautiful Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata.” Saragnayan laughed. he told Labaw
Donggon that what he wished for was impossible to grant because she was his wife. Labaw Donggon then challenged
Saragnayan to a duel saying that whoever wins will have her.
The challenge was accepted and they started fighting. Labaw Donggon submerged Saragnayan under
water for seven years, but when he let go of him, Saragnayan was still alive.
- 2 -
The latter uprooted a coconut tree and started beating Labaw Donggon with it. He surviced the beating but was not able
to surpass the powers of Saragnayan’s pamlang ( amulet ) and eventually he gave up and was imprisoned by Saraganayan
beneath his house.
Back home, Angoy Gitbitinan and Abyang Durunuun both delivered sons. Angoy Gitbitinan’s child was
named Aso Mangga and Abyang Durunuun’s son was called Abyang Baranugon.
Read and Answer

5. Only a few days after they were born, Aso Mangga and Abyang Baranugon embarked to look for their father. They rode
their sailboats through the region of eternal darkness, passed the region of the clouds and the land of stones, finally
reaching Saragnayan’s home. Saragnayan noticed that Abyang Baranugon’s umbilical cord have not yet been removed, he
laughed and told the child to go home to his mother. Abyang Baranugon was slighted by the remarks and immediately
challenged Baragnayan to a duel. They fought and Abyang Baranugon defeated Saragnayan and won his father’s freedom.
Labaw Donggon’s defeat and subsequent imprisonment by the Lord of Darkness also angered his
brothers. Humadapnon was so enraged that he swore to the gods of Madya-as that he would wreak revenge on all of
Saragnayan’s kinsmen and followers. Humadapnon prepared to go to Saragnayan’s domain. He employed the aid of
Buyong Matanayon of Mount Matiula who was well-known for his skill in swordsmanship. For their journey they rode on a
sailboat called biday nga rumba-rumba. They travelled through the region of the clouds, passed by the region of eternal
darkness and ended up at a place called Barambang Buriraw. In this place was a ridge called Talagas Kuting-tang where a
seductive sorcerers named Piganun lived.
Piganun changed herself to a beautiful maiden and captured the heart of Humadapnon. Buyong
Matanayon begged with Humadapnon to leave the place with him but the latter refused. After seven months passed,
Buyong Matanayon remembered that they have brought with them some ginger.
One evening at dinner time Buyong Matanayon threw seven slices of ginger into the fire. When Pinganun
smelled the odor of burning ginger she left the dinner table because sorcerers hated the odor of gninger. Immediately,
Buyong Matanayon struck Humadapnon, who became unconscious. He dragged his friend with him, and they were able to
escape.
They continued with their trek and everywhere they went they exacted revenge on all of Saragnayan’s
people and relatives. One day, they reached a place called Piniling Tubig, which was ruled by Datu Umbaw Pinaumbaw.
There was a big gathering in the village and when they asked what was going on they were told that the datu was giving
his daughter for marriage to whoever could remove the huge boulder that rolled from a mountain into the center of the
village. Many men tried their luck but no one so far was able to even move the stone.
Humadapnon took off his magic cape and used it to lift the stone and threw it back into the mountain.
The datu kept his word and Humadapnon married his daughter. During the wedding feast, Humadapnon heard about the
beauty of the goddess of greed Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan from a quest minstrel who sang at the
celebration. After the wedding, Humadapnon went to seek Saragnayan’s followers and relatives, his brother Dumalapdap
left for Burutlakan-ka-adlaw where the maiden Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun si Mahuyokhuyokon lived. For the trip he
brought along Dumasig, the most powerful wrestler in Madya-as.
Several months later they came to a place called Tarambuan-ka-banwa where they encountered the two-
headed monster Balanakon who guarded narrow ridge leading to the place where the maiden lived. With the aid of
Dumasig, Dumalapdap killed Balanakon. However, upon approaching the gate of the palace where the maiden lived he
was confronted by Uyutang, a bat-like monster with sharp poisonous claws. There ensued a bloody battle between the
Dumalapdap and the monster. They fought for seven months and their skill and prowess seemed to be equal. But on the
seventh month, Dumalapdap was able to grab on to Uyutang’s nakle and broke it. Then he took his iwang daniwan (
magic dagger ) and stabbed Uyutang under the armpit. Uyutang cried out so loud that the ridge where they where
fighting broke into two, and there was an earthquake. Half of the ridge became the island of Buglas ( Negros ) and the
other became the island of Panay.
Dumalapdap married Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun si Mahuyokhuyokan and then took her home. Datu
Paubari was very happy when he was reunited with his three sons and he prepared a feast in their honor. After the
celebration, the three brothers left for different part of the world. Labaw Donggon went to the north, Humadapnon went
to south, Dumalapdap to west and Datu Paubari remained in the east.
- 3 -
Guide Questions:
1. How did Labaw Donggon win the hand of Agnoy Gibintinan in marriage?
2. Who saved Halawod and Alunsina from being drowned in a flood?
3. What are the names of the three sons of Alunsina and Halawod. Describe their characteristics.
4. Describe the marriage life of each goddess.
5. How does bravery and brother show in the epic?
6. Why is it important to learn the pre-colonial literature?
7. Differentiate the life of our ancestors before from its present time.
8. Summarize the epic based on your understanding.

6. I. Objectives:
●Identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary history from the
Spanish colonial era to the contemporary.
● Differentiate the kinds of Spanish literature.
II. Content
Introduction
Spanish colonial literature focused on the society and culture as reflected and affected by the Catholic
faith. Up until now, this kind of influence still reigns true in Filipino society, as the Philippines is one of
the largest remaining catholic countries in the world in terms of population. When the Spaniards
came, there was an immediate shift on the focus of literature. It became centered on the Christian
faith, and the stories about natural phenomena suddenly became all about the lives of saints and
other religious hymns.
Kinds of Spanish Literature
1. Corrido - is a legendary religious narrative form that usually details the lives of saints or
the history of a tradition.
2. Awit - is a chivalric poem about a hero, usually about a saint. it is also usually sung and
used in religious processions.
3. Pasyon - is a narrative poem about the life of Jesus Christ, beginning from his birth and
up to his death. This is usually sung during the Lenten season. many women
were trained before to perform the Pasyon. Nowadays, it is sung by seasoned
performers in churches nationwide.
4. Cenaculo - is the dramatization of the passion of Christ. It highlights the sufferings and
death of Jesus Christ, and it is also done during the Lenten season. A good
example is the San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites in San Fernando Pampanga, where
fervent Catholics volunteer themselves to be actually nailed to the cross to
reenact the suffering of Jesus Christ.
5. Moro – Moro - Comedia de Capa y Espada is a blood-and-thunder melodrama depicting the
conflict of Christians and Muslims. It is usually about battles to the death and
the proofs of faith.
6. Carillo - is a play that uses shadows as its main spectacle. This is created by animating
figures made from cardboard, which are projected onto a white screen.
7. Tibag - is the dramatic reenactment of St. Helena’s search for the Holy Cross. St. Helena
is the mother of Constantine and is oftentimes credited to have influenced her
son to be the great Christian leader he is known for today. She is also well-
known to have traveled to Syria to look for the relics of Jesus Christ’s cross, the
one that was used in his crucifixion. It is also widely believed that she found it in
the same country.
8. Duplo or Karagatan- are native dramas that are connected to Catholic mourning rituals and harvest
celebrations.
9. Zarzuela - one of the most famous forms of entertainment back in the Spanish era.
Zarxuelas are musical comedies or melodramas that deal with the elemental
passions of human beings. A zarzuela follows a certain plot, which shows either
satirical look at society or a begrudged life.
Lesson2: Spanish Colonial Philippine
Literature

7. III. Assessment Activity
Despite of being colonized, most Filipinos back then still treasured the old myths and folklores of their
ancestors. One of these is Jose Rizal. Even though, he is an ilustrado ( a Filipino student educated
abroad), he still firmly championed the literature of pre-colonial Philippines and had also spent time
researching on them. This is his retelling of a famous mysterious maiden who once lived in the
mountains of his hometown.
- 5 –
Mariang Makiling
( as retold by Gat Jose P. Rizal in Northern Luzon )
There are many stories woven about this guardian spirit. Most of them deal with her helping the poor and
the sick, in the guise of a peasant girl. The precious things she lent the country folk are said to be returned for her, along
with the offering of a young pullet with feathers white as milk. A hunter has recounted a face-to-face encounter with the
enigma herself. He was hunting wild boar, he said, deep into the forest where Mariang Makiling lived. The boar suddenly
crashed into some bushes and the hunter, fearing that he would not find it again, dived in after it. When he came to his
feet he saw a small hut, and witnessed his prey entering it. He followed the boar into the hut, thinking it deserted, and
then he came face to face with a beautiful maiden standing by the boar, who was meek in the presence. The maiden said,
“The boar is mine and you must not harm it. But I see that you are tired and hurt. Come in, eat, and then go to your way.”
The hunter felt compelled to obey her. He sat down at her table, and she served him a porridge that he
found was unlike anything he had ever tasted. It invigorated him, and after eating, he felt healed. As a parting gift,
Mariang Makiling filled his peasant hat, called a salakot, with yellow ginger. The hunter, on his way home to the forest,
found that his salakot was growing heavier and heavier, and so he broke a few pieces of ginger in half and threw some
bits away. Upon coming home, he handed Mariang Makiling’s gifts to his wife, who found the salakot, instead of
containing ginger, as her husband claimed, contained gold,. The hunter regretted having thrown away a few bits of ginger
gold along the way.
Mariang Makiling is said to be more than compassionate. Once, there lived a young farmer who always
seemed to be blessed. His fields were never touched by any calamity, and his livestock were always in good health. The
people of his village say he is endowed with a charm, or mutya, as it is called, that protected him and his from harm. The
young man himself was good at heart and simple in spirit. But he was quiet and secretive, and would not say much of his
stranger activities, which included frequent visits into the wood of Mariang Makiling. But there came a terrible time for
him and his family. War had come to his fair land, and army officers came, recruiting unmarried young men who were in
perfect health. So that the young man would stay safely in the village, his mother arranged for him a marriage with a most
beauteous daughter of a wealthy family. Upon finding this out, the young man became more sullen than ever.
He visited Mariang Makiling’s wood one last time, a fewdays before his marriage. Mariang Makiling lent
him a dress and some jewelries, for his wife to wear on their wedding day. “I would that that you were consecrated to me”,
she said sadly, “but you need an earthly love, and you do not have enough faith in me besides. I could have protected you
and your family. ”This having been said , she disappeared. The young man went back to his village with Mariang Makiling’s
gifts, and presented them at once to the girl he would marry. But the girl did not care for Mariang Makiling’s gifts. Instead
she wore the pearls and dresses her mother had handed down. Mariang Makiling was never seen by the peasants again,
nor was her humble hut ever rediscovered.
Guide Questions: Use other sheet of papers.
1. How was the literature during the Spanish era differed from the literature during the pre-colonial era?
2. Which era do you think has been able to exert its influences the most in contemporary Philippine
society?
3. Describe Mariang Makiling.
4. Retell the scene where the hunter first met Mariang Makiling.
5. What values of Mariang Makiling’s story show?
6. Summarize the story as how you understood the plot.
- 6 –
I. Objective
Value the contributions of local writers to the development of regional literary traditions.
II. Content
Introduction
Lesson 3: Philippine Poetry: Its Form,
Language and Speech

8. Poetry and the Philippines is not different from its other counterparts around the world. In the early 1900, Filipino
poetry celebrated romanticism, and several poems about love flourished. Eventually, as the years went on, poetry became
more formalist, the emphasis of the poetry is more on the form and language that the poet used, rather than the theme
itself. Then, modern poetry sprouted, and nowadays, writers are more adventurous in their craft. Here are some elements
of poetry that local writers use in their poems.
1. Senses and Images - are used by the writer to describe their impressions of their topic or
object of writing. The writer uses carefully chosen and phrased words to
create an imagery that the reader can see through his or her senses. The
kinds of sense impressions in poetry are categorized in mainly the
following: visual imagery (what the writer wants you to see ); olfactory
imagery( what the writer wants you to smell ) ; gustatory imagery
( what the writer wants you to taste ); tactile imagery ( what the writer
wants you to feel ) ; and auditory imagery ( what the writer wants you
to hear )
2. Diction - another important element in Filipino poetry. Filipino writers are very
careful of the way they write and the words they use to form their
poems. Diction is the denotative and connotative meaning of the words
in a sentence, phrase, paragraph or poem.
3. Rhyme scheme - the way the author arranges words, meters, lines, and stanzas to create
a coherent sound when the poem is read out loud. It may be formal or
informal, depending on the way the poem was written.
Senses, imagery, diction, and rhyme scheme are emphasized in this canonical poem, “Gabu”, one of the most widely read
local poems in English by Carlos Angeles.
Carlos Angeles
He was born on 25 of May 1921 in Tacloban, Leyte. He finished his undergrad degree in the University of the
Philippines and his work has been included in poetry anthologies in the United States. His poetry collection, Stun of Jewels,
won the Republic Cultural Heritage Award in Literature back in 1964; he also won the Don Carlos Palanca memorial
Awards in poetry in the same year. He is an active member of many Filipino-American press clubs in the US, where he
currently resides. His poem, “Gabu”, is said to be one of the most well-loved Filipino poems written in English.
Gabu
By Carlos Angeles
The battering restlessness of the sea
Insists a tidal fury upon the beach
At Gabu, and its pure consistency
Havocs the wasteland hard within its reach.
Brutal the day long bashing of its heart
Against the seascape where, for miles around,
Farther than sight itself, the rock-stones part
And drop into the elemental wound.
The waste of centuries in grey and dead
And neutral where the sea has beached its brine,
- 7 -
Where the spilt salt of its heart lies spread
Among the dark habiliments of Time.
The vital splendor misses. For there, here
At Gabu where the ageless tide recurs
All things forfeited are most loved and dear.
It is the sea pursues a habit of shores.
Marjorie Evasco
She was born in Bohol on 21 of September 1953. She writes bilingually in English and Cebuano-Visayan, and is
considered one of the country’s earliest feminist poets. She has received numerous awards for her poetry, and in 2010, she
received the prestigious South East Asian Write Award ( SEA Write ). She is currently a professor emeritus of De la Salle
University – Manila.

9. Is It the Kingfisher?
By Marjorie Evasco
This is how I desire god on this island
With you today: basic and blue
As the sea that softens our feet with salt
And brings the living wave to our mouths
Playing with sounds of a primary language.
“God is blue,” sang the poet Juan Ramon Jimenez,
Drunk with desiring, his hair, eyebrows,
Eyelashes turned blue as the kingfisher’s wings.
It is this bird that greets us as we come.
Round the eastern bend of this island;
Tells us the hairbreadth boundary between us
Is transient as the air, permeable to the blue
Of tropic skies and mountain gentian.
Where we sit on this rock covered with seaweeds,
I suddenly feel the blueness embrace us,
The distance between us
We have longed to be. A bolt of burning blue
Light in my brain, gives the answer
We’ve pursued this whole day:
Seawaves sing it, the kingfisher flies in it,
The island is rooted in it. Desiring
God is transparent blue – the color
This makes our souls visible.
Cirilo Bautista
He was born in 1941 and is a well-known poet, fictionist, critic and nonfiction writer. After receiving a writing
fellowship at the International Writing Program in the University of Iowa, he received an honorary degree and was the only
Filipino to be honored there. He has taught in De La Salle University – Manila and is currently a professor emeritus.
Recently, he was awarded as a National Artist for Literature by the Philippine government.
On How to Find Silence in the World
By Cirilo Bautista
Being spotted in the color of skin,
Why I take care in San Francisco,
Waiting for the bus to Iowa,
They say racial prejudice is strong.
- 8 -
Negros and not whites kawawa,
And because of this they will revolt.
I shiver and shiver from fear and hunger
Because I just landed from Tokyo
A Negro came into the station-----
Naka-African hairdo; he holds a small whip;
It’s scary to look, so
I did not look at him. Kumakalansing
the metal on the strings of his shoes
and he shouts, “peace, brothers!” smiled showing
white teeth. Looked at me-----
maybe he laughed at what he saw
a tiny dayuhan, dark and from some lupalop.
Upside down my insides
Went in fright and pulled a cigarette
So the redness of my face wouldn’t show
I nahalata that the Whites there too were quiet
so quiet, unable to speak in front of that Negro
Only when he left returned
the normalcy in the station----- others

10. read again, neighbors gossiped again.
After a while that Negro passed again
two white Americans on each arm,
blonde, their beauty with no equal.
The janitor stopped sweeping.
I thought, “So this is racial prejudice”.
III. Activity. Use the space below or another sheet of paper if necessary for your answers in Activity and
Assessment Activity.
Activity 1
1. Interpret each stanza of the poem Gabu.
2. If you were the “sea” in this poem, why do you keep pursuing the shore?
3. Identify the importance of the elements of poetry.
4. What elements of poetry can help you in reading and understanding a poem?
5. How does the poem Gabu affect ones sensory?
Activity 2
1. Describe the writer of Is It the Kingfisher?
2. What does the poem Is It the Kingfisher show?
3. What are the relationships show in the poem Is It the Kingfisher?
4. How does the writer communicate to God?
5. Interpret the poem Is It the Kingfisher?
Activity 3
1. How would you feel if you were discriminated because of your physical appearance? Explain it.
2. Do you think it is fair to be discriminated because of the way you look? Why?
3. What does it mean to be racially discriminated?
4. Is racial prejudice still prevalent in the world as of now? Explain it.
5. Interpret the poem On How to Find Silence in the World.
IV. Assessment Activity
A. Research about Ilocos and its beaches, think which one Carlos Angeles is talking about in “Gabu”.
Use the poem’s imagery as clues to pinpoint the beach mentioned here. Afterwards, draw your
visual imagery of Gabu as described in the poem.
- 9 –
B. Search for 10 verses in the Bible.
C. Create an essay about discrimination in the Philippines. You may connect it from this current
situation.
I. Objective
Identify the novels written by Filipino writers in Philippine literature.
II. Content
Introduction
Philippine literature reflects a diverse group of works which are mostly grounded on traditional folktales, socio-
political histories, and real-life experiences. Such books have since promoted Filipino cultural values, told daily struggles of
locals, and have instilled a remarkable lesson or two. Here are the books worth your time.
1. Noli Me Tángere by Dr. José Rizal
Among the great novels in Philippine literature, Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me
Not) is the most controversial and widely-known – it’s included in the current
education curriculum of Filipino high school students. Written by the country’s
national hero, Dr. José Rizal, this novel sparked the social awakening of Filipinos
during the Spanish colonial era. As Rizal cannot fathom the unfairness of the Spanish
priests and the ruling government at the time, his purpose of writing the book was to
expose the ills of Philippine society at the time. In this revolutionary book, you’ll learn
about the story of Crisostomo Ibarra, how he dealt with Spanish authorities, and how
he prepared for his revenge, as told in Rizal’s 2nd book, El Filibusterismo.
2. Florante at Laura by Francisco Balagtas
Lesson 4: Novels of Philippine
Literature

11. Another famous masterpiece in Philippine literature
, Francisco Balagtas’ Florante at Laura is written in the form of ‘awit’ where there are
four lines per stanza and 12 syllables per line. Set in the fictional kingdom of Albania,
it tackles the story between Duke Florante and Princess Laura, who’s also being
pursued by Florante’s enemy Count Adolfo. As a literary classic, this book has
become a favorite play not only among Filipino high school students, but has been
showcased in grand theaters such as Gantimpala Theater and the Cultural Center of
the Philippines.
3. Mga Ibong Mandaragit by Amado V. Hernandez
Mga Ibong Mandaragit (Birds of Prey) was written by Filipino writer and
social activist, Amado V. Hernandez. Being a novel that tackles social-political issues,
particularly Philippine revolution and neocolonialism, it has a connection to Rizal’s
earlier novels – Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo. There was a passage in the
novel where protagonist Mando Plaridel was tested by Tata Matyas on what he
knows about Rizal’s controversial books. As he narrated the living conditions of
Filipinos then, readers will note how Hernandez had high hopes for significant
changes that would uplift the Philippine society.
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4. The Woman Who Had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin
Being one of the most admired writers in Philippine literature, Nick
Joaquin was recognized as National Artist of the Philippines for Literature in 1976.
In his historical novel entitled The Woman Who Had Two Navels, Joaquin examines
the effects and influence of the past towards the post-war events in the
Philippines. Lead female character Connie Escobar thinks she has two navels, and
thus requests her doctor to remove one – which symbolically means that she wants
to shun away from a traumatic past. She later finds out that her husband, Macho
Escobar, was the lover of her mother. Hoping to escape after being betrayed, she
flees, only to discover more truths.
5. Po-On by F. Sionil Jose
Like Hernandez and Joaquin, F. Sionil Jose’s works have been deeply
influenced by Rizal. This was reflected in his books and short stories, particularly
the five-part novel series Rosales Saga, which narrated class struggles and
colonialism experienced by Filipinos. Po-on A Novel is the first book in the Rosales
Saga, which tells stories about Rosales, Pangasinan in the Philippines. While this
book is the last written and published in the series, it’s actually the book that sets
the five-part story. Discover the story of Eustaqio “Istak” Samson who abandoned
his family to join the rebel forces and escape the cruelty of Spanish authorities.
The other four books in the saga are: Tree, My Brother, My
Executioner, The Pretenders, and Mass.
6. Banaag at Sikat by Lope K. Santos
Banaag at Sikat (From Early Dawn to Full Light) has been dubbed the
‘bible of the Filipino working class Being among the earliest novels written by
Lope K. Santos, it’s considered by Filipino critic Teodoro Agoncillo as one of the
most important books in Philippine literature in 1949. That’s because according
to Agoncillo, it paved the way for the development of a system on
how Tagalog novels were written. The novel narrates the story between Delfin
and Felipe who have contrasting views. Delfin is a socialist whereas Felipe,

12. despite being the son of a rich landowner, leans towards anarchism. Throughout the narrative, themes of love, livelihood,
and societal status are embedded.
7. Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco
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This novel written by Miguel Syjuco landed him a spot on the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize, being awarded the Grand
Prize. Layered with fiction and non-fiction themes, the story begins with main character Crispin Salvador, a noted writer
whose lifeless body was discovered by authorities floating off the Hudson River in New York. Since there was no evidence
of foul play, it led them to think that the author must have taken his own life. His student and friend, who has the same
name as the book’s author Miguel Syjuco, hopes to unravel the story behind this mystery.
8. Dekada 70 by Lualhati Bautista
The Marcos era in the ’70s is a dark chapter in Philippine history. No one dares to speak against the government for fear
of execution – in some cases, bodies are not even retrieved. Hence, it has been a tumultuous period, especially for the
Filipino parents to protect their kids from the oppressive regime and at the same time, stand together as one family.
Lualhati Bautista has captured true-to-life scenarios in the ’70s, mentioning changes that arose after the Plaza Miranda
bombing and the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Philippines. The novels tells the story of lead protagonist
Amanda Bartolome and her family, where she had to deal with facing the law and her responsibilities towards her five
sons.
9. ABNKKBSNPLAko?! by Bob Ong
Spelt in the texting language, the title of this book phonetically reads “Aba
nakakabasa na pala ako?!” which can be translated as “Wow I can read now?!”
Written by an anonymous Filipino contemporary author whose pen name is Bob
Ong, the book rose to fame for depicting the supposed unforgettable moments of
his life as a student, starting from the first time of entering school up to his college
days. Unlike classic traditional novels, Bob Ong’s books make use of conversational
Filipino language as he narrates stories in a humorous way while depicting the real-
life situations in Philippine context.

13. III. Assessment Activity
Briefly explain each novels of Philippine literature. Use other sheet of paper.
I. Objective
Appreciate the contributions of fiction in Philippine literature.
II. Content
The Landscape of Philippine Fiction If there is one thing Filipinos love, it is a good dramatic story. Filipinos can
easily find themselves in one of the characters whom they watch on TV: the optimistic little girl who is
tormented by evil relatives; the poor rich girl who has everything but can never be as optimistic as the poor
protagonist; and even the antagonist who has a vendetta against everyone but gets the wittiest lines in the TV show.
Aside from this, Filipinos also relate the situations in the story to certain parts of their lives, such as the longing for a
lost parent or child, the death of a relative, or a dramatic love story that is against the world. One of the most popular
telenovelas in Philippine television in Mara Clara. No matter how much Filipinos see themselves and their situations in
popular TV shows, the fact remains that these are all products of fiction. A fiction is a story that is entirely made up
and is not true. At times, fiction may resemble reality, but it is purely circumsta ntia l. In Philippine
literature, there are many stories that have shaped the way Filipinos read and view the ir s ur r o und ing s . A
g o o d e x a mp le is J o s e R iz a l’ s b o o ks , N o l i M e T a n g e r e a n d El Filibusterismo. These novels are a
long and sustained critical story about the Spanish rule. Another good example is through short
stories. These selected short stories have had an extensive influence on Philippine literature and society. So
don’t be surprised if they have also influenced television and popular culture! Techniques of Fiction Fiction just like any
good story, starts with a good character. The character of the story is the one you relate with, converse with, or listen to
the thoughts of. This character and the way he or she changes as the story progresses become the driving force of
fiction—the reason that you as a reader will be interested or disinterested as you read. The character may be kind,
rich, confusing, annoying, bratty, complicated, ever-changing, and so on. In the end, the character of a short story still
holds the key to whether the fiction will be good or not. Sometimes, characters also serve as symbols of a story. What is
symbolism in fiction? A short story may use a character, object, or event to signify something else from its
original meaning. A character may symbolize a community or an event in history. Two characters
interacting in a story may symbolize the conflict or union between two different societies. There are times when you
may not be sure what the symbolisms in a given story are. As the reader, you need to examine these symbols and come
up with your own interpretations. Francisco Sionil Jose (also known as F. Sionil Jose) is a fictionist, essayist, and novelist.
He is currently considered one of the most widely read Filipino authors, having been translated into many
languages worldwide. His usual themes are social struggles and strife in Philippine society. He was also awarded as
a National Artist for Literature in 2001.
The Elements of Fiction
Plot, Setting, Character, Conflict, Symbol, and Point of View are the main elements which fiction writers use to develop a
story and its Theme. Because literature is an art and not a science, it is impossible to specifically quantify any of these
elements within any story or to guarantee that each will be present in any given story. Setting might be the most
important element in one and almost nonexistent in another.Just as a Crime Scene Investigator cannot approach a crime
scene looking for a specific clue (e. g., shell casings), you as a reader cannot approach a story deciding to look for a
specific element, such as Symbol. To assume could blind you to important elements. Both the CSI team and you must
examine the entire “area” carefully to determine what is present and how it is important.
With that understanding, let’s examine the elements.
1. PLOT
Lesson 5: The Landscape of
Philippine Fiction

14. Literature teachers sometimes give the impression that plot is not important, that anyone interested
in plot is an immature reader. Of course plot is important. It was what got us interested in reading in
the first place. It was the carrot on the string that pulled us through a story as we wanted to see
what would happen next.
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That said, let me emphasize that plot is rarely the most important element of a good story. As much as I’ve always loved
surprise endings, if the only thing a film or a story has is a great twist ending, it doesn’t have anything on a second look.
And it’s worth noting that recent fiction and film have deemphasized plot, frequently stressing character or conflict for
example. In film, for example, think David Lynch or Pulp Fiction.
2. SETTING
Stories actually have two types of setting: Physical and Chronological. The physical setting is of
course where the story takes place. The “where” can be very general—a small farming community,
for example—or very specific—a two story white frame house at 739 Hill Street in Scott City,Missouri.
Likewise, the chronological setting, the “when,” can be equally general or specific. The author’s
choices are important. Shirley Jackson gives virtually no clues as to where or when her story “The
Lottery” is set. Examination suggests that she wants the story to be universal, not limited by time or
place. The first two stories you will read each establish a fairly specific physical setting; consider what
each setting brings to each story.
3. CHARACTER
What type of individuals are the main characters? Brave, cowardly, bored, obnoxious? If you tell me
that the protagonist (main character) is brave, you should be able to tell where in the story you got
that perception. In literature, as in real life, we can evaluate character three ways: what the individual
says, what the individual does, and what others say about him or her.
4. CONFLICT
Two types of conflict are possible: External and Internal.
a. External conflict could be man against nature (people in a small lifeboat on a rough ocean) or man
against man.
b. internal conflict might not seem as exciting as external, remember that real life has far more
internal than external conflict.
Film and fiction emphasize external conflict not simply because “it’s more interesting” but also because it’s easier to
write. In a film script, you merely have to write “A five minute car chase follows” and you’ve filled five minutes. How long
would it take to write five minutes worth of dialogue?
5. SYMBOL
Don’t get bent out of shape about symbols. Simply put, a symbol is something which means
something else. Frequently it’s a tangible physical thing which symbolizes something intangible. The
Seven/Eleven stores understood that a few years ago when they were selling roses with a sign saying,
“A Rose Means ‘I Love You.’” The basic point of a story or a poem rarely depends solely on
understanding a symbol. However important or interesting they might be, symbols are usually
“frosting,” things which add interest or depth. It’s normal for you to be skeptical about symbols. If I
tell you that the tree in a certain story symbolizes the Garden of Eden, you may ask “Is that really
there or did you make it up?” or “How do you know what the author meant?”
Literature teachers may indeed “over-interpret” at times, find symbols that really aren’t there. But if you don’t occasionally
chase white rabbits that aren’t there, you’ll rarely find the ones that are there.
In the film 2001, a computer named HAL is controlling a flight to Jupiter. When the human crew decides to abort the
mission, HAL—programmed to guarantee the success of the mission—“logically” begins to kill off the humans. Science
fiction’s oldest theme: man develops a technology which he not only cannot control, it controls him.
Consider HAL’s name. Add one letter to each of the letters in his name. Change the H to I, the A to B, and the L to
M. When you realize how close HAL is to IBM, the first response is disbelief. But clearly the closeness of the names is
either an absolute accident or an intentional choice. As much as we are startled by the latter, we probably agree that the
odds against the former—it being an accident—are astronomical.
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6. POINT OF VIEW
Point of View is the “narrative point of view,” how the story is told—more specifically, who tells it.

15. There are two distinctly different types of point of view and each of those two types has 2 variations.
In the First Person point of view, the story is told by a character within the story, a character using
the first person pronoun, I.If the narrator is the main character, the point of view is first person
protagonist. Mark Twain lets Huck Finn narrate his own story in this point of view.
If the narrator is a secondary character, the point of view is first person observer. Arthur Conan
Doyle lets Sherlock Holmes’ friend Dr. Watson tell the Sherlock Holmes story. Doyle frequently gets
credit for telling detective stories this way, but Edgar Allan Poe perfected the technique half a
century earlier.
In the Third Person point of view, the story is not told by a character but by an “invisible author,”
using the third person pronoun (he, she, or it) to tell the story. Instead of Huck Finn speaking directly
to us, “My name’s Huckleberry Finn” and telling us “I killed a pig and spread the blood around so
people would think I’d been killed”, the third person narrator would say: He killed a pig and spread
the blood…..
If the third person narrator gives us the thoughts of characters (He wondered where he’d lost his
baseball glove), then he is a third person omniscient (all knowing) narrator.
If the third person narrator only gives us information which could be recorded by a camera and
microphone (no thoughts), then he is a third person dramatic narrator.
In summary, then, here are the types of point of view:
First Person Narrator
Protagonist
Observer
Third Person Narrator
Omniscient
Dramatic
Different points of view can emphasize different things. A first person protagonist narrator would give us access to the
thoughts of the main character. If the author doesn’t want us to have that access, he could use the first person observer,
for example, or the third person dramatic.
7. THEME
Theme isn’t so much an element of fiction as much as the result of the entire story. The theme is the
main idea the writer of the poem or story wants the reader to understand and remember.
You may have used the word “Moral” in discussing theme; but it’s not a good synonym because
“moral” implies a positive meaning or idea. And not all themes are positive. One word—love, for
example—may be a topic; but it cannot be a theme.
A theme is a statement about a topic.
For example: “The theme of the story is that love is the most important thing in the world.” That’s a
cliché, of course, but it is a theme.
Not all stories or poems (or films) have an overriding “universal” theme.
III. Activity
Read and understand the fiction story The Lottery, and then answer the questions below. Encircle the
letter of the correct answer.
The Necklace
She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as if by an error of fate, into a family of clerks. She had no
dowry, no expectations, no means of becoming known, understood, loved or wedded by a man of wealth and distinction;
and so she let herself be married to a minor official at the Ministry of Education. She dressed plainly because she had
never been able to afford anything better, but she was as unhappy as if she had once been wealthy. Women don't belong
to a caste or class; their beauty,
- 16 -
grace, and natural charm take the place of birth and family. Natural delicacy, instinctive elegance and a quick wit
determine their place in society, and make the daughters of commoners the equals of the very finest ladies. She suffered
endlessly, feeling she was entitled to all the delicacies and luxuries of life. She suffered because of the poorness of her
house as she looked at the dirty walls, the worn-out chairs and the ugly curtains. All these things that another woman of
her class would not even have noticed, tormented her and made her resentful. The sight of the little Brenton girl who did
her housework filled her with terrible regrets and hopeless fantasies. She dreamed of silent antechambers hung with
Oriental tapestries, lit from above by torches in bronze holders, while two tall footmen in knee-length breeches napped in
huge armchairs, sleepy from the stove's oppressive warmth. She dreamed of vast living rooms furnished in rare old silks,

16. elegant furniture loaded with priceless ornaments, and inviting smaller rooms, perfumed, made for afternoon chats with
close friends - famous, sought after men, who all women envy and desire. When she sat down to dinner at a round table
covered with a three-day-old cloth opposite her husband who, lifting the lid off the soup, shouted excitedly, "Ah! Beef
stew! What could be better," she dreamed of fine dinners, of shining silverware, of tapestries which peopled the walls with
figures from another time and strange birds in fairy forests; she dreamed of delicious dishes served on wonderful plates, of
whispered gallantries listened to with an inscrutable smile as one ate the pink flesh of a trout or the wings of a quail. She
had no dresses, no jewels, nothing; and these were the only things she loved. She felt she was made for them alone. She
wanted so much to charm, to be envied, to be desired and sought after. She had a rich friend, a former schoolmate at the
convent, whom she no longer wanted to visit because she suffered so much when she came home. For whole days
afterwards she would weep with sorrow, regret, despair and misery.
One evening her husband came home with an air of triumph, holding a large envelope in his hand. "Look," he
said, "here's something for you." She tore open the paper and drew out a card, on which was printed the words: "The
Minister of Education and Mme. Georges Rampouneau request the pleasure of M. and Mme. Loisel's company at the
Ministry, on the evening of Monday January 18th." Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the
invitation on the table resentfully, and muttered: "What do you want me to do with that?" "But, my dear, I thought you
would be pleased. You never go out, and it will be such a lovely occasion! I had awful trouble getting it. Everyone wants to
go; it is very exclusive, and they're not giving many invitations to clerks. The whole ministry will be there." She stared at
him angrily, and said, impatiently: "And what do you expect me to wear if I go?" He hadn't thought of that. He
stammered: "Why, the dress you go to the theatre in. It seems very nice to me ..." He stopped, stunned, distressed to see
his wife crying. Two large tears ran slowly from the corners of her eyes towards the corners of her mouth. He stuttered:
"What's the matter? What's the matter?" With great effort she overcame her grief and replied in a calm voice, as she
wiped her wet cheeks:"Nothing. Only I have no dress and so I can't go to this party. Give your invitation to a friend whose
wife has better clothes than I do."
He was distraught, but tried again: "Let's see, Mathilde. How much would a suitable dress cost, one which you could use
again on other occasions, something very simple?"
She thought for a moment, computing the cost, and also wondering what amount she could ask for without an
immediate refusal and an alarmed exclamation from the thrifty clerk.
At last she answered hesitantly: "I don't know exactly, but I think I could do it with four hundred francs."
He turned a little pale, because he had been saving that exact amount to buy a gun and treat himself to a hunting trip the
following summer, in the country near Nanterre, with a few friends who went lark-shooting there on Sundays. However,
he said: "Very well, I can give you four hundred francs. But try and get a really beautiful dress.
The day of the party drew near, and Madame Loisel seemed sad, restless, anxious. Her dress was ready, however.
One evening her husband said to her:"What's the matter? You've been acting strange these last three days." She replied:
"I'm upset that I have no jewels, not a single stone to wear. I will look cheap. I would almost rather not go to the party."
"You could wear flowers, " he said, "They are very fashionable at this time of year. For ten francs you could get two or
three magnificent roses."She was not convinced. "No; there is nothing more humiliating than looking poor in the middle
of a lot of rich women. "How stupid you are!" her husband cried. "Go and see your friend Madame Forestier and ask her
to lend you some jewels. You know her well enough for that." She uttered a cry of joy. "Of course. I had not thought of
that."
- 17 -
The next day she went to her friend's house and told her of her distress. Madame Forestier went to her mirrored
wardrobe, took out a large box, brought it back, opened it, and said to Madame Loisel: "Choose, my dear."First she saw
some bracelets, then a pearl necklace, then a gold Venetian cross set with precious stones, of exquisite craftsmanship. She
tried on the jewelry in the mirror, hesitated, could not bear to part with them, to give them back. She kept asking: "You
have nothing else?" "Why, yes. But I don't know what you like." Suddenly she discovered, in a black satin box, a superb
diamond necklace, and her heart began to beat with uncontrolled desire. Her hands trembled as she took it. She fastened
it around her neck, over her high-necked dress, and stood lost in ecstasy as she looked at herself. Then she asked
anxiously, hesitating: "Would you lend me this, just this? "Why, yes, of course." She threw her arms around her friend's
neck, embraced her rapturously, then fled with her treasure.
The day of the party arrived. Madame Loisel was a success. She was prettier than all the other women, elegant,
gracious, smiling, and full of joy. All the men stared at her, asked her name, tried to be introduced. All the cabinet officials
wanted to waltz with her. The minister noticed her. She danced wildly, with passion, drunk on pleasure, forgetting
everything in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success, in a sort of cloud of happiness, made up of all this
respect, all this admiration, all these awakened desires, of that sense of triumph that is so sweet to a woman's heart. She
left at about four o'clock in the morning. Her husband had been doing since midnight in a little deserted anteroom with
three other gentlemen whose wives were having a good time.He threw over her shoulders the clothes he had brought for
her to go outside in, the modest clothes of an ordinary life, whose poverty contrasted sharply with the elegance of the ball
dress. She felt this and wanted to run away, so she wouldn't be noticed by the other women who were wrapping
themselves in expensive furs. Loisel held her back. "Wait a moment; you'll catch a cold outside. I'll go and find a cab." But
she would not listen to him, and ran down the stairs. When they were finally in the street, they could not find a cab, and
began to look for one, shouting at the cabmen they saw passing in the distance. They walked down toward the Seine in

17. despair, shivering with cold. At last they found on the quay one of those old night cabs that one sees in Paris only after
dark, as if they were ashamed to show their shabbiness during the day.They were dropped off at their door in the Rue des
Martyrs, and sadly walked up the steps to their apartment. It was all over, for her. And he was remembering that he had to
be back at his office at ten o'clock. In front of the mirror, she took off the clothes around her shoulders, taking a final look
at herself in all her glory. But suddenly she uttered a cry. She no longer had the necklace round her neck!
"What is the matter?" asked her husband, already half undressed. She turned towards him, panic-stricken. "I have ... I have
... I no longer have Madame Forestier's necklace." He stood up, distraught. "What! ... how! ... That's impossible!" They
looked in the folds of her dress, in the folds of her cloak, in her pockets, everywhere. But they could not find it. "Are you
sure you still had it on when you left the ball?" he asked. "Yes. I touched it in the hall at the Ministry. "But if you had lost it
in the street we would have heard it fall. It must be in the cab." "Yes. That's probably it. Did you take his number?"
"No. And you, didn't you notice it?"
"No." They stared at each other, stunned. At last Loisel put his clothes on again. "I'm going back," he said, "over the whole
route we walked, see if I can find it."He left. She remained in her ball dress all evening, without the strength to go to bed ,
sitting on a chair, with no fire, her mind blank. Her husband returned at about seven o'clock. He had found nothing. He
went to the police, to the newspapers to offer a reward, to the cab companies; everywhere the tiniest glimmer of hope led
him
She waited all day, in the same state of blank despair from before this frightful disaster. Loisel returned in the evening, a
hollow, pale figure; he had found nothing. "You must write to your friend," he said, "tell her you have broken the clasp of
her necklace and that you are having it mended. It will give us time to look some more." She wrote as he dictated
At the end of one week they had lost all hope. And Loisel, who had aged five years, declared: "We must consider how to
replace the jewel."
The next day they took the box which had held it, and went to the jeweler whose name they found inside. He
consulted his books. "It was not I, madam, who sold the necklace; I must simply have supplied the case."And so they went
from jeweler to jeweler, looking for an necklace like the other one, consulting their memories, both sick with grief and
anguish. In a shop at the Palais Royal, they found a string of diamonds which seemed to be exactly what they were looking
for. It was worth forty thousand francs. They could have it for thirty-six thousand. So they begged the jeweler not to sell it
for three days. And they made an arrangement that he would take it back for thirty-four thousand francs if the other
necklace was found before the end of February.
- 18 -
Loisel had eighteen thousand francs which his father had left him. He would borrow the rest. And he did borrow,
asking for a thousand francs from one man, five hundred from another, five louis here, three louis there. He gave notes,
made ruinous agreements, dealt with usurers, with every type of money-lender. He compromised the rest of his life, risked
signing notes without knowing if he could ever honor them, and, terrified by the anguish still to come, by the black misery
about to fall on him, by the prospect of every physical privation and every moral torture he was about to suffer, he went to
get the new necklace, and laid down on the jeweler's counter thirty-six thousand francs. When Madame Loisel took the
necklace back, Madame Forestier said coldly:"You should have returned it sooner, I might have needed it." To the relief of
her friend, she did not open the case. If she had detected the substitution, what would she have thought? What would she
have said? Would she have taken her friend for a thief? From then on, Madame Loisel knew the horrible life of the very
poor. But she played her part heroically. The dreadful debt must be paid. She would pay it. They dismissed their maid; they
changed their lodgings; they rented a garret under the roof. She came to know the drudgery of housework, the odious
labors of the kitchen. She washed the dishes, staining her rosy nails on greasy pots and the bottoms of pans. She washed
the dirty linen, the shirts and the dishcloths, which she hung to dry on a line; she carried the garbage down to the street
every morning, and carried up the water, stopping at each landing to catch her breath. And, dressed like a commoner, she
went to the fruiterer's, the grocer's, the butcher's, her basket on her arm, bargaining, insulted, fighting over every
miserable sou. Each month they had to pay some notes, renew others, get more time. Her husband worked every
evening, doing accounts for a tradesman, and often, late into the night, he sat copying a manuscript at five sous a page.
And this life lasted ten years. At the end of ten years they had paid off everything, everything, at usurer's rates and with
the accumulations of compound interest.
Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become strong, hard and rough like all women of impoverished households.
With hair half combed, with skirts awry, and reddened hands, she talked loudly as she washed the floor with great swishes
of water. But sometimes, when her husband was at the office, she sat down near the window and thought of that evening
at the ball so long ago, when she had been so beautiful and so admired. What would have happened if she had not lost
that necklace? Who knows, who knows? How strange life is, how fickle! How little is needed for one to be ruined or saved
One Sunday, as she was walking in the Champs Élysées to refresh herself after the week's work, suddenly she saw a
woman walking with a child. It was Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful, still charming.Madame Loisel felt
emotional. Should she speak to her? Yes, of course. And now that she had paid, she would tell her all. Why not?She went
up to her. "Good morning, Jeanne.The other, astonished to be addressed so familiarly by this common woman, did not
recognize her. She stammered: "But - madame - I don't know. You must have made a mistake." "No, I am Mathilde
Loisel." Her friend uttered a cry. "Oh! ... my poor Mathilde, how you've changed! ... "Yes, I have had some hard times
since I last saw you, and many miseries ... and all because of you! ... "Me? How can that be? "You remember that diamond
necklace that you lent me to wear to the Ministry party?" "Yes. Well? "Well, I lost it. "What do you mean? You brought it
back. "I brought you back another exactly like it. And it has taken us ten years to pay for it. It wasn't easy for us, we had

18. very little. But at last it is over, and I am very glad.Madame Forestier was stunned."You say that you bought a diamond
necklace to replace mine?" "Yes; you didn't notice then? They were very similar." And she smiled with proud and innocent
pleasure. Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took both her ha "Oh, my poor Mathilde! Mine was an imitation! It was worth
five hundred francs at most! ..."
III. Assessment Activity
Identify the elements of fiction from the story The Necklace. Write your answer in a sheet of paper.
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I. Objective
Value the contribution of Philippine literature through criticism.
II. Content
Literary Criticism
By reading and discussing literature, we expand our imagination, our sense of what is possible, and our ability to
empathize with others. Improve your ability to read critically and interpret texts while gaining appreciation for different
literary genres and theories of interpretation. Read samples of literary interpretation. Write a critique of a literary work.
Texts that interpret literary works are usually persuasive texts. Literary critics may conduct a close reading of a literary
work, critique a literary work from the stance of a particular literary theory, or debate the soundness of other critics’
interpretations. The work of literary critics is similar to the work of authors writing evaluative texts. For example, the skills
required to critique films, interpret laws, or evaluate artistic trends are similar to those skills required by literary critics.
Why Write Literary Criticism?
People have been telling stories and sharing responses to stories since the beginning of time. By reading and discussing
literature, we expand our imagination, our sense of what is possible, and our ability to empathize with others. Reading and
discussing literature can enhance our ability to write. It can sharpen our critical faculties, enabling us to assess works and
better understand why literature can have such a powerful effect on our lives.
“Literary texts” include works of fiction and poetry. In school, English instructors ask students to critique literary texts, or
works. Literary criticism refers to a genre of writing whereby an author critiques a literary text, either a work of fiction, a
play, or poetry. Alternatively, some works of literary criticism address how a particular theory of interpretation informs a
reading of a work or refutes some other critics’ reading of a work.
Diverse Rhetorical Situations
The genre of literary interpretation is more specialized than most of the other genres addressed in this section, as
suggested by the table below. People may discuss their reactions to literary works informally (at coffee houses, book clubs,
or the gym) but the lion’s share of literary criticism takes place more formally: in college classrooms, professional journals,
academic magazines, and Web sites.
Students interpret literary works for English instructors or for students enrolled in English classes. In their interpretatio ns,
students may argue for a particular interpretation or they may dispute other critics’ interpretations. Alternatively, students
may read a text with a particular literary theory in mind, using the theory to explicate a particular point of view. For
example, writers could critique The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin from a feminist theoretical perspective. Thanks to the
Internet, some English classes are now publishing students’ interpretations on Web sites. In turn, some students and
English faculty publish their work in academic literary criticism journals.
Over the years, literary critics have argued about the best ways to interpret literature. Accordingly, many “schools” or
“theories of criticism” have emerged. As you can imagine–given that they were developed by sophisticated specialists–
some of these theoretical approaches are quite sophisticated and abstract.
Below is a summary of some of the more popular literary theories. Because it is a summary, the following tends to
oversimplify the theories. In any case, unless you are enrolled in a literary criticism course, you won’t need to learn the
particulars of all of these approaches. Instead, your teacher may ask you to take an eclectic approach, pulling
interpretative questions from multiple literary theories
Literary criticism is the comparison, analysis, interpretation, and/or evaluation of works of literature. Literary criticism is
essentially an opinion, supported by evidence, relating to theme, style, setting or historical or political context. It usually
includes discussion of the work’s content and integrates your ideas with other insights gained from research. Literary
criticism may have a positive or a negative bias and may be a study of an individual piece of literature or an author’s body
of work.
Although criticism may include some of the following elements in order to support an idea, literary criticism is NOT a plot
summary, a biography of the author, or simply finding fault with the literature.
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Lesson 6: Remapping of Philippine
Literature through Criticism

19. Researching, reading, and writing works of literary criticism will help you to make better sense of the work, form
judgments about literature, study ideas from different points of view, and determine on an individual level whether a
literary work is worth reading.
Examples of some types of literary criticism are:
 Biographical
 Comparative
 Ethical
 Expressive
 Feminist
 Historical
 Mimetic
 Pragmatic
 Psychological
 Social
 Textual
 Theoretical
Function of Literary Criticism
 The overall functions of literary criticism are not easily compartmentalized. If someone were to attempt to critique
a literary work, they might find that they are doing a broad spectrum of activities, ranging from book reviews to
more in-depth theoretical discussions of not only the book, but also the person who wrote the book and the
historical events that occurred during the time of original writing. Book reviews have the potential to determine
whether or not a book will be sold in mass quantities.
 However, there are several famous books that have enjoyed great commercial success despite receiving negative
reviews – including one of the most famous works ever written. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick (1851) did not
receive glowing reviews from critics, yet it has enjoyed tremendous success in both print and movie form for
almost two hundred years.
 One of the guiding functions of literary criticism is to explore and express shifts in sensibility that make it possible
to revaluate books . In fact, the only requirement for a new critique is that the original text survive over the years.
 The literary critic sometimes finds that they must wear multiple hats, acting as a pseudo-detective, uncovering,
verifying and editing unknown manuscripts. Occasionally, literary critics have the unique opportunity to introduce
the public to literary works that have either been forgotten or may not have generated a strong interest in
previous years.
 The depth of the functions involved in a proper literary critique will determine the range of publications the
critique appears in. For example, literary criticisms that are published in the daily press will seldom include detailed
analysis and often have little more information than a summary of the publishers claim for book interest.
 Weekly or biweekly magazines will contain slightly more information, however, they are often bias in their
judgment and some magazines (such as the New York Review of Books) prefer to publish reviews of more
popular works. It is also possible to find sustained criticism in monthly and quarterly publications, scholarly
journals and books.
 Given the role that critics play in demonstrating which written work should garner the most respect from the
public and in deciding what the work is ‘really’ about, literary critics are often the target of resentment. Critics who
are misinformed or malicious have the capability to steamroll or discourage writers who have been struggling to
enter new realms of writing. Plodding critics can hinder new literature by diverting deserved attention away from
pivotal points in the work and reflecting on inessential maters.
 Literary critics might even antagonize writers despite optimal performance of their work. Those writers who
possess minimal regard for literary critics aren’t less pleased when they are told that their finished work might
possess unintended meanings or when it is viewed as incomplete.
 What authors who believe that there is no need for literary criticism fail to recognize is that their work, after
publication, is ‘theirs’ only in the legal sense. The genuine ‘owners’ of the work, in the broad sense, is the public
who will now be in a position to form their own opinions regardless of what critics say or believe.
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 The responsibility of the critic is not to stroke the ego of the writer, but rather to compel the public to become
involved in the conversation and to develop their own standard of judgement. A critic can be useful to the public
because they focus on what the public wants in literature or popular culture and what they stand to receive from
literature and popular culture.
 Interestingly, despite the fact that literary critics are often the basis of the personal opinions of the critics
themselves, it is these reviews that help to create a thirst for art in the public. It is the role of the critic to identify
authentic talent in authors and to make sure that the public has the opportunity to explore those talents.
 That said, there are critics who feel strongly that literature must be discussed separately from other matters,
however many feel that social and political debates will augment these conversations. Literature is known to be
partisan, meaning that it will always, in one way or another, bare connection to local circumstance and can call

20. upon values and affirmations – It is not surprising to hear that the best critics pay little attention to the boundaries
between criticism and other social conventions.
 This is particularly true in modern European nations where literary criticism has held a formative place in ongoing
debates about political and cultural issues. What is Literature (1947) by Sarte is a prime example of how literary
ideals can relate to the development of society and various freedoms.
Finally, A Ray of Hope
Overall business confidence may have fallen, but companies are fairly upbeat about an improvement in sales and
income. Companies seem to be certain that an overall buoyant demand situation will help them overcome cost pressures
in the coming months. As employment grows, wage rates among skilled workers will continue to put some pressure on
firms.
A large majority of the companies believes that domestic sales will increase in the next six months. However, the
percentage that felt sales will increase by more than 10% has fallen since the previous round. Production is also likely to
increase, albeit less than 10%, according to a majority of the respondents.
This quarter witnessed a surge in the rupee against major currencies, including the dollar and euro. However, so far, this
has not disillusioned companies regarding export prospects in the next six months. A clear majority of the respondents
believes that exports are likely to increase in future. However, around 31% of the respondents do not expect the increase
to be more than 5%.
The perception of the amount of increase, however, differs across sectors. As many as 13.5% of the respondents in the
consumer durables sector, for instance, are optimistic of more than 10% increase in exports. Incidentally, none of the
companies from the consumer non-durables sector seem to forecast an export growth of greater than 10%.
Moreover, none of the companies tend to believe that exports could fall in the coming months. The percentage that feels
there will be no change in exports has also fallen since the previous quarter. As the rupee strengthens and domestic prices
escalate, imports tend to become cheaper. Moreover, growing domestic demand will also ensure that raw material
imports increase in the coming months. As per the survey, more than 51% of the respondents expect import of raw
materials to increase.
III. Assessment Activity
Direction: Answer the questions in A and B. Write your answer in A a sheet of paper, while in B use an
oslo paper.
A.
1. What is a literary criticism?
2. How can literary criticism be useful in the society?
3. Enumerate the functions of literary criticism.
4. Interpret the essay Finally, a Ray of Hope as an example of a literary criticism.
B. The United nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ), a nongovernment organization that pursues the
rights of the underprivileged youths in society, hires you as their main artist for a digital poster that
they want to put up in their web site. They want the poster to serve as a criticism against the local
government for not actively supporting the educational rights of the Filipino children.
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Despite of being a digital poster, they also want to make sure that your poster is informed enough to pose real facts and
depict real situations of school children in the country. They also have requested for your poster to appeal to both adults
and children and to be visually appropriate for all ages.
Rubrics
Description
Criterion 10 points 7 points 4 points Score
Visual appeal The poster is visually
appealing, with
harmonious
background, font size,
lettering, and
marquees
The poster is
moderately
appealing visually,
with generally
harmonious
background, font
size, lettering,
The poster has poor
visual appeal, with
disproportionate
background, font
size, colors, lettering,
and marquees.

21. marquees.
Information
Accuracy
Information is accurate
and well-researched.
Information is
moderately accurate
with a few lapses.
Information is not
well-researched and
has a couple of
lapses.
Design The poster is
excellently designed
with age-appropriate
visual elements
The poster is well-
designed with age-
appropriate visual
elements
The poster’s design
needs much
improvement and
the visual element
are not age-
appropriate.
SCORE /30
- 23 –
I. Objective
Identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary history from pre-
colonial to contemporary.
II. Content
Philippine literature is constantly evolving, which means that there are more outputs in which you as a student will
enjoy in the near future. One of these is the comic book industry, which is a good way for you to read and be informed in
a creative and enjoyable manner.
The comics or komiks, as it is known in the Philippines, is one of the most beloved forms of published work.
Some of the most famous ones are Mang Ambo of Larry Alcara, Pugad Baboy by Pol Medina, and News Hardcore by Manix
Abrera.
Vergara’s Ang Kagilas-gilas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah has won the National Book Award in 2003,
despite being self-published in 2002.
Here are 3 of the latest genres emerging in Philippine literature and examples of their literary works.
• Speculative fiction- This is an umbrella term in the country's literature that includes all genres of horror, fantasy, science
fiction, magical realism, and other nonrealist genres.
Dean Francis Alfar is the co-editor and publisher of the yearly Philippine Speculative Fiction anthology. His novels and
short stories have won him several national awards--including a total of 10 Don Carlos Palanca Awards. His publications
have been global, with his own short stories being published in other international journals.
Six from Downtown By: Dean Francis Alfar
Big Idea
Imagination is the key to speculative fiction just as it is the key to many tasks in life. With imagination, you may come up
with the best solution to a difficult situation. Sometimes, imagination will also help you go through the most difficult of
situations.
• Avant-garde poetry - These are poems that push the boundaries of what is expected as the norm. In that sense, these
kinds of poems experiment with form, phrasing, idea, imagery, and the like.
Conchitina Cruz is a Filipina poet who teaches creative and writing and comparative literature at the University of the
Philippines-Diliman. She graduated magna cum laude from the Creative Writing Program, and a valedictorian from the
College of Arts and Letters in 1998. She has received a Fulbright grant for her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing
in the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is currently talking up her PhD in the State University of New Yor k
(SUNY), Albany. She has published several poetry books such as Dark Hours and Elsewhere Held and Lingered.
● The contemporary essay nowadays is unrestricted and explores diverse topics such as dysfunctional families. LGBT
issues, terrorism, religion and or faith.
Shakira Sison won the First Prize Don Carlos Palanca Award for the English Essay last 2013 for "The Kraukauer Table." She
was a veterinarian before she relocated to New York in 2002, where she now currently works in the finace industry.
Can We Get Rid of "Filipino Time"?
By Shakira Sison
Lesson 7: Looking Beyond: The Future of
Philippine Literature

22. ● Speculative fiction is an umbrella term in the country’s literature that includes all genres of horror, fantasy, science
fiction, magical realism, and other non -realist genres.
Homesick by Sarah Gailey at Fireside Fiction. “She’s staring back at me with those ancient iridescent bug-eyes of hers.
They’re starting to frost over — her eyelashes are limned with white and it’s spreading. She’s grinning at me.” Crab-like,
fortune-telling aliens that freeze as they tell your fortune. Humanity at home on an alien planet. Earth abandoned.
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One desperate woman. This story by Gailey is awesomely weird. It twists the whole “alien invasion” trope inside out AND
tips it on its head. Fantastic stuff.
War Dog, by Mike Barretta in Apex Magazine. “He had seen the Dog twice before, and they had acknowledged each other at
a careful distance. As veterans, they shared the bond of war, but whereas he had emerged from conflict a respected soldier,
she had come out as an illegal gene splice, a piece of dangerous biological equipment.” Barretta’s story starts out feeling like
a pretty hardcore, noir-ish military scifi tale, set in a future USA ruled by religion and a fascist-like government, and
haunted by a strange disease. By the end, it had me sobbing and crying. A jaded ex-military, a genetically altered human,
and a society that has no time or place for those who do not obey… this one’s a gut-wrenching heartbreaker.
AVANT-GARDE POETRY
The Madness of 2020
I fold between blankets like a broken accordion. No more music in this darkened room– my own cacophony pierces this
throbbing skull. I imagine my life becoming more like the acid trip my dad once described to me, slipping in and out of
my doctor’s prescription bottle of the week and all the pretty bottles in a row. If I squint through tears, I can see a hazy
garden of marigolds. My laughter, warped and weary, even hurts inside this madness. Distant voices split time - a scientist
on t.v. talks about origins of this disease. The president blames the Chinese, scientists blame the bats. I blame no one, not
even my foolish neighbors with their karaoke street parties. I’m tired of this hot, new show called the blame game. I have
my own recycled show, the worried mother. (Wash your hands again, don’t forget your mask, and above all else, please
social distance) Stay tuned! Anxiety swells in my chest and rises up to beat against my skull. No escape - wild horses
gallop down cerebral highways trying to reach the shoreline where all the beautiful people cackle, mouths uncovered,
droplets mingling with the ocean’s spray. I do not fear the avant-garde colors flashing peripherally, the pounding beats
behind my eyes, or death itself. I do fear dying alone behind a mask.
CONTEMPORARY ESSAY
TIME is everyone’s most valuable commodity. Every organisation expects employees to be punctual and stick to the
deadline for completing their work.
Wasting time and, even worse, wasting the time of another is detrimental to the organisation. Being late cannot be
accepted as part of our culture.
Tardiness must be reproached in the workplace, be it government or private. Words such as “sorry for being late” will
never bring back a person’s “lost” time.
One of the basic obligations of an employee is to be present at his employer’s workplace to render the services expected
of him. Tardiness occurs when an employee fails to be available at work on time. Employees offer numerous reasons for
being late, such as being caught in traffic jams, road blocks or flash floods. Being silent and/or complacent about the
lackadaisical attitude of a person towards time is certainly not good for any organization.
Persistent lateness could lead to a breakdown in team atmosphere among the employees, which can affect morale and
impact on the company’s overall productivity.
It may cause inconvenience to other employees who will have to focus on a higher number of tasks at any one time to
compensate for those who reported late for work.
Hence, the company has the right to require its employees to come to work on time and to take disciplinary action,
including dismissal, in the event of persistent tardiness. The Industrial Court has in many of its awards confirmed the
management prerogative to discipline employees and impose dismissal as the punishment.
In this situation, the employer should maintain a policy on good time-keeping practices which should be properly
communicated to all employees and enforced fairly and consistently. In the process of dismissing an employee for
excessive or habitual tardiness, the employer must adhere to the proper procedures, which include reprimanding and
issuing warning or show cause letters to the employee concerned. An isolated and single occasion of lateness would not
justify the issuance of a show cause letter.
- 25 -
If lateness persists despite the informal action, such as final warning, reprimand and counseling, among others, it may
become a disciplinary matter and a formal disciplinary procedure will be necessary.
Even after there has been a full disciplinary process and the employee’s time-keeping has not improved, the employer
may terminate his service.
III. Assessment Activity
A. Answer the questions below. Use the space provided for.
1. What are the emerging trends in Philippine literature?
2. How have they evolved from the major canonical works?

23. 3. If you were to speculate on a possible situation here in the Philippines, what would it be and why?
4. What is a speculative fiction?
5. How does a contemporary essay affects the Philippine literature?
B. Construct a constructive work of any of the elements of Philippine literature.