2ND QUARTER, 1ST SEMESTER

INFO MAP #2 TURBAN LEGEND by ZAMORA LINMARK

R Zamora Linmark presented TURBAN LEGEND as an anecdote on how Filipinos perceive BALIKBAYAN
BOXES. However this story has many loopholes and doubtful circumstances that makes it unbelievable
which seems to be like URBAN LEGEND.

Characters:
Vince – an engineer
Jing – Vince’s sister
Engineer – overseas contract worker in Dubai who wishes to fly back home for the holidays

Vince arrived at the Phil departure terminal seeing restless souls with their balikbayan boxes that
transformed the terminal into a warehouse. Boxes lined up like a fortified wall behind check-in counters.
Boxes blocked the Mabuhay Express lane for first and business class passengers. They stacked up on
carts right beside each passenger in the Filipinos’ most popular and preferred pieces of luggage.

FLASHBACK: an anecdote shared by his sister Jane to him

An engineer in Dubai was so homesick and longing to be in the Phil but couldn’t afford the ticket price.
He talked to a roommate who was bound for the holidays to check him in as a luggage, an excess
luggage.
The man died from hypothermia though.
Vince didn’t buy the story because of the too many loopholes and unanswered questions.
(“Wouldn’t an x-ray machine in the Middle East detect the engineer curled up inside the box?)”
He dismissed it as a turban legend.
Jing told Vince that he missed the point. It’s not about drama but the extremes a Filipino would go to
just to be back home for Christmas.

PLOT DEVICES
Flashback – Vince recalled his sister’s story about an engineer who died of hypothermia because he was
placed in a box as an excess baggage to be brought home to the Phil.
Foreshadowing – the engineer checked himself in as well as the box containing his roommate . This is a
hint of what will happen in the next scenario.
Race against time – the engineer had little time left to consider how he would return home for
Christmas.

CONFLICT
Man vs Self– the problem was how the engineer would go home for the holidays since he could not
afford the round trip air fare ticket

Resolution – he asked his roommate to check him in as an excess luggage

LITERARY DEVICES
Hyperbole - the balikbayan boxes transformed the air terminal into a warehouse
Simile – Boxes lined up like a fortified wall.
Malls are like crypt that are so gargantuan.
Symbolism
Balikbayan boxes – love for one’s family and friend
-represents an OFW’s hardships and savings while working abroad

Theme
Turban Legend is about the hardships that overseas contract workers go through when they are
separated from their families because of the lucrative pay they get for the services they render to their
employer.

Moral Lesson
Family is the most important aspect in one’s life.
Let us appreciate the efforts and sacrifices our OFW relatives make to give their families a better life.