LITERATURE IN REGION VI (WESTERN VISAYAS)

Provinces and Capital

Aklan - Kalibo
Antique - San Jose de Buenavista
Capiz - Roxas City
Guimaras - Jordan
Iloilo - Iloilo City
Negros Occidental - Bacolod City
Hiligaynon is the lingua franca of the West Visayas in Philippines. The mother language of West Visayas is Kiniray-a or Hiraya.
The popular literary artforms in Western Visayas are the binalaybay or poem, the paktakon or riddle, the sugidanon or
story/folktale, the banggianay or debate, the hurobaton or proverbs, asoy or epic, amba or songs, and the komposo or traditional song.
MYTH

Tungkung Langit and Alunsina

CHARACTERS
Tungkung Langit
Industrious
Loving
Kind God
Alunsina
Lazy
Jealous
Selfish Goddess
THEME AND MORAL / LESSON
Theme
The myth is about the two Gods who fall in love to each other but ended separated because they lose their trust
and patience to each other.
Moral / Lesson
Before you do a thing, think it a billion times so that you would not regret at the end.
Give trust to the one that you love.

EPIC (Asoy)
Hinilawod
ORIGIN AND SIGNIFICANCE
The term "Hinilawod" means Tales from the Mouth of the Halawod River". Hinilawod is an epic poem written by the early
inhabitants of a place called Sulod in central Panay.
Hinilawod is not just a literary piece but also a source of information about culture, religion and rituals of the ancient people
of Sulod; showing us that ancient Filipinos believed in the sacred, in the importance of family honor and in personal courage and
dignity.
THEME AND MORAL / LESSON
Theme
The epic is about the exploits of three Sulodnon brothers, Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon, and Dumalapdap of
ancient Panay.
Moral / Lesson
Listen to the counsel of your parents.
Do not remove yourself from the right path.
Do not succumb to temptation for it will lead you to tragedy and failure.

RIDDLES (Paktakon)
Ang puno buko-boko
Dahon daw abaniko,
Bunga daw parasko,
Perdegones ang liso.

May diotay nga kaban-kaban,

Naga-abri keg naga si man,
Ang sulod puro tul-an
Kon kaisa nagadunlan.

The trunk is full of nodes

Leaves like fans,
Fruits like large wine bottles,
Pellets are the seeds.

There is a small chest

That opens and closes by itself
The contents are all bones
Sometimes it chokes.

Kapayas / Papaya

Baba / Mouth

PROVERBS (Hurobaton)
Mauntay ang sanga nga linghod,
Ang gulang na, matuod.

Kon indi ikaw mag-antos,

Indi ka gid magsantos.

A young sapling is easily straightened,

But an old branch is brittle.

You cant be a saint,

If you dont sacrifice.

Ang obra indi makapatay,

Pero ang pagkasubo amo ang
makapatay.
Work cant kill
But worrying does.

FOLK SONGS (Komposo)

Si Pilemon, Si Pilemon
Dandansoy
POEMS (Binalaybay)
Ang Ermita sa Baryo (The Chapel in the Barrio)
by Magdalena G. Jalandoni
Fictionist and poet
Grand Old Lady of Ilonggo Literature
Best-known among Ilonggo novelists, the most represented in the collections of local and foreign libraries.
Republic Cultural Heritage Award in 1969
Meter
12 syllables per line
Three stanzas
Theme
4 Lines per stanzas
The poem is about the chapel in the barrio which is
maid of nipa, cogon and bamboo.

Meter

Theme

Diplomat Listening to the Speech of Another Diplomat

by: Dominador Ilio
Isaias Topacio Domingo, Basilio, Crisostomo de la Cruz, and J.D. Ibarra
Poet and fiction writer

Free verse
Two stanzas
First stanza 12 lines
Second stanza 8 lines

The poem presents a story wherein the father cannot go out and enjoy special moments with his family because he is too busy
working for his family's future.