Footnote to Youth

             It was a story of a boy who was only 17 when he decides to marry his love one. He was dodong, and he love teang so much that he could not wait for the right age to settle down in a relationship that is hard to escape. It's the "marriage". At the age of 17 dodong and teang got married without thinking of the risk being in an uneasy part of life. They just follow what they feel. They don't think what would happen in their future. They got a child. Teang realized how hard being a young parent. Her regret of she had done and think, what would be my life if i marry my other suitors instead of dodong? Can I have the same life as of now? She regrets so much of!!

          Until one day, when their son grow. He follows the footsteps of his parents. He wants to marry also at the age of 17. He told his parents what his plans. Dodong have nothing to do but explain how hard and how risky to be in "marriage "at the young age.. But like dodong before, his son also wants to pursue what he wants.

        The lesson we can learn is that marriage can wait the right time, if we want to be in this stage of life, we must prepare ourselves against the risk of it. I know we can all be in to it if we like too but not at the young age.

         This would be a lesson for youth like me. Jose Garcia villa is a great write coz aside from having nice story; he also had the point of view where we can have the knowledge of something related to what will happen to us.

Characters:

1. Dodong-main character of the story who got married at the age of 17.

2. Teang-regretted marrying at an early age.

3. Lucio-Teang's other suitor who got married after she did and who's childless until now.

4. Blas-Dodong and Teang's oldest son who followed their footsteps in the end. Blas contemplated to marry Tona when he was 18.

5. Tona--woman whom Blas wants to marry.

MY REFLECTION:

            The story Footnote to Youth it talks about the responsibilities and realities that come with marriage and the family life. At there young age (seventeen) they got married because they love each other, also they followed the footsteps of their parents because their parents married early because of that love.It also explains there, the character got an early marriage without a planning what will happen ahead, youth are just triumph of their feelings that's why that came up with the unexpected events of their life, One of the reason also, was that the love of parents, it is consider as the main theme that explains the story why it happens,the author was able to explain and differentiate the life of the youth on the past and the youth of today. In the past, people are very sensitive but now esp. those teenagers, they are easy to get, in the point that, without the permission of their parents.It is really sad to know the story that what we want right away will lead us into misery and regrets. If you plan to marry someone you must always think, not only twice but more times, to really understand what he/she will be encountering.It is always easy to get married but is never easy having a big responsibility so you must plan it well. You need to think it over and consider the future before making up your mind. Make sure you are prepared before taking in a new responsibility or else you have to think first of the consequence that might happen if you decide to marry, life is difficult and happy moments are their but you also have to think that their are also a sad moments and marrying is not easy, because you also have to think first of the hardship that your parents is facing just to give you a better life so don't make a decision that would make your life complicated especially if you are young.  Love can wait in the right time and in the right place and also be patient.

Filipino Writers

Our famous Filipino writers who have touched the hearts and minds of many Filipinos; whose literary works have given freedom, honor and rich heritage to the nation.

Famous Filipino Writers are few and far between. But there are a lot of great Philippine authors, they just need to be discovered and read. Below are those who managed to break the barrier and imprint themselves into Philippine culture. Although some have passed on leaving their legacy, others are still around (some even new) hoping to match the their accomplishments.

The Contemporary Period

       The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue especially with the appearance of new publications after the Martial Law years and the resurgence of committed literature in the 1960s and the 1970s.

       Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels and essays whether these are socially committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in intention or not.

       Of course the Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the proliferation of writers workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature available to him via the mass media including the internet. The various literary awards such as the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Home Life and Panorama literary awards encourage him to compete with his peers and hope that his creative efforts will be rewarded in the long run.

       With the new requirement by the Commission on Higher Education of teaching of Philippine Literature in all tertiary schools in the country emphasizing the teaching of the vernacular literature or literatures of the regions, the audience for Filipino writers is virtually assured. And, perhaps, a national literature finding its niche among the literatures of the world will not be far behind.

LUALHATI BAUTISTA

Lualhati Bautista is one of the foremost Filipino female novelists in the history of contemporary Philippine Literature. Her novels include, “Dekada ’70 (Decade ’70)”, “Bata, Bata, Pa’no Ka Ginawa? (Child, Child… How were you made?”, and “‘GAPÔ (short name for Olongapo, Philippines)”.

In addition to being a novelist, Lualhati Bautista is also a movie and television screenwriter and a short story writer. Her first screenplay was Sakada (Seasonal Sugarcane Workers), a story written in 1975 that exposed the plight of Filipino peasants. Bautista has received recognition from the Philippines’ Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa in 1987. Her award-winning screenplays include Bulaklak sa City Jail (A Flower in City Jail) (1984), Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap (If The Clouds are Parted) (1984), Sex Object (1985). For screenplay writing, she has received recognition from the Metro Manila Film Festival (best story-best screenplay), Film Academy Awards (best story-best screenplay), Star Awards (best screenplay), FAMAS (finalist for best screenplay), and URIAN awards. Two of her short stories have also won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, Tatlong Kuwento ng Buhay ni Julian Candelabra (Three Stories in the Life of Julian Candelabra), first prize, 1982; and Buwan, Buwan, Hulugan mo Ako ng Sundang (Moon, Moon, Drop Me a Sword), third prize, 1983. Bautista also authored the television dramas Daga sa Timba ng Tubig (The Mouse in the Bucket of Water) (1975) and Isang Kabanata sa Libro ng Buhay ni Leilani Cruzaldo (A Chapter in the Book of Life of Leilani Cruzaldo) (1987). The latter won best drama story for television from the Catholic Mass Media Awards.

Bautista was honored by the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings on March 10, 2004 during the 8th Annual Lecture on Vernacular Literature by Women. In 2005, the Feminist Centennial Film Festival presented her with a recognition award for her outstanding achievement in screenplay writing. In 2006, she was recipient of the Diwata Award for best writer by the 16th International Women’s Film Festival of the UP Film Center.

She is also the only Filipino included in a book on foremost International Women Writers published in Japan, 1991.

Francisco Arcellana

Francisco "Franz"[1] Arcellana (September 6, 1916 – August 1, 2002) was a Filipino writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist and teacher. He was born on September 16, 1916. Arcellana already had ambitions of becoming a writer during his years in the elementary. His actual writing, however, started when he became a member of The Torres Torch Organization during his high school years. Arcellana continued writing in various school papers at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He later on received a Rockfeller Grant and became a fellow in creative writing the University of Iowa and Breadloaf's writers conference from 1956- 1957.

He is considered an important progenitor of the modern Filipino short story in English. Arcellana pioneered the development of the short story as a lyrical prose-poetic form within Filipino literature. His works are now often taught in tertiary-level-syllabi in the Philippines. Many of his works were translated into Tagalog, Malaysian, Russian, Italian, and German. Arcellana won 2nd place in 1951 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, with his short story, "The Flowers of May." 14 of his short stories were also included in Jose Garcia Villa's Honor Roll from 1928 to 1939. His major achievements included the first award in art criticism from the Art Association of the Philippines in 1954, the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan award from the city government of Manila in 1981, and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas for English fiction from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipino (UMPIL) in 1988. Francisco Arcellana was proclaimed National Artist of the Philippines in Literature in 1990.

Arcellana is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Arcellana died in 2002. As a National Artist, he received a state funeral at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

His grandson Liam Hertzsprung performed a piano concert in 2006 dedicated to him.

Arcellana's published books include:

Selected Stories (1962)

Poetry and Politics: The State of Original Writing in English in the Philippines Today (1977)

The Francisco Arcellana Sampler (1990).

Dr. Jose Rizal

Dr Jose Protacio Rizal was born in the town of Calamba, Laguna on 19th June 1861. The second son and the seventh among the eleven children of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso.

With his mother as his first teacher, he began his early education at home and continued in Binan, Laguna. He entered a Jesuit-run Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1872 and obtained a bachelor's degree with highest honors in 1876. He studied medicine at the University of Santo Tomas but had to stop because he felt that the Filipino students were being discriminated by their Dominican tutors. He went to Madrid at Universidad Central de Madrid and in 1885 at the age of 24, he finished his course in Philosophy and Letters with a grade of "Excellent".

He took graduate studies in Paris, France & Heidelberg, Germany. He also studied painting, sculpture, he learned to read and write in at least 10 languages.

Rizal was a prolific writer and was anti-violence. He rather fight using his pen than his might. Rizal's two books "Noli Me Tangere" (Touch Me Not) which he wrote while he was in Berlin, Germany in 1887 and "El Filibusterismo" (The Rebel) in Ghent, Belgiun in 1891 exposed the cruelties of the Spanish friars in the Philippines, the defects of the Spanish administration and the vices of the clergy, these books told about the oppression of the Spanish colonial rule. These two books made Rizal as a marked man to the Spanish friars.

• In 1892 when Rizal returned to the Philippines, he formed La Liga Filipina ,an non violent reform society of patriotic citizen and a forum for Filipinos to express their hopes for reform, to promote progress through commerce, industry and agriculture and freedom from the oppressive Spanish colonial administration.

• On July 6, 1892, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago, on the charge of instigating unrest against Spain, he was exiled to Dapitan, in northwestern Mindanao. He remained in exile for four years, while he was in political exile in Dapitan, he practice medicine, he established a school for boys, promoted community development projects, he applied his knowledge in engineering by constructing a system of waterworks in order to furnish clean water to the towns people. In Dapitan he also met, fell in love and lived with Josephine Bracken.

Books written by Jose Rizal
Source: MM del Rosario Photo Gallery

In 1896, the Katipunan, a nationalist secret society launched a revolt against the Spaniards, although Jose Rizal had no connection with the organization, his enemies were able to linked him with the revolt. To avoid being involved in the move to start a revolution, he asked Governor Ramon Blanco to send him to Cuba but instead he was brought back to Manila and jailed for the second time in Fort Santiago.

On December 26, 1896, after a trial, Rizal was sentenced to die, he was convicted of rebellion, sedition, and of forming illegal association. On the eve of his execution while confined in Fort Santiago, Rizal wrote a poem Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell) and hid it inside the gas burner and gave the gas burner to his sister Trinidad and his wife Josephine.

He was executed on December 30, 1896 at the age of 35 by a firing squad at Bagumbayan, now known as Luneta Park in Manila.

Jose Rizal was a man of many accomplishments - a linguist, a novelist, a poet, a scientist, a doctor, a painter, an educator, a reformer and a visionary, he left his people his greatest patriotic poem, Mi Ultimo Adios to serve as an inspiration for the next generations.

His Works

Jose Rizal spent a great part of his life writing compositions, essays, poems, as well as his novels. This section lists just a few of his well-known and well-loved pieces. Many of the works listed here come in their original Spanish, with English and Filipino translations.

P O E M S / S O N G S

Mi Ultimo Adios

Spanish Version

Ang Huling Paalam (Filipino Translation)

My Last Farewell (English Translation)

Sa Aking Mga Kabata

Filipino Version

To My Fellow Children (English Translation)

Mi Retiro

Spanish Version

My Retreat (English Version)

Canto del Viajero

Spanish Version

Awit ng Manlalakbay (Filipino Version)

Song of the Wanderer (English Version)

Canto de Maria Clara

Spanish Version

Awit ni Maria Clara (Filipino Version)

Song of Maria Clara (English Version)

Me Piden Versos

Spanish Version

Pinatutula Ako (Filipino Version)

They Ask Me for Verses! (English Version)

A La Juventud Filipina

Spanish Version

Sa Kabataang Pilipino (Filipino Version)

To the Filipino Youth (English Version)

E S S A Y S

• To the Young Women of Malolos

• Indolence of the Filipinos

• The Philippines A Century Hence

Francisco Balagtas

Francisco Balagtas was born in Panginay, Bigaa (now Balagtas), Bulacan on April 2, 1788 to Juan Balagtas and Juana dela Cruz. He was also called Francisco Baltazar or Kikong Balagtas. He was married to Juana Tiambeng of Orion, Bataan by whom he had seven children.

Even as a boy, Balagtas was a lover of beauty. He loved to watch the green country and hear the rustling of the leaves. He could see "stars" in the sparks caused by the pounding of his father, a blacksmith. He could hear "music" in the sound of the shoes of horses.

Even as a boy, too, Balagtas could sense that there were injustices in his country and that his countrymen were suffering in the hands of the Spanish rulers. He could feel something was wrong, but could not fully understand why. He came to understand these when, as a young man, he fell in love with Celia, a love which brought trouble to his life. He was put to prison by his strong rival who was the town cacique1. He depicted the injustices his people suffered in his poems, notably the Florante at Laura.

Florante at Laura, Balagtas' masterpiece, depicts the evils that beset the Philippines during the Spanish regime. While Albania was the setting and the characters were of foreign names, the heroes and heroines stood for his countrymen, and the conditions described were the very ones existing in his country. The book contains passages on upright living and lessons on justice, love, respect for elders, industry, discipline and patriotism. It is considered one of the best poems and Balagtas is considered the "Prince of Tagalog Poets".

                                                                        Works

Orosmán at Zafira – a komedya (a Filipino theater form evolved from the Spanish comedia) in four parts

Don Nuño at Selinda – a komedya in three parts

Auredato at Astrome – a komedya in three parts

Clara Belmore – a komedya in three parts

Abdol at Misereanan – a komedya, staged in Abucay in 1857

Bayaceto at Dorslica – a komedya in three parts, staged at Udyong on September 27, 1857

Alamansor at Rosalinda – a komedya staged at Udyong during the town's feast

La India elegante y el negrito amante – a short play in one part

Nudo gordeano

Rodolfo at Rosemonda

Mahomet at Constanza

Claus (translated into Tagalog from Latin)

Florante at Laura, an awit (metrical narrative poem with dodecasyllabic quatrains [12 syllables per line, 4 lines per stanza]); Balagtas' masterpiece

Philippine Literature

The word Literature is derived from the latin term litera which means letter it has defined by various writers.

Because literature deals with ideas, thoughts and emotions of man, literature can be said to be the story of man. Man’s loves griefs, thoughts, dreams, and aspirations. Coached in a beautiful language is literature. Inorder to know the history of a nation’s spirit, one must read it’s literature.

Webster defines literature as anything that is printed as long as it is related to the ideas and feelings of people, whether it is true, or just a product of one’s imaginations.

Why do we need to study Philippine Literature?

             We study Philippine literature so that we can better appreciate our literary heritage. Through the study of Philippine literature we can trace our rich heritage of ideas and handed down to us from our forefathers. Understand that we have a noble traditions which can serve as the means to assimilate other culture. Realize literary limitations conditions by certain historical factors and we can take steps to overcome them. Manifest our deep concern for our own literature.

The Legend of Lizard

Long ago, there was a mother who loved her only son deeply. She was a pious woman and her son imitated most of her good deeds, which were many. Her son was good at heart, but young. The woman knew that he still had much to learn before he could fully adopt saintly ways.

God decided to test this young son’s piety and love for his mother. He sent a beautiful woman to capture the young man’s eager heart. The beautiful woman urged the son to keep their meetings a secret from his mother, and though it pained the boy to do so, for he never kept secrets from his mother, he obeyed. But the real challenge had not yet been failed.

The beautiful woman beguiled the boy so that she was able to make him promise that he would do anything she asked. She therefore asked that he should – if he loved her as truly as he declared – cut out his mother’s heart and bring it to her. The young man, blinded by love, dutifully slaughtered his beloved mother. It was exactly six o’clock in the evening, and his mother was reciting the Angelus then. He held the still-beating heart in his hands as he rushed to where he knew the girl stood waiting. But when he got to their meeting-place, the girl was not there. Nothing was there – save for the realization of what he had done.

The heart still beat, though it tarried long in the hands of the prodigal son. And then it began to speak. In his shock, the boy dropped the heart, and it fell into a crack in the ground.

"Are you in pain, my child?" the mother’s heart inquired. "Let me sing you a lullaby, to soothe you to sleep." The heart softly started singing, as lovingly as its owner would have done. And in the son’s remorse he fell flat on his belly and kissed the ground that the heart lay on. The boy was so filled with guilt and grief that he did not notice himself changing, growing smaller, losing all his hair and clothing so that he was a tiny web-footed thing, that kissed and kissed at the ground as if begging for someone’s forgiveness.

At exactly six o’clock every night, when the Angelus strikes, the lizard comes down from the walls of the house, and crawls down to the floor, where it would make slight ticking sounds like quick kisses. It has been said that the lizard has not yet redeemed itself in its own eyes, and that with its tiny ears it could hear an ancient beating, and a lullaby that does not end.

The Legend of Sampaguita

A long time ago, there were neighboring Baranggays named Balintawak and Gagalangin. Between the two baranggay, is a very sturdy fence made up of dried bamboo. Every five years, they destroy it and build a new fence. Sometimes, the guardsmen from Balintawak watch over the fence, oftentimes the guardsmen from Gagalangin. Everything is working according to the rules of each datu.

The datu of Barangay Balintawak has a daughter with incomparable beauty and kindness. Her name is Rosita. Her mother died when she was young, however, she has four maids to assist her every need. There are a lot of handsome young men who admires her. But the only man who captured her heart is the son of Gagalangin’s datu, whose name is Delfin.

The conflict between their parents did not stopped Delfin and Rosita from loving each other. At the end of the bamboo fence lies there secret lair. Every night when the moon is bright, they meet at the end of the fence and stroll along with Rosita’s maids. Their relationship is hidden from both of their datu parents.

One day, the datu of Gagalangin heard that the fence is being destroyed by the servants of datu Balintawak so that they can build a new one. He asked one of his guards to watch at the said fence-making. When the guard came back, he told the datu that the new fence was moved. He was mad because the datu of Balintawak took five meters of their land. Immediately, he sent a man to the datu of the neighboring baranggay.

”Tell the datu of Balintawak to put the fence back where it is supposed to be. They are being unlawful and stealing one’s land is a crime!” said the datu of Gagalangin.

When the datu of Balintawak heard about it, he became furious and asked the servant to give a message to their datu. “Tell your datu that I never stole anything from him. I just placed the bamboo fences at its right place according to the documents that I discovered, written by my ancestors.”

Delfin’s father was very much displeased with the other datu’s response. This kind of conflicts usually results bloodshed among the two baranggays.

The datu of Gagalangin prepared his unit for the upcoming battle. He needs to get their baranggay’s stolen land even by violent means.When the news reached the datu of Balintawak, he eagerly prepared his battle unit as well. The two leaders are now ready for a never-ending war.

A few days before Gagalangins planned to attack the Balintawak, the datu got sick. He became seriously ill that lead him to his death. The responsibility was then handed to Delfin. He will be the one to lead the battle troops of baranggay Gagalangin.

The female servants told Rosita what was about to happen and she started to become frightened. Delfin is so young and does not have any experience when it comes to war. His father, on the other hand, had been trained to fight since he was still a child. She worried too much. She wanted to talk to Delfin and ask him to forfeit the war and simply talk to his father and settle the conflict peacefully. However, they do not have time to converse anymore. Tomorrow is the start of an endless battle between the two baranggays.

Both parties lost so many lives. Delfin was badly hurt and shed a lot of blood. He started to be blurry. He was half conscious when he fell to the ground. Before his last breath, he told one of his comrades to bury him near the end of the fence where he and Rosita used to secretly see each other.

Nobody can ever tell what really happened to the young lovers or the result of the war. All they knew is that Rosita became seriously ill when she knew that Delfin died in the battle. Her father called for so many doctors to make her feel well but neither one of them can treat Rosita. When she was about to die, Rosita told her father to bury her near Delfin, at the end of the bamboo fence. Though it is hard for the datu to do, she still obeyed her daughter’s last wish.

Many years had passed and the existence of baranggays gradually disappeared. Spaniards came and the city of Manila was established. Balintawak and Gagalangin became populated. But all the people living in these two places were having a mysterious experience. During the month of May, especially when the moon is bright, they hear a mystical sweet voice of a lady saying “Sumpa kita! ... Sumpa kita!” (I swear, I swear) but nobody can see from whom it is coming from. It seems as if it comes from the bushes where little white flowers grow. Although the flowers are so tiny, it bursts out a different kind of scent that everybody loves to smell. That’s what usually happens every month of May, each year.

Because everyone was so curious about the voice, they all decided to dig up the spot and uncover the mystery behind it. To their surprise, they found the roots of the bushes where the lovely flower grows, comes from the mouth of the two bodies buried not so far from each other. The elders remembered the memoir of the two lovers – Delfin and Rosita.

The story spread fast. The words “Sumpa kita” evolved as “Sampaguita” that signifies an everlasting love of Delfin and Rosita.

Characters:

Rosita

Delfin

Datu

Filipino Values:

Faithfulness

Truthfulness

Filipino Traditions:

Marrying someone from the same tribe/ clan.

Resolving conflict by arm/ battle.