REGION VI – WESTERN VISAYAS

Diplomat Listening to the Speech of Another Diplomat

by Dominador I. Ilio

A diplomatic speech is shown in the poem "Diplomat Listening to Another Diplomat."

The narrator of this poem is watching another diplomat give a speech. As a result, the poem's
name. Diplomacy is generally conducted in short lines that reveal as much as they hide, and it is
employed to produce a poem by a diplomat. Dominador Ilio wrote a poem called "Diplomat
Listening to the Speech of Another Diplomat." It portrays one diplomat's rambling thoughts as he
thinks why, due to the restraints of his work, he spent the summer resting on the beach with his
wife and children. This is an illustration of the uninteresting unhappiness that comes with such a
position in many ways. On one hand, the diplomat is doing his duty to his country. On the other
hand, he believes he is missing his life and disappointing his family.

In this poem, Rama like his mother and his aunt they were talking about him through that
we will know about him rather than focusing only to him. Since God like point of view we all
know what’s happening to the whole scene of the story that can develop the character of Rama.
When Rama confess to his uncle that he is sick that cause to pneumonia he ask for money and
when his uncle tell him that he should stop studying instead he wants him to help in his business.
The Rama is silent but he has no respect, not paying attention when someone’s talking to him
and also he is a hardheaded and stubborn to his mother. When I analyze and picture out Rama
when I read the story he is silent but no emotions to his face, he answered very short only when
he is asking by his aunt he also not friendly in short he has his own world.

In the story, I believe the summer sea represents enjoying a wonderful vacation without
thinking about anything else. Pure enjoyment and relaxation. In other words, it's a summer break
from stress, pressures, and job. The poem's message is that we don't need money to have
wonderful moments or establish solid relationships, but we do need time.
REGION VII – CENTRAL VISAYAS

Servant Girl

by Estrella D. Alfon

Servant Girl by Estrella Alfon is about Rosa, an abused maid who yearns for
independence, happiness, and love. She was being abused by her mistress and hoped to be
rescued one day. Then one day, while out and about, she slipped and fell, causing her ankle to
swell. A man in a tartanilla pulled over to assist her with her basin.

We can say that this story can be compared to a lot of real-life events involving people in
Rosa's circumstance. It depicts the terrible reality of some people working for people of a higher
social status than themselves. The abuses that one suffers are the result of their' masters' superior
mentality. Rosa and her experiences as a maid under someone who abuses her are told in Estrella
Alfon's work. It portrays her emotional roller coaster, from crying to the delight of having a
'Angel,' before returning to her true self and what she is doing. Even if it was just for a brief
while, Rosa's wish for happiness and freedom was mirrored by the usage of 'Angel' as Pedro's
name before Rosa understood. Angel, she imagined, was also longing for her and looking for a
chance to see and be with her again. Her thoughts and illusions were a simple method for her to
escape the daily challenges she was facing. It was a technique for her to convince herself that she
had it better than other people because they didn't have an Angel to look after them when they
were in trouble. It provided her with a reason to smile. But then, at the end of the Estrella's story,
is the sad reality that Angel or Pedro had forgotten about his kind gesture to this woman brought
her back to reality, revealing that what she had been imagining was just a illusion to get away
from the abuses she was experiencing inside her mistress' house.

Estrella Alfon portrays a sorrowful side of a person who shares Rosa's situation. In
reality, there are some people who, sadly, can relate to Rosa's experiences. Throughout the poem,
the writer was able to show and express all of Rosa's thoughts and emotions. This work by
Estrella Alfon will undoubtedly make you realize that, as difficult as it may be to believe, there
are examples like this all throughout the country and the world. This work will definitely get us
reflecting on how we treat others.
REGION VIII – EASTERN VISAYAS

Gabu

by Carlos A. Angeles

Gabu" is a real location on the shore of Ilocos Norte, in the Philippines' northwestern
region. The Philippines is known around the world as one of the most dangerous locations to live
since it experiences many typhoons each year. The coast of Gabu is no exception to these
catastrophes. It is one of the regions that the typhoons frequently pass through.

The poem begins with a general attitude toward depicting the devastations caused by the
"battering restlessness of the sea" in the opening verse. However, it is represented as something
that “insists a tidal fury upon the beach”. Life, happiness, and a general tone of positive are
connoted by words like "sea" and "beach." The persona claims that it has been going on from the
beginning of time, that it is still going on now, and that it will most likely continue for a much
longer amount of time in the future. This imagery goes on to the last line of the poem where it
has been stated that “it is the sea pursues a habit of shores”. This refers to the eternal nature of
rage and calm. The beauty of the relationship is enhanced even more by the two sides of a coin
represented by the sea and the shore. It depicts the shore's relationship with the sea as an endless
cycle of roughness and softness. This demonstrates the unending nature of the disasters. The
peaceful caresses of the waves towards the shore, though, are just as endless as the disasters. As
a result, the poem ends with the sea pursuing a habit of shores.

We notice how the waves keep going and moving until they finally reach the shore,
which is a reference to human life. Similarly, life would continue to move forward until it came
to an end (death). The persona speaks about a habit, something that is repeated over and over,
referring to the timelessness of the cycle of sea-borne disasters followed by calm. Life, too, is
confined by time and follows this cycle. We all design for an end to time when we can finally
rest in peace. Although life is full of difficulties and adversity, we, like the sea, can find peace
and stability once we reach the shore.
REGION IX – WESTERN MINDANAO

The White Horse of Alih

by Alvarez Enriquez

Alih's White Horse is a story of shame, disgrace, and redemption. The White Horse of
Alih, like the most of Mig Alvarez Enriquez's writings, is about the inhabitants of Zamboanga's
quaint Spanish/American colonial culture placed against a lovely Islamic backdrop. It describes
how most Moro-Islamic localities defined themselves against the gradual formation of a new
culture during the Spanish and American Occupations. It describes the Filipinos' culture, beliefs,
and faith. There were additional concerns in the story such as racial injustice, religious traditions,
and religious disagreements. Alih did not want to kill, but his worry for his brother as he grew up
compelled him to do so, as did his brother's teaching that killing would be the best way for them
to wash away their shame and gain respect for their father, who had perished in the hands of
American soldiers for no reason.

On this text, the main character tries to overcome his emotions, but Alih reveals his
intentions to Fermina in the middle of the story when he requests a kiss from the lady. We found
the following concerns in the short story: psychological, jihad or revenge, religious and cultural
divides, and alienation. The majority of the issues were present throughout the story, particularly
the jihad issue, which was significant. The protagonist and his older brother revenge jihad
against the American race for what they done to their father, and the plot revolved around this.
They were even second-guessing their intended plan after consulting with an Imam who also
opposed it. Omar disagreed with the Imam and told Alih, who was almost convinced, that the
Imam was getting old and that he should not listen to him. Alih finally severed his religious links
with the girl he adored at the conclusion of the story.

This story taught us not to seek vengeance on others for the wrongs we had experienced,
but rather to understand what God had in store for us. It also taught us about the power of love
and how loving someone profoundly may lead to positive things.
REGION X – NORTHERN MINDANO

Manila and Byzantium

by Miguel A. Bernard, S. J.

Why is the majority of Filipino literature published in English, according to Manila and
Byzantium? Yet it is true that the islands were previously a colony of an English-speaking
country, it is unclear why other colonial-inspired concerns have vanished while the preferred
mode of communication remains English.

A Filipino literature in English would have been unimaginable sixty-three years ago.
Nobody said much. Nobody wrote English. The majority of the population spoke their local
languages and dialects (of Malay origin); the educated classes spoke Spanish and had a Spanish
mentality. There is no doubt about his patriotism. Even though he was from Laguna, where good
Tagalog is spoken, he authored his works in Spanish. All of that changed in May 1898 with the
Battle of Manila Bay. The fast spread of English throughout the archipelago during the first
thirty years of American occupation was a testament to the educational system's efficiency. Since
the war, the quality of instruction has deteriorated significantly, and it is a widespread complaint
that students are flocking to colleges with little prior preparation. Today's Filipino student learns
law, medicine, physics, mathematics, history, and philosophy in the same language as students in
these fields in Australia, Canada, the United States, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Some may
consider it an inferior term for "Americans." I am not attempting to refute this viewpoint. Rather,
I want to consider a different perspective on the Philippines' sustained use of English. Although
it is true that the usage of English and Spanish in the Philippines has a colonial history, both of
these languages have grown as part in the national culture that it appears reasonable to assume
that their use does not necessarily imply a colonial mindset. Furthermore, in the case of English,
there may be some hope that a worthwhile literature in that language may emerge on Philippine
territory.

In view of all this, it's not surprising that Filipinos write in English the majority of the
time. This is no more unusual than the fact that a South American with Aztec, Inca, or other non-
European origin speaks and writes Spanish as their native tongue.