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Bayan Ko!
416 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Lualhati Bautista
33 books648 followersLualhati Bautista was a Filipina writer, novelist, liberal activist and political critic. She was one of the foremost Filipino female novelists in the history of Contemporary Philippine Literature. Her most famous novels include Dekada '70; Bata, Bata, Pa'no Ka Ginawa?; and ‘GAPÔ.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 30, 2022
The book has four parts and is connected and the setting is the Philippines during Spanish colonialism to the Japanese-American war.
1. First Book: A woman who writes poems. There are so many things that you want to know about how the book works. Because from there you will know how to deal with the rest. The first story has two languages, Tagalog and Spanish. The characters like Juliana and Fernando use Spanish curses. Yep. Lots of them. So will it be suitable for young age? Maybe. The language is suitable and mostly understandable to people of my country so if you're not from the Philippines you will have a hard time. Oh yeah, the story, the first part is exciting. You wanted to experience a Spanish era and I have to agree that our culture is very conservative when it comes to women and how much they are allowed to do, so for me, the story is realistic and flavorful and gave enough convincing. My feminist heart had felt all the suffering of my fellow kababayan way back when women are just a body that produce children. This is the reason why a lot of women during that era are just trophy wives and couldn't do anything. I wish we can conceal that in our present state but nope women are still in the same state. Women are even underestimated to become leaders of my country and f*ck those people are idiots. And the culture is f*cked and the social norms are so twisted. The author did a great job to capture the tradition of being wed for the sake of being kept safe and pure. I know this because one of my relatives was forced to marry someone because she had sex with someone. Alright, that's twisted we all know that. But the bride should be pure or someone has to take responsibility for her purity which means they have to marry her if he took her virginity. Or will be arranged to have a wedding with someone they don't even know or love. It has been a worldwide thing. But to look back on our history it is sick to marry someone out of convenience. We also have this unwavering loyalty to parish priests. And it is still an ongoing thing. Juliana is a representation of what literate women had to go through in my country. They can't speak. They are not supposed to think, feel or act. That's how it is up until now. They are expected to stay inside the house. And take care of the children. So there is that. At the end of the story, because Juliana followed her guts, she was cast away by her estranged husband and her parents. Which btw is still happening here. Crazy people. Anyway, I love that the main character has so many faces. Like she was innocent at first, then she was a fighter, then she is smart and intellectual. You can also see that she loves her art of poetry and loved to use it to give voices to others. Which is great! Fernando is an asshole. He is an asshole, period. He raped and forced Juliana for sex and because back then it is not considered rape if you do it after marriage, lots of men get away from it, and is abundantly happening today. Yep. Crazy, I know. So does Fernando deserves Juliana, nope? Did Juliana have a happy ending? Yes, because I will not consider it otherwise. Is Padre Abaya an asshole, yes he is? No fucking way that that priest is anywhere benevolent. Are her father and mother an asshole? Yes, certainly. Is Juliana a martyr? Yes, she should be someone besides Jose Rizal shot at Bagumbayan. Hehe, kidding.
2. Second Book: It is titled, ScareCrow. It is during the Spanish era as well and the story highlights the issue of forced labor for poor people as a form of tax. Nothing came out good from Spanish colonization. I mean, even if there are good things, the bad things cancel it all out with a negative balance lol. Also, it talks about women being raped by Spanish priests. They are cruel and corrupted way back in that era so lots of women are being raped and impregnated by someone who vowed celibacy and is supposed to be a role model sent by God. Which is in fact bullshit. A lot of people during that time were just crazy about religion. They thought that the human priest is the person only capable to talk to God and has to be treated as one. They are crazy and they are still existing here in my country. People who are crazy and loyal to religion and they are counting thousands and more. If you knew and experienced the feast of Black Nazarene, you would know. People are crazy. Did the author capture the reality of our situation from past to present? Yes. I am moved by her ability to emphasize the situation we are bound to repeat each generation.
3. Third story: Aeta guy and human trafficking
Alright, this story features the situation of indigenous people during the post-American invasion. I can say this is the first time I read of the 1904 World's Fair as part of the largest human zoos. Americans tricked Filipinos, especially the indigenous group or tribes that they come into peace and are very good at lying. So they eventually took and kidnapped some of them and were treated in the most inhumane way possible, caged like animals and fed like animals. Some of them died from the cold too as they are not allowed to wear thick clothes but were instead forced to wear pieces of traditional clothing suitable for humid weather in the Philippines. It is one of the few things that they did to Filipinos and although it is behind the past I always think that it is still seen in the way we welcome Americans. They are fair-skinned and they have flowery and gentle words. So there is that we are easily tricked by them because we love that their color is white. The main character, Lawagan is the Aeta boy who was sold to be paid in exchange for their carabao. And from his perspective, he experienced discrimination from the people who lives on the plains. So he is humiliated all throughout the story but eventually, a priest named Padre Danielle took pity on him and asked him to take his leave before the American troops took them to the World's Fair as animals and slaves. I am devastated to learn how this story goes but happy that Lawagan was able to go back to his family. The author did a great job in exposing some of the probably forgotten and unknown parts of our history. I am grateful for the opportunity to read her book and will always be as I am convinced to buy more of her works. It is probably one of those things that were not included in our history textbooks which btw SHOULD BE INCLUDED. This is how bad our government ruled its people that they don't even put our history in textbooks. Shame on them. Most people here are victims of fake news because history is not printed and taught properly. The story is in Tagalog and American English btw.
4. Fourth Book: Again arranged marriage, with a bit of love rectangle.
So we have the main characters in the name of Ising and Julio. And they are friends. Ising has an American soldier named Johnny. And Julio is engaged to Rosa. They ended up getting married because it is during the Japanese invasion and they took single women as sex slaves. So Ising was separated from Johnny because of the bombing of one of the American stations. And Rosa I believe in the story was taken as a sex slave. So yep. They were forced to get married and had a child, Ising, and Julio which they named Josefina if I'm not mistaken. Uhm, among the stories this is what I am not happy about the ending. It is realistic but almost all throughout the story they keep thinking of their exes so that didn't help in finding justifications when Julio stayed with his wife and child and Ising, didn't choose to be with Johnny. It is like they hate each other and they eventually realize that they actually love each other? So why all drama lol. I mean they are married and they should have talked to each other instead of doing who loves who mind game. They are just supposed to talk and settle things. FFS. I hate that it is realistic and I hate that my pocketbook days, all came back to me after reading this. But dude, why not Ising and Johnny lol. I mean Johnny was sent to America but volunteered to come back here in the Philippines to look for Ising. I swear that's more romantic than Julio fucking Ising because of his pride and ego. Thick-minded men, tsk. I wish it went that way but nope lol because I'm not the author.
I love the book. Thumbs up to the author. I wish more authors are born like you and helped us get back to our feet to fight history revisionism. I just wish more people read your books that's why I made this lengthy review. Mabuhay ka Lualhati Bautista and mabuhay ang mga manunulat na Filipino.
1. First Book: A woman who writes poems. There are so many things that you want to know about how the book works. Because from there you will know how to deal with the rest. The first story has two languages, Tagalog and Spanish. The characters like Juliana and Fernando use Spanish curses. Yep. Lots of them. So will it be suitable for young age? Maybe. The language is suitable and mostly understandable to people of my country so if you're not from the Philippines you will have a hard time. Oh yeah, the story, the first part is exciting. You wanted to experience a Spanish era and I have to agree that our culture is very conservative when it comes to women and how much they are allowed to do, so for me, the story is realistic and flavorful and gave enough convincing. My feminist heart had felt all the suffering of my fellow kababayan way back when women are just a body that produce children. This is the reason why a lot of women during that era are just trophy wives and couldn't do anything. I wish we can conceal that in our present state but nope women are still in the same state. Women are even underestimated to become leaders of my country and f*ck those people are idiots. And the culture is f*cked and the social norms are so twisted. The author did a great job to capture the tradition of being wed for the sake of being kept safe and pure. I know this because one of my relatives was forced to marry someone because she had sex with someone. Alright, that's twisted we all know that. But the bride should be pure or someone has to take responsibility for her purity which means they have to marry her if he took her virginity. Or will be arranged to have a wedding with someone they don't even know or love. It has been a worldwide thing. But to look back on our history it is sick to marry someone out of convenience. We also have this unwavering loyalty to parish priests. And it is still an ongoing thing. Juliana is a representation of what literate women had to go through in my country. They can't speak. They are not supposed to think, feel or act. That's how it is up until now. They are expected to stay inside the house. And take care of the children. So there is that. At the end of the story, because Juliana followed her guts, she was cast away by her estranged husband and her parents. Which btw is still happening here. Crazy people. Anyway, I love that the main character has so many faces. Like she was innocent at first, then she was a fighter, then she is smart and intellectual. You can also see that she loves her art of poetry and loved to use it to give voices to others. Which is great! Fernando is an asshole. He is an asshole, period. He raped and forced Juliana for sex and because back then it is not considered rape if you do it after marriage, lots of men get away from it, and is abundantly happening today. Yep. Crazy, I know. So does Fernando deserves Juliana, nope? Did Juliana have a happy ending? Yes, because I will not consider it otherwise. Is Padre Abaya an asshole, yes he is? No fucking way that that priest is anywhere benevolent. Are her father and mother an asshole? Yes, certainly. Is Juliana a martyr? Yes, she should be someone besides Jose Rizal shot at Bagumbayan. Hehe, kidding.
2. Second Book: It is titled, ScareCrow. It is during the Spanish era as well and the story highlights the issue of forced labor for poor people as a form of tax. Nothing came out good from Spanish colonization. I mean, even if there are good things, the bad things cancel it all out with a negative balance lol. Also, it talks about women being raped by Spanish priests. They are cruel and corrupted way back in that era so lots of women are being raped and impregnated by someone who vowed celibacy and is supposed to be a role model sent by God. Which is in fact bullshit. A lot of people during that time were just crazy about religion. They thought that the human priest is the person only capable to talk to God and has to be treated as one. They are crazy and they are still existing here in my country. People who are crazy and loyal to religion and they are counting thousands and more. If you knew and experienced the feast of Black Nazarene, you would know. People are crazy. Did the author capture the reality of our situation from past to present? Yes. I am moved by her ability to emphasize the situation we are bound to repeat each generation.
3. Third story: Aeta guy and human trafficking
Alright, this story features the situation of indigenous people during the post-American invasion. I can say this is the first time I read of the 1904 World's Fair as part of the largest human zoos. Americans tricked Filipinos, especially the indigenous group or tribes that they come into peace and are very good at lying. So they eventually took and kidnapped some of them and were treated in the most inhumane way possible, caged like animals and fed like animals. Some of them died from the cold too as they are not allowed to wear thick clothes but were instead forced to wear pieces of traditional clothing suitable for humid weather in the Philippines. It is one of the few things that they did to Filipinos and although it is behind the past I always think that it is still seen in the way we welcome Americans. They are fair-skinned and they have flowery and gentle words. So there is that we are easily tricked by them because we love that their color is white. The main character, Lawagan is the Aeta boy who was sold to be paid in exchange for their carabao. And from his perspective, he experienced discrimination from the people who lives on the plains. So he is humiliated all throughout the story but eventually, a priest named Padre Danielle took pity on him and asked him to take his leave before the American troops took them to the World's Fair as animals and slaves. I am devastated to learn how this story goes but happy that Lawagan was able to go back to his family. The author did a great job in exposing some of the probably forgotten and unknown parts of our history. I am grateful for the opportunity to read her book and will always be as I am convinced to buy more of her works. It is probably one of those things that were not included in our history textbooks which btw SHOULD BE INCLUDED. This is how bad our government ruled its people that they don't even put our history in textbooks. Shame on them. Most people here are victims of fake news because history is not printed and taught properly. The story is in Tagalog and American English btw.
4. Fourth Book: Again arranged marriage, with a bit of love rectangle.
So we have the main characters in the name of Ising and Julio. And they are friends. Ising has an American soldier named Johnny. And Julio is engaged to Rosa. They ended up getting married because it is during the Japanese invasion and they took single women as sex slaves. So Ising was separated from Johnny because of the bombing of one of the American stations. And Rosa I believe in the story was taken as a sex slave. So yep. They were forced to get married and had a child, Ising, and Julio which they named Josefina if I'm not mistaken. Uhm, among the stories this is what I am not happy about the ending. It is realistic but almost all throughout the story they keep thinking of their exes so that didn't help in finding justifications when Julio stayed with his wife and child and Ising, didn't choose to be with Johnny. It is like they hate each other and they eventually realize that they actually love each other? So why all drama lol. I mean they are married and they should have talked to each other instead of doing who loves who mind game. They are just supposed to talk and settle things. FFS. I hate that it is realistic and I hate that my pocketbook days, all came back to me after reading this. But dude, why not Ising and Johnny lol. I mean Johnny was sent to America but volunteered to come back here in the Philippines to look for Ising. I swear that's more romantic than Julio fucking Ising because of his pride and ego. Thick-minded men, tsk. I wish it went that way but nope lol because I'm not the author.
I love the book. Thumbs up to the author. I wish more authors are born like you and helped us get back to our feet to fight history revisionism. I just wish more people read your books that's why I made this lengthy review. Mabuhay ka Lualhati Bautista and mabuhay ang mga manunulat na Filipino.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2022
PAGSUSURI NG LIBRO
"Bayan Ko!" ni Lualhati Bautista
Ang "Bayan Ko!" ay isang katipunan ng mga maikling kwento (o maikling nobela [novelette]) na isinulat at inilathala ni Lualhati Bautista taong 2018. Ang mga maikling kwento ay ang "Ang Pag-ibig ay isang Tula", "Panakot-Uwak", "Sayaw ng Kapayapaan" at 'Giyera". Ang mga kwento rito ay naganap noong mga ika-19 hanggang sa ika-20 na siglo, na ang mga siglong ito ay maraming kaganapan sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas (Historical Fiction).
ANG AKING MGA PANANAW:
Sobrang tanyag at walang katakot-takot si Lualhati Bautista sa kanyang mga nasusulat at pamamahayag sa kanyang mga pananaw sa kondisyong panlipunan sa ating bansa. Kahit man na naganap ang mga istoryang ito sa mga nakaraang siglo, ang mga kwentong ito ay namumukhaan parin ang mga problemang panlipunan (aking naisip noong binabasa palamang ang unang 100 na pahina ng librong ito na ukol sa kasalukuyan ang mga kwento ngunit napaisip pala ako na marami-rami na ang mga problema ng Pilipinas noong tayo pa ay kolonya ng mga imperyong dayuhan).
Kaya pala noong natapos kong basahin ang libro, naisip ko na "Bayan Ko!" ang pamagat kasi ito ang bayan hindi lamang ng manunulat, ito ang bayang sinilangan ng mga Pilipino na may mga mithiing maganda, hindi lamang para sa kanilang mga pamilya at sarili, ang mga mithiing ito ay para sa bansa.
ANG MGA KWENTO:
-Ang Pag-ibig ay Isang Tula: 4/5
-Panakot-Uwak: 4/5
-Sayaw ng Kapayapaan: 4/5
-Giyera: 5/5 (Ito ang paborito kong kwento sa buong koleksyon).
"Bayan Ko!" ni Lualhati Bautista
Ang "Bayan Ko!" ay isang katipunan ng mga maikling kwento (o maikling nobela [novelette]) na isinulat at inilathala ni Lualhati Bautista taong 2018. Ang mga maikling kwento ay ang "Ang Pag-ibig ay isang Tula", "Panakot-Uwak", "Sayaw ng Kapayapaan" at 'Giyera". Ang mga kwento rito ay naganap noong mga ika-19 hanggang sa ika-20 na siglo, na ang mga siglong ito ay maraming kaganapan sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas (Historical Fiction).
ANG AKING MGA PANANAW:
Sobrang tanyag at walang katakot-takot si Lualhati Bautista sa kanyang mga nasusulat at pamamahayag sa kanyang mga pananaw sa kondisyong panlipunan sa ating bansa. Kahit man na naganap ang mga istoryang ito sa mga nakaraang siglo, ang mga kwentong ito ay namumukhaan parin ang mga problemang panlipunan (aking naisip noong binabasa palamang ang unang 100 na pahina ng librong ito na ukol sa kasalukuyan ang mga kwento ngunit napaisip pala ako na marami-rami na ang mga problema ng Pilipinas noong tayo pa ay kolonya ng mga imperyong dayuhan).
Kaya pala noong natapos kong basahin ang libro, naisip ko na "Bayan Ko!" ang pamagat kasi ito ang bayan hindi lamang ng manunulat, ito ang bayang sinilangan ng mga Pilipino na may mga mithiing maganda, hindi lamang para sa kanilang mga pamilya at sarili, ang mga mithiing ito ay para sa bansa.
ANG MGA KWENTO:
-Ang Pag-ibig ay Isang Tula: 4/5
-Panakot-Uwak: 4/5
-Sayaw ng Kapayapaan: 4/5
-Giyera: 5/5 (Ito ang paborito kong kwento sa buong koleksyon).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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