COR 011: 21st Century Literature

of the Philippines and the World

Module 11
Module 11 is all bout the Text in the Context of the Nation in the 21st Century Specifically
Reading and Revolution.

Dr. Jose Y. Dalizay makes the following observations to

describe today's Philippine literature.
According to him, today's literature is:
Derived from predominantly Western ways of writing and is influenced
by Western writers, but not necessarily canonical writers;
Filipino diaspora, the war in the countryside, the alienation of the
middle class, Chinese, and the others among us, our connections to the
supernatural and to the afterlife, the tangled web of our personal
relationships, including sexuality, and Art making itself is a subject;
Its form of stores are no longer limited to realism but have assumed the
forms and mindsets of magic realism;
And lastly, when it comes to language, quite a number of them write
bilingually.

Reading and Revolution

Reading and language skills can be expanded and
integrated intro broader and more significant areas of
study. Such as: Mathematics, Science, and
Engineering in a child's development.

The reading program problem has to do with ways in

which reading and language problems can be tackled
in a variety of ways.
 COR 011: 21st Century Literature
of the Philippines and the World

Module 11

The Revolution According to Raymundo

Mata
By: Gina Apostol
In this novel, the Revolution demonstrates how attention was
switched away from the traditional search for a nation and towards
its post-structural demolition.
The novel celebrates ambiguous, unknown, and multi-vocal
perspectives and languages in place of nation-bound vision and
identity.

There's a bolt, a rain of bricks, a lightning zap, a pummeling of

mountains, heaving a violent storm at sea, and a whiplash. It's
a typhoon together with an earthquake and it was like the end
of the world. He raised himself from bed two days later, and
thought it was a novel. He lay back in bed. And cursed him, and
asking what was his name for doing what he hadn’t done, for
putting his world into words. Even then, he already felt the
bitter envy. The one who will always be under the influence.
After him, all was his curse upon us all. He then realized that
he is weak because he hadn’t eaten in two days. He got out of
bed and boiled barako for himself. In the bazaars of Binondo,
people did not even hide it crowds of men and some women
with their violent fans throwing up their hands and putting up
fists in debate.
 COR 011: 21st Century Literature
of the Philippines and the World

Module 11

The Revolution According to Raymundo

Mata
By: Gina Apostol
They were loud, literary critics, cantankerous. All of them
seemed to revitalized by spleen, hatched from venomous
silence. Suddenly, the world opened up to me which before I
had been blind. He still rushed into other debates, who had
now moved into his rooms. He remembers Father Gaspar’s
cryptic injuction “throw it way to to someone else” in this
manner, the book traveled rapidly in those dark days of its
printing, now so nostagically glorious. Though he had no idea
that these were historical acts. He only knew that the book he
is holding could likely constitute a glorious crime so he lent it
to Benigno.

 COR 011: 21st Century Literature

of the Philippines and the World

Module 12
Module 12 is all about Situating and Explaining the Text in the Context of the Nation in the
21st Century: The Death of a Hero

Short Background of Jose Rizal

Full name: Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda
Birthdate: June 19, 1861
Birthplace: Calamba, Laguna
Nicknames: Pepe/Jose
He was a Doctor, an artist, a poet, a novelist, and more.

According to the National Commission for Culture and

Arts, Jose Rizal is not the Philippines' national hero.

They said that there has been no official proclamation of any

Filipino historical figure as our national hero.
NCCA states, "“Even Jose Rizal, considered the greatest among
the Filipino heroes, was not explicitly proclaimed as a national
hero. The position he now holds in Philippine history is a
tribute to the continued veneration or acclamation of the
people in recognition of his contribution to the significant
social transformation that took place in our country.

 COR 011: 21st Century Literature

of the Philippines and the World

Module 12

Padre Faura Witnesses the Execution of

Rizal
By: Danton Remoto
On the day of the execution of Rizal, Padre Faura witnesses the
execution on the roof of Ateneo Municipal who was clearly nervous
and scared as for the word shivering even mixed in with cold since of
his location.
Back to the present, Padre Faura was seen crying as stated in these
lines. (lines 17-25 of the poem)
Rizal just came back from Europe after the bitter winter. The sudden
climate change made Rizal's cheeks ruddy. (lines 13-16 of the poem)
Few months before, Rizal visited Padre Faura at the observatory in
Ateneo Municipal. Padre Faura thought that they would just talk
about the stars but instead the talk went to purgatory. Vividly Rizal
knew of his impending death the reason why he asked about
purgatory. (lines 5-12 of the poem)
The stars is a metaphor of Jose Rizal. Like the star that's already died
years ago, we can still see its light shimmering before us. Like Jose
Rizal, he might be dead, but his legacy will forever remain in the
hearts of the Filipinos.

 COR 011: 21st Century Literature

of the Philippines and the World

Module 13
Module 13 is all about Situating and Explaining the Text in the Context of the Nation in the
21st Century (Survival)

Short Background of Martial Law

Date of declaration: September 21, 1972 by former President
Ferdinand E. Marcos
The declaration made in accordance with Proclamation 1081
suspended civil rights and established military rule in the
nation. The emergency rule also aimed to break the backbone
of resistance and encourage a swift national growth trend. The
ruler assured the nation that Martial Law was legitimate and
emphasized the need for control over civil disobedience, which
shows a disregard for the law.
Martial Law is a calculated move to defend the Constitution
and safeguard the welfare of the Filipino people from the
dangerous threats posed at the time by Christian vigilantes and
Muslim rebel groups, which put national security at risk.
According to Marcos, it was the only way to deal with the
country`s problem of rebellion that threatens the peace and
order of the nation and did not entail a military takeover.
According to Marcos`s plan, the emergency rule would usher
the nation into what he refers to as a "New Society."
After the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) was
reinstated in 1968, the security of the nation was under
increasing threat. Tarlac and other regions of the country saw
an increase in the number of New People`s Army supporters.
Juan Ponce Enrile`s reported assassination attempt provided
Marcos with an opportunity to impose martial law.
 COR 011: 21st Century Literature
of the Philippines and the World

Module 13

Short Background of Martial Law

The day after the shooting, Marcos declared the emergency
rule. As a threat to national security, Marcos also declared
an insurgency in the south brought on by fighting between
Muslims and Christians. The Muslims were defending their
ancestral land from Christian settlers` attempts to seize it.
Most Filipinos initially backed the action, and several
detractors saw it as a change that would end the
widespread corruption in the nation. The conflict between
the executive and legislative branches of government and a
special-interested bureaucracy was ended by martial law.
His reforms did not hurt his followers, but instead targeted
his opponents among the elite, stripping them of their
influence and favor (US Library of Congress, Martial Law
and the Aftermath).
Armed forces and the Philippine Constabulary disbanded
private armies led by powerful politicians and other
individuals after seizing their firearms (Proclamation 1081
and Martial Law). Marcos closed the Philippine Congress
after seizing control of the chamber (Proclamation 1081
and Martial Law).
In both cases, Marcos was elected president of the
Philippines, but his prolonged rule sparked a fierce
backlash against his government. Corazon Aquino, the
widow of Benigno Aquino, was elected president of the
Philippines, forcing Marcos out of Malacanang Palace and
bringing an end to his twenty-one years of tyrannical rule.
 COR 011: 21st Century Literature
of the Philippines and the World

Module 13

Safe House
By: Sandra Nicole Roldan

It was during Ferdinand Marcos regime following the dispatch of

Martial Law. Point of view is based on a five year old girl.
Setting: In a safe house for dissenting and rebel revolutionaries.
Characters: The girl, her relatives, father, mother, and the soldiers.

Safe house is a story where people are unsafe and can't

guarantee their shelter because of the hazardous
situations that have been happening outside their house.
That's why only their house serves as the safest place.
There's a five year old girl who lives there. She is neutral
and does not care too much for the people who visit there.
Until they begin to treat the property as if it was theirs.
They hold meetings forgetting about the children who take
view of them.
It is 1984, the father is arrested right outside their house. It
came about one August afternoon. The uniformed men
with cropped hair and shiny boots with guns bulging under
their clothes.
Everyone is silent, scared to make a sound. The handcuffs
shine like silver in the sun.
When the soldiers drive away, neighbors murmuring
begins.
 COR 011: 21st Century Literature
of the Philippines and the World

Module 13

Safe House
By: Sandra Nicole Roldan
Late one night, she will hear someone knocking on the door.
The old chocolate brown plyboard that kept them safe all
those years ago has long since yielded to wrap and weather.
They feel unsafe since it is like a venial equivocal that crosses
the threshold of the rivals possession and applies them
towards your/their assets and edge, clueless if when will it
last. This is because of the higher ups that trap and chain them
without any interrogation.
A year later, in front of their home and in full view of everyone,
including the neighbors, the father was taken into custody.
The grandparents were left in charge of the kids. She would
frequently have recurrent dreams of looking for her former
home despite having a new life and moving into a different
property. She made the choice to visit her father, who was
held captive at Camp Crane. Thankfully, they were allowed to
be together on the weekends.
Later on, she is no longer the young girl who didn't grasp
anything at the beginning of the novel. Her father is one of the
revolutionaries who arrived during the night. On occasion,
people would knock on her door and inquire, "Are you his
daughter?" To which she replied, "he doesn’t live here
anymore".
This story is about the people who cope with each and
everyone's freedom because they are against what's
happening in the declaration of Martial Law.