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LESSON 3 PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN THE AMERICAN

PERIOD

What I Know
Activity 1. Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer. Write the letter of your
answer on the blank before the number.

______1. Leads the modernization of poetry.

a. Zoilo Galang c. Jose Garcia Villa
b. Paz marquez Benitez d. Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero
______2. The first Philippine novel in English.
a. Have Come, Am Here b. A Child of Sorrow
b. Sons For Sale d. Dead Stars
______3. The first successful Philippine short story in English.
a. Have Come, Am Here b. A Child of Sorrow
b. Sons For Sale d. Dead Stars
______4.A prolific writer who wrote100 plays and helped the Philippine theater scene reached new
heights.
a. Zoilo Galang c. Jose Garcia Villa
b. Paz Marquez Benitez d. Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero
_____5. The first Philippine book of essays in English.
a. Stealer of hearts c. Condemned
b. Life and Success d. Souls in Torment

What’s In

We have just learned in the previous lesson that different genres of literature existed during the pre-
colonial and Spanish period. Let us see if you can remember some of those.

Activity 2.Identify and encircle horizontally, vertically and/or diagonally the words discussed in the
previous lesson.

E I A N N S O L O M O B A
I N L A G I N G H A N A D
Z G O I N N G S D U P L O
E E N D L A P L A Y S A B
N L Z A T K A M A N A G O
H E Z L O U M A M I T T A
O I N D O L E N C E P A L
R O S E L O B R I G H S T
W I N N E K O M E D Y A S
E P H R A I M O M M Y N R
A D N I L A S O R C A N E

1
What I Need to Know

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1 Identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary
. history
from pre-colonial to the contemporary;
2 Identify representative texts and authors from each region (e.g. engage in oral
. history
research with focus on key personalities from the students’ region/provinces;
3 Compare and contrast the various 21st century literary genres and the ones from
. the
earlier genres/periods citing their elements, structures and tradition; and,

4. Discuss how different contexts enhance the text’s meaning and enrich the reader’s understanding.

What’s New

The Filipino Revolutionists won against the Spaniards who colonized for more than 300 years.
On June 12, 1898 the Philippine flag was raised as a symbol of our independence. Many Filipinos
started writing again and the nationalism of the people remain undaunted.

Activity 3. Guess what are the forms of literature did we have during the American period by
putting a check ( ) beside the word and x if you think it was not done.

1
. Poetry _____
2
. Novels _____
3
. Essays _____
4. News Reports ______
5. Short Stories ______

What Is It

At the dawn of the 20th century, American culture began to establish its form grip on the Filipino
identity. They brought another groundbreaking cultural milestone: the English language. The Philippine
writers appreciated the new styles and genres of writing that they brought.

From the 1920s onwards, Philippine literature in English began to gain

momentum. The genres of poetry, fiction, drama, and essay saw remarkable growth.

Modernization of poetry took place. It was headed by Jose Garcia Villa in his “Have Come, Am
Here” in two volumes. Then many adopted. Novel was also introduced in this period. Many vernacular
novels were written. The first Philippine novel in English was Zoilo Galang’s “A Child of Sorrow” which was
published in 1921.

Short stories had its start during this period. The “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez in 1925
was the first successful Philippine short story in English. She mentored other writers that in 1927, a

2
collection of Philippine short stories in English written by one author was published, Jose Villa
Panganiban’s “Stealer of Hearts”. It is then followed in 1933, “Footnote to Youth” by Jose Garcia Villa.

Drama was also introduced in this period. The three former UP Presidents hadlegacies of excellent
drama writing. Carlos P. Romulo who became President of the United Nations General Assembly, wrote
“Sons for Sale”, “The Ghost” and “The Real Leader.” Jorge Bacobo published four plays: Vidal Tan
gained fame with Rizal inspired plays like “The Meeting in the Town Hall” and “Souls in Torment.”

From 1922-1931, nearly 40 plays were produced or published in the country. These plays echod
cries for independence from the American colonizers. The next 10 years were dominated by an all-time
great in Philippine Literature: Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero. A highly prolific writer to whom over 100 plays are
credited. Guerrero helped the Philippine theater scene reached new heights. His masterpieces included,
“Condemned” , “ Women are Extraordinary”, and “Forever”.

Essay genre flourished in this period too. Just as he was the pioneer in fiction,Zoilo Galang broke
new ground with essays as well. In 1921, he published “Life and Success,” the first Philippine book of
essays in English.

Literary criticism also emerged. Manuel A. Viray was among the most notablecritics, aside from
being a poet and fictionist himself.
Source: Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, (Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017:25-3).

What’s More

Let us study the masterpiece of Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero, “Condemned.” It is a hallmark

literary piece considered a legacy of the American influence. The excerpt below reflects how the
Americans helped fortify the Philippine drama scene.

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Source: Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, (Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017:31-38).

16
17
Process Questions

Activity 4. Based on the given drama, answer the following questions briefly:

1. What conflicts are confronted by Pablo in this excerpt? Are his internal struggles
more difficult than his clashes with the other characters?

2. How would you describe Pablo’s relationship with the three women in this
excerpt? To whom is the closest?

3. Is Pablo a dynamic character in this excerpt? Does his character experience

significant change by the end of the play? Explain.

4. How would you evaluate Guerrero’s use of the English language in this play?
Can we consider “Condemned” to be a testament of Filipino’s mastery of the
language? Justify your claim by citing details from the excerpt of the drama.

What I Have Learned

Activity 5. Answer the following questions by choosing the letter only.

Write it on the space provided before the number.

_____1. Who was Cristina in Pablo’s life?

a. mother b. fiancée c. wife d. sister
_____2. Why did Pablo hate his mother?
a. His mother loved gambling than him.
b. His mother left his father.
c. His mother abandoned him.
d. His mother did not teach him right attitude.

_____3. Did Pablo get angry with Tia Cheding when he learned that she did
not tell the true reason of his mother’s gambling.
a. YES b. NO (explain your answer)
_____4. Based on how the story was presented, did Pablo forgive his
mother? a. YES b. NO (explain your answer)
_____5. Based on how the story was presented, What was the ending of the
story?
a. Angela will be back to Marcos Nable.
b. Angela will be angry with Tia Cheding.
c. Angela and Tia Cheding will friends again.
d. Angela will take care of Cristina.

What I Can Do

Activity 6.State whether you “Agree” or Disagree” to the following questions

by justifying your claim.

1. If you were about to be married to a person who is sentenced to death, will you
still push through the marriage before his/her death? Why?

2. Is it right to blame anybody of the plight/condition you have in the future? Why?

18
Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer. Write the letter of your
answer on the blank before the number.
______1. In the story, “Condemned” what qualities did Pablo want for his mother.
a. A mother who would love him.
b. A mother would discipline him.
c. A mother who would not mind him.
d. Both a and b
______2. Pablo grew up with undesirable traits because
a. He has everything he wanted
b. He was tolerated by Tia Chedeng.
c. He lacked his mother’s love.
d. He was very poor.
______3. Cristina wanted to marry Pablo before his death because
a. She has no one to turn to.
b. Pablo’s mother was rich.
c. Pablo has wealth to leave her.
d. She loved Pablo very much.
______4.Whom did Pablo blame his life sentence?
a. The man who attempted to rape Cristina.
b. Cristina who walked alone that night.
c. His mother who left him since 10 years old.
d. Tia Chedeng for always understanding him.
______5.Who has the greatest love for Pablo.
a. His mother Angela.
b. His fiancée Cristina
c. His Aunt Tia Chedeng
d. His priest friend.
______6.Who was condemned in the play, “Condemned”
a. Angela.
b. Cristina
c. Pablo
d. All of the above

19
LESSON 4 PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN THE JAPANESE
PERIOD
What I Know

This time we will study the Philippine literature during the Japanese Period and
its contributions to our literature.

Activity 1. Read the following questions carefully. Then choose your answers from these
words.

HAIKU TANAGA ISHIWARA LIWAYWAY TRIBUNE

_________________1. One of the two newspapers which were not stopped to operate

during the Japanese period.

_________________2. A weekly magazine which was under surveillance until it was
managed by a Japanese.
_________________3. A Japanese who managed the weekly magazine who gave a
break to Filipino literature.
_________________4. A free verse poem in 17 syllables, divided into three lines.
_________________5. A free verse poem on which each line has 17 syllables.

What’s In
We are now in Lesson 4. Previously, we have studied about the American
contributions in Philippine literature. Do you still remember some of them?

Activity 2. Fill in the squares to form the different genres or composition our Filipino
writers have developed during the American period.

D
P
C
E

SHORTSTORI ES

What I Need to Know

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
1 Identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary
. history
from pre-colonial to the contemporary( );
2 Identify representative texts and authors from each region (e.g. engage in oral
20
 . history
research with focus on key personalities from the students’ region/provinces( );
3 Compare and contrast the various 21 century literary genres and the ones from
st

. the
earlier genres/periods citing their elements, structures and traditions( ); and

4. Discuss how different contexts enhance the text’s meaning and enrich the reader’s
understanding( ).

What’s new

Activity 3. This time we will study the Philippine literature during the Japanese
Period and its contributions to our literature.
Try to analyze this:

1. You’re pulling a saber

The flowers shivered
When you approached.

How many lines are in the poem? __________

How many syllables are there in each line? ___________

2. He’s a behaved palay

Who bowed when the wind blew
But stood up again
And bore gold.
How many lines are there in the poem above? ________________
How many syllables are there in the poem? _____________

Which is a Haiku? Tanaga?

What Is It
Haiku is a poem of free verse that Japanese liked. which is made up of 17
syllables divided in three lines.It is allegorical in meaning, short and covers a wide scope of
meaning. The same with Tanaga, short but with 17 syllables in each line and it has
measure and rhyme. Source: Alicia Kahayon and Celia A. Zulueta, ( Cacho Hermanos
Inc..,2010:84).

Rejecting the English language espoused by Americans, the Japanese

colonizers sought to redefine Philippine Literature by strengthening the vernacular
languages. There were Filipino writers who distinguished themselves as excellent
practitioners of short fiction in the vernacular.

In the post- war period, there were vernacular novels that reflected social and
political realities. Literature in Tagalog brought their own touch of modernism. American
influence could be gleaned from the writers’ works that reflected realism.

Vernacular poetry continued to blossom. The strains of modernism wereevident to

some ‘writers but produced excellent works. Writers based in the Ateneo de Manila
University, focused on concrete objects rather than the abstract ideas espoused by the poets
of old. We see emphasis on the tangible along with a touch of modernism.

The modernist movement continued to be dominant in the post –war period,

particularly in the genre of poetry.

Source: Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, (Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017:40-45).

What’s More
21
 Read the poem that follows. Notice the style and blend of images- a
testament to the uniqueness of poetic voices during that literary epoch.

Process Questions:

Activity 4. In 3 to 5 sentences, answer the following questions:

1.Describe the poem’s handling of standard English grammar-punctuation, capitalization,

sentence/phrase structure. What effect do liberties of the poem have on the message that it
imparts?

2. Why does the poem allude to Icarus and Daedalus? ‘what is the story of these figures of
Greek mythology, and what does this story have to do with the poem.

3. What persona is being invoked by this poem? Who or what could be the voice that
unfolds each line of the poem.

What I Have Learned

Activity 5. Compare and contrast Ilio’s use of the English language with
Guerrero’s handling of English in “Condemned”. As suggested by “Icarus,” towhat
extent have our writers embraced the English language during the post-war period? Rubrics
are found on the last page of this lesson.
22
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
What I Can Do

Activity 6. Be a Poet! Get inspired with the poem. Compose a free verse poem in ten
lines, which expresses a specific emotion, too.

23
LESSON 5 PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN THE LATE 20TH
CENTURY

What I Know

Activity 1. List down five (5) Filipino food you love to eat. Describe why you
love that food. Use the chart below.

Food Reason/s
1

What’s In
In our previous lesson, we learned that Icarus in Catechism Class by Dominador I.
IIio, which was based on the story “Myth of Icarus.” In the story, Icarus was the son of
Daedalus who attempted to escape prison from the hands of King Minos. In like manner,
the story talked about Icarus's father who made feather out of wax for them to use in
escaping the dark labyrinth.
Today, our new lesson is about Puto-Bumbong, Bibingka, Salabat, atbp:

The Filipino Christmas Table by Doreen Fernandez.

What’s New

Puto-Bumbong, Bibingka, Salabat, atbp:

The Filipino Christmas Table

Doreen Fernandez as published in Sarap: Essays on Philippine Food

Rice Delicacy for Christmas

"I'm dreaming of a green Christmas," wrote a Filipina working at the United Nations
in New York. In the midst of the snow and tinsel, the bright shop windows and the glittering
trees of an American Christmas, she remembered the soft lantern light from a star-shaped
parol, the nip in the air as one walked to the dawn misa de gallo, and especially the food: "It
24
was not really the choir voices nor the whispered prayers of our elders that kept us awake. It
was something else... the promise of the piping hot puto bumbong being prepared by the
vendors along the way home that kept our spirits up, our appetites whetted, and hence, our
senses disquieted. The sweet lavender rice sprouting out of little bamboo tubes, topped by a
generous sprinkling of grated coconut meal and brown sugar, was part of our Christmas
delight."

She was, of course, remembering the makeshift stalls that sprout like mushrooms
the week the dawn masses begin. Along the streets leading to the churches, and especially
in the patios-at Las Piňas, under an ancient tree lit by a galaxy of lanterns-are built lean-tos
made from bamboo poles and roofed with old blankets or coconut leaves, with a dulang in
front serving as counter. From them cooking smells tantalize the churchgoers and render
children impatient to get through mass.

Not only is there puto bumbong made from violet-colored pirutung rice, but also
bibingka, flat and soft and fragrant in banana leaves a mite singed by the charcoal fire above
and below. Sometimes these have a bit of native cheese on them or a sliver of salted egg-
but always they come with freshly grated coconut meat for sprinkling on the hot, moist and
golden cake. With it is served a customary free cup of hot tea or salabat, ambrosia on a cold
morning.

The above simbang gabi fare in the Tagalog provinces is echoed by the other rice
cakes and dishes in other regions at Christmastime. It is asif our forebears, dependent on
rice as staple and base and year-round pampabigat sa tiyan, gratefully gave it primacy of
place in the celebration of native Christmas. Thus, just as breads mark Christmas for the
German, pudding for the Englishman, and cakes like Buche de Noel and Gateaux des Rois
for the Frenchman, so rice cakes signify Christmas for the Filipino.

In Pampanga, for example, the region acknowledged to have some of the richest
gastronomic traditions, the Christmas week specialties include putong sulot and especially
putong lusong eaten with panara. Putong lusong is a white, anise-flavored cake cut in thick
trapezoidal wedges; panara is a little pasty filled with grated upo or green papaya sauteed
with garlic, chopped onion, cooked pork and shrimp, and seasoned with salt and plenty of
black pepper. This is wrapped like a turnover in a dough of galapong,anisado wine and
achuete, then fried in hot fat in a large kawali right in front of the buyer. It comes sizzling out
of the pan and is laid on banana leaf-covered tables to cool.

"They were hot!" remembered the late Enriqueta David Perez (author of the
excellent, long-running cookbook Recipes of the Philippines)." Yet one could hardly wait to
pick them up. So I would take two pieces of puto and use them to pick up my panara.The
puto would take two pieces of puto and use them to pick up my panara, The puto would also
serve to absorb some of the oil. The combination was perfect: the hot, peppery panara, the
soft white puto and a little grated coconut making juice on the tongue. And the tea with
pandan and no sugar- hot and fragrant."

Cebuanos, novelist Lina Espina Moor recounted, call the predawn breakfast painit
(since it literally warms one up). It traditionally features hot, sticky chocolate, potomaya
(malagkit cooked with coconut milk), suman bodbod (sweetened malagkit cooked in coconut
leaves), biko (sweetened malagkit molded on a plate) and bibingka.

Sanirose Singson Orbeta, born and bred in Vigan, remembers that an important part
of her Christmas was the preparation of tinubong, also from rice. A half-cooked puto mixture
would be poured into a long bamboo tubes and left to cook on coals while the whole town
went off to midnight mass. When they returned, the coals would be dying down, the bamboo
charred and the tinubong cooked. The long tubes were then cut and distributed among the
family. The lazy (to cook) could buy them at stores in 10-centavo (pre-1950s prices), 20-
centavo and even 50-centavo (for the greedy) lengths. For Sanirose the sound that brings
25
back Vigan media noches is the cracking of hot, charred bamboo tubes in hands eager to
get at the food of Christmas.

In Laoag, Ilocos Norte, on the other hand, the traditional delicacy is tupig. Writer
Benjamin Pascual, in a piece written for the old Sunday Times Magazine, remembers that
the whole town would prepare it "or risk the wrath of the children." Preparations would start
before daybreak on December 24, and children would wake up to the sound of the
townswomen pulverizing the malagkit : "the rhythmic thuds of thousands of wooden pestles
against thousands of mortars in the town became one huge throb of gaiety... we youngsters
sat on our haunches to watch the alternately bobbing women. Our purring cats made warm
cushions on our laps."*

This variety of puto was flavored with molasses, which had been stored in cans long
before the holiday season. 'When the can was not closed tight, lizards burglarized it and
feasted and then drowned on sweetness.. The upper layer of molasses thus had to be
scooped off, and this task fell to us children. For all the exertions of plunging a crowbar into
the asphalt-tough molasses, we enjoyed the work because we were free to sample the
sweet..."

The next step was the grating of coconut to be mixed with the dough, and here again
the children involved themselves, "riding" the coconut graters carved from tree trunks and
shaped like horses, dogs or even alligators. The coconut-mixed dough was next wrapped in
layers of dark green, mature banana leaves, and cooked by burying them in a huge mound
of burning rice chaff, a community oven for several neighbors. "The virtue of rice chaff is that
it does not burst into flames, but smolders in a leisurely way," such that the tupig bakes
unhurriedly and evenly as in an oven.

Besides the tupig, a Laoag media noche would include patupat or tinapet, also rice
delicacies, this time wrapped in pyramidal fashion in the young, lemon-yellow shoots of the
banana plant. (In other towns coconut fronds are used).

Many other varieties of puto, suman and bibingka exist around the islands, among
them putong puti, which in its modern version uses baking powder; putong pula, sweet with
brown sugar; kutsinta colored with lye; rich suman with a thick topping of latik; kutsinta
colored with lye; rich suman with a thick topping of latik; "poverty" suman with but a hint of
coconut milk and sugar; suman to be rolled in sugar, or dipped in coconut, or fried, or rolled
in leaves, or folded in leaves, or sliced. And of course there are all the other kakanin for
which each region, even each town, has its own names and its own Christmas memories.

Still another rice-based Christmas delicacy is the Filipino tamales, which is quite
different from the Mexican variety, being made basically of rice, coconut milk, achuete and
ground toasted peanuts, with slices of pork, chicken, duck, shrimp, ham, etc., depending on
region, availability and budget of the maker. A Cebuana remembers tamales of two
kinds;one sweet and one pepper hot, both wrapped in layers of banana leaf and those of
Sorsogon are said to take three days to make. Those who have them as part of their
Christmas memories seek them in vain in the streets and foodshops of the big city.

Although this plethora of rice cakes forms the basis of our Christmas fare, other
dishes drawn from the Chinese, Spanish and American influences on our food culture have
become traditional too- to families, to regions. This is because the centrality and grandeur of
the feast make it imperative to have something special, and "special" is determined both by
the culture and by the individual taste. An informant from a poor Sorsogon barrio told us, for
example, that her family ate fish all year round and had pork adobo once in the year, for the
media noche. The next days, it was "isda na naman".

Lunch and Desserts Foods

26
 “Special” for many are the Spanish dishes that have become traditional fiesta fare.
For Enriquetta Guerrero clan, it was cocido. “Oh, I hardly wait for the Mass to be over,” she
told us in that long-ago interview, “so that we could have the cocido. It was the usual old-
fashioned recipe, with jamon China, chorizo de Bilbao,morcilla, beef kenchi with marrow
bone, chicken, pork, cabbage, pechay, carrots, potatoes, onion, tomato sauce and a thick
broth- and served with eggplant sauce.”

Leni Guerrero of the Ermita Guerrero clan, whose French mother added richly to their
Christmas traditions, remembers their customary galantine and relleno, the latter a fat capon
stuffed with an assortment of riches, including, in the old days, foie gras, truffles, ground
pork, olives, imported pork sausages, Spanish sausages, and such other luxuries. A
Pampanga family known for its cooking liked fat nilagang manok for its media noche, the
chicken especially fattened and readied for the feast. A Nueva Ecija family had pesang
manok; one Negros family always had lechon stuffed with tanglad. How central lechon can
be to many a family feast is shown by the near-riot at ELAR lechon office when the machine
turning over the rows of lechon spits broke down. The pigs had to be roasted in Montalban
and were delayed and hundreds crowded the office on Christmas Eve clamoring for their
festal lechon, or for their regales for compadres, ninongs and relatives.

Almost everyone used to have jamon en dulce, obviously another tradition inherited
from Spain. This used to be imported salted Chinese ham (also called jamon Pina, or jamon
en funda, because it would come in cloth sack), cooked in sugar, white wine, beer,
pineapple juice and fragrant spices-notably cloves-with a crisp, shiny sugar glaze seared in
by a hot sianse. Local and homemade hams now fill in for the imported type, but most
Filipinos of medium and high income levels cannot think of Christmas even now without
remembering rosy red slices of ham, with their translucent strips of fat topped by a thick and
delicious sugar layer.

Besides these, there were usually acharas of all kinds, sweetly pickled young
papayas and other vegetables cut into flowers, stars, (and/or) butterflies. And wilderness of
desserts: more suman of various persuasions; quivering leche flan fragrant with dayap,
macapuno en dulce in pale, translucent strands; santol strands; santol preserves with that
sweet sourness that the Filipino palate cannot resist; preserved citrus fruit peel; pastillas in
wrappers with cutout designs and mottoes like "Recuerdo" and glass jars, thickly and
sweetly purple; and whatever other specialties mothers, aunts and grandmothers- all of
them long on time and patience-were known for.

There were, further, imported delicacies that used to appear only at Christmas time:
fragrant apples and Mandarin oranges; walnuts, pecans and Brazil nuts; brown, sticky
castañas; bunches of grapes fresh from their sawdust; and turrones de jijona and turrones
de alicante. The turrones came from Spain in flat, round tins or in wooden boxes that were a
ritual to open. They were so hard that they had to be hacked on a wooden cutting board with
a very dull knife and were given out in thin slivers and slices, hard enough to break one's
teeth. But they were delicious, a mixture of honey and almonds covered with a paper-thin
wafer like a communion hostia, seemingly made for Christmas and for no other season. All
the above are still available, but at astronomical prices, making them part of the Christmas
only of the nostalgic elite, and not of the majority.

Breakfast on Christmas Day usually featured Spanish-style chocolate: hot and thick
("Chocolate E" for espeso) if one could afford it; thin and watery ("Chocolate A" for aguado)
if one's budget was cramped. With this rich, savory drink were usually served slices of queso
de bola- hard, cream-colored Edam cheese that came in cans-and ensaimadas, whose
sweet light dough and butter-sugar-cheese topping make the expatriate Filipino wax
nostalgic, since they go so perfectly with the saltiness of the cheese and the heavy
sweetness of the chocolate.

Noche Buena (Christmas) and Media Noche (New Year)

27
 Writer and gourmet E. Aguilar Cruz believes that the media noche is the most
important part of the urban Filipino's Christmas, but that for the rural Filipino it is the
Christmas Day breakfast and luncheon. Christmas Day used to be the time to visit relatives
and godparents, to give the ritual greetings (kiss on the hand, or hand on the forehead), and
receive gifts of money, sweets, toys, or religious objects.

Writer Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil remembers going to visit, in a bygone Ermita, aunts

in whose homes were laid out "an assortment of sweetmeats, some brought from Bulacan
and Pampanga and even Spain and America,but mostly prepared in their own family
kitchen. There were towering castillo (veritable monuments of candied pastry), pastillas
wrapped in decorated tissue paper, newly wrapped tamales and all manner of candies and
bonbons. These were pressed upon us with great insistence..."

This was the day the dulces de Magalang would appear, Abe Cruz remembers-those
many-splendored sweets from Magalang, Pampanga. It was also the day aunts and mothers
trotted out the Brazo de la Reina, a meringue roll with a syrupy egg yolk and butter filling;
tocino del cielo, tiny and wickedly rich caramel custards in miniature cups; meringue sweets
that were chewy inside and crisp outside and "wrapped in paper, " my father
remembered,"only at Christmas time." The Ilocos homes might have instead abrillantados,
crystallized colored coconut candy rolled in fine white sugar.Other regions or families had
kalamay, or pinipig pudding, or yemas.

The Christmas noonday meal, which may be taken with immediate family or with
one's grandparents, or with the oldest of the clan, depending on familial custom, differs
widely in different regions. It might be pinapaitan in Abra (a peppery dish of goat variety
meats); embutido or morcon in a Manila household; bam-i in a Cebuano home (chicken,
pork, dried shrimp, mushrooms and two kinds of noodle; legend has it that only a Cebuano
can cook it properly); pancit Molo in an Ilongo family; sincuchar (beef variety meats) or
kilawin of goat meat in an Ilocano homes. In a poor household, it is whatever the budget
could make available- the long-kept chicken, rarely seen pork, or the fish and rice of
everyday. For the affluent, it is very often lechon. In urban homes,it is often American roast
turkey or baked ham, German ginger-bread and almond stollen, French Buche de Noel.

Conclusion

The Filipino Christmas has adapted much from the foreign cultures that history has
introduced into our lives. Just as Christmas cards and trees have joined the belen,
villancicos like "Vamos Pastores" and the misa de gallo; just as blinking Christmas lights
surround the star-shapped bamboo parol; so have turkey, cheese cake and rum puddings
joined the native and Spanish dishes on the media noche table.

But, although our Christmases have Spanish and other foreign flavors, basic to it are
the puto bumbong, bibingka and salabat in church courtyards, the suman and kutsinta at the
family reunions, the taste of rice and of home, of which our Christmas memories are made.

http://walking-writer.blogspot.com/2011/12/essay-puto-bumbong-bibingka-
salabat.html

What is It

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Activity 2. Based on the essay you have read, answer the following questions
succinctly:

1. What particular season does the essay focus on? Have you tried any of the seasonal
foods mentioned in the essay? If so, which ones?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

2. Describe the author’s style of writing. What techniques make her portrayal of food
effective?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

3. Name other occasions in our country that also feature a seasonal set of food. Why do
you think Filipinos favor specific food for specific seasons?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What I Have Learned

Activity 5. Complete the table below by interviewing any of your family member.

Family Members Preferred Food/s Reason/s

Father

Mother

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 Brother

Sister

Others

Assessment

Based on the story Puto-Bumbong, Bibingka, Salabat, atbp: The

FilipinoChristmas Table, make a collage (can be digital) based on your own
traditional celebration.

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..end

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