Mga Piling Katha

by Liwayway A. Arceo

Twenty-one short stories by an enduring Tagalog fictionist. Includes, among others, "Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa," "Banyaga," "Babae," and " Sabungero."

132 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Liwayway Arceo (b. 1920) was a multi-awarded Tagalog fictionist, journalist, radio scriptwriter and editor from the Philippines.

Arceo was the author of well-received novels such as Canal de la Reina (1985) and Titser (1995). She also published collections of short stories such as Ina, Maybahay, Anak at iba pa, Mga Maria, Mga Eva, Ang Mag-anak na Cruz (1990), and Mga Kuwento ng Pag-ibig (1997). Most of her books were published by Ateneo de Manila University Press and The University of the Philippines Press.

Arceo made her mark as a lead actress in a Japanese and Philippine film produced during World War II. The film Tatlong Maria was produced by two movie companies: X'Otic Pictures of the Philippines and Eiga Hekusa of Japan in 1944. She also ventured into radio by Ilaw ng Tahanan, a long-running radio serial. Ilaw ng Tahanan became a television soap opera aired in RPN 9 during the late 1970s.

Arceo received a Carlos Palanca for Short Story in Filipino (Filipino (Tagalog) Division) in 1962; a Japan Foundation Visiting Fellowship in 1992; a Gawad CCP for Literature given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1993; a Doctorate on Humane Letters, honoris causa, from the University of the Philippines in 1991; the Catholic Authors Award from the Asian Catholic Publishers in 1990, and the Gawad Balagtas Life Achievement Award for Fiction from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (Writers Union of the Philippines or UMPIL) in 1998. In 1999, Liwayway Arceo received a Philippine National Centennial Commission award for her prioneering and exemplary contributions in the field of literature.

Reviews

[Tris · Rating 4 out of 5]

meron akong ilang paboritong storya dito pero karamihan nakalimutan ko na

[aileen | tala_aklatan]

In Mga Piling Katha, Arceo sustains impact throughout 21 slice-of-life short stories. Common themes were apparent in the text - among these were motherhood, womanhood, family, and love. I most admire how her works mirror reality and how they beautifully convey messages on ordinary Filipino life. Some stories here are even painfully similar to the experiences of people that I personally know. B.S Medina Jr. describes her stories better in his foreword: “...mababaw man o halos di-malirip ay pawang makabuluhan sapagkat nagpapakislap, anuman ang tindi, sa mga katotohanang hagip ninuman…”

Powerful last sentences were another commonality I noticed in this collection. Some were able to change my entire perspective of the story, some moved me, and some silenced me. The stories were diverse in subject matter. I remember always being shocked by the next story, as they weren’t what I was expecting based on the previous one I read. However, I wouldn’t say the stories were diverse in terms of the emotions they elicit from the reader? With the exception of at least 3 stories, the majority were melancholic as most mirrored the suffering of Filipinos. It made me reflect on how most Filipino stories I’ve read share this quality. Is Filipino literature rife with suffering because Filipino life is rife with suffering? Maybe I’m just someone who has not explored enough local literature, but this is definitely something I think about.

This collection of stories is evidence as to why Arceo is an enduring Tagalog fictionist. I can’t say I enjoyed every story in it, but as a whole, it’s something worth reading. Brevity is not easy and it’s fulfilling to read authors that can elicit lingering experiences with a medium so brief.

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ang ganda. Bawat kuwento makikita mo agad yung personalidad ng mga tauhan. Yung danas dito nakakabit sa realidad na hindi mo mapapansin na nailagay na pala siya sa kuwento at mapapaisip ka sa mga bagay na nangyayari talaga.

Ang husay ng pagkakasulat.

[Fernando Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ang manunulat ay ipinanganganak at hindi ginagawa."

[dapzdoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

women ⭐

[Allienad_hcas21ztat]

:)

[Angelica Cervantes]

for my power point presentation