TASK 1 What does the title “A Letter to Pedro, U.S. Citizen, Also Called Pete” reveal about the Philippine Society? TASK 2 a. Read the following: The Three Heroes of Ibalon
The epic tells the story of three Bicol heroes. Baltog, a mighty warrior of Batavar a, came by chance upon the lush and virginal beauty of Ibalon. Extensive in area, rich in soil, and free fre e form typhoons, Ibalon attracted Baltog's men to found a kingdom. In the course of time, Ibalon became prosperous and peaceful. But one day, the peace and prosperity of the land was threate ned not by conquering strangers or black me n but by a huge man-eating wild boar. The ferocious beast destroyed the crops and killed the people on its path. Vast areas in Ibalon were soon reduced to waste and countless people were either killed or maimed. Baltog stood dumb-founded as he surveyed the depredation wrought on his kingdom. One day, Baltog left his home alone, planning to confront his enemy. Under the cover of night, he went to the muddy field to wait for his enemy. Under the cover of night, he went to the muddy field to wait for his enemy. After much waiting, when the moon was bright, the man-eating wild boar came snorting, tearing crops as it went along. Baltog hid under the bushes. When the boar came within his reach, he sprang at it like a panther. Man and beast tumbled to the gr ound in mortal combat. Fortunately, Baltog was able to pin down t he beast and, summoning all his strength, he finally subdued the boar. Baltog’s victory put an end to a terror that had ravished his kingdom for a time. Ibalon, however, saw few years of peace. One day, huge carabaos car abaos followed by winged sharks and giant crocodiles rushed to Ibalon. Every mortal was in fright: death and destruction took a heavy toll. The mighty Baltog could no longer defend his kingdom, for the years had sapped his strength. Defenseless Ibalon had become an easy prey. Luck, however, was still with Ibalon. On that day, Handiong, a mighty warrior of the neighboring kingdom, happened to pass by Ibalon. Apprised of the plight of the people, Handiong came to their rescue. Handiong and his brave seasoned men threw themselves at their stampeding and winging wild enemies. For untold hours, Ibalon saw mortal combat. Blood flowed freely over the land and the streams. One by one the beasts were slain. Before sunset, Handiong and his men emerged the victors. Only one monster escaped Handiong’s mortal wrath; this was Oriol, the serpent who could transform itself into a beautiful woman. Handiong , however, repulsed the advances of t he temptress. To save itself from ext inction, Oriol struck alliance with Handiong. Through its help, the salimaws or evil spirits of the mountains were routed out. This last victory brought to an end the second threat to I balon’s peaceful existence. Ibalon, under Handiong’s wise administration, became rich and peaceful again. But Handiong was getting on in years and outside his domain, Rabut, was eyeing his kingdom. This monster was far more terrible, for under its spell, mortals could be changed into stones. Luck again was with Ibalon. Handiong had mighty friend, a young w arrior named Bantong. Bantong, in command of a handful of men, tre kked one day into the monster’s lair and found the enemy taking its nap. With cat-like agility, Bantong came near his prey and with a mighty stroke delivered mortal blows at the monster’s neck. The wounded monster writhed in agony and in his struggle for breath, the earth shuddered and cracked and the waters of the sea heaved and rolled landward. With the death throes of the monster over, the dust clouds c louds parted and Ibalon underwent great physical change. New islets began to dot the waters near the peninsula; the Inarinan River changed its course; and a dark lake had replaced the mountain at Bato. F inally, a tall and perfect cone reared its head to lord over the leveled ruins. This perfect cone is now known as the Mayon Volcano.
Literary Concepts:
Surrealism: Life goes beyond the "real" to the "super real" including the world of dreams and unconscious and emphasizing on spontaneity feeling and sincerity, closely linked to ROMANTICISM. Conflict:
The conflict of the story was whe n the heroes of Ibalon fought against monsters before establishing their own village and learning to farm. The Ibalon also has an account reminiscent of the blood story, where rains poured for days and almost destroyed the w hole land. b. Short Answer Questions: (Use separate sheet of paper for your short essays.)
Which geographical features in the text are actual? 1. What aspects of the geography are essential to the story? And which are nonessential? 2. To what extent has the geography limited the kind of story that can happen? 3. In what ways has the writer altered the geography to suit his or her purposes? Has the writer made any geographical errors? 4. What religious or ethical beliefs does the text deal with directly? Are any religions or philosophies mentioned specifically in the text? 5. What religious or ethical beliefs or philosophies does the author seem to favor? How can you tell? 6. What religious or ethical beliefs or philosophies does the author seem to disfavor? How can you tell? 7. What behaviors do the characters display that the author wants us to think are “right”? How can you tell? 8. What behavior is considered “wrong”? How can you tell? 9. What does it tell us about the form of government and armed forces of the time in which the story was made? 10. Who ruled the place then? What were their other roles aside from being the leaders? 11. What does it tell us about the life and times of the people who made it? 12. What does the story tell us about the relationship between and among villages? TASK 3
Review your answers to the questions above. Logically group them according to topics/concepts. Organize them into one essay.
Miake, C. J. (2011, February 11). Philippine classic l iterature. Retrieved from http://cieleymiyake.blogspot.com/2011/02/module-1-ibalon-reported-by-cielo-jane_3761.html
