CONTEMPORARY

PHILIPPINE ART
FROM THE REGION
LITERATURE
 Most traditional Filipino books either tell stories about
nationalism, real-life experiences, or make use
CONTE of legends and fables to showcase Filipino traits and
MPORA values.
RY
Modern Filipino books aren’t far from promoting such
PHILIPP cultural values, as these books continue to make use of
INE ART symbols and allegories to depict the daily struggles of
FROM Filipinos in family, friends,
dealing with
THE
REGION romantic partners, and society. Whether
told in a comedic or heart-breaking way, these books never fail to
surprise readers and leave an eye-opening realization or two.
And because of their impact on readers, some of these books
even made their way to the big screen.
ABNK
KBSNP
LAko?!
by Bob Ong (2001)

Published in 2001, Bob Ong’s first

book rose to fame for depicting
the supposed unforgettable
moments of his life as a student
—from primary years to college
days—using a first-person
perspective and conversational
writing techniques
 Dekada
‘70
byLualhati
Bautista
(1984)

tells the story of a woman’s

struggles and heart-breaking
experiences during the
difficult years in Philippine
history known as the Martial
Law era
 Illustra
do
byMiguel
Syjuco

The story begins when

authorities find the lifeless body
of fictional author Crispin
Salvador floating off the Hudson
River. According to authorities,
there was no evidence of foul
play, which led them to think
that the author must have taken
his own life.
 Ligo na
U, Lapit
na Me
by Eros Atalia

This is a story about two college

students named Intoy and Jenny who
engage in a casual sexual relationship.
In short, they’re friends with benefits.
The book teaches its readers that there
are a lot of questions, and whether you
know the answer or not, it doesn’t
guarantee a happy ending. Sometimes,
the most intriguing questions are left
unanswered, and you just have to
accept it. In 2011, Ligo na U, Lapit na
Me hit the big screen.
 Smaller
and
Smaller
Circles
by F.H. Batacan
Don Carlos Palanca Memorial
Awards for Literature
Author F.H. Batacan won the Carlos
Palanca Grand Prize for the English
Novel in 1999 for his book, Smaller
and Smaller Circles. This is the first
Filipino crime detective story set in
the Philippines. The mystery revolves
around two Jesuit priests who happen
to perform forensic work and hope to
uncover the person behind the serial
killings in a slum area in Manila.
 14
by Manix Abrera

Just by looking at the book’s cover, one

instantly gets the impression that this
book has a dark, mysterious, sad story.
Manix Abrera’s second wordless graphic
novel reveals how good the author is at
conveying messages without having to
use words. While this novel portrays
typical beings in Philippine folklore such
as a manananggal, a white lady, and an
elf, among others, don’t expect that it’s
a typical Philippine horror story.
 Stupid is
Forever
byMerriam
Defensor
Santiago
(2014)

The late Senator Miriam Defensor-

Santiago might have lost the
presidential elections last 2016, but she
won the hearts of many for her wit and
sense of humor. In her book, published
in 2014, the ‘Iron Lady of Asia’ proves
that only a politician like her can
spontaneously make people laugh as
she brings up her collection of one- Stupid is Forever (2014) Stupid is Forevermore (2015)
liners, pick-up lines, and witty jokes in
the political setting.