COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

on the works of Winton G. Lou Ynion

“The Love of Magdalena Jalandoni” &

“Singgil sa Kalikasan”

Members:
DAMASO
GARCIA
MAGALONG
AUSTRIA
DIONES
BAUSA
RODIL
BANDONG
ALEGRE
AGUSTIN
BEMOS
MORALES
 STEM 11-Thessalonian
Submitted to: Ms. Magiory Custodio
The Love of Magdalena Jalandoni

By: Winton Lou Ynion

Magdalena Jalandoni was five years old in Gonzaga and Gregorio Jalandoni, fell in love
1896 when her first love was sentenced to with him.
death by firing squad by the Spanish
Magdalena’s father died when she was two.
authorities. The man, who was known as José
Her brother Luis was only three-months old
Rizal, was an ophthalmologist who, in his times
and her mother was only twenty-three. After
of passion, wrote reformist novels that provided
Gregorio’s death, the Gonzagas supported the
an indelible momentum for the Philippine
Jalandonis, sending Magdalena to Colegio de
Revolution in 1898. His life had been
San Jose. At night, she would hear stories from
accentuated by women of different languages.
her mother. At one instance, she asked if the
He left Leonor Rivera, his childhood love, when
happenings and situations in the narrative were
his family sent him to Europe for further
true. Having told that the storyteller imagined
medical studies, only to fall in love with a
the story, Magdalena resolved to make one.
German dame in the person of Josephine
And the household was amazed that she
Bracken. When he visited Japan in 1888, he
narrated a story that she originally owns. At
wrote a woman named O-Sei-San about the
ten, she wrote her first corrido, Padre Juan kag
equation of her beauty and that of the blooming
Beata Maria (Father Juan and Mother Maria).
sakura. There were other women; some of
At 13, she has four of the same genre,
them were kept in secrecy along with José’s
manuscripts of these were submitted by her
indecent encounters while sojourning with
mother to La Editorial in Iloilo City, which
other ilustrados who established relationships
published them in 6”x8” softcover newsprint
with women of European lineage. His looks
edition.
were ordinary; Filipinos, in fact, felt deceived
when he once came home and packaged When Magdalena was sixteen, almost ten
himself as a doktor Aleman. But he was gentle years after her first love’s death, she wrote her
and, perhaps, romantic that Magdalena, first novel, Mga Tunoc sang Isa ca Bulac
heiress to the incredible fortune of Francisca (Thorns of a Flower). It was becoming evident
then that she would be a wellknown writer like
 her José. But writing was a male-dominated
sphere, so Magdalena was prohibited by her
mother from producing more literatures. She
would write at night and keep her notebooks
under her clothes in her trunk. When she was
18, her mother wanted her to get married. The
bothered Francisca had chosen a prospective
husband for her daughter. Magdalena, out of
obedience, agreed to marry the man of
honorary stature; but she had one unjust
precondition, that he should write a novel
within the year. So, Magdalena remained
single, and wrote 37 novels, 5 autobiographies,
8 narrative poems, 6 corridos, 10 plays, 213
lyric poems, 132 short stories, 9 essays, and
10 melodramas. Not almost over José, she
transformed into painting all that was imagined
by him in his novels. Along with her dioramas
of Filipino life, society, culture and history are
striking canvasses of scenes from Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo. From her room,
Magdalena could view the quarters of the
Spanish priests ruling the Archdiocese of Jaro.
So religious that she ornamented her inherited
house with wood statues that she personally
carved. In present Iloilo, the house, located at
No. 84 Commission Civil Street in Jaro, no
longer bears the sophistication of Magdalena’s
isolated world. Perhaps, even the local
government lacked the funds to preserve the
grandeur of the history of Jaro. The Jalandoni
house was among the balay na bato styled
after European architecture, and was among
the mansions that decorated the vicinity of the
bell tower and the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth of
Hungary where the statue Nuestra Señora de
la Candelaria can be found. On the streets of
Jaro, formerly known as Salog, rumbled the
carruajes driven by cocheros.
The feast of the Señora or the Lady of Candle
has been celebrated ostentatiously with a
reina, a festival queen chosen from among the
daughters of the richest and the famous of
Ilonggo families. She is often considered as
binukot (literally means “isolated”) or family
treasure for her affiliation with powerful, usually
through marriage, could bring more affluence.
Contemporary Ilonggos continue to observe
the spirituality and essence of the Virgin who is
believed to have been discovered by a
fisherman in the banks of Iloilo River. It was
only a foot high then but was dreadfully heavy
until folks decided to bring it to Jaro. Since
then, she had the habit of disappearing in the
early mornings. Stories say that a beautiful
lady with long hair had been seen bathing her
child at the artesian well at the plaza.
The Candelaria, as colloquially known, called
for an extravagant procession of Jaro’s
material assets, a practice that Ilonggos were
not able to protract along the onset of
inequities in a colonial society. Unwritten, it
must be celebrated every 2nd of February to
commemorate the presentation of Jesus at the
Temple and the purification of the Blessed
Virgin. Once, perhaps was just imagined, when
the wealthy families were broke and cancelled
the feast, Great Flood came. The lineage,
wealth, and opulent lifestyle, and prominence
of affluent personages of Jaro largely
contributed to the glory of Iloilo as the “Queen
City of the South.” In its streets figure the gem-
bathe mansions of the Lopezes, Montinolas,
Ledesmas, and, of course, the Jalandonis. But
the heirs could only imitate the arrogance of
colonial models that Jaro lost from the track of
development and progress.
When she was 75, Magdalena wrote about this
leitmotif of losses and finds in Juanita Cruz, her
most mature novel according to scholar Lucila
Hosillos. Conscious of the depreciating
affluence of Jaro, she wrote about Juanita who
is a binukot of her family, a treasure kept by
her father to the highest bidder who offers the
greatest wealth and power. But she fell in love
with a poor choirmaster Elias. Disinherited, she
disguised as Celia de Asis, went to Manila,
found a surrogate family, and became heiress
of her foster parents. Juanita was reunited with
Elias in the end only to discover that he is
involved in the revolutionary movement against
Spain. He was killed in a victorious battle and
now, Juanita, or the old woman who tells the
story, or Magdalena, confronts Elias’s
monument at the plaza. On the 70th
anniversary of her first love’s death,
Magdalena wrote about an undying love –
whether filial, agape, nor eros, it was a passion
toward a country finding golden meanings out
of its centuries of feasts. From her glass
windows, Magdalena might have had
internalized, more than ever, her life role of a
binukot, isolated and untouched. In 1978, 80
years after the realization of José’s dream,
Magdalena died at the age of 87. She remains
the reina of Hiligaynon literature. No one
knows if she once had dreamt of herself as a
reina for the feast of Candelaria, or if she ever
imagined of Jose Rizal escorting her down the
plaza.
 Singgil ng Kalikasan

By: Winton Lou Ynion

Nalalaglag na ang gunaw. at sa gabi’y naghihilik.

Namamatay na ang araw.
Dahong nakabuka sa mga biyaya,
sagap ang liwanag, singhot ang himala
ngayo’y nakiawa
sa pusod ng gabi na wala ni luha.
Nangagyukong dahon
sambit ang pasyon, dalit at orasyon.
Yaong bagwis na umalis,
sumilong saka nagbalik.
Dibdib ay sumikip waring sasambulat:
layang ikinulong …hawlang kinaladkad -
wala nang malipad
pagkai’y mapait, puso’y umiiyak .
Mata’y nakadipa
parang binibigkas ang huling plegarya.
Inaakyat ng masiba,
sinakyod, pinisa;
mahika at bato, ang ginto sa supot
tinarak, tinusok, pinasak, dinukot;
sinunog ang kumot.
Alipin, alila: taong-bundok…
bayan ng mahina
ayaw maniwalang kanlong ni Bathala!
Sa kawaya’y nagngingitngit
Ang biyak na bumbong ay napapalatak;
ang uhay ng palay ay hinahalatak;
napapahalakhak
aba! Lahat-lahat kahit umiiyak!
Ngayo’y samyuin mo
hanging susuot d’ya’y – tapos ang buhay mo!
Hinukayan ay malalim,
puting kumot ang s’yang tabing.
Ang salpok ng alo’y may awit-talampas!
Lahat ng sa pusod – tinungkab, binulwak!
Itak… bitak… lamat…
ang lahat nang marinig sa dibdib ng dagat…
… lahat naluluoy
pati isdang-yamang natirang abuloy.
Kahoy, mayungyong na dahon!
Ilog, iisang direksyon!
Ibig na maabot ng mga pangahas
at ang karagata’y ibig pang matilad.
Ilang araw pa at
hininga’y sisikip at saka sisiklab!
Hiniram na lamyos,
lira ng ligayang nalagot sa lungkot…
Oo, ito nga ang bukas –
pagkadalok saka pilak!
Ang laman ng puso, ang dugo ng buhay,
ang kilos ng bisig, ang pitik ng kamay
ay… lahat ay gaway
siyang lumalagok nitong aking buhay. hintay! Oras-oras
Sa gitna ng lamig, at sa pagbabalik, ulan! Aking tawag
sa mga tangkay ko’y nag-usli ang tinik. luhang binusilak
buhayin mong muli kabuhing naghirap!
Heto, heto ako ngayon…
suut-suot ang talukbong.
Wala na, wala na ang pagkamaanyag!
Tuluyang naglaho, tuluyang naglayag!
(Animo’y nabasag
sa kabilang lahat nitong pagsisikap,
diwa’y napalungi
sa isang landasing akala’y lunggati.)

Punit ang talaarawan

at latag na ang karimlan…
ang dagsang laya ko’y hindi na matunton
at lubak-lubak na ang bungo at salong.
…O, ginalpung-galpong
ang hiblang buhay na aking kandong-kandong.
Musmos man sa turing
kapag napuno na’y sasabog ang lagim..!

Ang sulo’y sindihan…

ang sinag ay kamtan.
Ang buhay ay gubat (kusang pinagpala?),
‘sang kwentong nilaro ng dugo at luha,
may pangarap… may hiwaga
saka nakasalok ang dugo ng laya!
Kamay na may sibat…
“kamay na nagturo ng madugong landas.”

Ano pa nga’t di nanimdim

ang loob ko – tuwang nagmaliw.
Pakakawalan ko ang alon, ang ulap
sa kadahilanang dugtungan ang palad,
 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS REPORT
“The Love of Magdalena Jalandoni” is a story about the author Jalandoni. Jalandoni
was a Filipino author, who is remembered for her good writings in the Hiligaynon language. Jalandoni
had little love for English. Winton captures the essence of the binukot-isolation lifestyle of the Reina of
Hiligayon Literature. Particularly, he lays emphasis on the love for writing. Writing made her sacrifice
marriage, which is an essential element on the society. Whilst “Singgit ng kalikasan” is a story
about nature that consists 11 stanzas with 7 lines each and used rhyming word every end of each
line.
Winton Lou Ynion is a student in PhD Philippine Literature Program of the College of
Arts and Letters of the University of the Philippines – Diliman. He won significant awards in Literature
like Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in Hiligaynon Fiction, Gawad komisyon for poetry,
essay, and literary criticism. One of the coordinator of Philippine Studies program of the De La Salle
University – Manila. He died in the age of 28. (Galano, 2017)

In the story “The Love of Magdalena Jalandoni”, it has an introduction on what is in the
story or what is the story all about. The story is all about the author Magdalena and her story. While
the introduction of the “Singgit ng kalikasan”, it firstly describes the subject or the one being talked
about. The story talks about the phenomenon that happens every day. It also talks about our nature
being annihilated.

Understanding the two literary pieces (“The Love of Magdalena Jalandoni” & “Singgit
ng Kalikasan”) that Winton Lou wrote were both distinct. The Love of Magdalena Jalandoni used
characterization by the author for us readers further understand the persona in the story making it
interesting as you continue to read the story. Singgit ng Kalikasan was one of those poems that you
couldn’t decipher in one go, that we wished we have the brain power to understand what the author
wants to convey in the poem. Even though it was tough to read, we appreciate the value of the works
of Winton Lou that help shaped the Filipino Literature and made him well known.

The context that has been used in the story “The Love of Magdalena Jalandoni” is
Authorial. Authorial or Bibliographical Context is used to tell a story of someone or the author
itself. This style is used because Winton is telling the story of Magdalena Jalandoni. Whilst in the
story “Singgit ng kalikasan” the context that has been used is Socio-historical Context. Socio-
historical Context because of the involvement of social history or a combination of social and
historical factors shown in the poem.
 Winton Lou Ynion focuses on the life of Magdalena Jalandoni on his story. All the
struggles and coping up techniques Magdalena uses. It focuses on her accomplishments on her
literary works. At “Singgit ng kalikasan” it is about the nature who have been suffering through the
greed of man but like a plant that is dry and seeking water, the nature also waits for a rain(which
signifies hope) so that it could survive on the next day.

In 'The Love of Magdalena Jalandoni', the mother of Magdalena prohibited her in writing
literary works for a reason that writing during that time is a male-dominated sphere. However, it
doesn't stop Magdalena for doing so. Instead, she asked her mother for the time remaining before
she get married to writing more literatures. In 'Singgit ng Kalikasan', it talks about the state of the
nature caused by the greed of a man. It's describe how the man ruins the nature and how the nature
is getting destroyed by this. But in the end, the nature manages with this struggles and once again,
blooms into a beautiful one.

The story " Magdalena Jalandoni" and "Singgit ng Kalikasan" tells us that each story
has their own way of struggles and suffering but in the end we have to move forward as we carry our
problems in our shoulder, drinking a glass full of burdens of our past, drowning in the midst of
hopelessness still we need to move forward until hope comes we have to push forward to achieve our
goals and so that in the end even we are already gone there is a story to pass and there is a story to
tell to those people who seek hope.