Bagets: An Anthology of Filipino Young Adult Fiction

by Eugene Y. Evasco, Carla M. Pacis, Christine S. Bellen-Ang (Contributor)

Here, finally, is a collection of short stories, written in both English and Filipino, for Filipino teenagers that discusses their issues and concerns in well-told narratives that are funny, poignant, cautionary, and even a bit risque.

Genres: Young Adult, Anthologies

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Eugene Y. Evasco is a writer, editor, translator, and collector of children’s books. He is currently a Full Professor at the UP College of Arts and Letters. Some of his new books at Lampara are Ang Nag-iisa at Natatanging si Onyok, Ang Singsing-Pari sa Pisara, Ang Beybi naming Mamaw, and the Filipino translation of Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. In 2014, he won the UP Gawad sa Natatanging Publikasyon sa Filipino (Malikhaing Pagsulat category). He became a part of the Hall of Fame of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 2009 and is currently a Fellow of the UP Institute of Creative Writing. He was accepted as a Research Fellow to the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany.

Reviews

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of Filipino young adult short stories. I liked the stories in Filipino, not so much the ones in English because those were mostly romance stories that I just didn’t prefer. My favorites: (1) Stainless, (2) Half f-stop, (3) My Brown, Bony Knees

[Myra Yaon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that consists of different stories.

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

we studied this for first year Literature and it was great. I loved the english stories better (maybe because they were about love and I've got a soft spot for romantic novels. well, let's face it. what girl doesn't?) but the filipino stories were more insightful and philosophical in a way.

[tqkoya_km · Rating 3 out of 5]

fav stories from the book
-stainless
-ligaw na piraso ng jigsaw puzzle
-half f-stop
-panunuluyan
-sweet and tender hooligans
-girl meets girl

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the book, I was trying to be more prudent on how to analyze the short stories inside, considering that at the time of its publication, the concept of young adult literature was still young, and that the editors of the book made it known, and I think it is where the main strength of this book lies: curating short stories that sums up the complexities of a young adult Filipino.

The book contained a total of 16 short stories, the first eight written in Filipino and the latter eight written in English. The Filipino stories were a buffet of experience: each character seemed like they were conjured to represent the many faces of a Filipino young adult. There's this young girl who believed she can foresee tragedies through her dreams in "Trese", a juvenile kid who struggled hard against illegal substances in "Ang mga Pasaway", a heartwarming story about how societal standards of beauty get in the way of courtship in "Ligaw na Piraso ng Jigsaw Puzzle", and a story about how one should always hold on to honesty while chasing their dreams in "Half f-stop".

But what I liked the most about the collection of the short stories in Filipino was their clever use of Filipino superstitions and even the Filipino concept of ghosts in stories like Multo vis-a-vis the decisions made by the people in their past which seems to haunt them in the present.

On top of that, my most favorite story out of all the Filipino entries was "Stainless" because it showed the clash between our elders' tendencies to hold onto things with sentimentality and the younger generations ideals on having to experience shiny new things. Beyond addressing the familial issues within the stories, "Stainless" also highlights the dangers of over-consumerism.

However, the anthology's Achilles' heel is within the repetitive themes in the collection of short stories written in English. While there were interesting ones such as "Boogers are Stalactites", the recurring stories of young adult women whose stories unfold either in the prom or whose character development was always in aid of their male love interests got me thinking as to why it was the case. I also have to highlight the story "Girl meets Girl", which was supposed to be a story that highlights lesbianism, inserts a male character who turns out to be another potential love interest.

And I agree with other reviews that the English collection lacked diversity in terms of class representation as the protagonists of each story seem like they belonged to upper or upper middle classes.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read! I really enjoyed the Filipino section. My favorites are Half f-Stop, Stainless, and Ang mga Pasaway. It was really a delight to read characters coming from all sorts of milieu and socio-economic backgrounds.

I didn't totally enjoy the English section for the same reason. Most of the stories sound too repetitive and identical because the protagonists are all rich, privileged, kikay kids (or ones insecure about their kikay friends) coming from expensive private all-girls school. There's not much variety to it, and I feel like this set of stories is particularly written for upper middle class young adult girls. The only relatable things for me are the exploration of homosexuality in Girl Meets Girl, and the representation of science high schools in Sweet and Tender Hooligans.

[Gab of Green Gables · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this anthology that delved specifically into the genre of Filipino young adult.

Stories of navigating adolescence are tackled such as responsibility, being materialistic, falling in love, friendships and self-love.

[Mark Apuyan · Rating 3 out of 5]

All stories are good, but I like The Half-stop, Stainless, and Peanut Butter Kisses. This anthology of YA fiction is worth reading.

[Tito Quiling, Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit that having picked this up as a teenager has helped expand my view of various experiences of going through pre- and pubescent stages, in a lighter manner, I would say. Because more than the stereotypical illustrations of male and female interactions, this collection of fictional work additionally delves into specific experiences of LGBT teens, the excitement and the fear of aging, falling in and out of young love, keeping personal and shared secrets, gaining courage, exploration, and above all, learning to be comfortable with yourself as your craft your identity.

[Kelly Juaneza]

I think its great :)