LITERATURE Of

The Philippines
 "The Other
Woman"
by Virgilio Samonte
LOVE
?
" A true love is not measured on how many battles you
overcome, but how willing you are to sacrifice
everything for the person you love."
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 • Author 02 • Region 1 03 • Overview

• Literary
04 • Plot Summary • Literary 06 analysis/inteepre
05
Elements
tation
07 • Vocabulary
Author
~ Virgilio Samonte

Born: March 31, 1944 in Laoag, Ilocos Norte

➢ Died: July 12,2009
➢ He was an award-winning Filipino writer.
➢ His work “The Other Woman” won as the
third place in Carlos Palanca Memorial Award
 REGION 1 Enter title

Ilocos is a region in the Philippines,located on the northwestern coast of Luzon island, it includes
four (4) provinces: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan. It’s known for its historic sites,
beaches and the well-preserved Spanish colonial city of Vigan.
Region I

• Referred to as the Ilocos Region mainly because it is home to a majority of Ilokanos and the
seat of the Ilokano culture, heritage and language.
• There are two distinct versions as to where the word “Ilocos” originated In Isabelo de los
Reyes, Historia de Ilocos’ (1885), it evolved from the word “ilog” (river). Ilocos means “people in
the river”, very much like the Tagalog‟s “taga-ilog” which referred to the early settler‟s living
along riverbanks.

• The dialects or languages that is use in this region are Ilocano and Pangasinense.
Brief discussion of Region 1 Enter title

• Its literature is known as one of the most

colorful regional Filipino literatures. Prior
to the Spanish colonial period, the Ilocano
literature was purely alive in the form of
written and oral literature. Ancient poets
expressed themselves through folk and
war songs.
Overview
The Other Woman, by Virgilio Samonte, is a
short story that set out a fray-like relationship
between spouse and mistresses. The Other Woman
is written in narrative form, where the author used
excessive aesthetic words to define the situations,
emotions, and the settings effectively, which able
the author to portray a catchy story. Also, Samonte
used dialogues to help his reader pertains to the plot
of the story as their own. The Other Woman is a
story that gives a viewpoint on a possible
happening inside a household and inside a marriage
relationship.
 "The Other
Woman"
by Virgilio Samonte
SUMMAR
Y Manuel possessed a vitality that was insatiable. His healthy,
younger years were marked by a succession of mistresses.Even
servant girls were prey to his desires.

Cecilia, the wife had taken Loida, the harelip as a househelp in a

desperate hope that she would repel him. His philandering caused
the state of penury in which they existed.

Now Manuel is dying, his appearance a far cry from the lusty man he
was once known to be and he has the ashen look of a corpse.
Cecilia cares for him and she seldom goes out of his room. For
Cecilia, Manuel has finally become hers.
Loida on the other hand had adopted an unservantly attitude. Suspicious of
strangers and guests, she doesn't bother to hide her bitterness at the thought
of Cecilia alone caring for Manuel and sleeping in a room with him. She
seems to bristle with suppressed anger and moves around doing her chores in
furious haste.

In one of those rare times when Cecilia went out of the room, Loida
screamed repeatedly. Her screams sent Cecilia back to the room where she
saw Loida holding the inert form of Manuel, screaming while tears flowed
down her face, saliva flying from her mouth that he is hers too, that he loved
her.
The mans eyes were open and sightless, his mouth hung
agape. Cecillia tried to pull away the lifeless body from the
wailing woman, but she could not. Then, fiercely, she struck
her with successive, resounding slaps, crying insanely for
her to release him.
Major Characters
Manuel
Cecilia
Loida
Narrator

Protagonist

Nana Cecilia: She is the wife who had dearly loved his husband. Nana Cecilia or
Nana Ceiling never thought of giving up to her philandering husband who kept on
praying for mistresses when he had still possessed a healthy body. She cared for
him even more when he was already bedridden and seldom leaves by his side. He
had taken Loida in the house as a means of desperate measure, thinking that a
harelip would repel him.
Antagonist

Loida: In the story, the harelip woman is the antagonist. She was
taken as a desperate measure to repel the lusty man, because of
her imperfections. The harelip woman, Loida, appeared to be
indignant with an attitude that dismays an employer. Loisa is a
harelip who turns out proclaiming that the sick man loves her too.
Setting
● The setting of the story The Other Woman is in Manuel's home
in Laoag.

Theme
● "Love, in different forms, is never
ending".

Mood and Tone

● Mood - Serious ● Tone - Sad, Mad

Social Condition ● High Class

 Samonte's theme for his story "The Other
Woman" is exposed in different ways. Nevertheless,the
primary theme that is being pinpointed is that "Love,
in different forms, is never ending". In the
story ,the author first distorts his theme when Nana
Cecilia (the wife) takes good care of his husband who
is already bedridden even though the fact that her
husband betrayed her many times. Nana Cecilia
showed her unending affection to her husband when
she still sleeps together with him despite the fact that
her husband is very ill and weak.
 ● Another way of distorting the story's theme is seen in
Nana Cora. Nana Cora surrendered her feelings for the
husband and chose to go away. Even though she didn't ask
about the condition of the husband, it was evident that she
still cares when she walks away looking frail and forlorn.
Lastly, the never-ending love as what the theme says is seen
in Loida. It was when she promulgated their relationship
between her and the husband. Loida's affection is long lasting
because even though the husband is already weak, she's still
there watching and working as a maid.
 ● The Other Woman of Virgilio R. Samonte, is a story foretelling an
extraordinary relationship. It is a story showing an endless love even amid
betrayal. The theme that the aunthor wants to foretell as earlier is the
"Love, in different forms ,is never ending". The author is implying that in
the right or in the wrong person love is lasting when it is true. The author
had imparted his purpose with the use of his characters: Nana
Cecilia ,Nana Cora ,and Loida. The characters were portrayed best to mold
the purpose of the author. The Other Woman Story showed a man vs. man
conflict where three opposing forces struggle to win what they think theirs.
The Other Woman is a story that reminds us that love is not just a simple
subject.It could be in any form, yet it's only unending when you love
unconditionally.
 Harelip- another term
for cleft lip.

Bristle - (of hair

or fur) stands
upright away from
the skin, especially Vocabulary
Penury – a cramping
in anger or fear. and oppressive lack
Agape- (of the of resources
mouth) wide open,
especially with
surprise or wonder.
Philandering – to be sexually
unfaithful to one's wife
 ENDING QUOTE

"To love everyone unconditionally does not mean

to give everyone your unconditional time.
Sometimes, to love completely, we must never see
someone again. This, too, is love. This is giving
someone the freedom to exist and be happy, even
if it must be without you." ~Vironika Tugaleva