21ST CENTURY LITERATURE OF THE PHILIPPINES

REGION V:
BICOL REGION
PRESENTED BY GROUP VII
BICOL REGION

ALBAY, CAMARINES SUR,

CAMARINES NORTE, MASBATE,
CATANDUANES, SORSOGON

The Bicol Region is located in the

southernmost tip of Luzon Island, the
largest island in the Philippine
archipelago.

REGION V: BICOL REGION

Potenciano Gregorio
ALSO REFERRED AS
POTENCIANO GREOGORIO SR.

A Bicolano musician.
He was the composer of Sarung Banggi
(One Evening), the most famous song in
the Bikol language.
He also wrote Pusong Tagub nin Sakit
and Hinuyop-hoyop nin Dios.

REGION V: BIOOL REGION

SARUNG BANGGI
BIKOLANO STANDARD
Sarung banggi, sa higdaan
Nakadangog ako nin huni nin
sarong gamgam
Sa loba ko katurogan
Bakong kundi simong boses iyo
palan
Dagos ako bangon
Si sakuyang mata iminuklat
Kadtong kadikloman ako
nangalagkalag
Si sakong pagheling pasiring sa
itaas
Simong lawog nahiling ko
maliwanag
ONE EVENING
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
One evening as I lay in bed
I heard the sad song of a bird
At first I thought it was a
dream
But soon I recognized your
voice
I opened my eyes and arose
And strained in the darkness
to see
I looked about and up
Then saw your radiant face
Bienvenido N. Santos
NATIONAL ARTIST FOR
LITERATURE

A Filipino-American fiction, poetry and

nonfiction writer.
Born and raised in Manila where he is also
higly regarded as Mr. Santos. Spent half
of his life in America.
Scent of Apples won a 1980 American
Book Award from the Before Columbus
Foundation.

REGION V: BICOL REGION

SCENT OF APPLES
“Scent of Apples” by Bienvenido Santos
is part of a short story collection of the
same name published in 1978 by
University of Washington Press. “Scent
of Apples” tells the story of one man and
his family’s unique experience as
Filipino immigrants to the United States.
It’s a unique story, as Santos himself is
a character in it. Santos wrote “Scent of
Apples” during the Rebirth of Freedom—
a period of activism following WWII and
the restoration of independence to the
Philippines.