21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Lesson 4 - Identifying Representative Texts from the Regions
A Taste of Philippine Poetry
Located in the northwest of Luzon, the Ilocos Region or Region 1 is comprised of four provinces, namely:
Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan. It is bordered to the west by the turbulent South China Sea, to the
east by the Cordillera Administrative Region, the northeast and southeast by Cagayan Valley and the South by Central
Luzon. Most of the inhabitants of the Ilocano homeland are concentrated along a narrow coastal plain. Because of
geographical boundaries, these people often experience heavy rains and violent typhoons, especially during rainy
seasons.
The region, then, takes pride in long stretches of white sand and clear waters alongside its rich cultural
heritage. What you are about to read is a poem written by a Carlos Palanca Memorial Awardee in Poetry in 1964,
Carlos A. Angeles. His collection of poems entitled, Stun of Jewels, also bagged him the Republic Cultural Heritage
Award in Literature in the same year.
A Moment of Silence
Gabu depicts a coastline in Ilocos that is constantly experiencing the battering restlessness of the sea. The
water that comes back to the shore seems furious and ruthless with its daylong bashing, which havocs the wasteland.
Being an archipelagic country, the Philippines knows the importance of water and the sea.
A Taste of Tagalog Essay
More popularly known now as the CALABARZON referring to the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas,
Rizal, and Quezon, Region IV-A is home to Tagalogspeaking people in the Philippines. Recognized all over the
country for their bravery and fearlessness in battles, CALABARZON has participated actively in the country’s fight
for freedom and democracy. It is home to many Philippine heroes foremost, and among them are Rizal of Laguna,
Mabini of Batangas, and Aguinaldo of Cavite.
A Taste of Creative Nonfiction
The island of Visayas is one of the major geographical divisions in the Philippines, the other two being Luzon
and Mindanao. It is divided into Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas. The Visayas region is comprised of several
islands circling the Visayan Sea. Its people, therefore, share a sea-based culture and tradition that may be rooted in a
strong religious foundation.
The dwelling place of many festivals such as the Ati-Atihan, Di-nagyang, Sinulog, Pintados, and Maskara, the
Visayas may indeed be considered as one of the cradles of Philippine civilization.
