Laguna Senior High School

Sta. Cruz, Laguna

Allegorical Analysis in

Third World Geography

Submitted by:

Arli Joy Alon

Clifford Estrada

Aldrin Hardy Pablo

Submitted to:

Mrs. Geordel Sacluti

 It’s been forty-seven years ago when one of our President put the entire country under the rule

of Martial Law. But in the mind of the well-known author, it’s still fresh to him and he will not forget all

the tragedy that the whole part of the Philippines encountered. Cirilio F. Bautista, who is the author of

the poem Third World Geography, tell everyone especially the Filipinos what really happened to the

Philippines under the Martial Law of President Ferdinand Marcos. In this poem, we can learn some

allegory that depicts the Martial Law and how our country suffered under this kind of law.

For many years, citizens deal with the problem whether the government is good or bad. The

poem, Third World Geography by Cirilo F. Bautista, it tackles the selfishness of government and also

about what happened in the country which is under a corrupt and cruel government. By understanding

and interpreting all the stanzas, we can tell the message that the author want to tell about us.

In the first four stanzas, it said that a country without miracles sits heavy on the map. Our

interpretation was about no progressing just like the Philippines. It pertains that we Filipinos has no

chance to be progressive in any aspects as a country. We’re just relying and depending to other

country’s supports and helps. We’re not doing anything to help our own selves and own country. And

this trait is not a good one and surely can’t help us to achieve what we want to our country. And in the

line, thinking of banana trees rotting in the sunlight, it symbolizes those poor people who works harder

under the heat of sun or in other words, our farmers. We all know when you are a farmer in our country

it means that you are the poor and experiencing a poverty in your lifestyle. But a farmer experienced so

much hardships because without farmer we don’t have any food to eat. As an additional, our country

depends most of our income to the farmers. In general, we can tell that the poor people are more prone

in experiencing the difficult things in life.

In the next lines, it is said that the man who watches over it has commandeered all hopes,

placed them in a sack, and tied its loose end. We can tell here all the worst things happened during the
Martial Law. Under that rule, all the Filipinos don’t have any kind of freedom that should everyone has.

We experienced the abused of human rights. Many people was killed and based on some reports some

of them were salvaged, tortured and mutilated. This kind of act especially by a government was not

acceptable. And because of these doings, all the hopes of the Filipinos are now lesser and lesser. They’re

now loosing hope to do something that can change the future of the country because it was taken all by

the ruler or the government.

He goes around carrying it on his back. When asked what is inside, he says, “Just a handful of

feathers, just a handful of feathers.” It is one the saddest part of the poem because of all the bad things

happening in the country, our government considered everything just like nothing. They treat all the

things insignificantly and lightly even it really exist and really affecting the whole country.

The next line which is, “That’s how light the burden of government is in peace time any tyrant

can turn it into a metaphor.” It pertains to the Marcos administration. It reflects how was the leadership

of the administration went on. And the only thing that the author can tell is about stealing and stripping

away the freedom to the people.

“You kneel on the parched earth and pray for rice, only the wind hears your useless words.” This

line shows the extreme poverty and hunger of everyone under the Martial Law. The government don’t

listen to what their people cries about. The government are aware of the needs but they act like they

don’t. We can infer that under the Martial Law the poor became poorer.

And for the last line, “the country without miracles tries to get up from the page, but the bold

ink and sharp colors hold it down.” This is about the capability of people to control their own power by

the help of learnings from the past that is part our history, just like to achieve their wants even if the

government trying to make that impossible. And as a result the government makes the country not

progressed country.
 Third World Geography shows the hopelessness of people in many aspects of life during the

period of Martial Law and it considered a dark chapter in Philippine History. The poem describes what is

the situation of the Filipinos during Martial Law and how the Filipino surpassed this kind of inequality

and discrimination. The society suffering from poverty in the hand of Marcos is widely connected to

oppression, they are using their power just to underestimate the voiceless citizen. For example, the

media is not allowed to express the truth and authentic news, there’s a filtration of news in the period

of martial law. The government always considered their public image in their perspective jurisdiction.

Somehow, some Filipinos believe that the government during the time of Martial Law is indeed good

because Marcos is able to build up the economic growth of our country. Through various general orders,

Marcos effectively put the entire power of the government under the rule of one man: his own. He was

to lead the nation and direct the operation of the entire government. He ordered the armed forces to

prevent or suppress any act of rebellion. Curfew hours were enforced, group assemblies were banned,

privately-owned media facilities shuttered.

Cirilio Bautista able to explain the real meaning of the poem, he used allegory because he

wanted us to reflect in the story and to realize the essence of freedom here in the Philippines. He gave

inspiration to us to be loyal and dedicated to our country and also to stand for what is right and what is

best for our nation.