Jose Maria Flores Lacaba Jose Maria Flores Lacaba,

popularly known as Pete Lacaba, is a Filipino film writer, editor, poet, screenwriter, journalist and translator.

Born in Cagayan de Oro in 1945 to Jose Monreal Lacaba of Loon, Bohol and Fe Flores from Pateros, Rizal, he is one of the leading figures in Philippine literature today.

He is well known in various fields, including creative writing, journalism, editing and scriptwriting.

In 1970. During Martial Law, Lacaba fought President Ferdinand Marcos and his US-backed military dictatorship. Under the nom de plume Rubne Cuevas, Lacaba published his poem “Prometheus Unbound” at Focus, a magazine that had allied itself with the Marcos regime.

His poetry collections include:  Ang Mga Kagilagilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Juan de la

Cruz (1979),  Sa Daigdig ng Kontradiksyon (1991) Sa Panahon ng Ligalig (1991). A new edition of his important, highly charged Days of Disquiet,

Nights of Rage (1982), a reportage on the First Quarter Storm and the subsequent times, has also been released.

He worked with well-known directors like Lino Brocka and Mike de Leon in producing films that expose ordinary people's lives that experienced poverty and injustice. He continued writing poems, and in 1999, was decorated as one of 100 "Bayani ng Sining".

Lacaba is currently the executive editor of Summit Media's YES! Magazine, the sister publication of PEP.

His screenplay credits include Jaguar, which competed at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1980, while Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim competed in 1984. Orapronobis was screened out of competition in 1989. Ricky Lee co-wrote Jaguar with Lacaba.

In honor of Lacaba for being the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Awardee, the classic film Bayan Ko was screened as the closing film of Dekada Cinemanila. According to Anima Aguiluz, the daughter of Direk Tikoy and festival programmer of Cinemanila, Bayan Ko could be found in Toronto, Canada.

WHAT MUST BE BELIEVED INAng Dapat Paniwalaan

Jose F. Lacaba

A grandmother who loved to spin storiesraised him, and so he always went to bed

with ghouls and gratifies and trolls and ogres,a thousand and one nights of trembling and dread.

From his good gray grandmother he got (along with his ABCs) all the proper rites,Latin incantations, stakes and crucifixes,

to thwart the vampire fangs and pins of witches.

But in the hallowed halls of academe, long after Grandma had gone six feet below,He finally learned what every educated man must believe in with all his heart and soul:

That it is man that every man must fear, and against man prayers are of no avail.

(1965-1969)Translation: Jose F. Lacaba

THEME : A boy who was told by his grandma superstitious stories then become educated and realized that only the real people can hurt him and those prayers he learned wouldn't help him against the people around him.(Education vs. Superstition)

MORAL LESSON : It is not bad to believe in superstitions but when we become educated we ought to know that it is absurd and just product of imaginations. In reality, only people around us has the capability to hurt us.

FORCE OF CIRCUMSTANCE

Santong Paspasan

Jose F. Lacaba

When Maritess was kidnapped by the son of a congressman,

the stars flickered like firefliesAnd the moon was full.

When Maritess was taken to Novaliches,the wind was dancing

with the tall grassand the cicadas whistled nervously.

Four members of his gangaccompanied the son of a

congressmanIn his new Mustang

and Maritess looked likethe virginal Susan Roces*.

When the gang ripped offthe expensive pantsuit

that a gay designerhad made for Maritess,

an earthquake was rocking Manilaand kids were

demonstrating the Embassy.

When the gang caressedthe panties of Maritess

and pulled out her Tampax,tear gas was crawling

on the streets of SampalocAnd Susan Roces was recommending

Lux soap on TV.

Four members of his gangAccompanied the son of a

CongressmanIn the midst of the tall grassAnd five young men mounted

Maritess.

And when the five young menHad vented their hot blood

On the bleeding heartOn this ex-virgin,

They lighted imported cigarettesAnd burned the pubic hair of Maritess.

Four members of his gangAccompanied the son of a

CongressmanIn his new MustangAnd now looked like

The villainous Bella Flores*.

When Maritess was releasedBy the son of a congressman,

Her boyfriend got drunk,The papers shivered with glee

And the cops jerked themselves off.

Mr. Congressman is set to runIn the coming elections.Let us not forget him.

(1970-1972)Translation: Jose F. Lacaba

THEME : A son of a congressman and his friends gang-rape and torture a movie starlet with the exemption from punishment given by the political office that shows the violence that made by the empty formalism made by the political institutions.

MORAL LESSON : The people themselves must choose good leaders because appointing people who has a bad plan for the society is an injustice to the people.

Lamberto E. Antonio Lamberto was born Cabiao Antonio, Nueva Ecija on the 9th of

November, 1946. He is a poet, writer of literature and scriptwriter of the film. He graduated BA Political Science at the University of the East in 1969. He became editor-in-chief of the Dawn , the official journal of the UE and president of KADIPAN. Editor he Adarna Book project of the Children's Communication Center.

In 1978, he wrote the script for Insiang, the first Filipino film to be showcased at the Cannes Film Festival. He is the author of several critically acclaimed books -Hagkis ng Talahib (1971), Pagsalubong sa Habagat (1986 National Book Award for Poetry), and Pingkian at Apat Pang Aklat ng Tunggalian (1997 National Book Award for Poetry).

A Palanca awardee 10 times over, he has also won the grand prize for the Epic Narrative in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Literary Competition, and was hailed Makata ng Taon by the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa. He also received the Gawad Manuel L. Quezon[1] and Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas.

His other accomplishments include the translation of the literary works of Gabriel García Márquez, Dylan Thomas, Octavio Paz, Rainer Maria Rilke, Arthur Conan Doyle, Leopold Senghor, Salvatore Quasimodo, Usman Awang, and Rabindranath Tagore.

He also translated Renato Constantino's A Past Revisited (Ang Bagong Lumipas) in 1997 and served as editor-in-chief of Diyaryo Filipino and Kabayan broadsheets and Pilosopong Tasyo magazine.

Most of the poem by Antonio about the poor and the oppressed peasant he met in his youth. He always discusses social issues in his work.

NIGHT OF A CONSTRUCTION

WORKERGabi ng Isang

Piyon

Lamberto E. Antonio

NIGHT OF A CONSTRUCTION WORKERGabi ng Isang PiyonLamberto E. Antonio

Unable to sleep.Yes, hands have let go of shovel,

Hammer, pipe, wire and other tools,But dismissal at five had failed to signal

Gravel, cement and filling earthTo let go of your breath.

When the light bulb flickers out,There’s only the dark to ask to nurse the

flaring upAnd the throbbing of the littlest muscle:

blister, bruise and cutOn arm and finger, and the stab at the heart

and brain,

As you lie on cast-off ply wood board,wood shaving

Or empty cement bags in the solitary cornerOf the building a sketch as yet on drafting paper.

Unable to sleep.One whose fatigue has seeped to the very bones

Needs a visit from drowsiness, but before your gaze

Cement mixer keeps churning without tiring it seems ----

More blood and sweat to mix with sand and cement,

Flesh you will slapOnto ribs of iron: the skeleton your pains

Turn second by second into a monster,In return for wage that barely staves off

hunger,

For dreaming up more construction jobs to come,

For prayers made musty by sweat and magic spell.

Moments like these when neon lights shred the dark,

When labor contractor and greedy right-hand man have gone home,

Dark shapes crouch and stick accusing fingers in the mind:

Sunken cheeks of the sickly newbornOr wife whose eyes blur

At the unappealing meal of congee and grains of salt …

And, too, cold night spread by the late hourA prescribed balm on bare torso

That resists convincing it’s turning into skin and bones.

How can you fall asleepWhen each time you stretch on your

back it seems the starsAre slowly swallowed up by the towering

roof above?Only the dark in the corner to ply with

queries:Why gravel, filling earth and sand

Refuse to let go, weighing on your breath---

Each time the thought looms in your mind you’re part

Of the scaffolding you yourself, one of these days, will take apart.

(1971,1980)Translation: Bienvenido Lumbera

MORAL LESSON : In order to survive we can do everything, but in a good way. We don't mind the sufferings we continue to live and work with perseverance and dedication to our work.

THEME : Its all about the night of the Piyon or a person who is a construction worker who suffered from hardships in his life, injury, wounds in his work. Its hard for him to sleep at night worrying about his family.

ON THE DEATH OF A NEWSPAPER

DELIVERY BOYSa Pagkamatay ng

Isang Newsboy

Lamberto E. Antonio

ON THE DEATH OF A NEWSPAPER DELIVERY BOY

Sa Pagkamatay ng Isang NewsboyLamberto E. Antonio

He can no longer be made to riseBy the pages that had been his protection

Against nakedness and sharp hunger pangs.

All the pages can do now is cover him up,And give him protection from flies,

For the very last time.

So young and innocent when he went,He didn’t have enough time to graspEvents that make the world go round.

Perhaps he’ll be missed at breakfast timeBy those who have the habit of reading

News items hot as coffee and buns.

Too bad he won’t see(For the very first time)

His photo had strayed by chance into

Space crowded with ads ----Newspaper delivery boy, victim of reckless

driver,His head, like a loose coin, had rolled off.

(1980)Translation: Bienvenido Lumbera

THEME : Social Injustice. The newsboy who died because of a reckless driver and his photo was unexpectedly posted to a newspaper.

MORAL LESSON : Government is careless in the implementation of penalties on law violators. We should treat each and everyone fair. Whether rich or poor should have given justice.

Fanny A. Garcia Fanny Abalos Garcia (born 1949) is a Filipino Teacher, Fictionist,

Essayist, Scriptwriter, Editor, Researcher, Translator and a full time mother to a special child. She is a recipient of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and other prestigious literary awards such as the annual short story contests by Asia-Philippines Leader and Weekly Graphic.

Fanny Abalos Garcia was born in Malabon, Rizal (Malabon City) at February 26, 1949. She graduated Bachelor of Science in Education in the University of the Philippines. She also finished Master of Arts and Doctorate Studies in Filipino Creative Writing at also the said university. She is said to be the first to finish masters and doctorate studies in the said field of study. Due to her diligence and dedication to her studies, she was awarded Gawad Chancellor Awardee as a Ph.D. student in UP. She is among the list of writers that were included in the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, Volume IX, Literature in 1994. She is currently a faculty member of the Filipino department of the De La Salle University, Taft, Manila.

Palanca Winning Works: She is a distinguished Palanca awardee winning in several

categories, namely, short stories, essays, scriptwriting and children stories. In 1972, she won a palanca for “Sandaang Damit”. In 1976, she won the palanca for “Alamat ng Sapang Bato”. In 1982, she won 3 Palancas for Arrividerci in the short story division, "Isang Liham sa Baul ng Isang Manunulat" and "Italia, Italia" for the essay division. In the succeeding year, she won yet another Palanca for “Tayong mga Mariang Magdalena”. After 12 years, in 1994, she won a Palanca for a different category, Teleplay, for her work, “Hello…Paalam”. In the following year, she wrote “Sapagkat ang Special Children ay Bahagi rin ng Lipunan at Mundo” winning another Palanca for the category short story for children. She is also a winner in the annual short story contests of Asia-Philippines Leader and Weekly Graphic. In the movie industry, she was also nominated for best story and screenplay for the film, “Saan Darating ang Umaga” (Viva Films).

Published Books: She was able to publish 6 books namely, Sandaang Damit at Iba

Pang Maikling Kuwento (1994); Apartment 3-A Mariposa St. (1994); Pitong Teleplay (1995), co-editor; Apat na Screenplay (1997), co-editor; Erik Slumbook Paglalakbay Kasama Ang Anak Kong Austistic (2004), Family Album (2005).

MARENG MENSIYA

Fanny A. Garcia

SETTING:

Manila

CHARACTERS:

Mareng Mensiya - Is a mistress of a policeman. The story shows her life as a mother and her fate after the death of her husband.

Eddie - Younger brother of the narrator. He was the one who told the narrator about the death of Mareng Mensiya.

Aling Sela - Owner of the house where Mareng Mensiya stayed before she die.

Mely - Daughter of Mareng Mensiya she lives with an entirely pampered life. Blame herself after the death of her mother.

Lino - Husband of Mely. A jeepney driver. Luis - Became the husband of the narrator. He is a factory

worker. Olga - The only one in their area who reach the university and

got an education. Yet she was not stuck in poverty within that area.

SUMMARY:The story started with the news about the death of

Mareng Mensiya and from this, there is someone who tell Mareng Mensiya’s life story. Mareng Mensiya, a visayan, was the mistress of a Manila policeman who has a comfortable life with her daughter Mely with the help of the regular financial allotment of her husband for the both of them. Their life has changed when her husband policeman died and she worked as a laundrywoman. Despite of their hardship, Mely still enjoy her luxurious life without concerning about her mother. Until Mely elope and married Lino. When Lino lost his job, he took Mely with him and left Mareng Mensiya and she became the fed but unpaid servant in each household she stayed with. She stayed for the longest time in the house of the narrator where she gave her tender loving care like what she did to her daughter before. Once in a while, Mely visited her mother but these visits were just her way for her to get some money from her mother. The narrator provides Mareng Mensiya the medicines and give her love and respect. As time goes by, she gave Mareng Mensiya the cold treatment because she envy the happy life of Mely while she is the one having the burden of taking care of Mareng Mensiya. She stopped giving her money, food and medical needs. Until one day, there just a news that Mareng Mensiya was dead. All the contributions was given to Aleng Sela instead of giving it to Mely. Mely was there and feeling sorry for what she have done to her mother and the narrator also ask for Mareng Mensiya’s forgiveness.

THEME : A mother who suffers from asthma and left by her daughter and her neighbor took care of her but then stop caring about her due to envy until she collapsed and die.

MORAL LESSON : Always give people you think what they deserve. If they give you love and care then don’t hesitate to reward them with the same thing. Especially our mother who take care of us from the beginning of our life until now.