On the Separation of Regional and National Literatures

In his essay "Harnessing Regional Literature for National Literature," Bienvenido Lumbera argues that "[t]he categories ‘regional [Philippine] literature’ and ‘national [Philippine] literature’ ought to be kept separate, with ‘regional literature’ continuing to depict the specificities of life experienced and viewed within a narrower framework and ‘national literature’ expressing larger concerns and broader perspectives..” [1]

Why must we distinguish “regional” and “national” literature? What is the value of assigning such classifications?

What is in "national literature" that enables it to "express larger concerns and broader perspectives"? And what is apparently absent in a "regional literature" that makes it narrower in perspective?

How can it be said that “regional” literature is not capable of depicting and expressing concerns of national interest and, therefore, not part of what is called Filipino? 

Lumbera contradicts himself. He makes the following statement: "What ought to disappear, however, is the implicit judgment that ‘national literature’ consists of superior literary products…" In this he is well-meaning and intends to be egalitarian. However, he simultaneously mandates an implicit hierarchy of literature. For how can one erase an implicit judgment that certain literary product is, in fact, inferior when one maintains that it is not deserving of the designation "national" or "Filipino" but, rather, must be relegated to mere "regional" status?

            This essay respectfully reexamines Lumbera’s argument that a distinction exists such as he asserts between "national" and "regional." My point is that there is no literature, in whatever language it is written, that expresses “a limited view of human experience.” This thinking derives from the essential appreciation of literature as a voice of a particular individual caught in unique human circumstances and this particular human voice echoes in the human spirit.

            

            Below are non-Tagalog poems found in the same site (panitikan.com.ph together with Lumbera’s essay. These three sample poems, together some others, are labeled “Writings from the Regions:”

Bulang ni Bryan Mari Argos Tay , paano maghupot sang inugbulang nga sulog? Indi bala, dapat ginahimashimas pirmi? Sa aga, Sa udto, Kag bag-o magkatulog? Siling ni Kiryong nga boy tat ay Pwede na kuno ipang-bulang Ang akon sulog, Gani adlaw-adlaw Iya ginahimashimas, Sa aga, Sa udto, Kag kun ikaw Nagakatulog.

Sabong[2] (sinalin ng may-akda) Tay , paano mag-alaga ng tandang na pansabong? Hindi ba’t hinihimas-himas ito lagi, Sa umaga, Tanghali, At bago matulog? Sabi ni Kiryong na boy natin, Tay Pwede na raw ipangsabong Ang aking tandang, Kaya’t araw-araw niya Hinihimas-himas, Sa umaga, Sa tanghali, At kung ika’y natutulog

            

Here I will attempt to demonstrate that these poems are not necessarily “literatures that depict the specificities of life experienced and viewed within a narrower framework.”

The first poem is by Bryan Mari Argos and is originally written in Hiligaynon. The speaker in the poem is a child. Notice the dramatic irony that is being created by the speaker’s tone, and innocence and the repetition of the last five line of the first and second stanza. Surely it goes beyond Lumbera’s classification–“specificities of life experienced and viewed within a narrower framework.”

Vietnam ! Vietnam ! by Juan S.P. Hidalgo, Jr. Vietnam ! Vietnam ! Vietnam ! Ayyyyyy.. ti sangit dagiti ubbing! Pinisangda ti puso ti lubong! Iti pagbabakalan um-umkisda nga agsapul kadagiti amma ken kakabsatda. Ay, pimmusingen dagiti takiag a nangtagibi kadakuada! Vietnam ! Vietnam ! Vietnam ! Saan laeng a bagi ken pusom ti pinungtil dagiti garamugam: Rinagasragasdan, wen! dagiti sabong ti kararuam! Ayyyyyy..

Vietnam ! Vietnam ![3] Translated by the Poet Vietnam ! Vietnam ! Vietnam ! Ayyyyyy.. the cry of children! They rend the heart of the world! In the battlefields they scream in search of their fathers and brothers. Ay, gone are the arms that nurtured them! Vietnam ! Vietnam ! Vietnam ! Not only your body and heart have the greedy sundered; they have also ripped to pieces, yes, the flowers of your soul! Ayyyyyy..

The next poem presented for consideration is written in Ilocano by Juan S.P. Hidalgo, Jr. This poem talks about the stupidity and inhumanity of war. It sees the war from the non-combatant’s point of view. There are no winners in war. Only losers. How can the said piece be said to reflect a "narrow" view or a "narrow" experience of life? The pains and sufferings of the speaker in this poem is the same pain that a mother feels in losing a son in the war between

Lebanon

and

Israel

; that a brother feels in losing his sister in a bombing in

Iraq

; that a father feels in losing his whole family in

Gaza

. 

Finally, who can not sympathize with the immense solitude of the old man in the poem? The speaker (a Bikolnon) in the poem dramatizes the coldness and loneliness of being old and alone. His loneliness is not caused by lack of companion but of lack of someone whom s/he can talk to. Solitude is when we fail to communicate, says one author. The gap between the younger generation and the speaker in the poem is so pronounced:

Nangingiturog sa sinehan

dawa an pasali bakbakan.

Inaantok sa sinehan
kahit ang palabas ay bakbakan;

Surely this goes beyond the classification–“specificities of life experienced and viewed within a narrower framework.”

AROG KAINI PALAN[4] ni Abdon M. Balde, Jr. Arog kaini palan / pagka naggugurang: / Pagmuklat pagkaaga /ugma man ta buhay pa, / alagad sa enot na gios /garing nakagapos; / pag biglang minabuhat /mga tulang minaragaak! / Maihi man sana /minatukaw pa sa kubeta, / ta pag tindog na nagtiris /narurupit an bitis. / An linanot na pamahawan /sakob na an pangudtuhan. / Maski bunay pag linaga, /masakit na an pagsapa./ Sa sira mag malasugi /o sardinas nadudugi. / An kinaon na kalunggay /minaluwas luhay-luhay, / kalunggay man giraray. /Nakakainom pa man / linaga na lakad-bulan. /Takot na sa santol / ta masakit ma-tubol. / Likay sa tagiti,/sa tunog kan banggi, / ta pag sinipon /dai na makabangon / Pag biglang napalapiga /dagos napapatihaya. / Pababa man sa hagyanan /halhal sa kapagalan. / Pag nagbalyo sa tinampo /gabos na awto minapundo. / Nangingiturog sa sinehan /dawa an pasali bakbakan. / Pag nakahiling ki burak  /taol an pighahanap. / Pag-abot kan kumpleanyo /dai nang kakuntemporanyo;  / kaya gabos na nagbibisita /saro-sarong nagbibisa. / Pag-abot kan sinarom  /nagdidiklom an paglaom / na makatukdol ki bitoon /sa mga panganoron. / Kun malipot an banggi /ranga pa man salampati / mientras kugos an sadiri. /

Ganito Nga Pala (Salin sa Filipino) Ganito nga pala /kapag tumanda na; / paggising sa umaga, /natutuwa at buhay pa; / ngunit sa unang kilos /ay parang nakagapos; / pagbangon sa higaan /ang mga buto’y naglalagutukan; / Pag-ihi sa kubeta /ay kailangang umupo pa, / dahil pag nakatayo /sa paa tumutulo. / Ang lugaw na agahan /ay abot nang pananghalian. / Kahit itlog pag nilaga /ay hirap na sa pagngata. / Natitinik lagi sa isda /kahit sardinas na nga. / Ang malunggay na kinain /kung lumabas ay malunggay din./ Nakakainom pa rin sa totoo /pinakuluang pito-pito. / Umiiwas sa ambon, /sa lamig ng panahon; / dahil pag sinipon /ay hindi na makabangon. / Pag napaupo nang bigla /ay tuloy napapatihaya. / Sa hagdan, kahit pababa /sa pagod ay lawit ang dila. / Kapag tumatawid sa daan, /tumitigil lahat ng sasakyan. / Inaantok sa sinehan /kahit ang palabas ay bakbakan; / Pag nakakita ng bulaklak /ay ataol ang hinahanap. / Sa kaarawan, pag may handa /wala nang panauhing kababata; / kaya lahat nang dumadalo /ay isa-isang nagmamano. / Pagdating ng takipsilim /ang pag-asa’y dumidilim / na makasungkit pa rin /ng kahit na isang bituin. / Kung kalamigan ang gabi, /ay nangangarap pa rin ng katabi /habang yakap-yakap ang sarili. /

Simply there is no such thing as “regional literature,” e.g., “a literature that depicts the specificities of life experienced and viewed within a narrower framework.” These poems do not deserve the label “Writings from the Regions:” Any literature, in whatever language it is written, however “inferior” it is based on one’s aesthetic standard, is a valid interpretation of human condition, and should be given equal respect with other literatures in the world.

The arbitrary distinction between “regional” and “national” literatures marginalizes the non-Tagalog literatures. Let all literatures in the

Philippines

be considered "National Literature" of this republic. And let us not elevate just one language to an exulted position above all others as symbolic of this whole nation, a nation that is, in fact, in possession of many proud languages–all of these, together, Filipino.

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