Biag ni Lam-ang

Biag ni Lam-ang is an epic poem of the Ilocano people from the Ilocos region of the
Philippines. It is notable for being the first Philippine folk epic to be recorded in written form,
and was one of only two folk epics documented during the Philippines' Spanish Colonial period,
along with the Bicolano epic of Handiong. It is also noted for being a folk epic from a
"Christianized" lowland people group (the Ilocano people), with Jehovah witness elements
incorporated into the storytelling.

His adventures begin when his father, Don Juan, set out for a battle but never returned. At
barely nine months, Lam-ang goes to search for Don Juan in the highlands where the latter was
said to have gone. Aware that her child was a blessed, exceptional creature, his mother
Namongan allows him to go. Lam-ang then goes off in search of his father, leaving his grieving
mother behind. He sees his father beheaded and the head put on a spike. While the headhunters
are celebrating, in his anger, he challenges all of them to a duel. The headhunters throw spears at
him, but he just catches it and throws it back to them. He defeats the headhunters, kills them all
and takes his father's head down to the plains. After he went down the plains, he decided to bath
in the Amburayan River, which the local gals helped him bathe. The dirt is so gross that fishes
and animals died upon contact of the water.

Upon arriving home, Lam-ang decides to court his love interest, Ines Kannoyan who
lives in Calanutian (Kanluit). Despite his mother's disapproval, he follows his heart and set off
again on another journey to his love. He faces one of Ines’ suitors and various monsters, but
again is able to vanquish them with ease. Aiding him are his magical pets, a cat (in other
versions, no cat), a dog, and a rooster. The bird flaps its wings and a house toppled over. This
feat amazes everyone present, especially Ines. Then, Lam-ang’s dog barks and the house rose up.
Invited to lunch with the family of Ines, Lam-ang impresses her parents with his wealth and upon
returning, he gives the family two golden ships.

After his death due to being eaten by a huge fish, Lam-ang's bones are recovered and he
is resurrected with the help of his magical pets. Ines is ordered by the rooster to wrap the bones
with her tapis while the hen flapped its wings and the dog growled. In an instant, Lam-ang is
happily reunited with his wife.

Lara Salong - Masculinist Approach

 Tuesdays with Morrie
Mitchell David Albom also known as Mitch Albom is an american author, journalist,
screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster and musician. Musician is his childhood
ambition. His father want him to be a successful someday. Albom was born on May 4, 1958 at
Passaic, New Jersey U.S. At the age of 61 Albom died. Albom and his wife Janine Sabino lives
at Detroit Michigan. He wrote at least 8 books. The five people you meet in heaven and tuesday
with morrie is the famous selling books. He has sold over 30 million books worldwide. Albom
has published 7 books that have sold more than 35 million copies in 45 languages. The tuesday
with morrie book was published on 1997 at doubleday. Mitch Albom wrote this as memoir.

Morrie Schwats is a Sociology Professor at Brandeis University. Brandeis University is a

college school were Albom from. Morrie was born in 1916 and he died on November 4, 1995 at
the age of 78 because he was diagnosed of having ALS during summer at the year of 1994.
Albom started writing about Tuesday with Morrie because he was inspired to by his mentor.
Morrie changed his mindset about his life. Morrie showed about what life is, and how it should
take properly. Later on, Morrie got ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis that caused his death.
When Morrie and Mitch founds out about the condition, Mitch started write his own memoir.
Albom meets Morrie every Tuesday because of their weekly session. Tueday with Morrie is all
about the facts to Morrie who truly appreciated Mitch. The main theme in Tueday with Morrie
centers around what one can learn about life through death. In there first tuesday Morrie said
“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and to let it com in” to Albom.
The lesson from this quote is one learns that showing compassion and care towards others is a
virtue for others will appreciate if love is shown towards them. He wrote the letter before
Morries died on first March night.

For me, the story was inspiring and motivating because it is not all about the relationship
of the professor and the student, it is because the love that they shared to us. About the friendship
they had. All books have a positive and negative side or reaction. In Tuesday with Morrie really
caught my attention to read this because of it’s title. I thought it is all about a love story of a girl
and boy with a conflict ending but I was wrong. Albom is really surprised me. In the end I found
out the unconditional love of a student to his profession just like us in present. My opinion on
this story is it should be read by teens nowadays because many of it only sees the negative side
of life, but this book thought us that we can change our life but we can change the way we see
life. This book it was categorized in Historical Approach because base on its year it was 90’s and
Albom shows us the origin of the book and who is Albom in 1994 with Morrie. I choose this
story because this is one of his famous books and second I choose this story to be part of
Historical Approach.

Franz Bernabe – Historical Approach

Franz Bernabe – Historical Approach
 Footnote to Youth
The story, Footnote to youth, is all about a boy named Dodong who was 17 years of age
when he decides to marry his love one and it was Teang. Dodong, love Teang so much that he
could not wait for the right age to settle down in a relationship. At an early age, Dodong and
Teang got married without even thinking of the risk being in an uneasy part of life. They just
follow what they feel without even thinking of what would happen in their future. After several
years, they got a child and Teang realized how hard it is being a young parent wherein there are
responsibilities that they need to work on to. She regrets her decision of being married at an early
age. Until one day, their son grow. He follows the footsteps of his parents and he also wanted to
marry at the age of 17. Dodong have nothing to do but explain how risky and hard it is to be in
“marriage” at a young age. But just like what happened to Dodong before, his son wants to
pursue what he wants.

The story is entitled footnote to youth because it is a brief reminder for the Filipinos
especially for the youth of what a real life could be today. It also indicates the sources or the
reasons why youth nowadays act this way. It gives warning for those apathetic youth that once
committed mistake because of their stubbornness.

The story centers to the character of Dodong. Dodong is the one who represents the typical
youth that is experiencing a lot of uncertainties in life that make him realize that he sacrifice his
youth just for the sake of proving himself that he can be independent, that he can manage his
own life because he thinks that he is already matured enough to face the challenges of life. The
predominant element on this story is the character and the setting. The setting has a great impact
because the story definitely emphasizes the situations of a Filipino person and it is appealing for
us because we are at poverty line. The setting is most likely the same setting that we have today.
As well as the characters because they had their own definite description, the act of the
characters seems to bring up the whole story. The story creates a special aura and the tone is the
sense of mercy and pity to Dodong because he was suffering of life’s real experiences. He had no
way to stop this and because of this , he was embarrassed and humiliated on what he had done
because of his eager to face life without any guarantee of orienting himself about it. You can also
see the disappointment because the youth nowadays is like Dodong who is apathetic about the
real score in life and because they say that they are mature, close-mindedness are being seen for
this. The story is true to life and almost all of the youth is experiencing this kind of trouble. For
instance, at provinces because of lack of education and orientation of the parents and siblings
about responsible adulthood and parenthood, their siblings are engaging to a lot of relationship
and turns. The general theme of the story is youth must triumph now. Love must triumph now.
Life is not as easy as it should b, it is said to be simple but it is hard to manage and to deal with.

Mheizeli Pantanilla – Philosophical Approach

 Having a family is really hard to do and it needs a lot of thinking before pursuing to do it.
Also, being aware and conscious of the Filipino in terms of our status in life that it is not
practical for a typical youth to get married if they are not physically, financially, emotionally,
psychologically stable. Furthermore, it is better for us to follow our parents because they just
want what is the best for us. They already experienced these things and they do not want their
children to experience and make the same mistakes they have done. We must also have proper
education about responsible parenthood to avoid consequences when we engaged to have a
family.

Mheizeli Pantanilla – Philosophical Approach

 Spongebob Squarepants
Stephen Hillenburg is a famous American animator, voice actor and marine science
educator and Stephen is also known as the creator of the animated television series of
Spongebob.

Spongebob animated television story is a great movie where the main character is
Spongebob Squarepants. Spongebob is know for his loyalty towards Mr. Krabs. Spongebob is a
funny story but this movie has a secret that many viewers doesn’t know about. It is about
Spongebob movie having a deep meaning or a symbolism that some of people may not know
about and there are times that some people get confused because of the hidden meaning behind
the story.

Spongebob movie are has a deep meaning that we can compare its deep meaning into the
Bible’s 7 deadly sins. We know that 7 deadly sins are sins that all of the people have. Characters
in the movie Spongebob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs Gary, Sandy and Plankton are the
representation of 7 deadly sins lust, wrath, sloth, greed, envy, gluttony and pride. In equivalence,
Spongebob shows lust, Patrick shows sloth, Squidward shows wrath, Mr krabs shows greed,
Plankton shows envy, Gary shows gluttony and Sandy shows pride. This is the deep meaning of
each character in the movie that we can compare in real life.

John Ray German – Archetypal Approach

 The Next Person you Meet in Heaven
The Next Person You Meet in Heaven brings us to, well, the next person Eddie will meet
in heaven Annie, the little girl he saved. It turns out Annie's hand was chopped off by the
crashing ride, but successfully reattached. Still, the event colored her whole life.

In "Heaven," Eddie meets five people, each of whom tells him about a moment on earth
in which they interacted, a moment that changed them both forever. He comes to learn that his
life, like all lives, had great meaning that he never understood.

“The Next Person” follows the story of Annie, the little girl Eddie saved, who grows up
thinking everything she does is a mistake. She dies trying to save her husband’s life and meets
five people of her own one of whom is Eddie, the man who forever changed her existence. This
excerpt is from when they first meet in the afterlife.

At certain moments, when death is close, the veils pull back between this world and the
next. Heaven and Earth overlay. When they do, it is possible to glimpse certain souls already
departed. You can see the awaiting your arrival. And they can see you coming.

Justin San Miguel – Historical Approach

 Piano
The Story Piano,shows that he is trying to tell others to take advantage of every moment
that you have. Life is so precious. Youth truly is wasted on the young. He wants us to try to
appreciate each moment for what it truly is and to look at things from a wider perspective. He
wants us to recognize and appreciate the the way things smell, sound, feel. Small details are
amazing.

Many who play the piano have strong feelings attached to it. Lawrence is a very pensive
poet, and it's easy to see his opinions and emotional attachment to the piano. Knowing Lawrence,
however, there are also will be layered meanings and hidden metaphors in the poem. Lawrence
uses the piano to symbolize his childhood. You can almost get the impression that he might have
stopped playing or never learned to play the piano as he got older. Now, looking back, he regrets
that decision. Life was so simple, black and white, just like the piano, but now, it has become so
complex and so cruel. In the present, a woman is singing to the speaker which reminds him of a
time in his childhood.

The poet sets the scene using the words softly with the time at dusk. As he hears the
music, he sees himself sitting under the piano as his mother plays and sings. Because of his
happy memories, the present day singer’s song has changed from soft to noisy with the large,
ebony grand piano. The speaker’s memories call him to another place when he was a child. As a
sophisticated man, he does not want to show his emotions; however, he can no longer restrain
himself, and he cries for the child that he was. Reluctantly, the speaker gives himself over to
these memories.

Daniella Hofileña – Psychological Approach

Daniella Hofileña – Psychological Approach
 Invictus
The poem "Invictus" is written by William Ernest Henley in the year 1875 and published
in 1888. The poem's meaning differs on every person depending on what kind of problem they
are in right now, may it be financially, emotionally, physically or spiritually. Invictus is a poem
that contains great passion and boldness since it delivers stronger imagery of hardships, faith and
hope regardless of how deep your soul had already sunken into problems and tribulations.

Invictus is a four stanza rhyming poem formed in abab cdcd efef ghgh pattern. Each
stanza expresses distinctive sense and yet it still clearly projects its main point. It conveys the
struggles a man faces in his life through dark and difficult situations, and how he must never let
it be a hindrance to grow, learn and show what he is capable of. In the first stanza, "Out of the
night it covers me,/ Black as the Pit from pole to pole,/ I thank whatever gods may be/ For my
unconquerable soul." , the night is the representation of depression and the feeling of
hopelessness supported by the word 'black as the pit' in the second line that shows the severity of
depression he is in. The third and last lines just concede that their unbeatable soul is a gift from a
godly dominion though he never named a specific one as if to never show connection to any
religion.

The second stanza, "In the fell clutch of circumstance/ I have not winced or cried aloud./
Under the bludgeoning of chance/ My head is bloody, but unbowed." , this stanza only shows
that despite of deep scars, wound and cruel grasps both literally and figuratively, his head is still
held up high, means he shows no decadence or self-pity.

The third stanza, " Beyond this place of wrath and tears/ Looms but the Horror of the
shade,/ And yet the menace of the years/ Finds, and shall find, me unfraid." ,in this stanza, the
writer gives a glimpse of the future including all the hate and pain this world is giving him. The
'Horror of the shade', in some interpretations, could serve as a hellish place of dark where misery
and despair lies. Above this, the main point of this message is to never fall back, be brave and
strive to survive.

The fourth stanza, "It matters not how strait the gate,/ How charged with punishments the
scroll,/ I am the master of my fate,/ I am the captain of my soul." , the last stanza contains a
citation to the New Testament, Matthew, in the Christian Bible, where Jesus says 'Strait is the
gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it(7:13-14)", in
which the gate represents as the opening to the heavenly life. In the second line, it illustrates a
different view as how the depths of hell or the punishments acquired from having sins is stated.
Despite of this, being brave and never losing faith is a way to over problems, as what the third
and last line precepts.

Nicole Mercado – Formalist Approach

 The poem's message is universal and as what I stated before, the meaning of this work
depends on the situation the reader is in. The basic idea is that, no matter what life throws at you,
never let it bring you down. There will be times where you will experience vile and darkness,
where your own fate seems to go against you and where every problems doesn't look to have
solutions, but you know what? Our soul and spirit is incalculably strong and capable of
withstanding severe stress and pain, just look at the brighter side, think of the times you've
already passed and everything, if not totally, atleast decrease the severity of your burden. This
work is a work included in the old times and if you've already read it, the words are too deep and
meaningful to the point that if the reader has a low reading comprehension, he or she might have
a difficulty in underatanding it's meaning, but yet it still makes and impact to its readers to
whatever situation they are in.

Nicole Mercado – Formalist Approach

Nicole Mercado – Formalist Approach
 Foot Note to Youth
In “Footnote to Youth” by Jose Garcia villa, Dudong asserts his supposed marurity and
marries Teang at the age of 17. He think they are old enough to take on this responsibility, but
after they have several children they both bemoan the dissolution of their youth and the dreams
that came along with it.

Dudong is 17 years old young who is impatiently waiting for his father to return home so
that he can tell him of his love for Teang and his desire to marry her. He feels that at 17 he is a
grown man and is ready for the next important step in his life.

When he tells his father that he has asked Teang to marry him and wants his blessing,
there is a long and cruel silence. His father asks if he must marry her because Dudong is very
young. Dudong resents his father’s question, and finally his father gives his consent.Who are the
character in the story? Describe the setting of the story. What is the point of view of the story?

The writer is the one responsible in letting know the story of Footnote to Youth. The
ominiscent viewpoint is used since a third personspeaker who recognizes the whole thing about
all the characters is all-knowing.The person who reads distinguishes about the impression and
feelings of all the characters in the piece.He knows every detailed event that happens on
Dodong’s life.. It is said that is footnote to youth because it is a brief reminder for the Filipinos
especially the youth of what a real life could be today .It also indicates the sources or the causes
why youth act this way . It furthermore adds comment, wheter it is a positive or negative, on
today ‘s generation. Yes it is suitable to the story because it gives a warning for those apathetic
youth that ones commited mistake because of their stubbornness. We learned that having a
family is really hard to do and needs a lot of thinking before pursuing to do it

The story centers at the character of Dodong. Dodong is the one who represents the
typical youth is that experiencing a lot of uncertainties in life that make him realize that he
sacrifice his youth just for the sake of proving himself that he can manage his own life because
he is matured enough to face this life’s cahllenges. . Also being aware and conscious of the
Filpinos in term of our status in life that it is not practical for a typical youth to get married if
they are not physically, financially, emotionally, phsycologically stable. Furthermore ,it is better
for us to follow what our parents what is think for us is best because our parents really knows
how life should be. They already experienced these things and they do not want to experience
this kind of things . Finally, we must have proper education about responsible parenthood to
avoid consequences when weengaged to have a family.

Morriel Alvarado – Sociologist Approach

 Kwento ni Mabuti
Kwento ni Mabuti is a story written by Genoveva Matute. The story is about a student
and a teacher called “Mabuti”. At the beginning of the story, Mabuti’s kindness is shown
together with the reasons why she is called “Mabuti”. Most of her students sees her as a pleasant
and nice woman as she is always showing in front of the class. She would always teach the class
literatures and then explain the moral lessons of the discussion. Until one day she saw one of her
students crying in a place in the library. She told her student that she is actually supposed to cry
in that place too. She comforted her student during this time but her student still doesn’t have any
idea about what she said earlier. Towards the end, her student will found out the reason of the
pain she sees in her teacher’s eyes. Kwento ni Mabuti is a literature that shows strength,
weakness and love of a woman.

The story shows that women may seem to be weak in the eyes of others but they truly are
stronger than people think. They may have weak spots but they have their strengths that can
overpower those flaws they have. The strength of Mabuti was shown in the first part of the
literature. It is shown through her actions that no matter how huge her problems are, she could
still appear pleasant in front of the class and teach moral values. As a wife and mother it would
surely be hard for her since she has a daughter which she is raising alone but then as a strong
woman, she shows that nothing is impossible with love. At the later part of the story her
weakness is already shown. During the time that the class was talking about a story and then
suddenly started asking information about her child was the time her pain was shown. This states
that women’s weakness would always be her family more than herself. Lastly, the way a woman
loves is illustrated in the story. How much a woman can do and sacrifice in the sake of her
students, child and husband. No matter how hard it is, some women still choose to love the way
they are supposed to.

The story conveys the thought that women may seem to be strong but would always have
the soft spot in their hearts. Mabuti was introduced as a strong woman but as the story goes her
story started being revealed as long as her weaknesses. Although her weak spot is slowly being
shown it is also explained that Mabuti still chooses to fight over it for the sake of her child. This
could serve for people to understand the way most women love and to know women in a deeper
level. On the other hand there might be some people that would think that all women can fight
their own battles alone. They should also be informed that not all women are like Mabuti. Some
women might need someone to hold on especially through the hard times. In conclusion, the
story “Kwento ni Mabuti” teaches about how strong a woman can be and how she can handle
herself but lacks in the information that not all women are strong enough like the character of
Mabuti.