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What is Panitikan?

Panitikan is a direct Filipino translation of the word literature. Literature can be defined as many things. For us, literature is the collection of written, spoken, or performed acts which has creativity and the ability to change a person for the better. It is a part of us people.

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He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish.

Jose Rizal

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Goal of the Blog

This blog was made to promote the beauty of Philippine culture and literature. A way to promote the literature of the Philippines is by using a glimpse of the different genres of literature in the Philippines and doing a deep-dive on all the hidden meanings and lessons.

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That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Anim na Sabado ng Beyblade in the Author’s View.

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"Anim na Sabado ng Beyblade" is heart-rending creative nonfiction written by Ferdinand Pisigan Jarin. It is published as part of a compilation of different texts by the same author under the name "Anim na Sabado ng Beyblade at iba pang Sanaysay." Visprint Inc published this paperback book in 2013. The story details events in the author's life that brought him a lot of pain. It takes us through six weeks in the life of Rebo, the young son of the author. Rebo was a young, playful, and happy child diagnosed with a life-threatening disease that eventually took his life. The plot was filled with ups-and-downs, which shows the unpredictable nature of life. The elements of creative nonfiction are all present in this text. The conflict was Rebo's sickness that was slowly taking his happy self away from himself. The dialogue was present in many parts of the story, especially between Rebo and the father. The point of view was the first person wherein the author was narrating his point of view in the tale. There also were intimate details in which the author describes his son, his bey blade, and other specifics. Lastly, there were vivid descriptions throughout the story where the readers can imagine, like Rebo's inability to smile. It is a well-written example of creative nonfiction with all the elements present.

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Understanding the complex story requires basic knowledge about the author as the storyline is about events in his life narrated by himself.  Ferdinand Pisigan Jarin is an award-winning writer and scriptwriter that s known for writing essays and fiction. He was born in 1976 in Makati, Philippines, and he lived a simple life ever since. According to Good Reads, Jarin is a former Professor of Literature and Popular Culture at the Philippine Normal University and Malikhaing Pagsulat for Creative Nonfiction and Television Scriptwriting at the Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines-Diliman and for the Department of Filipino, De La Salle University-Manila. He has written many articles about his life like ”Tangke, Mga Gunita ng Pagkabata” that details his life. The author had a son named Rebo, whose short life brought us "Anim na Sabado ng Beyblade." 

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The creative nonfiction gives us many details from the life and death of Rebo and the narrator. It shows us the different characteristics and personality traits that he has in real life. This brought us the realism of literature especially nonfictions that tell us about how actual events transpired. The author was shown as caring, loving, and devoted. He just wanted Rebo to be happy by giving him all the things that he loves, such as Beyblades and time with his cousins. He knew that Rebo is having a hard time, so he just wanted to make him smile by trying to be present at all times despite having a busy life. It is not easy to witness our loved ones slowly deteriorate and lose their happiness right in front of our eyes. It is hard even knowing that all our loved ones will be gone one day, but the father still never gave up on his son even though he knew the inevitable would happen. Love comes in all forms, but as the author had shown, love is powerful. Despite all the pain Rebo had, he was still happy as detailed in the story because of the things his father had done for him. He was given love beyond measure, but it wasn’t able to save him. Another trait that can be realized is that Ferdinand Pisigan Jarin is a resilient person and his son. He took on the pain of losing a son by writing an essay that tells us about how much he loved his child. He wrote this essay as a memory of his son that will go on to be read by thousands of people that will bring this memory on. People can cope with things differently; some just keep it to themselves, but some, like the author, spread the message to other people and tell them a story that could change their perspective in life. Rebo might not have lived a long life, but his impact on people’s life is undeniable.

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Besides teaching us about the author’s life, the story also told us numerous points about life we could all learn from. First, life is short, dynamic, and unpredictable. Rebo’s death was a good example of this. He was just a kid living his life, yet tragedy struck, and cancer took away his life. We cannot accurately predict events that will happen in our lives, and even if we dd, it is purely coincidence as no one knows. There is no secret formula or magical hand readings that will tell us what happens in our life. We just have to go day-by-day and experience all the highs-and-lows on this Earth. Second, the story teaches us that the most challenging part of losing someone is not the loss itself; it is what happens afterward that will test us on how strong we are. The author did bounce back from the tragic events and change people’s lives; that is the goal we should have. We have to use these pains as fuel to the fire in our hearts. We should appreciate the loved ones we have as they are the people that will be with us for the rest of our shorts lives. Lastly, the essential point is that we should always be happy. Happiness is something that s hard to find and hard to come by, but it should always be the end-goal we have. All the money, belongings, status, positions, properties, and fake friends we have don’t matter. In the end, what makes life worth living are the happiest moments and unforgettable memories.

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In conclusion, “Anim na Sabado ng Beyblade” is a beautifully-written, authentic, and heartfelt essay about Rebo’s life. It was able to use the different elements of creative nonfiction. It also has a message that will stick with us as the t was genuinely heart-wrenching.

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One clear moment, one of trance One missed step, one perfect dance One missed shot, one and only chance Life is all...but one fleeting glance.

Sanober Khan

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Social Inequalities and Discrimination Shown in Aviary

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Aviary is a short story written by Lysley Tenorio. He was a Filipino-American author of various short stories and a novel. He was an award-winning author born in the Philippines but graduated at the University of Oregon. The Aviary was one of his few works that concerned the Philippines. Aviary was shown in the Manila Noir, a collection of short stories from many authors. However, This short story was focused on the ugly side of Manila that we could see but most of the time, we don’t pay attention. He wanted to highlight the people that are neglected in the society. Essentially, this story is about the socio-political topic of social inequalities and discrimination that is polluting our beloved country.

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There are numerous metaphors and hidden messages that are displayed throughout the story. Nonetheless, the most obvious metaphor that was exhibited was the title itself, Aviary. Now, the word aviary is defined as a large enclosure that is used to simulate the environment where birds live. In the story, however, an aviary could be compared to the society we are living in. Our society in real life consists of social classes; the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class. But in the story, it focuses more on the conflict of the upper and lower classes where the upper class is intolerant to the so-called “poor people” of our society. This indifference was first shown in the signage that the main characters had seen on the internet. The sign, found on the Greenbelt  Mall, shows the injustice towards the poor because it was prohibiting the lower class from entering the facilities.