‘Kuwentong Siyudad’: The stories of our lives

THIS WEEK’S WINNER

Maynard G. Manansala took up Malikhaing Pagsusulat at UP Diliman. He teaches Filipino courses at STI College Cubao. He complains that after he graduated, all he has written, aside from two love poems, are students’ grades and comments on their papers. He has a bias for Filipino authors, which is why he chose the book below as his favorite.

Machinery of dreams; a land of comfort. These are just a couple of the myths that have been passed on from generation to generation about the city. Those who have never stepped foot on its dusty, cement roads hold them as true. Myths and other preconceived notions are part of the unequal advocacy of cosmopolitanism and urbanism standards in the city and its inhabitants. Such is the discourse of the book called Kuwentong Siyudad.

Kuwentong Siyudad is an anthology of short stories dwelling on city life. Editors Rolando B. Tolentino, Romulo P. Baquiran Jr. and Alwin C. Aguirre made five partitions of the book, namely: Lulutang-lutang na espasyong tropikal; Intramuros sa aking isipan; Amerikanong barok; Siyudad ng tao; and Naghihingalong siyudad. Pondered on this writing are five stories that best represent each part respectively.

Portrayed in Elyrah Loyola Salanga’s "Eskinita" is the narrow space of the marginalized. Aling Mila’s neighbor complains, "Mabuti pa ang mga dayuhan at may matitirhan." The line speaks of the unequal distribution of land and abode among the people. One can also observe that while Pael is situated in an urban setting, belief in superstitions remains, such as the bad luck a coffin carries to a family. It can be said that clinging to these superstitions only narrows the already narrow space the marginalized claim. On a sociological perspective though, belief in superstitions is just common to Third World nations. They serve the so-called poor as a coping device for their material condition; furthermore, an escape from their predicament.

Second, the disparity between the rich and poor is exemplified. In the story, it happens when the Vice Mayor pays Aling Mila a visit. One can just imagine the preparations. Aling Mila wears what would pass for a rag, but to her it is her best dress. The house is curtained with green and Angie, Aling Mila’s daughter, cooks what they consider a delectable dish. To them, the Vice Mayor’s visit is not far from God’s anointing of John the Baptist in River Jordan.

Third, Karl Marx’s philosophy, that of being determines consciousness, takes form. Material condition shapes the aspirations of the poor. "Aling Mila, sisikat na kayo niyan. Biro mo, magara ang paglibing kay Manong Jimmy," says one of the by-standers. The line is somewhat a mockery of what hope the likes of them have for their betterment. While others are off towards economic progress, the people of Pael are grappling over a simple but herculean task, the burial of a loved one.

In general, "Eskinita" is metaphorical of the space society allots to the marginalized.

In "Silang Nagtatago sa Dilim," Joseph T. Salazar gives the reader a feel of the fast pace of city life; so fast that people barely have time to attend to basic and personal matters such as their feelings. Characters Joey, Rica and Jessy reflect the individualistic orientation city culture assimilates. No one bothers replacing a busted light bulb until someone stumbles along the corridor.

Victoria Apartment, the characters’ settlement, serves as an artificial face of progress. Everything is a façade. As described, the signage is appealing, but the building is rotting inside. A representation that applies to the city itself, a land of opportunities, but in reality many suffer from unemployment and hunger. There is a notion, for instance, that those who work in Makati or Ortigas receive attractive compensation. What people do not know, just as the characters in the story, is that the tall buildings and towers conceal a reality – the struggle to make both ends meet and incomes that can hardly give them a decent life.

"2=25" by Alwin C. Aguirre is a commentary on the monotonous, machine-like life in the city. It pertains to the petty bourgeoisie in particular. Everything must be exact and certain if one aims to surmount the ladder of classes. The system goes to show how humans are reduced to a machine, how it robs them of their identity and of the things that are essential like relationships. Number becomes the measure of one’s worth. The character Aaron is valued according to his GWA, or general weighted average in the university, 1.001, of which the story says, almost perfect.

The motif of hierarchy in society takes shape once more in this story. Interaction between the superior and the inferior is a timeless idea. One can read how Aaron passes by the entrance of the building without noticing the guard every morning. True, indeed, that in society, a person is shrunk or magnified based on his status or occupation. Somehow it explains the treatment mall salesladies and fast-food crews get. Their humanity is boxed on what purpose they serve society.

Elmer Antonio DM. Ursolino’s "Dublas: Biodata, Certificates at iba pa…" is a story of a typical rural settler wishing to be clothed with urbanity as seen in our lead character Toming. In so doing, he is subjected to abuse. The story also relates how the city leads an individual into wanting a culture he can never own, like Toming’s dream of having a decent income, favorable working benefits and a pair of Nike shoes.

Second, the story tells of the tedious and corrupt process of applying for a job. Toming has to change his age on his birth certificate without the interviewer noticing. He passes the medical examination with his very poor health.

The story brings the reader to the complicated city life, particularly in getting a job. Most of the time, a person who is in dire need is not treated like human. And due to poverty, the only choice left is to swallow up such exploitation.

The last story, "Today With Kris Aquino" by Rommel Baroña Rodriguez, opens the reader’s eyes to society’s level of acceptance towards sexuality. Those who do not fall under the prescribed sexuality are considered a spectacle. Metaphor of this reality is the story’s character Adonis, the male who has a vagina. His character poses the question on how society categorize human beings. Adonis has a vagina but he does not feel his masculinity lessened.

The story makes clear that despite society’s claim of modernity and liberalism, its acceptance towards the likes of Adonis and homosexuality in general remains artificial. Dr. Margarita Holmes’ presence in the story accounts for this, highlighting the fact that homosexuality is accepted on an academic level only, not in the heart.

Lastly, the repression in using sexual words. In the story, Kris Aquino prefers euphemistic words. The irony though is that, despite all the caution, using politically incorrect words is unavoidable. For instance, Kris refers to Adonis as "deviant," proof that our consciousness is still way behind liberation.

In the end, it can be deduced that society in literature, as how Kuwentong Siyudad presents it, is not an innocent landscape. It is an avenue of conflicting interests between genders and classes. This responds to what Salvador P. Lopez once uttered, that ‘A writer is not a separate entity from reality and society. And his stories will continue to bear the offspring of our collective experiences.’

As someone who thrives in the city, the book is a map in locating myself, in terms of space, class and gender. The book has offered me a microscopic view of this and a lot more of the city’s intricacies that I barely notice in my everyday life. And this what makes Kuwentong Siyudad worth reading.