start of something NEW

“…When I have my Humanities014 – Philippine Literature in English, I was really enlightened by the teachings of our professor…I’m taking up Mechanical Engineering; I’m confused why do we need to have literature courses? Now I know, it’s because “Literature humanizes” and just like what Cirilo Bautista said that, POETRY makes us aware of the truths and values necessary to fulfill our potentials. While for me, most of our subjects are so difficult, very stressful and gives us a headache all the time; however LITERATURE is there for us to have bright days and to give us time to relax our minds and rest for a while from our hectic schedules…” (excerpt from my speech in HUM014 for POETRY during the ribbon cutting for TANAGAs by Jethro James I. Bodoso)

For Darwin, my number one best friend in MCL, THE MOST IMPORTANT person for me in MCL, and one of the most important person in my life; Da, thanks for being there all the time, I’m very blessed to have you as my best friend, you’re one of the living proof that GOD really exists in my life. I can’t say much more, because I’m already out of words to say, I know you already know that almost everyday, I’m thanking you for being my best friend, so Da, MARAMING MARAMING SALAMAT, and many many more years of friendship!

For Eugene, BEST ko yan!, one of my very closest friend in MCL, in fact his the first person I got close with in our block section during the first year first term; best, thanks for everything! Make good on your studies, study harder and so do I; so that we will be classmates during our majoring years. WALANG IWANAN!!! We can do this, don’t lose hope.

For Niño, my pareng TOL, one of my closest friend since high school, my school mate since elementary, kasawa na! hahaha,, just kidding. I will never get tired of having you as my classmate, I’ll always look forward of having you as my classmate. Make good on your studies, ha? Study harder, focus on your studies, and I’ll just send my other tips to you through a text message..wahahaha..too confidential, but I think you already know that, RIGHT??Hahahaha.. Thank you for everything especially to the friendship you’ve shared with me.

For Dyra, my block mate, one of my closest friends since first year first term, make good on your studies, study harder, and focus on your studies ha? Buy me in FFS, Hahaha, I’ll buy you also. Be more friendly and lessen being snobbish and too serious. Take care always! GOD bless us always.

For Bela, my disaster partner!hahaha, wui! mangaagaw! Wahahahaha, PEACE! Miss you bela, take care always, and make good on your studies. For Kim Cardenas, my PARE, may God bless you and bela’s friendship more years, good health and take care always; you’re very blessed to have friends like them. For Sean, hi!sean!!, hahaha, one of the persons in the classroom that is really fun to be with, at first I thought that he is very serious and snobbish, on the contrary, when we became group mates in our Physics lab, I got to know him much better. After that class every Monday is our HUM014, so Sean and I got lots of time to bond together, that’s why we became close.

For Kon, my friend since before, I’m always here for you, don’t get serious in your love life, your too young, we should focus to our studies first, however, having an inspiration is not bad, but don’t make that a factor to affect your studies. Love CAN wait; just like what the MMK episode I’ve watch, they said that, “Walang tunay na pag-ibig ang hindi nakakapaghintay sa tamang panahon”.

For Vic, the escort of the section, hahaha, pareng Vic!, thanks for everything, you’re one of the persons I really idolize, smile always and stay the Vic I’ve known before. Take care always, focus on your study, study harder, may God almighty bless you always. I’m always happy to have you as my friend. Pre, tip naman dyan! Hehehe, buy me in FFS ha? I’ll also buy you if I can afford you.

For Fia, MAHAL!!, one of my girl friends (girl na friend, hahaha..) that are really fun to be with, and I enjoy her company, MAHAL! I miss you na, take care always! Just text me ha? Love lots..

For Sham, are you my classmate???, really??, wahahaha, wui! SORRY, FYI for the others, I don’t know that she is also my classmate in CHM021, haha, and she’s also not aware that Darwin is our classmate there. Before, Sham and I are not close, in fact in our CHM021; I got confused with her and to our other calssmate. Thanks to Fia, her closest friend in HUM014, I got close with her. Stay being friendly and always smile!

For Runo, the MARMOSET of the group,hahahha…PEACE, THANKS for everything!!!. Specially during my workshop for our play, because I can’t be angry and be sensual, thank you for believing in my skills and for the long patience you have given me. SALAMAT! I’ll always cherish your friendship.

For Joan Caballero, hi Joan!, grrr..hahaha..my RAPE partner,,wahahahaha, same as with Runo, no words can express to say MARAMING SALAMAT!, specially during my workshop, hahaha, thank you for the long patience, I photocopy the certificate, but I failed to give that to you, however, Runo already got his. I really admire yours and Ruby’s friendship, not because I don’t like my friends but because you two look good together, stay the way you are, NEVER left Ruby, love each other more.

For Ruby, one of the simplest girl I knew, stay your simplicity and being very friendly, same as with Joan, love each other more and cherish your friendship more , and never left each other.

For Arvin, my classmate in PE022 and CHM021, etc., make good on your studies, be more friendly and practice participating inside the class, be more active and smile always. Buy me in FFS ha? I’ll also buy you don’t worry.

For Kim Barrientos, “kaawaan ka ng Diyos!” (excerpt from the play of HUM014-A15 Sampaguita Song), Buy me in FFS ha? I’ll also buy you, take care always and GOD BLESS, smile always!

To Joan Frany, my PHY021 classmate, hahaha, one of the most smiling faces, keep smiling all the time, study harder, I know you can do better. Take care always and may God Bless you more. We believe in your skills and talents, don’t disappoint us.

To Julius, pre thanks for believing in my skills, SALAMAT, sad to say we failed to get close with your group, anyways, good thing we became groupmates in one of our group activities, I'm looking forward to have you as my classmate again, focus on your studies, don't forget us, and keep in touch.

To Meilin, good thing you joined bela's group in our last group activity, however, the time that was given to us is not enough, focus on your study, and I'm hoping that we will be classmates again.

To Harpst, pre I admire your thoughts and ideas, even though you're absent sometimes, you always have a correct, sensible and humorous ideas.

Last but definitely not the least, the 22^nd member of the group, without this person our section is not complete. To Prof. Eduarte, ma'am I really had fun to your teachings and got lots of new knowledge from it. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and experiences. We really can say THIS IS LITERATURE, because it humanizes us, it delights us, it arouses noble and unselfish emotions and values, and it fire our imagination into deep and critical thinking. You're one of the best teachers I've had. I just want you to know that you can be proud of yourself and be confident! However, stay being humble, down to earth and God fearing person. We will miss you and we will never forget an excellent teacher like you. Ma'am one last thing, you're one of the teachers I REALLY admires, because you're beautiful not just inside but most especially OUTSIDE, sayang may asawa na si ma'am!..wahahahahaha...yihee si ma'am BLUSHING!!hahahaha.. Take care po always, keep in touch and never forget us, WE LOVE YOU, God bless us always!

CONGRATULATIONS

GROUP TWO WHOLESOME!!!

(Best small group performance)

I will miss you guys, and I will never forget persons like you...

MAMA MARY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

(source:Obama to Soil the Virgin Mary During Notre Dame Commencement Speech......28 April 2009.Web.07 September 2009.[http://www.weaselzippers.net/blog/2009/04/obama-to-soil-the-virgin-mary-during-notre-dame-commencement-speech.html].)

THE PRETENDERS by F. Sionil Jose

In this paper, I will attempt to reveal the real meaning of “THE PRETENDERS”, a novel written by an excellent writer, F. Sionil Jose. I will do that by showing three possible themes of this novel.

• The use of PAST and MEMORY in showing CONTRAST and COMPARISON.

“Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan”

We, Filipinos, have this belief, “Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan”, is it true? F. Sionil Jose is a foremost advocate of using past and memory to present social realities, maybe that’s why his major character in this novel, Antonio Samson can’t move on to his life because he really wants to dig up his roots. If you can notice, Tony always wants to know his forefathers, in fact in Chapter 11, he and his wife Carmen, went to Cabugaw to trace his roots. Even in Carmen we can see the method of F. Sionil, they always compare Phlippines to they United States, to be exact, Baguio's amazing appearance, smell and coldness to some states of America they had already visited before like Washington for example.

• The role of POWER and WEALTH in shaping a person’s life.

Class struggle

Greediness in power and wealth.

POWER and WEALTH, these two factors make the world go round, BUT is it really should be? Our almighty GOD taught us not to be greedy in POWER and WEALTH, in fact, GREED is one of our seven deadly sins, isn’t?

“Carmen Villa was used to being pampered, but the things that she valued were never those that could be bought but those small tokens of truth and dogged fidelity which she herself, could not give to anyone”. Carmen Villa as one of the VERY rich persons in the novel, she can have ALMOST everything, her life was so easy, and she was always pampered by everyone around her. For her, she could have everything, because she is RICH she have the MEANS to BUY everything. Carmen never attempts to get close with her husband, she never knew what was her husband was going through.

F. Sionil shows how the “RICH manipulates the POOR”, and how the poor was so far from the rich in terms of their class standing. “Tony gets to know his limitations, as a child by being beaten by his father as his MORAL SUPERIOR. Tony was beaten by his father because of eating at Rich Man's house” (page 11). His father doesn’t want to lower their pride, they can still eat, and they don’t need to beg the rich to share their food to them. In the first chapter, Tony was capturing a frog for them to eat; at that part it was clearly projected to us how poor the family of Tony was. Tony being conscious in having Carmen as his wife for she is rich (page 14 and 20). Tony is always aware that most of the people around them might think that he is marrying Carmen for her money. That is true, isn’t? Even today, most of people think like that. We can’t blame them because most of those persons do really have bad intentions. In fact, Tony, during his conversation with his sister, Manang Betty, he really defend himself regarding that matter, however, F. Sionil revealed what Tony really wants, he really wants to use the Villa’s power and wealth for his personal intentions. Manang Betty would want to have the governor as one of the sponsors to have some influential acquaintance (page 19). Even Manang Betty wants to have some connections with these powerful and rich persons specially the Politicians, as we all knew, most of our Politicians nowadays can do a lot of “magic” in our society, it is because they have the POWER and WEALTH. "The poor can't be proud" (page 20) Manang Betty said. In that line of Manang Betty, it supports how they degrade the poor. Don Manuel, a superman for he can influence almost everyone (Page 34). POWER can influence everyone, even Don Manuel use his position in influencing other people, he use this to make the people around him like his own puppets. "Beggars can't be choosers." Godo said, this statement is just like the line of Manang Betty above. Marriage of Tony and Carmen must be postponed for Tony still have to save. It shows that Tony is really poor, that he can’t afford his wife’s and her family’s demands, however, in the latter part of the novel, Tony keeps on saying that he can support his wife and the family they are going to have. Maybe Tony got his pride from his father, did you remember that his father whipped him because he ate on the rich man’s house? It just show his father’s pride for his family. In Chapter 4, Tony, Carmen and her parents faced each other for their upcoming marriage. Don Manuel doesn’t know whenever Tony is marrying Carmen for love or money; Don Manuel feels free to say anything to Tony because of his wealth. See? How wealth affects the way Don Manuel lives? And also even him was doubtful in Tony’s intentions in marrying his daughter. Tony gets more concerned about what he can afford for Carmen since he has not enough savings and Carmen already wanted to get married (page58 and 59). Again, it shows that Tony is far from Carmen’s life. Wealth removes the warmth and closeness which parents can have for their children (page61). Over wealth really can’t do good to us, as what we have seen in the television, isn’t? Don Manuel can influence everyone isn’t? Even Tony himself; Tony had no choice but to agree with Don Manuel’s idea of having Tony work for him. Dean Lopez, a highly respected person in the University where Tony is working, he suggested Tony to stop working on his papers about Ilocos (page75).

I’m a person that really loves the subject “HISTORY”, in fact, as of now; I’m planning to take up a program related to history after I had my masters in Engineering. Most of the authors we had discussed inside the classroom especially F. Sionil Jose really captured my attention. Why? It is because his works are so much related to our history.

References:

THE PRETENDERS by F. Sionil Jose

Writing a Response to Literature (modified by Joan).ppt by Prof. Joahna T. Eduarte

HUM014 The Pretenders.ppt by Mark Darwin Nacionales, Jethro Bodoso, Eugene Castillo, Frances Dyra De Asas and Victor Abraham

HUM014 speech by Jethro Bodoso

Jethro James I. Bodoso (HUM014-A15)

To our highly respected administrators, esteemed faculty members, especially to our professor in Philippine literature in English, Prof. Joahna Eduarte, the one responsible for this simple yet very inspiring event, fellow schoolmates, guests and friends – a lovely afternoon to all.

I’m Jethro Bodoso of Humanities014 section A15 and I’m here in front of you to deliver a short glimpse on poetry.

Poetry

What is Poetry? “The best words in their best order” as defined by one of the legendary poets, Samuel Coleridge. Is it really true? Before I made my speech for today, someone asked me, “Are you starting to appreciate poetry?” A big question mark was left in my mind; I asked myself “do I really have the rights to talk here in front of you?” Before, I don’t really love Poems, for me “they’re just a bunch of words”. When I heard lines of words that are flowery, highfaluting and too emotive, I felt it’s so boring or corny, as most of the teenagers say. However, when I have my Humanities014 – Philippine Literature in English, I was really enlightened by the teachings of our professor.

The great poet, William Wordsworth, defines Poetry as “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility”. Poetry is really a written feeling of a Poet, it is full of emotion, that’s why we feel different every time we had read a Poem, and this feeling depends on the mood and tone of the Persona, the speaker in the Poem. Poetry also makes use of symbols that we can convert it to images in our minds, that is to make Poems more real, and more felt. Cirilo Bautista said, Poetry remains to be cheap, but priceless means of humanizing human beings, of making them aware of the truths and values necessary to fulfill their potentials”. After I heard that definition, I started to wonder about my current view in Poetry. I’m taking up Mechanical Engineering; I’m confused why do we need to have literature subjects? Now I know, it’s because “Literature humanizes” and just like what Bautista said it makes us aware of the truths and values necessary to fulfill our potentials. While for me, most of our subjects are so difficult, very stressful and gives us a headache all the time; however Poetry is there for us to have bright days and to give us time to relax our minds and rest for a while from our hectic schedules.

So asking me the same question earlier, right now, “Are you starting to appreciate Poetry?” I will answer, YES I do, and I now appreciate Poetry. Poetry requires rhyme, the matching of final sounds in two or more words; it is used to add a musical sound to our poems. So Poetry is not just a bunch of words, before you make a poem you need to consider lots of things. Bautista further discussed that good poem has rich of multiplicity of meanings, BUT must not contradict each other; it must sustain, strengthen and support each other.

I’m now recommending Poetry to everyone, Poetry is very cheap yet priceless, anyone can afford Poetry, and everyone is welcome to make Poems and put your feelings into a written output. I just want to react on what is happening in the reality, when we watch news, we saw that they are arguing about the “National Artists Award”, lots of critics said that those who received the award are not worthy, while the awardees contradict what they say. Do you see how they fight for their dignity and their talent, because they had given their 100% self in this area, so let us support all of them and try to put ourselves in their position. Once again, a pleasant afternoon and GOD bless us all.

Tanaga

Most of you might be confused by now, what is Tanaga??? Prof. Eduarte introduce us this kind of poetry, it is like a Philippine version of haiku. Tanaga is a type of short Filipino poem, consisting of four lines with seven syllables each with the same rhyme at the end of each line --- that is to say a 7-7-7-7 Syllabic verse, with an AAAA rhyme scheme. 7-7-7-7 syllabic verse means that each line should have only 7 syllables while AAAA rhyme scheme means that each last word of lines have rhymes, all of them should be identical in sound (aural rhyme) or in structure (visual rhyme). Traditional Tanagas don’t have titles, it should speak for themselves, most are handed down by oral history, and contain proverbial forms, moral lessons, and snippets of a code of ethics. Poets test their skills at rhyme, meter, or rhythmic structure of verse, and metaphor through the tanaga, not only because is it rhymed and measured, but also it exacts skillful use of words to create a puzzle that demands some kind of an answer. It is almost considered a dying art form, but is currently being revived by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and National Commission of the Arts. Poetry groups, like the PinoyPoets, have been promoting Filipino poetry in English; the vernacular is also advocating the spread of this art form.

Modern Tanagas still uses the 7777 syllable count, but rhymes range from dual rhyme forms. Modern Tanagas have an option to have titles. Because Tanagas are very hard to decipher, it’s too short and sometimes uses lots of symbols, so for us to have a clue on what that particular Tanaga is all about, we can have a title for it.