UNIT I: PHILIPPINE HISTORY AND

LITERATURE

MODULE 1: READING AND

REVOLUTION
The Revolution According to
Raymundo Mata
[ Excerpt]
by Gina Apostol
Motivation:
1. What do you know about the publication of Noli Me
Tangere and how it affected the Philippines?
2. Do you think that novels in the Philippines are as
important as they used to be when the Noli was
published in 1887?Are people still inspired by novels?
3. What is it about reading long texts, such as short
stories or novels that makes it different from reading
tweets and Facebook status posts?What is the
importance of literature for the Facebook generation?
PRE-READING:
Family Tree
Map your family tree.Try to find out who your
relatives are as far back as your great -great-
grandfather,if possible .Draw your family tree, and
beside the names of your relatives ,make a sketch of
the historical events that happened in their lifetime. Is
it possible to trace your ancestors from the times of
Rizal before 1898?Post your family tree on the walls of
your classroom, and stroll around in order to see
everyone else's family tree.
ESSAY
• In a short one- page essay,imagine what the life of
your ancestors would have been like during the
Philippine Revolution. Judging from your family
tree ,create an educated guess.Do you think
he/she have been from the upper class or the
lower class?Imagine what his/ her life would have
been like during that time .Read your essay aloud
in class.
 THE REVOLUTION ACCORDING TO RAYMUNDO MATA
[Excerpt]
by Gina Apostol
It was a bolt a thunder bolt .A rain of bricks ,a lightning zap.A pummeling of
mountains , a heaving, violent storm at sea a whiplash. A typhoon ,an
earthquake. The end of the world . And I was ruins .It struck me dumb .It
changed my life and the world was new when I was done.And when I raised
myself from bed two days later , I thought: it's only a novel.If I ever met
him,what would my life be? I lay back in bed.But what a novel ! And I cursed
him, the writer what was his name for doing what I hadn't done ,for putting
my world into words before I even had the sense to know what the world
was. That was triumph he'd laid out a trail, and all we had to do was follow in
his wake .Even then ,I already felt the bitter envy, the acid retch of the
latecomer artist,the one who will say be under the influence, by mere
chronology always slightly suspect,a borrower never lender be. After him, all
Filipinos are tardy ingrates. What is the definition of art? Art is reproach to
those who receive it. That was his curse upon all of us.I was weak,as if
drugged .I realized: I hadn't eaten in two days . Then I got out of bed and
boiled barako for me.
 Later it was all the rage in the coffee shops, in the bazaars of
Binondo.People did not even hide it crowds of men ,and not
just students, not just boys ,some women even, with their
violent fans gesticulating in public , throwing up their hands,
putting up fists in debate. Put your knuckles where your
mouth is . We were loud ,obstreperous, heedless. We were
literary critics. We were cantankerous : rude and raving. And
no matter on which side you were,with the crown or with the
infidels ,Spain or spolarium ,all of us ,each one ,seemed
revitalized by spleen, hatched from the wombs of
long,venomous silence . And yes ,suddenly a world opened
up to me , after the novel ,to which before I had been blind.
 Still I rushed into other debates, for instance with
Benigno and Agapito ,who had now moved into my
rooms . Remembering Father Gaspar's cryptic injunction
"throw it away to someone else," so that in this manner
the book traveled rapidly in those dark days of its first
printing, now so nostalgically glorious ,though then I had
no clue that these were historic acts ,the act of reading
,or that the book would become such a collector's item
,or otherwise I would have wrapped it in parchment and
sealed it for the highest bidder ,what the hell, I only
knew holding the book could very likely constitute a
glorious crime in shirt,I lent it to Benigno.
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. Why did the Noli Me Tangere have such a big impression on the
narrator?Could you relate to the narrator's experience of
reading?Why or why not?
2.Have you ever felt the same about a book that you had read ?
What book was it? Why did it leave such a huge impression on
you?
3. What does the line," Art is a reproach to those who receive
it"mean?Should art be a reproach? Should we relate art to society
? Explain your views.
4.When you read about how so many people were affected NY the
novel Noli Me Tangere , what was your reaction? Do you think a
book can ever elicit such a strong response in the Philippines?
5. WheWhen the narrator says that the act of reading was a
historic act,what did he mean ? Do you think this is true even
today?
6. During those times ,do you think you would have been moved to fight
against the government after reading the novel?
7. They say that the act of reading gives people more empathy and
makes them more critical and reflective. Do you think this is true?
8. Given this excerpt, what do you think is the importance of literature to
society? Is this still applicable today?
9. Why is the Noli Me Tangere ,a book that was banned in the past,now
a required reading in Philippine schools ? Why did the Catholic Church go
against making the Noli a requirement?
10. Do you think there should ever be a time when certain books should
be banned? Why or why not?
AFTER READING:
Small Group Activity
With a small group, create a poster showing the
relationship between reading and revolution in the
past ,and the importance of reading and society in
the present day.On a piece of paper ,write the title of
your poster and your insights about the importance
of reading and nurturing a nation of readers. Display
the poster around your classroom, and look at the
posters made by the rest of the class.
 GROUP 1:

• Rosas, Krisbel • Angol, Noraisa

• Navaro, Syndel • Gongga, Fahada
• Rejano, Rose Anne • Torres, Princess
• Panalondong, Jamaica • Lumabi, Joizel
• Basir ,Rasmiya • Bonga,Ebs Bryan