WMSU-ISMP-GU-003.

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Effective Date: 7-DEC-2016

Writing the Regions: Traditions and Trends

(Voice Tape)
2-Week Lesson

Lesson (4)

Introduction

This lesson recognizes the use of fiction and of fictional techniques in appreciating
regional literature. In this lesson, you will get to know more the OFW’s as they are featured in a
fictional short story titled Voice Tape. Widen your horizon now as you get to know them more.
Have a fun-learning!

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

a. relate how plot and plot devices help create the reading experience in works of fiction;

b. respond critically to questions presented and articulate responses through a written blog,
an audio-visual presentation or a voice recording; and

c. appreciate the contributions of the canonical Filipino writers to the development of

national literature.

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Try this! (20points)

In this activity, you will gather pictures of your OFW family members or relatives. You
are to create a montage and present it in class. You are to work the tasks following the guidelines
below.
Work with your assigned groups to come up answers for the following questions:

a) Are the economic benefits of having an OFW family member worth the hardship of
being separated from them for extended periods of time?

b) If you grew up in a household with an OFW family member, who was the chosen
relative who shaped your childhood years?

c) What important values did you learn from the relative who raise you?

d) What aspect of your life reflects his or her influence? Expound on your answer.

Note: Each group must have one summarizer, insider, clarifier, documenter and discussant. All
outputs will be transpired on a 1 short bond paper encoded following the standard guidelines set
forth.

      Even though they are far away, we still find time and ways to communicate with each other.
Compared to the economy of other countries against the economy of the Philippines, the
economy of other countries is undeniably better. And when it comes to wages, the wages paid
there are higher. My parents' siblings were and are OFWs. Growing up, we would receive
packages or  balikbayan boxes.  And thankfully, they were allowed to go home once a year or
every two years or for others, after a very long time. Whenever they go home, they rest for a few
days, and then after, we would hang out together with the family. It is my parents who raised and
took care of us. They taught us a lot of things, such as how to treasure what I have and to be
grateful for all of the blessings, as well as how to be patient.  Also, they taught us not to take
anything that was not ours, unless permitted by the owner. These are simple values that, though
not often expressed verbally, are expected to be carried out. It is just a simple act of having
decency. But, we do have relatives who work abroad. I know it wasn't easy for them to leave

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their family, but they needed to, for them to be able to support the needs of their children,
especially the financial needs of their family. They are determined, perseverant, and are
dedicated to working harder to support the needs of their family. Some of my actions or
behaviors were influenced by them. They have taught me so many values in my life, which I
think I would bring with me while growing up. Giving importance and appreciating what I have
are some of the values they taught. These are the aspects of my life that I would always value.
Their tenacity and drive to succeed in life have also influenced me.  They taught us numerous life
principles that we will carry with us till the end of time, without even realizing it.

Think ahead! (10 points)

Read the short story “Voice Tape”. Respond critically to the following questions to process

the selection:

B 1. The story is set in ______________________.

a. Metro Manila c. an undisclosed town

b. Sta. Teresita, Cagayan Valley d. Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur

A 2. The narrator in the story is ______________________.

a. remembering past events c. telling the events as they occur

b. predicting what could happen in the future d. creating events in his mind

B 3. The town was a/an ______________________.

a. a rural provincial town c. urban capital city

b. urban provincial capital d. rural progressive city

4. List at least three (3) details describing Ato.

- He is a loving and a caring husband.

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- Ato was sweet and thoughtful to his wife.

- He is a caring father to his children.

5. List at least two (2) “local” practices in wakes that were described in the story.
 The corpse is placed in a casket and displayed for three to seven days.
 Sweeping is not permitted during a wake.

Read and Ponder

The term Overseas Filipino Worker is one that is constantly with us in this day and age.
The OFW phenomenon has reached every corner of the country, going beyond Manila and into
provinces. This has, in turn, affected writers around the country who have found the subject of
the OFW as a rich source for stories or for fiction.

Fiction is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “written stories about people and
events that are not real” or “literature that tells stories which are imagined by the writers.
Fictional works therefore, are the products of the imagination of the writer and are not supposed
to be seen as factual works. This does not prevent a writer, however, from using a real context or
what is currently happening in the surroundings of the writer as a source for stories.

FROM REGIONAL TO NATIONAL

National literature can be found in the regions, rather than in the center, which remains
heavily influenced, politically and culturally, by the West. Afro-French philosopher, writer and
critic Frantz Fanon spoke of the idea of national literature. According to him, literature and
literary production by a nation’s intellectuals only become truly nationalist when they stop
addressing the colonizer, whether to charm or to criticize, and began to address the nation itself.

National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera makes an additional distinction as to what material

can be considered “national literature” ---- that it must confront or provoke the Filipino reader
“with ideas, subject matter, and social and political issues that serve to provoke an emotional or
intellectual response, if not necessarily positive action.”

“Voice Tape” by Ariel S, Tabag responds to the context of the OFW, presenting an experience
of the OFW phenomenon that has been told in many stories before. But Tabag uses a clever plot
to create mystery and excitement in the story.

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This story starts when Dante and his mother Nanang go back to their old house to find his
certificates for being best in math in elementary and high school but instead of certificate, they
saw a voice tape owned by his uncle Ato. He still remembers the things happened to his uncle.
By the time, his uncle decided to get married until they built a small house for his family. They
live with a simple life until his wife decided to go to Abu Dhabi to work. And here you will learn
more as you read the short story. Good luck!

See if you can do this!

In this part, you will do the following: (20 points)

1. Identify and write the plot, exposition, complication, rising action, climax and denouement of
the short story.

The plot of the story "Voice Tape" by Ariel Tabag is when Dante and nanang went back to their
old house to look for his 'Best in Math' Certificate. Instead of looking for Dante's certificates,
Dante found a voice tape and asked his mother, and his mother told him that the owner of the
voice tape was his Uncle Ato, and he did a flashback to the events that occurred before. Uncle
Ato died after getting hit by a bus nearby Dante's school. Dante's friend told him that he saw
Uncle ato deliberately walked by within the running bus. He (Dante) thought of why his uncle
did that and asked his mother. Considering that Dante was already at the right age, Nanang told
him the truth that his Uncle Ato did suicide by intentionally walking past a running bus. The
reason behind Uncle Ato's suicide was inside the voice tape.

The exposition of the story is when Dante was on a trip to Cagayan, he thought of his Uncle Ato
that died. He did a flashback and thought of all the memories that he had that he could never
forget.

The complication of the story is the death of Ato and the message recorded in the voice tape.
Dante thought that his Uncle Ato died by accident, but later on, his nanang told him the truth and
told him it wasn't an accident.

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The rising action of the story is when Dante and his Nanang found the voice tape beneath Uncle
Ato's pillow.

The climax of the story is when Uncle Ato got hit by a bus near the school of Dante.

The story's denouement with Dante being the fifth person to learn the reason for his uncle Ato's
death. Dante listened to the contents of the cassette tape and discovered the reason for his uncle's
suicide.

2. Make a character sketch of the following:

a) Dante-
 Nephew of Ato
 Teacher
 Intelligent
b) Angkel Ato
 Chain-Smoker (before)
 Loving Husband and Father
 Caring

c) Nanang
 Older sister of Ato
 Mother of Dante

d) Angkel Ato’s Wife

 Loving mother
 She went to Abu Dhabi to work as a Domestic Helper.
 Was maltreated and molested.

3. Identify the prediction that they made in the story that eventually did not happen.
- I think the prediction in the narrative that didn't actually happen was when they
discovered a cassette tape instead of Dante's certificates.

4. Write the instances when the author built up tension in the story.
 Tension was built up in the story when they found the voice tape under Ato's pillow.
 Tension was also built up when Nanang told the truth to Dante behind his Uncle Ato's
death. 

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5. Work by group, come up with an audio-visual presentation, a blog or a voice recording to

answer the question:

Can we say that the story ‘Voice Tape’ is a realistic story?” What details would you give to
support your answer? Does the story have to be realistic for it to be able to present a believable
human experience?

The short story “Voice Tape” is realistic because some of these actually occur in real life to other
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW's) who work hard in another country to feed and help their
loved ones but ended up being maltreated and molested by their boss. Ato's wife, Magdalena,
sacrificed to work in another country to help their families and to be able to have a brighter future
for their kids. Magdalena flew from the Philippines to Abu Dhabi to work as a Domestic Helper
(DH), was maltreated, and was ravished by her boss.

There were many news reports about how OFW's were being treated and abused by their boss.
Some of them are unable to communicate with their loved ones, their passports have been
confiscated by their employers, and others are not permitted to eat or drink even a drop of water.
There was this time years ago, a Filipino domestic helper (Jennifer Dalquez) killed her employer
as it attempted to rape her. She was on death row for two years and was supposed to be hanged as
her punishment. In February 2018, a body was found in a freezer in her employers’ abandoned
apartment in Kuwait City. Investigators found she (Joanna Demafelis) had been dead for two
years.

The short story "Voice Tape" by Ariel Tabag represents the life, stories, and struggles of an
Overseas Filipino Worker and their family. This story is believable because this happens in real
life. OFWs in other countries get abused by their employers, not only in the Middle East but also
in other countries, too. OFWs who work as domestic helpers are the ones who get the abuse most
of the time, and their rights have been violated. Other Filipino overseas workers go abroad to
work and to provide for the needs of their loved ones. Some OFWs went abroad reluctantly
because they were unsure if they would be treated fairly, as there had been reports of abuses

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against OFWs. The short story happens in real life. The victims are affected physically, mentally,
and emotionally, and their families back are saddened by the situation.

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