Module 20

A.
Examining Contexts
During a 2014 conference in Cebu City, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano remarked that the national
government should stop giving the bulk of its national budget to Metro Manila alone. He said, "[lJet us
remember that Metro Manila is not the Philippines, and the Philippines is not Metro Manila.
We should not always build in Manila. Other provinces and regions should share in the resources such as
Clark, Zamboanga Peninsula, Caraga, Central Visayas, etc." ("Metro Manila Gets Fatter" 2014). Providing
equal resources to all regions of the country has been a continuous problem in more than a century of
our independence as a nation.
Nature cannot be blamed for this condition. The archipelagic nature of the Republic of the Philippines
has made the country enjoy a rich biodiversity. Our topography, which consists of mountainous terrains,
dense forests, plains, and coástal areas, allow us to enjoy endemic flora and fauna. As a result of this
diverse environment, our ancestors developed separate cultures and languages. Our country has a total
of 182 living languages. With these languages our ancestors communicated, built their communities, and
created unique cultural products. And yet, our blessings from nature coupled with these multiple
languages also provide a continuous challenge for us in addressing the needs of our different provinces
and regions, along with its people.
Separated by seas, cultures, and languages, the Filipinos of today must consciously choose to maintain a
united front in order for all of us to be truly equal and free as a people in one nation. How can we do
this? Perhaps our study of literature can help point us toward the direction tion of understanding
difterent Philippine cultures across the country, and hopefully this would provide the opportunity for a
true sense of pride to grow within us tor being part of this nation. It is imperative that we Filipinos
should read as much literature as we can from other regions. There is a need for more works from
outside of Metro Manila to be read across the country. It is the sad reality that even in the 21" century,
Filipinos tend to privilege the popular and sophisticated literatures of NCR, particularly Metro Manila.
Whether it is comics or novels, Metro Manila literature seems to lord it over the rest of the country.
That is, in the world of Philippine literature, authors from Metro Manila tend to be more accepted by
readers from the rest of the country. erhaps it is because the central government, big universities,
corporate headquarters, and the big publishing houses are all found in Metro Manila. Literature from
"the center thus appears to be more valid to the readers who do not question the dated Manila centric
view of Philippine literature.
While it is true that a lot of historically moving as well as entertaining works were produced by Metro
Manila authors, they are merely one group in the constellation of Philippine authors. So much can be
discovered in the literatures of the regions that can help paint a better picture of who we are as a
nation. Thus, it is necessary for our national language, Filipino, or our other language, English, to
embrace as much as possible the literary output from the regions through translations. The wider we
can disseminate literatures from the regions, the bigger the possibility of understanding among the
different ethnic groups.
21st century technology can help propel this goal into something obtainable. With the help of the
Internet, many contemporary authors from the regions are publishing their work online. Whether they
are using their regional language, Filipino, or English, these young authors are beginning to speak to a
national audience about their reality. Some 21" century literature of the Philippines can be found in
blogs online newspapers, online magazines, online journals, etc. Also a good number of performances of
songs, skits, and amateur films showcasing regional works can be found in video-sharing sites like
YouTube.
While it is true that regional literature has been overlooked for so long, perhaps 21st century
technology, particularly the Internet, can help build bridges across the archipelago for us to be able to
indulge in regional literature.
D. Producing Texts
You are the editor of a literary section of a newspaper. You need to write a 500-word feature article on a
Filipino contemporary (21st century) author from outside your region. Do a library or an online search
on a noteworthy writer. Do not limit yourself to those cited in the table of authos above, but be on the
lookout for a lesser-known author you believe to be promising Make sure that your feature provides the
following information: background of the author, a short overview of the author's literary works (books,
online or print publications, etc.), a short sampling of the author's work/s together with your
commentary. End the article by highlighting what this author's contribution is to contemporary
Philippine literature.

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