Lopez, Eleonor Rose D.R.

Sir Jose Datugan

12 – ABM B Mapagkumbaba

FIRST QUARTER

Module 5

What I Know

1. TRUE

2. TRUE

3. FALSE

4. TRUE

5. FALSE

What’s New

Activity: Respond critically to the following questions. Write your answer in

a whole sheet of paper.

1. Describe the setting and the nature of the story.

The setting of the story is in the Santa Teresita Cagayan, Philippines.

The story Videotape is likely to talk about the 1990s, the past story of his

family. The essence of this story is unpredictable because it tackles the life

experience and feelings of the characters. Especially when Uncle Ato

suffered in extreme misery after he heard the voice tape of his wife, grieved

by his employer in Abu Dhabi.

• Husband of the mistreated wife named, Magdalena

• Dante’s uncle who died from being hit by a bus

• Young husband who married at the age of 18.

3. List at least 2 local practices in wakes that were described in the story.

• During the wake, the elders said the floor could not be swept away,

and those who disobey would have a lot of lice.

• Cutting off chicken's head so there wouldn't be another person who will

die in the family.

4. Perform some research: who are the CHDF? Why are they significant to the

people in the story? How does this relate to the actual CHDF in real life?

Write your own research in a short, three-paragraph essay.

The CHDF means Civilian Home Defense Force it is an irregular

paramilitary force supervised and deployed by the heads of the local

government in the Philippines. The CHDF was active during the 1970s and

officially disbanded in 1986 after the People Power Revolution. According to

reports, the guards took orders from the military, but they tied directly to the

local elites, and the people disliked them for having a bad reputation.

Overall, the supposed defense that they should provide turned out to be one

of the biggest sources of fear to the people until now. The writer of the story

used this group to represent the powerful people to convey the meaning and
effects of them in our society. The salary and possession of firearms are the

factors why CHDF had 63,000 full-time members at that time. Farmers and

low-income earners were opted to be part of it instead of doing their

job.Reference: Pike, J. (2016). Philippines - Corruption. Global Security.

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/philippines/chdf.htm

5. What do the various episodes in the story do in terms of helping the

reader get to know the characters better? How do these episodes help

characterize Ato, in particular?

The various episodes in the story help the reader to get to know the

characters better are having descriptive passages about them, providing

build-up for the development of characters, point of view, and the

storytelling. Dante, the narrator, helped the readers visualize the characters

by giving tiny details of their way of living and providing background

information. One of the parts of the story is when he described his Uncle Ato

and Mulong’s physical qualities and how he interacts with his wife, family,

and other people. Aside from that, he also narrates to the readers the ups

and downs of the love life of Ato to Magdalena. These episodes help

characterize Ato by the readers were able to learn and understand how he

thinks and acts in different situations in his life.

6. Do you think Ato committed suicide? What details in the story lead you to

your conclusion?
 For me, he, Ato, committed suicide because he was depressed that he

can’t do anything about his mistreated wife abroad. At first, I thought that

Ato was hit by the bus of Manny Trans by accident, however when Dante

realized that the rumor was real. He also went to the place where Uncle Ato

was hit and tried to remember his way where he goes to their house. Instead

of the same route, his uncle went to the other part of the road. That he,

Dante, conclude Ato decided to commit suicide by colliding towards the

running bus.

7. What did the voice tape have to do with the events of the story? Is it an

important part of the story?

The voice tape is part of the story, and it's the main reason why Ato

committed suicide. He can't bear what he's heard on the audio recorder from

his wife's condition. The fact that Magdalena was allowed to go to Abu Dhabi

and he could not do anything to bring back his wife is an awful situation.

8. How does the story characterize OFWs and what they have to deal with?

Does the story make you think about OFWs and their situations? How do you

feel about the after reading the story?

The narrative characterized the condition of the OFWs by narrating

their lives abroad. The narrator makes the viewer imagine the struggles and

difficulties they have faced only to make money available to their families

here in the Philippines. After reading the story, I remember my auntie in

Kuwait, working for our future. I understand that living and working there is
not the same thing as here in our country because of the diverse cultures

and people they have to socialize and meet.

What’s More

Activity 1: Express to Persuade!

Heroes are everywhere, but it is strange about that is that most of us

never know what they're doing their jobs abroad for their communities, their

countrymen, and our social development. They are one of the assets of our

economic growth and development but people are not paying enough

attention to their needs, and to the benefits that they must have after

working so hard and proving that they are worthy of all those stuff.

An Overseas Filipino Worker is a term used to refer to a Filipino-born

person living outside the Philippines. According to the International Labour

Agency, there are nearly 11 million Filipinos worldwide. They work abroad to

be a great opportunity for the Filipino Overseas Workers (OFW), the heroes of

the modern century, to earn money, gain experience, and have a decent life

ahead of them. Filipinos should be allowed to work overseas for the

advantage of balanced taxes, exchange rates, and quality of living.

Balance of payments is one of the country's most significant public

health metrics. Remittances constitute a large portion of the earnings of

Filipinos working overseas who are returned to their home communities and

the balance of payments of the Philippines. As of 2019, the account deficit

partly due to remittances from OFWs with a 9.5 percent growth in net inflows

of $4.3 billion. Thus, the Filipinos who work abroad and have remittances in

the Philippines are sure to boost.

The health of a nation's currency over another nation's currency or

economic zone shall be determined by the exchange rate. For a stronger

currency, the quality of manufactured products declines, lowering commodity

prices. This will help to resolve the country's debts and liabilities. Since the

country's loans are mainly in US dollars, a stronger peso would minimize the

debt. The Philippine Peso is becoming stronger with higher OFW remittances,

which means that it is worth more than other currencies. The steady influx of

remittances empowers the nation to import more international goods and

services. That also ensures that the settlement of global debt and other

international obligations is more stable.

Lastly, the standard of living refers to the quantity and nature of the

material goods and services provided to the community concerned. The

standard of living requires essential material considerations such as wages,

gross domestic product (GDP), life expectancy, and economic opportunities.

Household spending grows with a rise in wages as remittances go directly to

the hands of families, friends, and relatives, using the capital to boost their

overall quality of life. Many economists have cited a direct beneficial link

between remittances and better health care, schooling, and even

societies as a whole.

In conclusion, because of the benefits, it offers for the balance of

payments, exchange rates, and quality of life, Filipinos should be allowed to

work overseas. The OFW is remembered for nothing as a modern hero. With

better living standards and more discretionary resources, the demand for

goods and services is rising, which is moving the economy forward. And if it

is a personal sacrifice to leave family and loved ones behind to go abroad

and pursue jobs with better pay. The remittances sent by foreign workers

contribute not only to the macroscopic level of the national economy of the

Philippines but also to the microscopic level of household finances.

References:

Labour migration in the Philippines (ILO in the Philippines). (NA). ILO.

https://www.ilo.org/manila/areasofwork/labour-migration/lang--en/index.htm

Lucas, D. L. (2019, September 16). Current-account gap shrinks to $1.7B.

INQUIRER.Net. https://business.inquirer.net/279058/current-account-gap-

shrinks-to-1-7b

Hall, B. J., Garabiles, M. R., & Latkin, C. A. (2019, February 23). Work life,

relationship, and policy determinants of health and well-being among Filipino

domestic Workers in China: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health.

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-

6552-4
Activity 3: Draw a New Face!

Rewrite the entire story using your own perspective. Set the story in

today’s time. Retain the main characters but you are free to add characters if

you feel necessary. Be sure to employ flashback and foreshadowing as the

main plot devices. Change the ending of the story.

One day at present, me and my mom, Nanang, are going back to our

old house to find my certificates for being the best in math in elementary

and high school. But instead of a certificate, we saw a voice tape belongs to

my Uncle Ato that made me suddenly remembered what happened to him.

One morning, when I was on my way to school, I heard a scream and

ran as quickly as I could to get home. I said what I saw with my mother,

Nanang. I was frightened because I taught my friend that he was in danger,

but I was wrong, it was my Uncle that hit by the bus. When I thought about

what happened, I am immediately interrupted. It was a friend of my Uncle.

He's telling me right now that Uncle Ato has purposely bumped into the

ongoing bus. Uncle's friend had expected that he would do that after Uncle

had told him how depressed his life was. So, he turned in direction and got

on a bus. I was so shocked at that detail, and I began to think why Uncle Ato

was depressed and what could it be? So, I start thinking about the life of

Uncle Ato, first, he decided to marry at a young age before they built a small

house for his family, they lived a simple and comfortable life before his wife
decided to go to Abu Dhabi to work, and he sold his land to get some money

that his wife needed. It all sounds peaceful to me. As I talk to myself, my

mom interrupted me and said that it was time to hear the voice tape that we

just saw. My mom, dad, and Uncle Mulong are the only people who knew the

message in the voice tape. A gentle voice was released from the voice tape,

it was Aunt Magdalena, the wife of Uncle Ato. She admits she's been

persecuted overseas, and she can't do anything about it. I suddenly realized

that that must be the reason why Uncle Ato attempted suicide. Someone

knocks on the door, Aunt Magdalena. Aunt Magdalena went home right after

Uncle Ato threatened to commit suicide, and was able to go home safely by

my relatives and the law. When she came into our home, she screamed

Uncle Ato's name that echoed inside the house. Then right away Uncle Ato

hugged her tightly, that you can see through their eyes their happiness. I

admire how their relationship goes by, it's not easy as a pie, but seeing them

right now, they finally found their safe place. Even though Uncle Ato's right

leg was cut by accident happens.

Assessment

Match Column A with Column B to get the meaning of the literary devices

used in the short story entitled “Voice Tape”.

1.) E. Plot

2.) C. Foreshadowing
3.) A. Fiction

4.) B. Flashback

5.) D. Narrative