VOICE TAPE

By: Ariel S. Tabag

 AUTHOR

NAME: Ariel S. Tabag

- Bilingual Ilocano fictionist (writes in
Ilocano and Tagalog), poet, editor,
translator and musician.

BORN: August 16, 1978 (Santa

Teresita Cagayan)
ACHIEVEMENTS:

 Received the Palanca awards for his

Ilocano short stories.
 Has been awarded the Talaang Ginto-
Gantimpalang Collantes.
 Has received awards from Ilocano
literary contests such as AMMAFLA,
GUMIL California, SABALI, RFAAFIL,
ATILA and Tugade awards
 CHARACTERS
 DANTE – Nanang’s son and Renato’s nephew
 UNCLE ATO (RENATO) – Dante’s uncle who died from being hit by
a bus
 MAGDALENA – Uncle Ato’s wife
 NANANG – Dante’s mother
 BOYING – Dante’s friend that is always late like him.
 UNCLE MULONG – the 3rd sibling of Nanang ( No read no
write)
 UNCLE CEFERINO - 2nd sibling of Nanang that is abducted
by NPA
 LILONG MARTIN – man who does circumcision
 THE BALD MAN – CAFGU who beats up uncle Mulong
 SUMMARY
This story starts when Dante and his mother
Nanang go back to their old house to find his
certificates for being best in math in elementary and
high school but instead of certificate, they saw a voice
tape owned by his uncle Ato. He still remember the
things happened to his uncle. By the time, his uncle
decided to get married until they build a small house
for his family. They live with a simple life until his wife
decided to go to Abu Dhabi to work. He sell his land to
get some money that is needed by his wife.
 One morning, when Dante is on his way school,
he heard a scream so he ran as fast as he could to get
home. He told his mother what he saw. He felt nervous
because he taught his friend is the one in danger but
he was wrong, his uncle died in that accident. One day,
when he and his mother clean the house of his Uncle
Ato, his mother saw a voice tape under his uncle's
pillow. His mother , his father and his Uncle Mulong are
the only persons who knew the message in the voice
tape and since he has reached his right age, they let
him know the message. His uncle's wife was maltreated
by her boss but his Uncle Ato doesn't have anything to
do.
 SETTING
The story takes place in 1990’s and
people believe in superstitions since then.
It happens in the author’s place itself,
Santa Teresita Cagayan.
 PLOT SUMMARY
Uncle Ato died after being
hit by a bus near Dante’s
school.

Dante’s friend told him that

They saw a voice tape his uncle intentionally
owned by his Uncle Ato jump within the running
And he remembered bus. He thought about the
everything about his reason why would his uncle
uncle. do that.
Since Dante reach his right age,
Dante and his mother his mother let him hear what’s
Nanang go back to in the voice tape. He had knew
their old house to get that his uncle did suicide
because his wife was
his certificates for maltreated abroad and he didn’t
being best in Math. have anything to do about it.
 CONFLICT
The death of Uncle Ato and the message
inside the voice tape under uncle’s pillow run
rampant in the story. They thought that Uncle’s
death was just an accident but it was not. Uncle
Ato’s death has something to do with the
message in the voice tape. When they heard
the message, they knew that Uncle Ato did
suicide because he can’t do anything while his
wife was being maltreated by her boss abroad.
 THEME
 People’s life experiences and emotions is seen in
the story. Uncle Ato suffered in a deep sadness
after hearing the voice tape’s message that his
wife was being aggrieved by his boss in Abu
Dhabi.

In the story, it is seen that Pilipino’s believe in

superstitions though it was uncertain. They don’t
even know if it was true but they said that there’s
nothing to happen if they follow.
 SYMBOLISMS

VOICE TAPE

-Served as an instrument to
know the real reason why Uncle Ato
died.
 PLOT TYPE
Flashback
- because the story goes back to the
time when Uncle Ato was still alive. Dante
reminisce the things happen about his Uncle
Ato’s death after seeing the voice tape
instead of certificates.
 POINT OF VIEW
First Person Point of View
- One character in the story is
narrating the whole story with the use
of pronouns; I, me, mine, myself, we,
ours, and ourselves.
 REFERENCES
Idi, Asseng. assengtabag.blogspot. 13 July 2012.
assengtabag.blogspot.com/2012/07.voice-
tape.html
Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. 17 October 2016.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_S._Tabag
 MEMBERS
HERNANDEZ, SHENNA BABE S.
VELASQUEZ JOCKLYN ROSE P.
STEM-A