THE DOG EATERS

Scene 1: the beginning and the end

Mariana: Each year half a million dogs are slaughtered and eaten. One of those people
is my husband and also, it might be me. God forgive me, for this creature is innocent…..
( gi tigbas dayun pero gi cut )

Scene 2:
Narrator: Mariana looked out of the window toward the other side of Artiaga Street. A
group of men had gathered around a low table in front of Sergio’s sari-sari store. It was
ten o’clock, Tuesday morning.

Mariana: Tangina, eto na naman tayo. Mga walang modong mga tao!” she snarled.
“Kaninong aso na naman ba ang kakatayin nila ngayon?”

Victor’s Frenny: Hoy! simulan na natin ang group study natin! (pa birong sabi)
Victor’s Frenny: HAHAHAHA

Mariana: Grabe wala pang tanghali may mga aswang na naka abang. Victor, wala kang
mapapa sa kanila.

Victor: (Victor was now reaching for his shirt hooked on the wall between Nora Aunor
and Vilma Santos).

Narrator/Guide: Mariana turned to him, her eyes wild in repulsion and anger.

Narrator/Guide: victor, put on his shirt. Presently, he crawled on the floor and searched
for his slippers under the table. Mariana watched him strain his body toward the wall,
among the rattan tools. He looked like a dog tracking the smell of hidden carrion.

Mariana: “Dios ko, Victor, kelangan mo ba talagang sumama sa tuwing kakatay sila ng
asong dinampot niyo lang sa tabi? Ano na namang trip nyo ngayon ha? Nilaga? Kadiri!”

(Victor is looking for his slipper while having a conversation)

Victor: Eto na! Nakita ko na!

Narrator/Guide: Victor found his slippers. He emerged from under the table, smoothed
his pants and unbuttoned his shirt. He was sweating. He looked at his wife and smiled
faintly, the expression sarcastic, and in an attempt to be funny.

Victor: “Mahal wag kang mag alala dahil ngayon barbeque kami!”

Mariana: Nagawa mo pa talagang mag biro Victor!. “Edi mas mabuti pa tigil tigilan mo
sa pagsama sa mga walang kwentang istambay na iyan”
Victor: Kaibigan ko sila, Mariana. Kahit anong sabihin mo iisang lang ang likaw ng mga
bituka namin” (with an angry glint in Victor’s eyes)

Mariana: “Ah ganun ba? Edi mas mabuti pa sila nalang ang pinakasalan mo!”

FIoTÑ→
Narrator/Guide: Suddenly, she straightened. She heard Sergio’s raspy voice, calling
from his store across the street. It was an ugly voice, and it pronounced Victor’s name in
a triumphant imitation of a dog’s bark.

Sergio: “Victor! Victor! Aw! Aw!”

Narrator/Guide: Mariana glared at her husband as he brushed her aside on his way to
the window. She felt like clawing his face, biting his arms, ripping the smelly shirt off his
back.

Victor: “Papunta na,”

Narrator/Guide: Mariana was about to open her mouth for harsher invectives but a
sharp cry from the bedroom arrested her. It was her baby. She rushed to the table,
picked a cold bottle of milk, and entered.

Narrator/Guide: In his rattan crib that looked like a rat’s nest, the baby cried louder.
Mariana shook the crib vehemently. The baby's mouth and all legs thrust awkward arms
into the air, blindly searching for accustomed nipples.

TRIFLES
Narrator/Guide: The baby sucked the rubber nipple easily. But Mariana’s mind was
while craddling
outside the room as she watched the baby
her husband lean out of the window to answer the
invitation of the dog-eaters of Artiaga Street.

Mariana: “Hindi mo ba iimbitahin asawa mo?” “Baka yung kaibigan mo may pa resirba
na yung kaibigan mo sa akin. Saan ba sa parte ng aso ang pinaka masarap? yung
puso? atay? utak? Buto? tainga? o baka naman dila? magka rabies ka sana

Victor: “Tumahimik ka nga diyan Mariana, pa kainin mo na lang yang anak natin, hindi
ka dada ng dada.”

Narrator: She did not expect him to answer and now that he had, she felt angrier. The
heat from the unceilinged roof had become terrible and it had all slipped into her head.
She was ready for a fight. The baby had gone back to sleep. Mariana dashed out of the
room, her right hand tight around the empty bottle. She had to have a weapon. She
came upon her husband opening the door to the little porch. The porch was at the top of
the stairs that led out into Artiaga Street.

Mariana: Alam mo, puro nalang tuba at aso ang laman ng tiyan at isip mo. Lagi nalang
iyan ang inaatupag mo. Subukan mo kayang mag tino at mag hanap ka ng trabaho.
FOR A CHANGE!
 Narrator: Victor turned her off. It seemed he was also ready for a fight. The glint in his
eyes had become sinister.

Victor: Eh ano namang masama kung kumain kami ng karne ng aso. hindi mo ba
alam? Dati pa dito sa Barangay Artiaga Street. ginagawa namin yang pulutan!
Ñ
Mariana: Kaya naman pala asal aso ang mga tao dito eh!

Victor: Yung sinasabi mong asal aso yan, yan ang naging asawa mo!

Mariana: Oo, mas masahol pa sa aso!

Victor : Eh, ano bang pinuputok ng butsi mo, Mariana?

Mariana: Tinatanong pa ba iyan, Victor? ASO, ASO, ASO! TANGINANG ASO YAN EH!
konting konti nalang, tatahol na ako, AW AW AW!

Victor repaired his face, amused by this type of quarrel. Again, he tried to be funny.

[
Victor: Mahal, halika nga rito. he said, smiling condescendingly
]
Narrator: Mariana was not amused. She was all set to proceed with the fight. Now she
tried to be acidly ironic.

Mariana: Wag mo akong mamahal mahal, hindi ako natutuwa. Gusto mo katayin ko si
Ramir, para sayo? Wala namang ginawa yan, kundi tumahol, tumahol,
- tumahol, at
kakalat kalat!
•
Victor: Wag na wag mong idamay dito si ramir, Mariana!

Narrator:Victor turned to the door. It was the final insult, Mariana thought.

Mariana: Punyeta!
janet
Narrator: She screeched and flung the bottle at her husband. Instinctively, Victor turned
and parried the object with his arm. The bottle fell to the floor but did not break. It rolled
noisily under the table where Victor was, momentarily hunting for his rubber slippers.
He looked at her, but there was no reaction in his face. Perhaps he thought it was all a
joke. He opened the door and stepped out into the street. Mariana ran to the door and

__==
banged it once, twice, thrice, all the while shrieking.

Mariana: Sige, kumain ka ng kumain, hanggang mag mukhang aso ka. Ako na mismo
ang tumawag ng beterinaryo.

F -
Narrator: Loud after coming across the street.
Mariana leaned out of the window and shouted to the men gathered in front of Sergio’s

Flt
store.

Mariana : Tantanan nyo nga ang asawa ko, mga bwisit!

Narrator: The men laughed louder, obscenely. Adlib//mocks Mariana’s rants. Their
voices offended the ears just as the stench from the garbage dump at the Artiaga-
Mabini junction offended the nostrils. There were five other men aside from the chief
drinker, Sergio. Downing a gallon of tuba at ten o’clock in the morning with of Artiaga’s
idle men was his idea of brotherhood. It was good for his store, he thought, though his
wife languish behind the row of glass jars and open cartons of dried fish — the poor
woman deep in notebooks of unpaid bills the neighbours had accumulated these last
two years. Mariana closed the window. The slight darkening of the room intensified the
heat on the roof and in her head. She pulled a stool and sat beside the sewing machine
under the huge pictures of Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos, under the altar-like alcove on
the wall where a transistor radio was enshrined like an idol.

She felt tired. Once again, her eyes surveyed the room with repulsion. She had stayed
in this rented house for two years, tried to paste pictures on the wall, hung up classic
curtains that could not completely ward off the stink from the street. Instead of cheering
up the house, they made it sadder, emphasising the lack of the things she had dreamed
of having when she eloped with Victor two years ago. //Flashback scene//

FTmmIn*r '
Narrator: Victor found work as a bouncer at Three Diamonds, a candlelit bar at the end
of Artiaga, near Jacinto Street. All the hostesses there were Fely’s customers. Mariana,
who came from a better neighbourhood, was a third year BSE student at Rizal
Memorial. They eloped during the second semester, the very week Fey drowned in the
pool behind Three Diamonds. Just as Mariana grew heavy with a child, Victor lost his
job at the bar. He quarrelled with the manager. An uncle working in a construction
company found him a new job. But he showed up only when the man did not report for
work. These last few days, not one of the carpenters got sick. So Victor had to stay
home.

Mariana felt a stirring in her womb. She felt her belly with both hands. Her tight faded
dress could not quite conceal this most unwanted pregnancy. The baby in the crib in the
other room was only eight months, and here she was — carrying another child. She
closed her eyes and pressed her belly hard.

Mariana: Anak ‘wag mo na pahirapan si Mama, please.

Narrator: She felt the uncomfortable swell, and in a moment, she had ridiculous
thoughts. What if she bore a pair or a trio of puppies? She imagined herself as a dog, a
spent bitch with hind legs spread out obscenely as her litter of three, or four, or five,
fought for her tits while the mongrel who was responsible for all this misery flirted with
the other dogs of the neighbourhood.
 1

A dog barked. Mariana was startled. It was Ramir. His chain clanked and she could
picture the dog going up the stairs, his lethal fangs bared in terrible growl. Grrrr .. _ . - - -

/
Aling Elpida: Hay nako Mariana! Ano ba ‘tong aso niyo! Baka kakagatin ako. //shoo’s
the dog away from her.

Mariana: Wag kang lumapit sa halimaw na yan aling elpida teka lang

Aling Elpida: Bilis

Mariana: Teka lang. Oh tuloy ka aling Elpida

Aling Elpida: Hay nako mariana (gi hangak) muntik na akong atakehin sa puso dahil
dyan sa aso na yan , baka yan pa ang ikamatay ko

Mariana: Eto naman kasing si victor eh ginawang bantay ang asong yan, wala namang
kwenta

Aling Elpida: Mariana, bat ang init at ang dilim. Bat ba nakasarado yang mga bintana
mo?

Mariana: eh kasi naman ang ingay ingay ng mga tambay dyan sa labas. May pinag
pepyistahan na naman aso, Kadiri diba?

Aling Elpida: Ha? Kadiri? Eh ano namang masama sa pagkain ng aso? Eh mas
masarap pa nga eto kesa sa karne ng kambing at kung tutuusin mas malinis pa ito
kaysa sa karne ng baboy, sa estado ng buhay nating dalawa lang ang ating pagpipilian.
Kung kakain tayo ng karne ng aso o di kayay mamatay tayo sa gutom. Oh sya nga pala,
kumusta na ang anak mo?

Mariana: Nandun sa kwarto natutulog

Aling Elpida: o eto pala yung mga pinamili mong gulay, may bangus din jan lutuan mo
si victor para makalimutan niya ang masarap na karne ng “aw, aw, aw”

Dunn
Mariana:Maraming salamat Aling Elpida, tsaka yung manggang hilaw? At yung.. Yung
pinangako mo?

Aling Elpida: Nandito na, kumpleto yan mariana

Mariana: Hindi ko pa pinapaalam kay victor, at wala akong balak ipaalam. Natatakot
ako baka hindi umubra to

Aling Elpida: epektibo yan, subok na yan, lumapit ka hawakan kita (gi gunitan ang
tiyan) mukhang malusog ang bata mariana pero ang tanong, itutuloy mo ba talaga ito?

/
Mariana: Di ko na gusto magkaanak ulit, tignan mo nga ang kalagayan namin, sa tingin
mo, kaya pa ba naming sustentuhan ang isa pa?

Aling Elpida: Ikaw ang bahala, nasa iyo ang desisyon, sayo na yang bote

Mariana: Mapait ba to?

Aling Elpida: oo

Mariana: Paano ba to iinumin?

Aling elpida: Isang kutsara bago mag hapunan at isang kutsara bago mag agahan

Mariana: hindi ba to pwedeng isabay sa isang basong gatas o di kaya sa isang basong
coke?

Aling Elpida: hindi, hindi pwede. Kailangan inumin mo yan ng puro.

Mariana: Hindi ba to delikado?

Aling Elpida: wag ka mag alala mapait yan pero hindi ito delikado. Magmumukhang
aksidente lang ang mangyayari, parang nahulog ka lang sa hagdan, at tsaka may
kaunting kirot at kaunting dugo lang ito

Mariana: pwede ka bang bumisita araw araw? Baka kung anong mangyaring masama

Aling Elpida: o sige, o sya mauna na ako mariana.. Ay siya nga pala, may pera ka na
ba?

Mariana: opo, opo (ihatag ang kwarta)

Aling elpida: sige mauna na ako ha

Mariana: salamat

Aling Elpida: ay mariana, Pwede mo nang simulang inumin yan ngayong gabi

Mariana: (nods)

Narrator: Aling elpida walks away while Victor who is drunk entered their house

Victor: Mariana! (he shouted) andito na ako, Mariana. Mariana lumabas ka nga dyan
andito na ako

Mariana: ano ba victor, huminahon ka nga, nakikita mong natutulog ang anak natin
Victor: oh nakita ko nanaman si aling elpida sa labas ano nanaman ang dala niya?

Mariana: isa at gulay ano paba?

Victor: ha? lumapit ka nga dito

Mariana: ano ba bitawan mo ako, (sniffs) amoy alak ka pa at ang baho baho ng hininga
mo

Victor: ha? Ako amoy alak? Sinong lasing ha? Ako? At hindi ako mabaho

Mariana: ano ba victor ha? Ganito na lang ba tayo lagi? Araw araw na lang tayo nag
aaway bat di mo subukan mag tino ha? maghanap ka nga ng disenteng trabaho

Victor: may trabaho naman ako ah di nga lang permanente pero alam kong sapat na, di
ka nga nagugutom eh

Mariano: sapat? Anong sapat? Sa tingin mo masaya ako sa buhay na meron tayo
ngayon? Na sa pag gising ko sa umaga ang bubungad sa akin eh itong lecheng bahay
na ito

Victor: akala ko naiintindihan mo ako!

Mariana: Anong naiintindihan? Pagod na pagod na akong intindihin ka victor. Alam mo

kung gaano ako naiinis sa tuwing sasama ka sa mga barkada mo, pero kahit ganyan
kaliit na bagay hindi mo magawa, hindi mo mapigilan pagod na pagod na ako

Victor: anong gusto mo? Anong gusto mo? Mag palit tayo? Ako ang mag papalit ng
diaper ako ang mag palit ng gatas yun ba?

Mariana: ahh ahh gusto mo?

Victor: ikaw ang ina! Ikaw dapat ang gumagawa ng ganong responsibilidad

Mariana: gusto mo ng usapang responsibilidad? Wow! Ang lakas ng loob mong mang
sumbat, ng mga bagay na hindi mo nga magawa ha?

argued
Victor: mag, mag hulos dili ka nga natutulog yung bata

Mariana: wala akong pakialam sa anak mo victor ! ! !

Victor: galit na galit ka na talaga mariana ÷

Mariana: oo galit ako, galit na galit ako kasi hindi ako kumakain ng karne ng aso at
ikaw hindi kita maipagmamalaki
 Magadh
Victor: mag hulos dini ka nga nakakasama yan sayo at sa magiging anak mo.

Mariana: nakikita mo to? Wala ng susunod victor

Victor: ano ibig mong sabihin ha?

Mariana: diba nakita mo si aling elpida sa labas

Victor: o ano na namang ginawa nun aswang ba yun ha? Sinumpa ka ba niya?

Mariana: binigay niya to (sabay pakita sa botelya) para mawala lahat ng problema ko
sayo

Victor: ahh dati pinagbabawalan mo ako uminom ng tuba pero ngayon may dala kang
bote ng suktong, tanga ka ba?

Mariana: ikaw ang tanga, ang tanga tanga mo, nakikita mo ba tung dahon at ugat
victor, isang kutsara sa umaga at isang kutsara sa gabi at boom! Mawawala lahat ng
problema ko

Victor: para ka nang tanga! Jusko! Responsibilidad mo yan papatay ka ng bata?

Mariana: akin to may karapatan akong ipalaglag to sa tingin mo kaya mo pang mag
sustento ng isa ikaw? ang tipong lalaki na katulad mo? Hindi hindi mo kaya

Victor: anong gusto mong gawin mo? Kumalma ka nga, maging maayos ka makakaya
natin to

Mariana: bitawan mo ko bitawan mo ko

Victor: akin na yung bote

Mariana: hindi pwede

Victor: akin na, akin na yan

Mariana: hindi nga pwede

Victor: sinabing akin na yan

Mariana: victor! (shout)

(gilabay ang bote)

Mariana: ugh! Kinasusuklaman kita victor,Kinasusuklaman kita kwarenta pesos yun at

hindi mo yun pera
Victor: huminahon ka nga

Mariana: sabi ko sayo, ayaw ko mag ka anak! Sige nabasag mo pero marami pang
paraa, pwede ko gurumin ang sarili ko, pwede ako tulamon jan pwede ako mag pahulog
dito sa hagdanan

Mariana” POV: (sinusumpa ko kayong lahat lulutuin kita Ramir lulutuin kita at kakainin
at kakainin)