21st Century Literature from

the Philippines and the World

Quarter 3 – Module 4:
21st Century Literary Works and
Authors in Mindanao
21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World – Grade 11
Quarter 3 – Module 4: 21st Century Literary Works and Authors in Mindanao
First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work
of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or
office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit.
Such agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of
royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
trademarks, etc.) included in this module are owned by their respective copyright holders.
Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from
their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim
ownership over them.

Published by the Department of Education – Region XI

Regional Director: Evelyn R. Fetalvero
Assistant Regional Director: Maria Ines C. Asuncion

Development Team of the Module

Writers: Kristine Mayo Reyes
Editors: Divilyn M. Rodriguez
Reviewers:
Illustrator:
Layout Artist: Melanio R. Florino, Jr.
Template Developer: Neil Edward D. Diaz
Management Team: Reynaldo M. Guillena
Jinky B. Firman
Marilyn V. Deduyo
Alma C. Cifra
Aris B. Juanillo
May Ann M. Jumuad

Printed in the Philippines by Davao City Division Learning Resources Management

Development System (LRMDS)
Department of Education – Davao City Division, Region XI
Office Address: Elpidio Quirino Ave., Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000 Davao del Sur

Telefax: (082) 224-3274, (082) 222-1672

E-mail Address: davao.city@deped.gov.ph

21st Century Literature
from the Philippines
and the World
Quarter 3 – Module 4:
21st Century Literary Works and
Authors in Mindanao
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to
use this module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress
while allowing them to manage their own learning at home.
Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as
they do the tasks included in the module.

For the learner:

As a learner, you must learn to become responsible of your own
learning. Take time to read, understand, and perform the different
activities in the module.
As you go through the different activities of this module be
reminded of the following:
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on
any part of the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in
answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer Let Us Try before moving on to the other
activities.
3. Read the instructions carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking
your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are
done.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this
module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always
bear in mind that you are not alone. We hope that through this
material, you will experience meaningful learning and gain deep
understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

ii
 Let Us Learn
Great day to you dear learner!

Literature represents the culture and tradition of people. It is the blueprint

of human society; starting from the great ancient civilization to the present. If you
want to know the treasure and beauty of a place, read its story.

The most essential and fundamental aspect culture is the study of literature,
since this is an education in how to picture and understand human situations.-Iris
Morduch

In this module you will write a close analysis and critical interpretation of
literary texts and doing an adaptation, identify representative texts and authors
from Mindanao.

Learning Competency:

 Writing a close analysis and critical interpretation of literary texts and

doing an adaptation of these require from the learner the ability to
identify:
a. the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine
literary history from pre-colonial to the contemporary

b. representative texts and authors from each region (e.g. engage in

oral history research with focus on key personalities from the
students’ region/province/town)

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. identify 21st century authors and literary piece in Mindanao;
2. analyze and interpret literary text; and
3. write an adaptation of a short literary piece from Mindanao.
May you find significant learning experiences and joy from this module. Let
us start the fun and learning now.

Let Us Try
Directions: Read the following statements. Items 1 to 10 focus on your
knowledge of Region XI; items 10 to 15 will be elements of literature.
Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answers on another sheet of
paper.
1. These are the different perspectives we consider when looking at a piece
of literature.
A. Critical Approach C. Literary Criticism
B. Literary Approach D. Literary Theories

2. It examines a text as independent from its time period, social setting, and
author’s background. It is a text is an independent entity.
A. Feminist C. Historical
B. Formalist D. Marxist

1
3. It is a criticism that views a text as a revelation of its author’s mind and
personality. It is based on the work of Sigmund Freud.
A. Physiological C. Physiological
B. Physio analysis D. Psychological

4. It is a criticism that argues that social contexts must be considered when

analyzing a text.
A. Feminist C. Marxist
B. Formalist D. Sociological

5. It is concerned with understanding the role of power, politics, and money

in literary texts.
A. Feminist C. Marxist
B. Feminism Marxism

6. It asserts the most “literature” throughout time has been written by men,
for men.
A. Feminist C. Masculine
B. Feminism D. Masculinity

7. Which of the following is not written by Ricardo M. de Ungria?

A. Waking Ice: Poems C. M’mry Wire
B. Pidgin Levitations D. Agua de Viuda

8. Which of the following literary works written by Antonio Reyes Enriquez

depicts the lives of the Subanons in Mindanao at the height of
government’s military campaign against NPA?
A. Ang Yuta C. Subanon
B. Mindanawon D. Subanon sa Mindanao

9. Love in the Cornhusks is written by

A. Aida Rivera-Ford C. Ricardo M. de Ungria
B. Tita Lacambra-Ayala D. Juan Luna dela Cruz

10. Which of the following is not a literary work from Mindanao?

A. Bulanawan and Aguio C. Suveyors of the Liuasan Marsh
B. Dead star D. The Sadness Collector

11. The Kiram Building is written by

A. Ma. Elena L. Paulma
B. Simeon Dumdum Jr.
C. Christian Cabagnot and Karlo Antonio David
D. Nassefh Macla

12. I am One of the Mountain People is a short story written by

A. Ma. Elena L. Paulma C. Joey Ayala
B. Christine Godinez-Ortega D. Marariu D. Tiu

13. Which of the following literary piece has the story of a Bagobo practicing
Doctor of Traditional Medicine and a nonbelieving “man of science”?
A. Balyan
B. Bago Aplaya

2
 C. I am one of the mountain people
D. Nanking store

14. Nanking Store is a short story written by Macariu D. Tiu. What was the
story about?
A. A young boy who recalls memories about the couple named Lind and
Peter.
B. A young girl who recalls her memories from the past life.
C. A young boy who likes to buy candy in Nanking store.
D. A young boy who sits every day at Nanking store.

15. Which of the following is not written by Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz?

A. Agua de Viuda C. Halakata, Ms D!
B. Women loving D. Balyan

Let Us Study
Activity 1: Let us play!
Directions: Complete the crossword by filling in a word that fits in the
given clue. Enjoy playing!

Did you enjoy playing? To learn more, turn to the next page and enjoy reading a
short poem written by a 21st Century writers from Mindanao and try to find out how
contemporary authors write their literary works.

3
 Agua De Viuda
By: Jhoanna Lynn Cruz

Jhoanna Lynn Cruz is an award winning writer who teaches literature and
creative writing at the University of the Philippines Mindanao. Her first book
Women Loving stories in a play 2010 is the first sole author anthology of lesbian
themed stories in the Philippines. She completed a Master of Arts in language and
literature and a master of Fine Arts in creative writing both with high distinction
from De La Salle University Manila. Cruz is the regional coordinator for Southern
Mindanao in the National Literary Arts.

I forgive you drained wishing for something

for teasing me I smell good back;
fragrant like of viuda. the nip and sting of orange
but I have not buried my peels
husband. while pondering revenge.
nor do I want to.
I would have you know
The only viuda I knew was my the old meaning of widow
grandmother, in Sanskrit is “vidhwa” solitary,
Spent her days playing cards and elsewhere “separated”
with the neighbors, and died eating only boiled rice
two years later of heart failure but not bereft
on grandfather’s birth and no bereavement
anniversary. treating on grief like the wife of
a sweet ending, some might bath
say. wearing red silk stockings
but not for me. on a pilgrimage
in this manner it could be true
The scent you detect, is it
the musk of a woman wasted
on aloneness? or the I am a widow
sandalwood seeking to be shriven of my
of a chest of secrets opened? foolishness
or is it the essence of almonds yet holding fast to the phone of
trailing another
after a promise unfulfilled? chance a life flaming and you
perhaps it is the burst with the fragrance of
of Jasmine on a night sanggumay
spent dwelling on a mistake; those wild orchids that bloom
this pray of freesias on a day only when all its leaves have
fallen

Did you find the poem interesting? Do you know someone who lost her spouse and
has not remarried? How about someone who found new love?
Now, let us turn to the next page to further understand the poem.

4
Directions: Read the questions below and answer it comprehensively. State a fact
from the poem Agua De Viuda. Write your answers in a separate paper.
1. The first line of the poem tells about forgiveness. Who was offended? What
was the offense committed? State a phrase from the poem.

2. How was the word viuda defined in the poem?

3. Who was the only viuda in the poem? State a phrase from the poem.

4. The second stanza tells you that the death of her grandmother was sweet for
some, why is that so?

5. Was the narrator a real viuda? Why, or why not?

Congratulations for answering the reading comprehension. Did you know that
having excellent reading comprehension skill is crucial? It enhances your
effectiveness in reading and critiquing the story.

This time, turn to the next page and check out some approaches we can use to
further give judgment on a literary piece.

Approaches in Literary Criticism

Gender Criticism focuses on construction of gender,

sexuality especially LGBTQ issues. It has three components:
power, perspective, and gender relations. Power can be explored
by looking through Social relationships, actions, and dispositional
abilities. Perspective is checking on the author, personal point of
view (POV), and characters. Gender relations is considering the

5
stereotypes, oppression, and social expectation.

Psychological Criticism has a purpose of understanding the suggested meaning of

a literary that is not overstated. It has an assumption that
literature comes from the Unconscious of a writer,
expressing meaning that even he or she may not recognize.
The purpose of psychological criticism is to direct question
“Why did you do that?”- to authors, or characters, or
readers. The following terms are important in analyzing
Literary piece using Psychological Criticism: Repression,
the mechanism for submerging unacceptable desires;
Denial, falsifying reality; Projection, denying thoughts
and feelings by attributing them to someone else;
Displacement shifting an emotion from its real target to another one.

Sociological Criticism examines literary piece in the

cultural, economic, and political context in which it is
written or received, exploring the relationships between
the author and society. Social logical critics focus on
ideologies and experiences of people who lived in that time
period and culture; how such references and
commentaries about society function within the work of
art.

Let Us Practice
Directions: Read and carefully examine the excerpt below.

All these Fighting Cocks

By: Reil Benedict Obinque

Reil Benedict Obinque is a member and one of the writers of Davao Writers Guild
Literary Journal Dagmay. He was a former editor-in-chief of Atenews the official
student publication of the Ateneo Davao University.

Her husband insisted he would never stop, that they would have to tie him to make
him stop going to cockfights, so his wife took out the rope with which he tied his
fighting cocks and in his sleep, secured one end of it around a beam on the ceiling
and the other end around the ankle of his left foot. She had been mostly patient
when he had consistently arrived very late at night, she had stayed quiet. When
he'd stolen from their savings and came back losing, she had tried to understand.
When his fighting cock had filled the backyard with their foul shit, she had ignored
the smell. She had taken care of their three children while he spent most of his
time making sure the cocks were fed well, their food way more expensive than the
kids.

6
But when the fighting cocks had started pecking at the anthuriums in her garden,
tearing their red leaves into pieces and when they'd started stepping onto the
crawling Cadena de Amor that surrounded her garden, crushing their small pink
petals, she'd lost it immensely. Well, “they are just flowers”, her husband had said.

So, one morning, she had repeatedly pierced the claws of his fighting cock with a
tiny needle until they started limping, blood spurting from the congregation of
infinitesimal holes every time they moved. “Well, they're just Cox”, she'd said when
her husband slapped her after discovering the torture.
But this did not stop him from frequenting the cockfights. Neither did this stop his
cock from picking her flowers harshly. This was when she decided to finally tie one
end of the rope around a beam on the ceiling while the other was tied around the
ankle of his left foot. No matter how he wanted to punch her, he could not, for the
knot was so tight it was impossible to escape. She asked her children to feed their
father with leftovers, instructing them to place the plate one inch away from his
reach, so that he would have strained in his arm before feeding himself.

She told them should his kumpare happened to pass by and ask where he was,
they must tell him he was out there looking for a decent job and that he was tired
of going to all those stupid cockfights. “Never”, she instructed her kids, never give
their father any sharp objects to cut the rope with. She took no pity, never listening
to his endless complaining.
Because the fighting cocks were now of no use, she decided to cook them into
delicacies her children had never tried: Tinolang manok, adobong manok, pritong
manok, ginataang manok. Her husband was in such great distress that he ran a
fever so high it burnt his pillow. She came to the room with a bucket of ice cubes
and placed them in her husband's armpits, between her husband's groins, and
over her husband's forehead to break the fever, then she continued her gardening,
without any fighting cocks to peck at her anthurium or step on her Cadena De
Amor. When one day her husband awoke her with his crowing the same cry that
used to annoy her every morning, she threatened to make Tinolang manok out of
him. Those were the first sign eventually, he did not only squawk, he also grew a
crown on his balding head a lesion that ultimately developed into a fleshy lump.
The day he totally loss his voice was the same day his lips had stretched into a
beak, his hands had shrunk into half and his toes had turned all bony. His wife
and his children, chin resting on their folded knees, surrounded him as he walked
back and squawking and flailing his hands, rope still tide around the beam on the
ceiling and around the missing ankle of his left foot. She had to strip off his shirt
for it was useless now he was covered with goosebumps all over his skin Which
they once thought were just acne. Soon enough he would grow feathers and a
saddle.
“Did you know that the chicken came from dinosaurs?”, One of her kids asked as
she massage her father's back. “I didn't know that”, she answered “Do you like
Tinola for dinner?” She asked the kids old cheered. There were no more chickens in
their backyard. She sighed. She looked at her husband whom she no longer
recognized. She unties the rope and let him go. She scampered around the room
looking for a door, his scaled toes having a hard time navigating the waxed floor.
“Hand me the knife” she told one of her children. She cracked a smile as she stared
at her escaping husband.

7
Directions: Write a 200-word literary criticism of the text All these Fighting Cocks
using any of the three discussed approach (Gender criticism, psychological
criticism, and sociological criticism). Write your answer on a separate sheet of
paper. See the rubric below for scoring.

_____________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Literary Analysis Rubric

Criteria Expert Developing Novice
Evidence & Evidence is well Evidence is Evidence is weak.
Reasoning/Analysis chosen. Reasoning well chosen. Reasoning is
connects evidence Reasoning unclear/incomplete,
to claim in clear, connects but some support
logical and highly evidence to exists.
effective way. claim in clear,
logical.
Organization Well-organized. Response is Response has
Used transitions mostly problems in order of
appropriately and organized. ideas. Attempts to
correctly. Ideas are use transitions.
mostly clear. Ideas are somewhat
clear.
Writing Conventions Almost no errors. Some errors Sentences are
Sentences are well but does not repetitive in
constructed and impact structure. Some
show variety. understanding. sentences are
awkward.

8
 Let Us Practice More
Directions: Create an adaptation or your own version of the text “All these
Fighting Cocks” by making a Tiktok, writing a poem, composing a song, a
textula or any genre. Be guided with the rubric below.

Criteria Expert Developing Novice

Understanding Adaptation helps Adaptation helps Adaptation

understand and understand the show the
explore the original original literary original
literary work in new work in new ways. literary work.
ways.
Originality Adaptation work Adaptation work Adaptation
closely with the closely with the has
original text and play original text. possibilities.
with its possibilities.
Creativity Adaptation text is Adaptation text is Adaptation
written creatively and written creatively. text is
is innovative. interesting.
Entertainment and Adaptation project is Adaptation is Adaptation is
knowledge entertaining and entertaining. stimulating.
intellectually
stimulating.

Let Us Remember

 Reil Benedict Obinque is a Mindanaon author who wrote All these Fighting
Cocks.
 Jhoanna Lynn Cruz is a teacher at the University of Philippines – Mindanao
is the first sole author anthology of lesbian themed stories in the Philippines.
 Gender Criticism focuses on construction of gender, sexuality especially
LGBTQ issues.
 Psychological Criticism has a purpose of understanding the suggested
meaning of a literary that is not overstated.
 Sociological Criticism examines literary piece in the cultural, economic, and
political context in which it is written or received, exploring the relationships
between the author and society

Let Us Assess
Directions: Read the following statements and choose the best answer.
Write your answer on a sheet of paper.

1. Which critical approach is best used when you want to examine cultural,
economic, and political context?
A. Gender Criticism
B. Psychological Criticism

9
 C. Society Criticism
D. Sociological Criticism

2. Which of the following is the basic and direct question for psychological
criticism?
A. What happened?
B. Where have you been?
C. What did you do?
D. Why did you do that?

3. In gender criticism, power can be explored through

A. Author
B. Content
C. POV
D. Social relationships

4. What do you call when a memory is too painful, the person pushes the
information out of his consciousness and becomes unaware of its existence?
A. denial
B. displacement
C. projection
D. repression

5. Agua de Viuda is a poem about

A. a woman who cries for her husband.
B. a woman who wants to cheat.
C. a woman whose spouse has died.
D. a woman whose spouse has died and hopes for another chance of love.

6. What literary criticism will likely be used in the literary text below:

“She had taken care of their three children while he spent most of his time
making sure the cocks were fed well”

A. Gender criticism
B. Psychological criticism
C. Theoretical criticism
D. Physical criticism

7. Which of the following is not considered in gender criticism?

A. Oppression
B. Reasons
C. Stereotypes
D. Social expectations

8. Using sociological criticism, which among the line depicts the economic
status of the family in the story “All these fighting cocks”?
A. Cocks were fed well, their food way more expensive than the kids.
B. The anthurium in her garden, tearing their red leaves into pieces.
C. She decided to cook them into delicacies her children had never tried:
tinolang manok, adobong manok, pritong manok, ginataang manok.

10
 D. He was tired of going to all those stupid cockfights.

9. Using psychological criticism, why would the wife tie her husband?
A. She was tired because they do not have enough food.
B. The husband does not have a decent job.
C. The husband is addicted to cock fighting.
D. The fighting cocks had started pecking at the anthurium in her garden.

10. Which of the following critical approach focuses not just on women but on
the construction of gender, and sexuality?
A. Gender Criticism
B. Psychological Criticism
C. Feminism
D. Sociological Criticism

11. Power, perspective and gender relations are components of ______

A. Gender Criticism
B. Psychological Criticism
C. Marxism
D. Sociological Criticism

12. Psychological Criticism has an assumption that literature comes from

A. the authors reading ability.
B. the unconscious of the author.
C. the authors knowledge on society’s issue.
D. the authors favorite experience.

13. Which of the following is less/not used in gender criticism?

A. How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?
B. What does the work imply about the possibilities of sisterhood?
C. What does the work say about men’s strength?
D. What made him do it?

14. Which of the following is not a checklist for psychological critical questions?
A. What connections can you make between your knowledge of an author’s
life?
B. To what extent can you employ the concept of Freud?
C. How does a particular literary work reveal psychological motivation?
D. What does the work say about women’s creativity at home?

15. Which of the following terms does not belong to sociological criticism?
A. culture
B. economic
C. feelings
D. political

11
 Let Us Enhance
Directions: Write a literary analysis of the poem “Agua de Viuda” by
Jhoanna Lynn Cruz. Use a separate paper to write your answer. Be guided
with the rubric below.

Criteria Expert Developing Novice

Evidence & Evidence is well Evidence is Evidence is weak.
Reasoning/Analysis chosen. Reasoning well chosen. Reasoning is
connects evidence Reasoning unclear/incomplete,
to claim in clear, connects but some support
logical and highly evidence to exists.
effective way. claim in clear,
logical.
Organization Well-organized. Response is Response has
Used transitions mostly problems in order of
appropriately and organized. ideas. Attempts to
correctly. Ideas are use transitions.
mostly clear. Ideas are somewhat
clear.
Writing Conventions Almost no errors. Some errors Sentences are
Sentences are well but does not repetitive in
constructed and impact structure. Some
show variety. understanding. sentences are
awkward.

Let Us Reflect
Congratulations! You just finished 21 st Century authors and works in
Mindanao. Aside from the new story and poem that you have read, you also learned
another approach in developing critical thinking skills by writing a literary
criticism. Always remember literary criticism is more than reasoning and finding
evidence. It is also a way of communicating by understanding the point of view of
the author from the context of the story.

12
 13
Agua de Viuda Let us Assess
1. She was teased of smelling good, scent 1. D
like a viuda. Let us Try
2. Viuda was defined as a woman alone 2. D
and whose husband is buried. 1. C
3. D
3. The only viuda in the poem was the 2. B
grandmother. It was stated in the 4. D
poem “the only viuda I knew was my 3. D
grandmother, spent her days playing 5. D
cards with the neighbors, and died two 4. A
years later of heart failure on 6. A 5. C
grandfather’s birth anniversary.
4. It was sweet for some because her 7. B 6. A
death date was the birth anniversary
8. C 7. D
of her husband, which somehow gives
an idea of a rebirth of love, a reunion 8. C
9. D
of two souls.
5. She was not a real viuda. In the first 9. A
10. A
paragraph she said she has not buried 10. D
her husband nor does she want to. 11. A
11. C
12. B
12. D
13.D 13. A
14. D 14. C
15.C 15. D
Answer Key
 References

http://home.olemiss.edu/~
http://home.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/spring97/litcrit.html

https://2012books.lardbucket.org/

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/rubrics-for-concept-mapping
https://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/lik/article/view/6968/6050

https://peril.com.au/

https://themindanao.weebly.com/indigenous-people.html
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=elements-
literaturehttps://themindanao.weebly.com/indigenous-people.html

https://www.theliterarymaven.com/
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-literature-740531
https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/

https://study.com/academy/lesson/personal-narrative-rubric-examples.html

14
For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Davao City Division

Elpidio Quirino Ave., Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000 Davao del Sur

Telefax: (082) 224-3274, (082) 222-1672

E-mail Address: davao.city@deped.gov.ph