UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM

Morong Campus
College of Education

Maui Gabrielle A. Bolante April 21, 2020

Contemporary, Popular and Emergent Literature 101802625

1. What makes the Facebook posts on Covid-19 popular form of Literature?

“The Big Data Algorithm”

As this innovative society advances, new algorithms formed having vast data
information. In the same case, Facebook is one of those algorithms containing
different relevant information in this present era. Having different stories and point of
views of its users, this social media platform gained popularity around the globe. In
this light, unbeknownst for most people, modernization has paved the way on the
creation of different forms and modes of delivery of information, entertainment and
expression and this results to the birth of Popular Literature.

Popular literature as defined by Britannica includes those writings intended for

the masses and those that find favour with large audiences. As of now, the world is
facing a global pandemic and affecting millions of lives across the globe. Facebook
however, serve its purpose being the medium of communication and voice of
different spectrum of thoughts around the globe as it reaches and addresses huge
amount of audiences. The growth of popular literature has paralleled the spread of
literacy through education and has been facilitated by technological developments
like Facebook.

In this breakthrough, works of literature which where previously produced for

consumption by small audiences became accessible to large majority of population.
As this global pandemic reaches million of lives, Facebook posts became the voice
of people around the world to furnish information, express, and socialize. This Big
data Algorithm contains information and narratives of people about this covid-19 and
became the compilation of different voices, opinions, sentiments and arguments.
Thus, it serves as the avenue for information, education and entertainment making it
a form of Popular Literature.
2. Choose at least 10 and give your insightful reaction in the meaning intent
of the writers.

1. Catriona Gray on Covid-19

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray

is one example of how voices reaches
far more than what we know. Social
Media as a medium of communication
and information is a tool that people
can use in this time of crisis. We need
to speak rather than be silent because
silence isn’t neutrality; it is supporting
the status quo. The freedom of
expression should be exercised in this
very time but in moderation because
loud noises can lead to the distortion of
truth. Unified thoughts and vision can
burst the eardrum of the authorities and
then vision will follow.

2. Regine Valasquez on Covid-19

As the old saying goes, ‘there’s no place

like home’ but how do we define home?
Normally, a home is place where there is
life like food, proper ventilation and
appliances. But some of our fellow
Filipinos does not have much to eat, and
the heat is killing them. Maybe home isn’t
for everyone until the caste breaks. But
according to the protocol, the safest thing
to do is to stay home as this is
tantamount of saving millions of lives and
the lives of your family. I understand
what Regine is trying to implore but
majority consideration should always be
taken into account.
3. President Rodrigo Duterte on Covid-19

Sometimes in your life, did

you ever believe in false
hopes and fake promises? I
bet you do. This uncertainty
leaves us no assurance, the
principle of ‘baka’ and
‘bahala na’ have no place in
this very time of crisis. The
president is unaware how the
Filipinos would react in his
statement, likewise the
president also showed what
kind of government we have.
Incompetent government
waiting for the vaccine to be
perfect without realizing that
this buy time for us is a
perfect opportunity to set
plans and improvise
concerning the welfare of the
Filipinos. This pandemic
does not need impatient
President but a President who understand the process.

4. Dr. Eli John Berame on Covid-19

In this very time, I hope people would

realize that we are not destined to be
part of the problem but a solution to
the problem. While our medical staffs
are busy doing their job, all
concerned citizen must abide in the
protocol to stay at home and practice
social distancing. We should not
repeat the history, we cannot afford
to loose our modern heroes because
of our idiosyncrasies. Let us be part
of the solution not the problem or else all of us will be buried 6 feet below the ground
worse is turn into ashes.

5. Mayor Isko Moreno on Covid-19

‘Patience is a virtue’ is a
principle that most of
people holds for
themselves. And I think,
that principle should be
globalized as we face
this global pandemic our
patience and temperance
are being tested. But why
don’t we try to trust the
process? Let us be the
one who will solve the
problem and not to
worsen it. Time will come
people will remember
this crisis but will forget
the actions made by the
people. So, let us be
remembered by following
protocols and abiding rules. Be responsible if you don’t want a life that’s
miserable.

6. Prof. Ador Torneo on Covid-19

We are not ready. The world is not

ready for this kind of crisis, this
pandemic almost disintegrate the
economy and the hope of millions of
lives. But in every storm, there will
always be light. Once we get
through this, we will have the
advantage of hindsight to be ready
and prepared all the time. And
democracy will tell us that you
cannot fool people all the time, we
need a leader that will follow and citizens that will lead. This pandemic is testing the
waters and we shall not evaporate thus, we need to be solid for all matters.

7. Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto on Covid-19

‘Life is like a race, if you don’t run

fast, you’ll lose’ I am debunking
this statement. Life is a race yes,
but it doesn’t mean that if you don’t
run fast, you will end up losing. Life
is all about crossing the finish line
no matter how hard it is and no
matter how rough the road is. In
this time, competition will not end
the crisis. But unity and
cooperation will. Mayor Sotto
challenged everyone to cooperate
and support by all means. This
negative situation does not need
double negatives but a positive
actions, positive people and
positive mindset.

8. Nurse Maristela Abenojar on Covid-19

We want to protect our frontliners at

all cost. If there’s no medical staffs
who will do the rest? Their
expertise and full commitment are
the best weapons in our arsenal
combatting this virus. So we must
protect them at all cost and give our
greatest support for our modern
heroes. In this trying time, we should double the sacrifice of our frontliners by following
preventive measures.

9. Alfredo Gabrin on Covid-19

We don’t want another version of

‘Libingan Ng Mga Bayani’, and we
cannot afford to loose another life,
we should put a period in this crisis.
All life matters and if you believed in
that, you should be the one to grow
life in yourself. Participate in the
combat of this crisis by playing your
cards right. End this pandemic or
else this pandemic will put humanity
in a wipe out. To our frontliners who
failed to get out of the woods, my
greatest salute and unending thank
you for your sacrifices. They will be
entitled as supreme heroes of this
generation.

10. Mayor Lani Mercado on Covid-19

The disinformation and miseducation of

Filipinos are evident in the cursory look of
our history. This misinformation could
sometimes lead to ignorance. The Bacoor
City Mayor tells us that the truth should be
the common denominator for all and
there’s no room for fake information as
this leads to a bigger mistake. After all, we
are victims of our own beliefs and
dispositions in life but the most important
thing is the search for the truth, the eternal truth and the only reality. It is imperative to be
informed in this very moment for us to be equipped we should know how to scrutinize and
differentiate reality from fiction.

3. Write your own:

A. Meme on Enhanced Community quarantine (ECQ)
B. Short Parody on Relief Goods

The Relief Not Taken

(A Parody of the Road Not Taken by Roberts Frost)

Two set of relief goods diverged in a busy street,

And sorry I could not give you all
And be one frontliner, long I stood
And repacked much as I could
“What took you so long?” asked the hungry dude

I gave the other, as just as fair;

There she whispered “where’s the 8K?”
I was shocked and trembled with fear
A frontliner turned into a flatliner for she was demanding me an octave K

I’m no DSW but a volunteer;

Please be patient and take this bunch of sardines dear
I shall be telling this with a sigh
For she was asking me so much high

As I stepped back and looked for the hungry dude,

What a bliss for he didn’t complain: that’s a mood!
Two relief goods diverged in a busy street, and I—
I gave the one who didn’t asked so high,
-
And that has made all the difference.
C. What exactly you want to post without hesitation and reservation
based on this pandemic.

“THE BOAT OF LIFE”

Life is like an ocean. Different species lived based on its natural

selection with complete habitat and enough food. Bounty natural
resources, a nice sphere to live in and different people paddling on the
same current. But behind all those lavish descriptions, storm is inevitable.
There will be times that out hopes will be tested and our boat of resistance
will turn flip-flop. As the world faces this global pandemic, I realized that
we are not on the same boat. Debunking this belief, some boats are easy
to crash because of its materials but some can combat heavy storm and
even big waves of challenges because they are capable and they have
the means to be equipped. The caste of social status is evident in this
pandemic. Some boats already sank but some remain paddling.

As this pandemic test our waters we shall not evaporate but be

solid in all matters. The right thing to do is to help everyone navigate their
own route and tempered their hopes as this pandemic disintegrate and
freezes almost everything. We are the Captains of our journey and
together, we will surpass this storm. If we unite and help others, even
illness become wellness when ‘I’ is replaced by ‘We’. This is my humble
plea for everyone reading this, for every weary soul in this time of crisis,
we will overcome this if we keep on paddling together. In the end of the
storm, there will always be ray of lights that will buck up our uncertainty.

The symbolic representation of boat in this pandemic suggest that

the ocean is big and sometimes, we are not sure whether we will cross the
storm and if our compass is accurate. But believe me, this boat of life will
cross the promised land of ours. Our greatest weapon in this battlefield is
unity, generosity and a set of well-crafted plan. Together we will heal,
together we will rise and together we will fight.