Life and Works of Francisco Arcellana

Francisco Arcellana
 Francisco Arcellana is a Filipino teacher and a contemporary writer. He is one of the prominent Filipino
fictionists in English.
 He is known for innovating and exploring new literary forms and experimenting with different techniques in
short story writing.
 He was a member of the group The Veronicans, which was composed of influential Filipino writers who aimed
to use sensible literature in order to create a greater impact on the Philippines.
 He was also the first director of the University of the Philippines Creative Writing Center.
 Some of his well-known literary works are the short stories "The Man Who Would Be Poe," "Death in a
Factory," "A Clown Remembers," "The Mats," and "Lina."
 In 1990, he was awarded as the National Artist for Literature.
 His short stories "Flowers of May," "Christmas Gift," and "The Mats," were adapted as screenplays.

Analyzing a writer's literary works will help in identifying his contributions to Philippine literature.

Example:
Below are details regarding Francisco Arcellana's "The Mats."

a. Setting
The short story is set in the afternoon until evening at the house of the Angeles family.

b. Plot

 Exposition
Mr. Angeles comes from a periodic inspection trip in Mariveles. During the trip, he writes to his family and gets
them excited about the exceptionally beautiful and colorful mats he bought from an artist.
 Rising Action
Upon arriving, he gives the mats one by one to his children. Each mat is woven with his child’s name and
symbols. They are all happy to receive the mats.
 Climax
There are three mats that are to be unfolded. In a loud voice, he offers the three mats to his dead children
named Josefina, Victoria, and Concepcion.
 Falling Action
Nana Emilia, anguished, said he should not have bought mats for them, but Mr. Angeles insists that they must
be remembered.
 Conclusion
The children feel the tension and see the grief in the face of Mr. Angeles and the sadness of Nana Emilia. The
father unfolds the three mats in silence.
 c. Theme
Coping with the death of a loved one is a struggle. Commemorating his or her life is painful, but it must be
faced with courage and faith.
 Explanation:
 Francisco Arcellana presented the story using a distinct style. He focused on the characters' actions and
dialogues to reveal the innermost feelings and motives of the characters, which set the dramatic tone of the
short story.

Summary
Francisco Arcellana is a Filipino fictionist who demonstrated his craftsmanship in writing great literary pieces such as
"The Mats," a story that highlights Filipino family values and pictures an interesting character coping with the death of
loved ones. In this short story, he uses writing techniques such as emphasizing the characters’ actions and dialogues to
reveal their inner motives and emotions.
 Life and Works of Nestor Vicente Madali (N.V.M.) Gonzalez

N.V.M. Gonzalez
 Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez is an award-winning Filipino poet, essayist, fictionist, journalist, editor, and
teacher of creative writing.
 He is the first president of the Philippine Writers’ Association.
 He is also honored as one of the great Filipino writers who advanced literary traditions and culture.
 He was a recipient of the following awards: The Republic Cultural Heritage Award, the Jose Rizal Pro-Patria
Award, the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature, and the National Artist Award for Literature in 1997.
 Some of his published works are Seven Hills Away (1947), Children of the Ash-Covered Loam and Other
Stories (1954), and The Bamboo Dancers (1949), which appeared in Russian translation in 1965 and 1974.
 Seven Hills Away is a collection of short stories that sketch the daily lives of the Filipino kaingeros in his
hometown province, Mindoro.
 The Bamboo Dancers is a diasporic novel that features the challenges faced by Filipinos in America.

arefully analyzing the works of a writer will help in determining what his works have contributed to literature.

Example:
"Children of the Ash-Covered Loam" is a short story that depicts Filipino family practices and beliefs in a rural setting.

a. Setting
The story is set in a provincial place where kaingin is a common practice.

b. Plot

 Exposition
The story begins one sunny afternoon when Tarang’s father arrives with a pig to be taken care of by Tarang, a
seven-year-old boy.
 Rising Action
Tia Orang, an old midwife, sees Tarang and tells him to inform his mother of her passing by.
 Climax
Tatay and Nanay, Tarang’s parents, together with their neighbors are all set for performing religious rites
after kaingin (burning of trees). They believe that these practices will take away all evil spirits and will give
them a bountiful harvest. Tatay lays the pullet’s neck and lets the streaks of blood drop on the ash-covered
loam.
 Falling Action
After the clearing of the land, Tia Orang visits the family and performs hilot on Nanay and tells her that she is
ready to bear a child. She also shares stories of evil ones and spirits.
 Conclusion
Tarang, half-awake, hears the noise outside, gets up, and accidentally strikes a tree stump with his big toe.
The hurt does not concern him, for he is more interested in seeing how life emerge from the land as the rice
grains peek through the dirt.
 c. Theme
Death forms new life. Death and new formations of life are recurring motifs in the story. When a living thing
dies, a new life emerges. The story paints a cycle of life and death for the family. The kaingin practice and the
killing of the pullet as a ritual are some forms of deaths that the family believes will bring new life like a
bountiful harvest and another child.
 Explanation:
 The use of words such as kaingin, hilot, Nanay, and Tatay is part of N.V.M. Gonzalez's writing style, as even his
other works showcase terms that are unique to the setting of the story. Analyzing a story will help readers see
details such as this that will give them ideas regarding the writer's contributions to Philippine literature.
 N.V.M. Gonzalez is known as a local colorist writer. Local color is a literary technique that features the unique
regional traditions of people and emphasizes the ordinary events in their lives. This is used by N.V.M Gonzalez
to present the sociocultural dimensions of Filipino families and farmers in the provinces. In "Children of the
Ash-Covered Loam," words that show local color include kaingin, hilot, Nanay, and Tatay.
 Life and Works of Edith L. Tiempo
Edith L. Tiempo
 Edith L. Tiempo was a Filipino writer in English. She was a poet, fiction writer, and literary critic.
 She was known for using intricate and witty representations to portray significant human experiences.
 Some of her well known poems are "The Return," a poem that describes the characteristics of old age, "Lament
for the Littlest Fellow," a poem that presents a metaphor to describe the plight of a submissive wife under her
domineering husband, and "Bonsai," a poem that gives a look at how tangible objects could be keepers of
memories and emotions.
 As a fictionist, she was known for her moral profoundness. One of her remarkable short stories, "The Black
Monkey," won third prize in the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award. "The Black Monkey," which is set during the
time when guerrillas were fighting against the Japanese during World War II, narrates the tormenting
encounter of a woman with a monkey.
 She also wrote the novel A Blade of Fern, which depicts the problems of Filipino miners of Nibucal in southern
Philippines.
 She was awarded as the National Artist for Literature in 1999.
 She founded with her husband the Silliman University National Writers Workshop, which produced great young
writers of her time.
 Analyzing the literary work of a writer would help in determining what her contributions are to literature.
 Example:
 Below is an excerpt of Edith L. Tiempo's poem "The Return."
 The Return

If the dead years could shake their skinny legs and run
As once he had circled this house in thirty counts,
he would go thru this door among those old friends and they would not shun
Him and the tales he would tell, tales that would
bear more than the spare
Testimony of willed wit and his grey hairs.
 And he would live in the whispers and locked heads.
Wheeling around and around turning back was where he started:
The turn to the pasture, a swift streak under a boy’s running;
The swing, up a few times and he had all the earth he wanted;
The tower trees, and not so tall as he had
imagined;
The rocking chair on the porch, you pushed it and it started rocking,
Rocking, and abruptly stopped. He, too, stopped in the doorway, chagrined.
He would go among them but he would not tell, he could be smart,
He, an old man cracking the bones of his embarrassment apart.
 The excerpts cited in this material are copyrighted by their respective authors. Quipper ensures that the use of
these works has permission from their authors and this effort is ongoing. Should you have concerns regarding
the proper use of these works, or if you have not received communication from us regarding this matter,
please let us know immediately.

Author’s Style
Edith L. Tiempo used a very contemplative style in writing the poem "The Return." The theme and the subject of the
poem are very serious. Her narrative tone and vivid visual imagery allow readers to think deeply about old age and
evoke emotions of nostalgia and sadness from the old man’s perspective.

Edith L. Tiempo is one of the foremost Filipino contemporary writers in English who is known for her style and
substance. Her language is considered descriptive but without scrupulous detailing. Her literary works are hailed for
their artistic representation of significant human experiences.

Life and Works of F. Sionil Jose

F. Sionil Jose
 Francisco Sionil Jose, widely known as F. Sionil Jose, was born on December 3, 1924 in Rosales,
Pangasinan.
 His life and most of his works are influenced by Dr. Jose P. Rizal.
 He edited various literary and journalistic publications, and he founded the Philippine PEN, an organization of
poets, playwrights, and novelists.
 He opened Solidaridad Publishing House in 1965. A year after, he founded Solidarity, a magazine that produces
content mainly focused on "current affairs, ideas, and the arts."
 He was a recipient of numerous awards. Some of which are the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism,
Literature, and Creative Communications in 1980, the Pablo Neruda Centennial Award in 2004, and the Officer
in the French Order of Arts and Letters in 2014.
 He was conferred as National Artist for Literature in 2001.

F. Sionil Jose's Literary Works

 F. Sionil Jose’s are generally written in English and are translated to more than twenty languages and produced
worldwide.
 Among his most celebrated works is the Rosales Saga. It is a series of novels that are set from the Spanish
colonial period to the proclamation of Martial Law in the 1970s. This saga includes the following novels: Po-
on, Tree, The Pretenders, Mass, and My Brother, My Executioner.
 He has also written several short stories, including the notable "The God Stealer". It is a story about the
friendship of Philip Latak, an Ifugao, and Sam Christie, an American who wanted to buy a bulol, a sculpture of
an Ifugao god. The story depicts the relationship and truths about the colonizer and the colony.
 Waywaya: Eleven Filipino Short Stories is a compilation of short stories about pre-Hispanic Philippine society.
 In 2004, he published the children’s book The Molave and Other Children’s Stories.
 To identify a writer's contributions to Philippine literature, it is important to analyze and take a close look at his
literary works.
 Example:
 In a nutshell, F. Sionil Jose’s "The God Stealer" tells the story of Philip Latak and Sam Christie. Philip was
residing in the city for years against his family’s wishes. Sam, his colleague, was an American who wanted
a bulol, an Ifugao god sculpture, as a souvenir before he gets back to Boston. Philip stole his
grandfather’s bulol for Sam, as he felt indebted to repay Sam’s kindness. Then Philip’s grandfather died, and he
no longer wanted to come with Sam back in the city.

Life and Works of Virgilio S. Almario

Virgilio S. Almario
Virgilio S. Almario, popularly known by his pen name Rio Alma, is a Filipino artist known for his poetry and literary
criticism. He was proclaimed National Artist for Literature in 2003.

Almario, together with poets Rogelio Mangahas and Lamberto E. Antonio, pioneered the second modernist movement
in Filipino poetry. In his own words, he defines modernist poetry as sparing, suggestive, and restrained in emotion; its
vocabulary and subject are immersed in the now. Among his poetry collections are Makinasyon at Ilang Tula (1968),
his very first collection; Peregrinasyon at Iba Pang Tula (1970), which won first prize in poetry in the Carlos Palanca
Memorial Awards; Doktrinang Anakpawis (1979); Mga Retrato at Rekwerdo (1984); and Muli Sa Kandungan ng
Lupa (1994).

Almario’s earliest works of literary criticism were published in the Dawn, the weekly organ of the University of the East.
Some of those works were later included in Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina (1982), now considered as the first
book of literary criticism in Filipino. His other critical works include Taludtod at Talinghaga (1965), which tackles the
traditional Tagalog prosody; and Balagtasismo Versus Modernismo (1984), in which he presents the two main
directions of the Tagalog Poetry.

Almario performed significant deeds in the field of Philippine literature. He founded the Galian sa Arte at Tula (GAT)
with the other poets Teo Antonio and Mike Bigornia in 1970; and the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), an
organization of poets who write in Filipino, in 1985. From 1986 to 1992, he served as chairman of the Unyon ng mga
Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL), considered to be the biggest umbrella organization of writers. From 1998 to 2001, he
served as executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). In 2013 he became the
chairman of the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF).

Example:
High Zoociety
Ni Rio Alma

Masdan ang tagak sa likod ng kalabaw,

Parang birheng-birheng manang
Na di-madapuan ng langaw
Sa ibabaw ng karosa patungong simbahan;

At ang mga dekadenteng gansa sa gilid ng lawa,

Maluluma ang mga donyang nakahilata
Habang ibinibilad ang kuto at muta.

Hayun ang mga maryakaprang paawit-awit,

Parang mga binibining umiikot ang puwit,
Sa bulwagang hitik sa masalapi’t makikisig;

At ang mga burukratang unggoy

Sa tuktok ng mala-palasyong kahoy,
Pulu-pulutong kung magpulong
Kung paanong mas lalapad ang papel at tumbong.

Naghahari’t matitikas na oso’t agila,

Nagkikikil lang ng kuko’t pangil tuwing umaga
Para isakmal sa karne’t isuob na barya
Kaya tumatambok ang tiyan at bulsa.

Samantala, matatalinong kuwago’y naghihilik,

Malalaki nga ang mata’y lagi namang pikit,
Marahil, bagong paraiso ang laman ng panaginip.

Di tulad ng buwayang laging abala

Sa paghanap ng kahit butiking mabiktima,
Bundat na’y lagi pa ring nakanganga.

Pero higit na mag-ingat sa hunyango’t ahas

Na sa damuhan ay nagkalat;
Tuwing maghuhunos ng kulay at balat,
Pakay ay kay-hirap madalumat.

(Reproduced by permission of National Artist, Virgilio S. Almario)

The excerpts cited in this material are copyrighted by their respective authors. Quipper ensures that the use of these
works has permission from their authors and this effort is ongoing. Should you have concerns regarding the proper use
of these works, or if you have not received communication from us regarding this matter, please let us know
immediately.

Life and Works of Alejandro Roces

Alejandro R. Roces as a Filipino Writer
 Alejandro R. Roces was a Filipino literary writer. He was born on July 13, 1924.
  He was a playwright, an essayist, and a short story writer. He was also a columnist at the Philippine Star,
the Manila Times, and the Manila Chronicle.
 He attended the Ateneo de Manila University for his primary and secondary education and the University of
Arizona where he earned his degree in fine arts. He pursued further studies at the following institutions: Far
Eastern University (master’s degree); Ateneo de Manila University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, St.
Louis University, and Tokyo University in Japan (doctorate).
 Alejandro R. Roces was known for his short story "We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers," a story about an
American soldier in the Philippines who brags about his drinking habits, but becomes overly drunk after
drinking lambanog offered by a Filipino farmer.
 From 1961 to 1965, he served as the Secretary of Education under the regime of former president Diosdado
Macapagal. He has also served as chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
(MTRCB) in 2001.
 His other literary works are "My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken," a story which talks about two brothers who
were arguing whether the chicken they caught was a hen or a rooster; Something to Crow About, the first
Filipino zarzuela in English about a man named Kiko who earns a living by means of cockfighting; and Fiesta,
a collection of essays about various Philippine festivals.
 Alejandro R. Roces was conferred as National Artist for Literature in 2003.
 He died on May 23, 2011.
 Read the synopsis of “My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken” below, one of Alejandro R. Roces’ notable works.
 Synopsis:
 Kiko and his brother found a peculiar chicken. They argued whether it was a hen or a rooster. Kiko believed
that it was a rooster, while his brother thought otherwise. Kiko’s brother emphasized that it could not be a
rooster as the chicken has neither wattles nor comb. Their parents took turns in looking at the chicken and had
different thoughts about it; thus, they ended up arguing like their children. Kiko and his brother asked the
chieftain about it, and he thought that it was a bird of a different kind. They also asked Mr. Eduardo Cruz,
someone who studied poultry raising, and he suggested examining the insides of the chicken, to which Kiko
refused. They both agreed to bring the chicken to a cockpit and have it fight with a rooster from Texas.
However, the rooster performed a love dance around the peculiar chicken. It turned out that the peculiar
chicken was waiting for a chance to attack. It stubbed its spur into the rooster, and won. Kiko’s brother was
convinced that the chicken was a rooster. However, when he was holding the chicken, it suddenly quivered and
laid an egg.

Humor is a literary device which aims to make the audience or readers laugh or be amused. Alejandro R. Roces
employed humor in most of his works. There are various types of humor. Some of which are exaggeration/hyperbole,
surprise, and sarcasm.

 Sarcasm – is a literary device used to mock. In the story, the chicken crowed and Kiko triumphantly asked his
brother if he heard it. Kiko then mocked his brother by saying “I suppose you are going to tell me now that
hens crow and that carabaos fly.”
 Exaggeration/Hyperbole – is a literary device used to make an event appear better or worse than what it really
is. In the story, Kiko’s brother shared how they were almost whipped for arguing too much.
 Surprise – is a literary device commonly found in unlikely situation or an unexpected turn of events. As the
brothers ran from the mob, Kiko’s brother was convinced that the chicken was a rooster based on how it
defeated its opponent, until it laid an egg.

Life and Works of Bienvenido S. Lumbera

Personal Life
 Lumbera, who was called Beny when he was a young boy, was born in Lipa, Batangas on April 11, 1932. His
parents had passed away before he turned five.
 Beny and his older sister were raised by Eusebia Teru, their paternal grandmother.
 When Eusebia died, Beny came to live with his godparents, Enrique and Amanda Lumbera.
 Beny showed natural aptitude for English. In sixth grade, his writing impressed his teacher so much that she
once asked him, in an accusatory tone, if he did write his composition himself. In his third year in high school,
his teacher gave him difficult works of literature to read.
  Lumbera took a degree in journalism at the University of Santo Tomas in 1950 and graduated cum laude in
1954. A year before his graduation, his first published work, the poem “Frigid Moon,” appeared in the Sunday
magazine of the Manila Chronicle.
 On a full scholarship granted by the Fulbright Committee, Lumbera obtained his masters and doctorate degrees
at Indiana University.

Literary Background
Lumbera writes in English and Filipino. Below are some of his works.

Poetry Collections
Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa (1993)
Balaybay: Mga Tulang Lunot at Manibalang (2002)

Critical Works
Abot Tanaw: Sulyap at Suri sa Nagbabagong Kultura at Lipunan (1987)
Writing the Nation/Pag-Akda ng Bansa (2000)
Tagalog Poetry, 1570–1898: Tradition and Influences in Its Development (2001)

Librettos
Tales of the Manuvu (1977)
Rama Hari (1980)
Sa Sariling Bayan: Apat na Dulang May Musika (2003)

 Lumbera is a strong advocate of the Filipino language. According to him, the gap between the well-educated
Filipinos and the majority cannot be bridged until Filipino becomes their true lingua franca.
 Lumbera has received numerous awards for his work. The most notable ones were the Special Prize from the
Palanca Awards for his poetry collection Sunog sa Lipa at Iba Pang Tula in 1975, the Ramon Magsaysay Award
for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts in 1993, and the Philippine Centennial Literary
Prize for Drama in 1998.
 Lumbera received the title of National Artist for Literature in 2006.
 A Eulogy of Roaches
by Bienvenido Lumbera
 Blessed are the cockroaches.
 In this country they are
the citizens who last.
They need no police
to promulgate their peace
because they tolerate
each other’s smell or greed.
 Friends to dark and filth,
they do not choose their meat.
Although they neither sow
nor reap, a daily feast
is laid for them in rooms
and kitchens of their pick.
 The roaches do not spin,
and neither do they weave.
But note the russet coat
the sluggards wear: clothed
at birth, roaches require
no roachy charity.
 They settle where they wish
and have no rent to pay.
Eviction is a word
quite meaningless to them
 who do not have to own
their dingy crack of wall.
 Not knowing dearth or taxes,
they increase and multiply.
Survival is assured
even the jobless roach;
his opportunities
pile up where garbage grows.
 Dying is brief and cheap
and thus cannot affright.
A whiff of toxic mist,
an agile heel, a stick
—the swift descent of pain
is also final death.
 Their annals may be short,
but when the simple poor
have starved to simple death,
roaches still circulate
in cupboards of the rich,
 the strong, the wise, the dead.
 (Reproduced by permission of National Artist, Dr. Bienvenido S. Lumbera.)