REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS

I. INTRODUCTION

SoCCSKSarGen is a region of the Philippines, located in central Mindanao, and

is officially designated as Region XII. The name is an acronym that stands for the
region's four provinces and one of its cities: South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan
Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City. The regional center is Koronadal City
located in the province of South Cotabato. Cotabato City itself is part of
SOCCSKSARGEN, but Maguindanao is part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao.

SOCCSKSARGEN is an administrative region the Philippines designated as

Region 12. It comprises of (4) provinces;
1. South Cotabato
2. Cotabato Province
3. Saranggani
4. Sultan Kudarat
And (2) chartered cities;
1. General Santos City (Highly Urbanized)
2. Cotabato City

The region was formerly known as Cotabato or “Kuta-Wato” (meaning stone

fort), became Central Mindanao and presently named as SOCCSKSARGEN which is
acronym for its provinces. The region was also branded as the “12th Paradise of the
Philippines”. SOCCSKSARGEN encompasses Cotabato City situated within the
borders of Maguindanao, province of the Autonomous Region in Mindanao
(ARMM).
The region was created by the virtue of Presidential Decree No. 742 on July 7th 1975
and named as Central Mindanao. It comprised the following provinces:
• Maguindanao
• North Cotabato
• Sultan Kudarat
• Lanao Del Norte
• Lanao Del Sur
• And also, cities of Iligan, Cotabato and Marawi.

The region is endowed with rich natural resources and it serves as the main source
of hydroelectric power for Mindanao. Palay and Corn are the leading crops of the
region. Other major crops are Banana and Pineapple. The region is also home of the
high-quality Tuna in the Philippines. (specifically, in GenSan).

Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.

BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001
 REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS

II. CULTURAL, HISTORICAL, AND LITERARY BACKGROUND OF THE

REGION
CULTURAL BACKGROUND

A pair of agungs is one of the instruments found in the kulintang ensemble, and
Region XII is home to a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintang music, a specific
type of gong music found among both Muslim groups (such as the Maguindanao) and non-
Muslim groups (such as the Tiruray) of the Southern Philippines. Kulintang music functions
as a main community unifier, where all of the community can come to engage in events such
as weddings, birthday celebrations and festivals, to dignitary engagements and pilgrimages
to and from Mecca. At home, such music unifies and solidifies family ties as family
members take to playing after dinner. Kulintang music also plays a vital role as the
accompaniment to healing dances, as long-distance communication between members and a
social conduit for young people (interaction between opposite sexes were not allowed except
though such instruments).

Kulintang ensembles among those of the Southern Philippines are usually composed
of five pieces of instrumentation. Among the Maguindanao, this would include: the
kulintang (strung out horizontally on a stand, serving as the main melody instrument of the
ensemble), the agung (the largest gongs of the ensemble providing much of the lower beats,
either coming in a pair of two or just one alone), the gandingan (four large vertical gongs
aligned front to back, used as a secondary melodic instrument), the dabakan (an hour-glass
shaped drum covered in goat/lizard skin) and the babendil (a singular gong used as the
timekeeper of the entire ensemble).

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The most significant development in the political history of Mindanao was the
organization of six politico-military districts in Mindanao in 1860. The central district
embracing Cotabato included Polloc, Illana Bay as far as the Western coast of Zamboanga at
point Murcielagos and the Southern extremity of Mindanao down to point Glan. The capital
of the government was Cotabato City until 1872 when the city was destroyed by a strong
earthquake, after which the capital was Zamboanga City.

The Central Mindanao region was created on July 7, 1975 under Presidential Decree No.
742. Under this decree, Central Mindanao was composed of the provinces of Cotabato,
Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao and the cities of Iligan,
Cotabato and Marawi. The extent of regionalization was further seen in the establishment of

Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.

BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001
 REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS

Autonomous Region and Western Mindanaao (Regions XII and IX) by virtue of Presidential
Decree No. 1618.

LITERARY BACKGROUND

SOCCSKSARGEN is a region of the Philippines, located in Central Mindanao, and is

officially designated as Region XII. It is an acronym that stands for the region’s four
provinces and one of its cities: South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and
General Santos City.

Frank Charles Laubach (September 2, 1884 – June 11, 1970) was an Evangelical
Christian missionary and mystic known as "The Apostle to the Illiterates."In 1935, while
working at a remote location in the Philippines, he developed the "Each One Teach One"
literacy program. It has been used to teach about 60 million people to read in their own
language. He was deeply concerned about poverty, injustice and illiteracy, and considered
them barriers to peace in the world.

In 1955, he founded Laubach Literacy, which helped introduce about 150,000

Americansto reading each year and had grown to embrace 34 developing countries. An
estimated 2.7 million people worldwide were learning to read through Laubach-affiliated
programs. One of his most widely influential devotional works was a pamphlet entitled "The
Game with Minutes." In it, Laubach urged Christians to attempt keeping God in mind for at
leastone second of every minute of the day. In this way Christians can attempt the attitude of
constant prayer spoken of in the Epistle to the Colossians. The pamphlet extolled the virtues
of a life lived with unceasing focus on God. Laubach's insight came from his experiments in
prayer detailed in a collection of his letters published under the title, Letters by a Modern
Mystic.

Laubach had a deep interest in the Philippines. He wrote a biography of the Filipino
national hero, Jose Rizal: Man, and Martyr, published in Manila in 1936. He also translated
the hero's valedictory poem, "Mi Ultimo Adios" (My Last Farewell.) He was considered a
pioneer mover of Maranao literature. He wrote: "The Moros of Lake Lanao have amazingly
rich literature, all the more amazing since it exists only in the memories of the people and

Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.

BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001
 REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS

had just begun to be recorded in writing. It consists of lyric and poetry with the epic greatly
predominating."

FAMOUS TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Mt. Apo in Kidapawan City - Several trails lead to the summit, coming from
Kidapawan,North Cotabato. An average hike requires 2–4 days. Various sites include Lake
Venado, one of the highest lakes in the Philippines, and the old crater of Mt. Apo near
itssummit. In the classification system used by local popular mountaineering website
PinoyMountaineer.com, the difficulty of the hike is 7 out of 9. The mountain may be
climbed year-round.

Lake Sebu- is a natural lake located in the municipality of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
and within the Alah Valley region. The Philippine government has recognized it as one of
the country's most important watersheds. Lake Sebu is one of the many bodies of water
supplying important irrigation to the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato. It is
one of the prime eco-tourism destinations in the Region. Famous for its 2 km Zipline,
Longest in the Philippines.

Baras Bird Sanctuary in Tacurong City - the most visited site in Tacurong, the Baras
Bird Sanctuary is truly a humbling experience. In an almost two hectares of land lying by a
river bank here, the crack of dawn offers a melodious harmony of birds; thousands dot the
skies also during sunsets, a pleasure for bird watchers.

Gumasa Beach in Glan - dubbed as the "Small Boracay in Mindanao" Barangay

Gumasa has a six-kilometer-long crescent beach on Sarangani's eastern shore and only about
an hour's drive from General Santos City. Gumasa Beach, the Small Boracay of Mindanao or
Boracay of the South, whatever name herein is the beauty of the beach. The white sand and
fine crystal land make your feet comfortable to walk around the beach

Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.

BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001
 REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS

III. NOTABLE WRITERS AND AWARDS

JAIMEAN LIM(1946-present)

 Jaime L. An Lim was born in Cagayan de Oro City in 1946. He received his AB
English, cum laude, from Mindanao State University.
 He holds five graduate degrees, including an MA in English and Creative Writing
from Silliman University, an Ed.S. in Instructional Systems Technology, and a Ph.D.
in Comparative Literature, both from Indiana University, Bloomington.
 In 1999, he was a fellow to the 25th British Council Seminar on the British Writer at
Downing College, Cambridge. For a number of years, he taught in the United States
and worked as a TESL consultant at the University of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
 He recently retired as a professor of English from MSU-Iligan Institute of
Technology where he organized the Mindanao Creative Writers Group, Inc., and
founded the Iligan National Writers Workshop. He is presently the Dean of the
Institute of Arts and Sciences of Far Eastern University, Manila.

AWARDS:

 Honorable Mention for fiction from Focus (1973)

 Third Prize for poetry from Philippines Free Press (1995)
 Third Prize for poetry from Home Life (1995)
 Second Prize for fiction from Panorama (1995)
 Several Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for fiction in English (1973, 1993)
 Don Carlos essay (1989) short story for children (1990, 1993), and poetry (1990).
 Second Prize in the Asian Student essay contest (1978)
 Academy of American Poets Prize (1981).
 Tutungi Prize (1983)

Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.

BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001
 REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS

 Ellis Literary Award (1984)

 2000 Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas by the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa
Pilipinas (UMPIL)
 2003 Outstanding Teacher Award

IV. GREAT LITERARY WORKS FROM THE REGION

The literary works that can be found in region 12 is, Ulahingan, Indarapatra at Sulayman,
Monki, Makil and the Monkeys.

Ulahingan is the epic of Livunganen- Arumanen Manobos residing in the Libungan river
valley in Cotabato del Norte in Mindanao. It is closely related to the epic of Agyo of the
Ilianon, because the two tribes used to form one group.

Indarapatra at Sulayman is an epic town of the Maguindanao people in Mindanao. It

was sung before Islam came to the island. Its main characters are the brothers Raha
Indarapatra and Raha Sulayman and how they saved Mindanao against monsters. Indarapatra
was king of Mantapuli, a large and great city inhabited by many people, while Sulayman was
a valiant warrior. Apart from this epic-town, Indarapatra is also always mentioned in other
Maguindanao folktales, and he can be considered their legendary hero.

Monki, Makil and the Monkeys was a fable about a couple named Monki and Makil who
was attacked by group of monkeys led by Amomantaragaga. These monkeys would eat all
their crops for consumption such as rice, sugarcane and fruits as well as destroy the
remaining crops. They had become a problem to the couple and the rest of the sultanate of
Agamaniyog. Until such time, the couple had carried out aplan. They had placed a white
cloth over the body of Makil, making it appear that he was dead. The monkeys symphatized
and offered help to Monki by all means.They even gave Monki a combat sword when she
asked them to not knowing that is only a trap to kill all of them except Amomantaragaga who
survive the killing.

LAMGE is a poem wherein if translated in English is;

Original: Lamge ha, lamba wadu, Wonde, gende wukelo genha Fambo ha wakela tun ha
Wadu wadene mande mande Wagene han akeba han ha
Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.
BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001
 REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS

Hubalyo han ha wadene Mande hononka yon ha Nangat hu kong dende

wukilak gengen ha Wanulu ha aladjuaman ha Agumupgon indi undigo han along a fon ha
hay ha!
English Translation: What can we do? Oh. What can we do? This is our work; this we
should do. Oh my, oh how is this to go on? Continue, then come back when you reach the top
“Tis not there! ‘Tis not here!”, they said.
We’ll try till we can make it. It’s not here, according to them, but don’t relax. Don’t be
surprised. They’re still far. Let’s hurry!

V. THE ASSIGNED LITERARY PIECE AND INTERPRETATION

Song of My Seven Lovers

by Frank Laubach Lanao
I crave your pardon, royal kin,
Whose praises cheer my heart so
well,
If I should wound some friends
by
The story which I mean to tell.
Deep loves which I alone have
known
I venture to reveal to you.
They echo here within my heart,
As fond desire will ever do
When first I felt darts of love,
The words of women worried
me,
The whispered sandals which
they told
I closed my ears and turned to
flee.
A thousand longings tore my
soul
And left me in perplexity,
For how could I reveal my love
To those who did not care for
me?
A thousand aching memories,
Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.
BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001
I think shall never be forgot,
Still whisper to me in the air
Of loves for those who loved me
not.
Mere fancies all within my mind,
They change their shapes like
shifting sands.
Alas, the men for whom I pined
Had other loves in other lands
My first love was a hidden sun,
A dawn which never came to
day,
But, like a lovely know of my
hair,
It fluttered loose and fell away.
My second love was ecstasy,
A glorious glowing hidden fire
Which burned within my secret
breast;
No other guessed my deep desire
A golden song of perfect tone
Whose notes were lost within my
heart;
Another knot of lovely hair
 REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS
Which tremble loose and feel
apart.
My third love was a letter sweet,
A letter sealed but never sent,
Contrived of futile fantasies,
And all my hours to love ware
lent.
Ah! Had I dared I would have
shared
A name for which I madly cared;
For never a thought was bent on
aught
Save him who held my mind
ensnared.
My lover was my cousin too
And so no word was ever said,
We could not speak the thing we
felt
For plainly we could never be
wed.
And so he chose to marry wealth
And took a bride or noble rank,
While I beheld without a tear
To tell the bitter cup I drank.
My fourth love fills me yet with
joy
As recollections flood my mind,
For he was rich enough to give
Great wedding gifts of every kind
He did not dare to tell his love
Because, no doubt, he was too
shy,
And my high parents seemed to
him
Like mountains peaks against the
sky.
Besides his heart was also drawn
By some fair maiden we have
heard,
Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.
BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001
Who shone like moonlight in his
eyes,
And whom his relatives prefered.
The Prophet grant that no sad
fate
May rob him of his maiden's
hand;
And though we are so poor we
hope
To spread his fame throughout
the land.
My fifth love was a sweet
perfume
Which set my eager mind a
whirl;
A fragrant flower which faded
fast;
His parents chose another girl.
My sixth love was a strong south
wind
Which gently fanned this breast
of mine
Till dark clouds gathered in the
south
And soon the sun had ceased to
shine.
Did he not swear his love was
sure
And constant as the ardent sun?
An, fickle sun and dreary end
That so brightly had begun.
My seventh love is stronger still
A north wind blowing over the
seas
And whipping for off unknown
waves,
While sunbeams dance upon the
breeze.
Will now at last my dreams come
true,
 REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS

And will he choose me for his Their shouts like thunder would
mate? be heard.
Has holy Prophet written it
Across the pages of our fate? Oh, how the sun might beam
with smiles,
If people's hopes could be Oh, how our skin would all be
fulfilled? glad,
If he who loves would speak the Oh, how the world would ring
word, with song,
Such crowds would gather to If I should wed this royal lad!
rejoice,
Yet round the sun deep colors creep;
And though he loves with splendid fire
And vows his will is firm as rock,
I tremble lest he too may tire.

Sore doubts about our hostile kin

Assail my mind with painful dread.
There is an ancient song in which
A noble Prophet wisely said:

"What comes out of feud between two clans

Who will not speak save to condemn,
Who hurt defiance till the last?
A God who sees will punish them."

My dream is like a fog at sea

Which tries to reach the land in vain,
For earthquakes and the tidal waves
Keep driving it to sea again.

So while he waits and hesitates

His chance of winning fame slips by
Ah! Should he dare I firmly swear
My love for him would never die,

For if the ship should venture forth,

Then I would weave a happy plot,
And conjure up some potent charm
That evil winds could harm if not.

Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.

BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001
 REGION XII (CENTRAL MINDANAO) - SONG OF MY SEVEN LOVERS

VI. REFERENCES

SOURCE:

https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/SoCCSKSarGen-Region-XII-Profile

https://www.slideshare.net/RhodzzzLucky18/region-xii-soccsksargen-literature

https://prezi.com/j8tjdxstxrq8/literature-in-region-xii/

https://whatisliterature001.blogspot.com/p/song-of-my-seven-lovers.html?

zx=725f7de6a8d3f2b5

https://pdfslide.net/documents/song-of-my-seven-lovers.html

Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.

BSIT – 2C
Philippine Literature 001