STRAW PATRIOT

By: Virginia Moreno

Straw Patriot by Virginia Moreno is a novel about a young woman named

Carmen who moves to a small town in Texas after her father's death. She becomes
involved in local politics and falls in love with a man named Jack, who is running for
mayor. However, their relationship is complicated by his conservative views and her
progressive beliefs. As Carmen navigates this new world of politics, she learns about
the town's history, including its role in the Civil War and the legacy of a famous
Confederate soldier named Straw Patriot. The novel explores themes of love, identity,
and the power of community.
 NABUBUHAY AKO DAHIL SAIYO
Song by: Eddie Peregrina

Ang buhay kong ito

Ay tangan mo
Nabubuhay ako
Dahil sayo
Kung lalayo ikaw
Sa piling ko
Giliw mabuti pang
Sa mundo'y pumanaw
Laging pangarap ko
Sa magdamag
Init ng iyong halik
Higpit ng yakap
Sa buhay ko'y ikaw
Tanging ikaw
Giliw ang mahal ko
Magpakailan pa man
Magdaramdam ako
Kung lalayo ka
Masasaktan ako
Dahil mahal kita
Ang buhay kong ito
Ay tangan mo
Nabubuhay ako
Dahil sayo
Kung lalayo ikaw
Sa piling ko
Giliw mabuti pang
Sa mundo'y pumanaw
Kung lalayo ikaw sa piling ko
Giliw mabuti pang
Sa mundo'y pumanaw
Giliw mabuti pang
Sa mundo'y pumanaw
Mabuti pang pumanaw sa buhay ko
Kung lalayo ikaw
Giliw mabuti pang sa mundo'y pumanaw
 THE HOUSE ON ZAPOTE STREET
By: Nick Joaquin

"The House on Zapote Street" is a short story by Nick Joaquin, a renowned

Filipino writer. The story revolves around the narrator, a young boy named Juan, and
his encounters with the mysterious inhabitants of an old house on Zapote Street. The
house, which is rumored to be haunted, belongs to an elderly couple, the Syquias, who
are known for their strange behavior and reclusive lifestyle. Juan becomes fascinated
by the house and its occupants, often sneaking around to catch a glimpse of them. One
day, while playing near the house, Juan overhears a conversation between the Syquias
and their servant, Tia Rita. He learns that the Syquias are actually a wealthy and
influential family who have fallen on hard times due to their extravagant lifestyle.
They are forced to live in the old, run-down house as a result of their financial
struggles. As Juan grows older, he loses touch with the Syquias and their enigmatic
world. However, the memories of his childhood fascination with the house and its
inhabitants continue to haunt him. The story ends with Juan reflecting on the fleeting
nature of childhood and the inevitability of growing up and moving on from the things
that once captivated us.
 BATIK MAKER
By: Virginia Moreno

Tissue of no seam and skin

Of no scale she weaves this:
Dream of a huntsman pale
That in his antlered
Mangrove waits
Ensnared;
And I cannot touch him.
Lengths of the dumb and widths
Of the deaf are his hair
Where wild orchids thumb
Or his parted throat surprise
To elegiac screaming
Only birds of
Paradise:
And I cannot wake him.
Shades of the light and shapes
Of the rain on his palanquin
Stain what phantom panther
Sleeps in the cage of
His skin and immobile
Hands;
And I cannot bury him
 CHARTS
By: Cirilio Bautista

The graphics by which the calculus is borne

to prescribe the signsand pathway of the mind
none can unlock with statistics or bind
to metal currency like fish and corn;
for neither time bomb nor flagman can scorn
the sure numerals the gnomon has signed.
Be a dryad, a glyptic seeing or blind,
the calculus will wound you with its horn:

so fine a machine can demolish the art

we raise against the phalanx it employs,
the human tactics we plot on our chart
melt before its argument like plastic toys
dolmen, alar, crude, tied to the womb like sex,
it is the saviour that comes with an ax.
 ITIM

By: Clodualdo Del Mundo

` The film opens on a séance where an espiritista (medium) exclaims that Rosa,
a missing Catholic nun, is dead. Her younger sister, Teresa, is uneasy. Their mother
asks the espiritista if she can speak to Rosa. The medium tells her to wait for Good
Friday.

Meanwhile, Jun, a young photographer from Manila, is visiting his mute and
wheelchair-bound-father, Dr. Torres, in their provincial hometown during Holy Week.
Throughout his visit, Jun photographs various Lenten rituals for the Manila-based
magazine he works for.

He comes across Teresa and takes her photograph while she is dazed.
Following this are several chance encounters where she exhibits strange behaviors she
does not seem to have control over. Soon, however, they discover that it was not
chance but the supernatural that brought them together. In the clinic of his father, Jun
finds a film negative; he develops it and sees it is a photo of his father and a young
woman, who he soon learns is Rosa.

It is revealed in another séance that the spirit of Rosa possesses Teresa. Rosa's
spirit lets out that she was having an affair with Dr. Torres, who forced her to have an
abortion, resulting in her death. Soon after the incident, Dr. Torres figured in a car
accident that left him mute and paralyzed. After revealing what happened, Rosa exacts
her revenge, causing Dr. Torres to fall down the stairs and die.
 KUNG MAY PROBLEMA

Song by: APO Hiking Society

Bakit ka lumuluha kagabi

Nanginginig sa dilim

Tumatakbo naghahanap ng balikat

Na masusumbungan maiiyakan

Masyado bang malamig ang ihip ng hangin

Sobrang dilim bandang gabi

Naghahanap ka ba ng masasandalan

At makakasama hanggang umaga

'Wag ka nang lumayo pa nariritong hinahanap mo

Oh giliw 'pag may problema

Hetong balikat kong maaari mong iyakan at sandalan

Oh giliw 'pag may problema

'Di na dapat mag-iisa

'Di ka na dapat nangangamba pa

'Wag nang mag-aalala

Naririto ako naghihintay

'Pag may problema sa 'kin umasa

'Wag ka nang lumayo pa nariritong hinahanap mo

Oh giliw 'pag may problema

Hetong balikat kong maaari mong iyakan at sandalan

Oh giliw 'pag may problema

'Di na dapat mag-iisa

Hetong balikat kong maaari mong iyakan at sandalan

Oh giliw 'pag may problema

'Di na dapat mag-iisa

'Wag ka nang lumayo pa nariritong hinahanap mo

Oh giliw 'pag may problema

Hetong balikat kong maaari mong iyakan at sandalan

Oh giliw 'pag may problema

'Di na dapat 'di na dapat mag-iisa

 GOD SAD, I MADE A MAN

By: Jose Garcia Villa

God said, "I made a man

Out of clay—

But so bright he, he spun

Himself to brightest Day

Till he was all shining gold,

And oh,

He was lovely to behold!

But in his hands held he a bow

Aimed at me who created

Him. And I said,

‘Wouldst murder me

Who am thy Fountainhead! '

Then spoke he the man of gold:

‘I will not

Murder thee! I do but

Measure thee. Hold

Thy peace.' And this I did.

But I was curious

Of this so regal head.

‘Give thy name! '—‘Sir! Genius.'"

 TALES FOR A RAINY NIGHT

By: Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo

Tales for a Rainy Night is a collection of short stories by Cristina Pantoja

Hidalgo. The book explores various themes such as love, loss, family, and the
supernatural. The stories are set in different time periods and locations, each with its
unique characters and settings. One of the recurring elements in the book is the rainy
night, which serves as a backdrop for many of the stories and adds to their eerie and
melancholic atmosphere. The collection includes both contemporary and historical
stories, showcasing Hidalgo's versatility as a writer. Overall, Tales for a Rainy Night
is a captivating read that will keep the reader engaged with its blend of realism and
the supernatural.
 VIBORY

By: F. Sionil Jose

Vibory is a novel by F. Sionil Jose that explores the lives of four individuals
living in different parts of the world. The story revolves around their personal
struggles and how they navigate through the complexities of their lives. The
protagonists include an American woman who is dealing with the aftermath of a failed
marriage, a Filipino man working as a caregiver in the United States, a young Filipino
woman trying to make it in the competitive world of advertising, and an elderly
Filipino man reflecting on his past as he faces the challenges of old age.

Throughout the novel, themes of love, loss, identity, and the search for
meaning are interwoven into the narrative. The characters grapple with questions
about their place in the world and their relationships with others. The story is set
against the backdrop of globalization and the impact it has on individuals and
societies.

Vibory is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that offers a glimpse into

the lives of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. The author's skillful
storytelling and vivid characterizations make this an engrossing read that will stay
with the reader long after the last page is turned.