Introduction

Filipino literary works have become more prevalent in literature. The imaginative works
and substantial subjects reflect to the diversity of effort and gaits of life which also depicts on
the personal experiences and economic status. It’s relevance to the society and to people make
an impact to all readers and how they grasp society and in life. This instilled to us the
remarkable lesson that people can use in the future. Furthermore, the purpose of this literary
works is to entertain, persuade, and appealing pleasure to all readers. Thus, the most art form
in these texts is the way how it changes people’s perspectives and become more socially aware.

Synopsis

One of the Filipino literary works is the ABNKKBANPLAako by Bob Ong. It is a real story
of Bob Ong during his school days. It depicts four phases of world, his elementary days, high
school days, college day, and corporate world. During his elementary days, he was a scared boy
terrified with his terror teacher who always scolded the misbehave pupils. When he grows
older, he sometimes put into troubles. He skips classes just to watch movies at the theater. He
also experiences having a teenage issue like acne problems and falling in love with someone.
And also battling with constant adversary using nudge fun about the Filipino culture norms, and
the education system in the Philippines which is unrefunded among all the government sectors.

When Bob Ong entered in university, he thought that if he changes his perspective to his
motivation when studying. He decided to take Computer Science, but everything turn to a
mess. He realized his future will depend on his academic grades. Nevertheless, he still fails out
his Computer Science and finishes in vocational school. Finally, on the final part of the book, he
returned on where he came from to his alma mater. He became a teacher, and as a teacher he
witnesses his students, supporting and providing a guide in the various social groups that mix
the schools have weirdoes, nerds, and even loke celebrities. He learned that his students teach
him on not what to teach but on how to teach and at some time learning process way happens
vice versa. He has widened his perspective about the failures of the Filipino education system
and emphasize here in his book on calling in fixing these issues such as the infrastructure and of
course lack of funding.
 The next best literary work for me is “The Woman Who Had Two Navels” by Nick
Joaquin. The story begins when Dodong decides to get married at his young age. He was
seventeen years old when he married Teang. They had struggled throughout their journey
while they get married. They had a son named Blas. On the point where Blas turns eighteen, he
asks his father permission to marry his sweetheart named Tona. And that story covers for 17
years.

When Dodong went home after working in the fields, he tells his father he wants to
marry his girl Teang. He was hesitant to tell it to his father to have his proposition to his father.
However, his father tells him that he is too young to get married but he still eventually agrees
to his wishes about marrying Teang. After being married together, Teang gives birth to her first
son, named Blas. Dodong have experiences struggles and conflicts about their marriage and life.
He was in fear, discomfort, and guilt about what happened, but when he hears the baby cry, he
sooth with happiness.

When Blas turns eighteen years old, he tells his father that he will marry his girl-friend,
Tona. However, Dodong doesn’t want to Blas to marry as he is too young because he knows
what will happen if Bas marries too early. He gives his approval to marry, Tona but with sadness
in his face.

The next literary work that caught my attention is the story “Para Kay B” by Ricky Lee. It
is a story of different love stories but it’s not a normal love story of a couple. I believe it’s a
breath of fresh of everyone from the conventional love stories in the Philippine scene. This
story has five story moons where only one moon will be happy of their love life.

The first story is from Irene and Jordan. They grew up together and they fell in love with
each other and promised that they be together forever and get married when they are at the
proper age. However, because of broken promises seemed like there lives changed by it and
make a new path.

The second story of Erica and Jake. Erica is coming to place where love doesn’t exist.
They don’t grasp the concept of love of that place and if they will a such word, they will just
laugh at you. However, because of the curiosity she definite to look for the true sense of love.
She went to Manila and met Jake who really fell in love with her. These two are destined
perhaps to each other because they didn’t expect both of them searching the true sense of love
even of their doubts and place where they come from.

The third story is quite unusual. IT’s about Sandra who fell in love with the wrong person
not at wrong time. It’s a forbidden love as we can say because she fell in love with her brother,
Lupe. They shared moments together and their family found out about it and they threw his
brother out to their house. Years have passed, Sandra had her own family but still longing for
her brother because she wants closure and then she tries to make things up right her wrongs.

The fourth story is about Ester, who is a lesbian. She fell in love with their family maid,
sara. Ester is not really true to herself. She kept on denying about her sexuality that he’s not a
lesbian until her son who si gay let him realize the importance of being true to herself. Her son
helped her to find Sara again, however Sara has her own family now after years of not seeing
her. Both of them try to understand what they really want of each other and they can do for
love.

The last story is for Bessie, or B, whom this book is dedicated to. He’s the inspiration of
Lucas, who is the writer of this story. Lucas is not a handsome guy and B is outgoing girl and she
always make love to different guys even both father and son who happened to be a politician.
It’s painful for Lucas to see that Bessie has no feelings for her and always ignore him all the
time. Lucas had love at first sight to Bessie. Bessie’s dream become an actress that’s why Lucas,
a writer writes a story about and for Bessie. He has written a story for Bessie but he doesn’t
have courage to give and tell it to her because he is afraid to confess his love for Bessie.

This story is a symbol love for Bessie. But all the sacrifices that he had done was all
taken for granted but the most important is he experience and feel how to love. In end, Lucas
moved away so that he will egt hurt anymore and Bessie never learns to love seriously.
Literary Approaches

The story of Bob Ong, ABNKKBANPLAako depicts the educational system of the
Philippines. How students suffer to this and even teachers. The Marxism Theory explains social
phenomena that govern social conditions and economic activities where human needs are
required to fulfill. The politics involved in the education system affects the resonance of quality
education. We have struggled to fight the rights of teacher sin every way, lack of funding,
increasing of salary, these exploitations of labor really affect to give the best for learners and
teachers. I believe the government must undertake actions towards these problems to make
learning be feasible enough and make learners be globally competitive. As Annette Dixon, the
Vice President, Human Development, World bank emphasize that "It’s never too late for young
people to have opportunities to learn. Our youth deserve to be equipped with the skills they need
to thrive in an increasingly demanding and uncertain job world. Given that today’s students will
be tomorrow’s citizens and leaders, a good and relevant education is essential to turn
aspirations into reality." If we work now, I believe we can create and make these goals possible.
We should eradicate politics to educational system in the Philippines and solve the issue as
possible.

The second literary text of Nick Joaquin, Footnote To Youth, involves the cruelty of life.
It always boils down to what makes life harder and why society like low classes endures
hardships while higher classes make a better life even both classes work hard for their lives.
This I think explain to Marxism theory that society’s classes indeed the cause of struggle and
that society should have no classes. This story shows more than just hardship but tells us that in
this world that the ruling classes are the society that can make money more even they have
made the same effort and lower class can be oppresses in all forms. This is a sad fact because
even both classes have made the effort in working hard still the oppressed are still oppressed
and the ruling class will always be the ruling class. Sometimes we tend to wonder whether this
about the status itself of the power. But Previous evidence suggests that status is the more
important mediator between social class and subjective well-being, compared to power (Yu and
Blader 2019). Yet, the authors have operationalized and measured subjective well-being as
composite of affect and life-satisfaction. In this approach, subjective well-being relates to a
subjective and emotional evaluation of one’s life. Such a perceptual and emotional evaluation is
however just one of many facets of Quality of Life (Larsen and Fredrickson 1999) and might be
reflected in the psychological (or mental health) Quality of Life sub-domain.

The third literary text is the story “Para Kay B” by Ricky Lee. It illustrates the
vulnerability of women encompasses and expression of love towards someone. This I think
feminism shows us that women can still have the power to love and fight it. Women are able to
love with no conditions and no exceptions and I believe this is part of women celebration and
women empowerment. Nonetheless, it’s not about the rights of women we are fighting here
but the capacity of women to handle things and their vulnerability still make change. On the
other hand, archetypal theory explains to this story about the symbol of love and promises. The
resonance of this story evolved and shaped how women love differently and how they handle
any situation. They symbol of love to this story shows the inner responsibility of one’s in love
and acceptance of what might happen to that love whether you will love back or not.

Conclusion

The power of literary texts indeed makes change and impact to the society. Their
adherence to make society realize the significant rights, fairness, and responsibility of one’s
individual. Clearly, Filipino literary text may seem simple but it has a profound gist depicting to
different issues. The story may seem progress to one plot and character but if we gibe in deeper
the story, we could get the real concept of what the authors will try to say may it in society, to
people, and to the issue itself. As a reader, it’s responsibility to read beyond the lines in order
for us to know and understand the story in a deeper level. Hence, all stories have more
meaningful terminologies and depicts life and society that may create change. We should not
focus only to the characters resonance but focus also on what they try to show.
Reference

https://bongbongbooks.wordpress.com/2015/08/28/my-thoughts-about-para-kay-b-by-ricky-lee-book-
review-50/

https://www.supersummary.com/abnkkbsnplako/summary/

https://www.cordilleransun.com/2021/10/footnote-to-youth-by-jose-garcia-villa.html?m=0

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11482-020-09853-y

ttps://www.mytutor.co.uk/answers/10831/A-Level/English-Literature/How-to-I-apply-Marxism-to-
literature/