Project in English

(1
st
Quarter)










DINNISE B. FULGENCIO
VII-EARTH
Philippine
Proverbs










1. A patriot who is wounded becomes more courageous.

(Ang bayaning nasusugatan, nag-iibayo ang
tapang)








2. Whatever the tree, so is the fruit.

(Kung ano ang puno,
siya ang bunga.)









3. Without perseverance, there is no reward.




(Kung walang tiyaga,
walang nilaga.)





4. To a fearless person, no fence is high enough.

(Sa taong walang takot, walang mataas na bakod)





5. If you plant something, you harvest something.


(Kung may tinanim, may aanihin.)








6. What good is the grass if the horse is already dead.





(Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo.)






7. A quitter never wins, a winner never quits.


(Ang umaayaw ay di nagwawagi, ang
nagwawagi ay di umaayaw.)




8. Forthrightness ensures lasting relationship.



(Ang pagsasabi ng tapat ay
pagsasama nang maluwat.)




9. A person who is outwardly calm has anger raging inside.




(Ang taong walang kibo,
nasa loob ang kulo.)




10. If it's not fated, it won't bear fruit.

(Kung di ukol, di bubukol)




11. God helps those who help themselves.



(Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa)
nasa tao ang gawa
nasa tao ang gawa.






12. He who does not love the national language is worse than a smelly fish.



(Ang di marunong magmahal sa sariling wika,
daig pa ang malansang isda.)



Stories of
Philippine
Legends






I. The Legend Of Sampaguita
A long time ago, there were neighboring Baranggays named Balintawak and Gagalangin.
Between the two baranggay, is a very sturdy fence made up of dried bamboo. Every five years,
they destroy it and build a new fence. Sometimes, the guardsmen from Balintawak watch over
the fence, oftentimes the guardsmen from Gagalangin. Everything is working according to the
rules of each datu.
The datu of Barangay Balintawak has a daughter with incomparable beauty and kindness. Her
name is Rosita. Her mother died when she was young, however, she has four maids to assist
her every need. There are a lot of handsome young men who admires her. But the only man
who captured her heart is the son of Gagalangins datu, whose name is Delfin.
The conflict between their parents did not stopped Delfin and Rosita from loving each other. At
the end of the bamboo fence lies there secret lair. Every night when the moon is bright, they
meet at the end of the fence and stroll along with Rositas maids. Their relationship is hidden
from both of their datu parents.
One day, the datu of Gagalangin heard that the fence is being destroyed by the servants of datu
Balintawak so that they can build a new one. He asked one of his guards to watch at the said
fence-making. When the guard came back, he told the datu that the new fence was moved. He
was mad because the datu of Balintawak took five meters of their land. Immediately, he sent a
man to the datu of the neighboring baranggay.
Tell the datu of Balintawak to put the fence back where it is supposed to be. They are being
unlawful and stealing ones land is a crime! said the datu of Gagalangin.
When the datu of Balintawak heard about it, he became furious and asked the servant to give a
message to their datu. Tell your datu that I never stole anything from him. I just placed the
bamboo fences at its right place according to the documents that I discovered, written by my
ancestors.
Delfins father was very much displeased with the other datus response. This kind of conflicts
usually results bloodshed among the two baranggays.
The datu of Gagalangin prepared his unit for the upcoming battle. He needs to get their
baranggays stolen land even by violent means.When the news reached the datu of Balintawak,
he eagerly prepared his battle unit as well. The two leaders are now ready for a never-ending
war.
A few days before Gagalangins planned to attack the Balintawak, the datu got sick. He became
seriously ill that lead him to his death. The responsibility was then handed to Delfin. He will be
the one to lead the battle troops of baranggay Gagalangin.
The female servants told Rosita what was about to happen and she started to become
frightened. Delfin is so young and does not have any experience when it comes to war. His
father, on the other hand, had been trained to fight since he was still a child. She worried too
much. She wanted to talk to Delfin and ask him to forfeit the war and simply talk to his father
and settle the conflict peacefully. However, they do not have time to converse anymore.
Tomorrow is the start of an endless battle between the two baranggays.
Both parties lost so many lives. Delfin was badly hurt and shed a lot of blood. He started to be
blurry. He was half conscious when he fell to the ground. Before his last breath, he
told one of his comrades to bury him near the end of the fence where he and Rosita used to
secretly see each other.
Nobody can ever tell what really happened to the young lovers or the result of the war. All they
knew is that Rosita became seriously ill when she knew that Delfin died in the battle. Her father
called for so many doctors to make her feel well but neither one of them can treat Rosita.
When she was about to die, Rosita told her father to bury her near Delfin, at the end of the
bamboo fence. Though it is hard for the datu to do, she still obeyed her daughters last wish.
Many years had passed and the existence of baranggays gradually disappeared. Spaniards came
and the city of Manila was established. Balintawak and Gagalangin became populated. But all
the people living in these two places were having a mysterious experience. During the month of
May, especially when the moon is bright, they hear a mystical sweet voice of a lady saying
Sumpa kita! ... Sumpa kita! (I swear, I swear) but nobody can see from whom it is coming
from. It seems as if it comes from the bushes where little white flowers grow. Although the
flowers are so tiny, it bursts out a different kind of scent that everybody loves to smell. Thats
what usually happens every month of May, each year.
Because everyone was so curious about the voice, they all decided to dig up the spot and
uncover the mystery behind it. To their surprise, they found the roots of the bushes where the
lovely flower grows, comes from the mouth of the two bodies buried not so far from each
other. The elders remembered the memoir of the two lovers Delfin and Rosita.
The story spread fast. The words Sumpa kita evolved as Sampaguita that signifies an
everlasting love of Delfin and Rosita.







II. The Legend Of Makahiya
The Makahiya Once there lived a rich couple, Mang Dondong and Aling Iska who had a twelve-
year-old daughter named Maria. Being dutiful, obedient and kind, Maria was loved by
everyone. But shyness was one of her distinct feature, due to which she avoided interacting
with people and used to lock herself in her room. Maria had a beautifulflower garden, which
was well known all over the town. She took care of her plants tenderly and patiently, as the
plants were her source of happiness and enjoyment. One day a group of bandits raided the
village and killed every man they found for money. When Mang Dondong noticed the arrival of
the bandits, fearing his daughter's safety, he decided to hide Maria in the garden. Aling hid
herself in the house. She trembled with fear and prayed " Oh my God! Save my daughter ".
Then suddenly the door opened and the bandits entered the house. They hit Mang Dondong on
the head, due to which he lost consciousness and fell on the ground. Aling tried to escape but
was also hit by them on the head. The bandits pillaged the house and took away the money and
jewelry. The bandits left the house to plunder some other village. When Mang and Aling
regained consciousness they ran to the garden to look for Maria but she was not there. They
searched again and again but Maria could not be found. Then suddenly something picked
Mang's feet and he saw a tiny plant closing its leaves. Both Mang and Aling knelt at their knees
and took a closer look at the plant. After looking at the plant for a long time, they came to know
that the plant was there daughter Maria. Indeed, to save her from the bandits, God
transformed her into a plant. Aling wept uncontrollably, and to their surprise, every tear got
transformed into a small and rosy flower of the new plant that they found in the garden. After
that, Mang and Aling tended the plant with immense care, as they knew that in reality the plant
was their child Maria. The plant was as shy as Maria, so they named it 'Makahiya', which in
Tagalog means shyness.

III. Legend of the Dama de Noche
Many years ago, there was a rich maharlika or nobleman, who spent his early bachelor days
wining and dining in the company of nobility. He drank the finest wines, ate the most delicious
food and enjoyed the company of the beautiful and bejeweled women of the noble class. After
spending this kind of life for many years, he decided to settle down and get married to a
woman of his choice. "But whom to marry?" he asked himself, "All the women I know are
gorgeous and charming, but I am tired of the glitter of their jewels and the mellowness of their
clothes!". Finally, he found himself a simple charming girl whose name was Dama. They got
married and lived happily. She loved and pampered him with the most delectable dishes and
kept his home and clothes in order. But soon he got bored and began to long for his friend's
company. He looked at his wife and thought, she is not beautiful, doesn't have the air of
nobility and wisdom in her. And so, he returned to his world of glitter and pleasure. He started
to spend his evenings sitting around with his friends, drinking and talking till the next morning.
Seeing this, Dama felt that she was losing her husband. She wept and prayed, "Oh God! Help
me. Give me a magic charm that would make my husband come home again and would never
leave my side, forever!". At midnight he came home, opened the door of their bedroom and
called for Dama to tell her to prepare his nightclothes. He shouted all around the bedroom and
searched the whole house. But could not find his wife. Finally he returned to their bedroom,
and when he opened the door, he stopped. A sweet and fragrant scent that he had never
smelled before drifted to him. He went straight to the window from where it seemed to be
coming. He was amazed to see a strange bush growing outside his window. The bush had
thousands of tiny star-like white flowers, from which the heavenly and enchanting scent was
coming. He stood there, completely enthralled by the glorious smell. "Dama..." he whispered
softly, wondering, could this be Dama? The noble man sat by the window and waited for his
loving simple wife to return. But she did not come back, only the fragrance of the flowers
stayed with him, casting a spell over his entire life. In the moonlight, Dama of the night, or
Dama de Noche would be in full bloom, capturing the rich maharlika and making him never
want to leave her side, forever. These legends and myths were just few out of many. The
Philippines has a rich collection of legends and myths from the mysterious distant past, which
have fruitful lessons to teach and learn.

IV. Legend Of Mariang Makiling
Mariang Makiling There are many stories woven about this guardian spirit. Most of them deal
with her helping the poor and the sick, in the guise of a peasant girl. The precious things she
lend the country folk are said to be returned to her, along with the offering of a young pullet
with feathers white as milk.
A hunter has recounted a face-to-face encounter with the enigma herself. He was hunting a
wild boar, he said, deep into the forest where Mariang Makiling lived. The boar suddenly
crashed into some bushes and the hunter, fearing that he would not find it again, dived in after
it. When he came to his feet he saw a small hut, and witnessed his prey entering it. He followed
the boar into the hut, thinking it deserted, and then he came face to face with a beautiful
maiden standing by the boar, who was meek in her presence. The maiden said "This boar is
mine and you must not harm it. But I see that you are tired and hurt. Come in, eat, and then go
your way."
The hunter felt compelled to obey her. He sat down at her table, and she served him a porridge
that he found was unlike anything he had ever tasted. It invigorated him, and after eating, he
felt healed. As a parting gift, Mariang Makiling filled his peasant hat, called a salakot, with
yellow ginger.
The hunter, on his way home from the forest, found that his salakot was growing heavier and
heavier, and so he broke a few pieces of ginger in half and threw some bits away. Upon coming
home, he handed Maria Makilings gifts to his wife, who found that the salakot, instead of
containing ginger, as her husband claimed, contained gold. The hunter regretted having thrown
away a few bits of ginger/gold along the way.
Mariang Makiling is said to be more than compassionate. Once, there lived a young farmer who
always seemed to be blessed. His fields were never touched by any calamity, and his livestock
were always in good health. The people of his village say he is endowed with a charm, or
mutya, as it is called, that protected him and his from harm. The young man himself was good
at heart and simple in spirit. But he was quiet and secretive, and would not say much of his
stranger activities, which included frequent visits into the wood of Mariang Makiling.
But there came a terrible time for him and his family. War had come to his fair land, and army
officers came, recruiting unmarried young men who were in perfect health. So that the young
man would stay safely in the village, his mother arranged for him a marriage with a most
beauteous daughter of a wealthy family. Upon finding this out, the young man became more
sullen than ever.
He visited Mariang Makilings wood one last time, a few days before his marriage. Mariang
Makiling lent him a dress and some jewelry, for his wife to wear on their wedding day. "I would
that you were consecrated to me," she said sadly, "but you need an earthly love, and you do
not have enough faith in me besides. I could have protected you and your family." This having
been said, she disappeared. The young man went back to his village with Mariang Makilings
gifts, and presented them at once to the girl he would marry.
But the girl did not care for Mariang Makilings gifts. Instead she wore the pearls and dresses
her mother had handed down. Mariang Makiling was never seen by the peasants again, nor
was her humble hut ever rediscovered.

V. The Legend of the Pineapple Fruit
There was a pretty little girl called Pina who was pampered by her mother as an only child.
Everything that Pina asked for, Pina got. Everything that Pina scoffed at was taken away. No one
in her village was ever so spoiled as Pina. No one was ever such a snobbish child. She was so
lazy, and she had never stirred a finger to work in her life.
Pinas mother was perfectly happy that way, for Pina remained dependent on her as a spoiled
child. But one day, Pinas mother fell ill and there was no one to take care of Pina. She resolved
that she would get well immediately for Pinas sake but she knew she would need help.
"Pina, Pina," she called weakly, from her cot. "Come here a moment. I have something to ask of
you."
Pina had never been asked to do anything in her life, and she was quite prepared to refuse, but
she said anyway, "What is it, Mother?"
"Pina," said the doting mother, "I am too sick to make you anything to eat. I am too sick to eat
anything solid. I need you to cook lugaw for me, Pina. It is very easy: just put some rice in a pot,
pour some water in with it, add a pinch of sugar, and leave the mixture to boil for a while."
"Oh, thats too hard! I wont do it," Pina said firmly.
"You have to, Pina!" her mother pleaded. "What will your poor Nanay eat?"
But Pina was immovable. At length her mother resorted to shouting if only to catch her
attention. Moping, Pina dragged her heavy feet down the stairs to gather the things she needed
to make lugaw. She managed to find the rice, the water, the bowl, the sugar but she could not
find the ladle anywhere. How was she supposed to cook lugaw without a ladle?
"Nanay, where is the ladle?" Pina shouted.
"It is beside the other kitchen utensils, Pina, you know where I keep them," her mother weakly
shouted back.
But the ladle was not anywhere near the other kitchen utensils, and Pina was too lazy to look
for it elsewhere. "I cant find the ladle, mother," she complained. "I guess I wont be cooking
without the ladle."
"Oh, you lazy child," Pinas mother wept. "You wont even look! I hope you grow a thousand
eyes so youll be able to find it!" After saying these words, Pinas mother noticed that the house
had fallen silent. Pina was no longer griping downstairs! That was a marvel. Perhaps she was
already cooking. Pinas mother would be happy if the child would cook her anything, even if it
were burnt.
But a long time had passed, and still the house was silent, and still Pinas mother could not
smell the cooking coals burning. She began to get worried. With all her meager strength she
called out for Pina. Pina did not come, but the neighbors heard her pitiful cries, and they
decided to drop by to see what was wrong. They took care of Pinas mother in the childs place.
"Where is Pina?" Pinas mother asked at once. "Where is my child?"
"Oh, you know that girl," they assured her, "she must be in some friends house, having a good
time. She hates responsibility. She may only be a little angry at you because you had asked her
to work. It will pass, and she will come home."
Pinas mother rested easily with that thought, and she recovered quickly. But she was up and
about and asking all around town for her precious little child, and still Pina had not returned.
One sunny day, while Pinas mother was cleaning their back yard, she saw a strange yellow fruit
about as large as the head of a child that had sprung up from the ground. "How curious!" she
thought, and bent to examine it. The strange, spiny yellow fruit, she saw, had a thousand black
eyes.
"A thousand eyes...!" she gasped, remembering a mothers curse carelessly let out. "My Pina!"
But there was nothing to be done. Imagine a thousand black eyes and not one of them seeing,
and not one of them being able to shed a tear. Pinas mother, who still loved the child more
than anything in the world, decided to honor her memory by taking the seeds of the strange
yellow fruit and planting them. When after a while there was more of the fruit, Pinas mother
gave her harvest away to everyone she knew. Thus Pina, in another form, became generous to
others.
To this day the Filipinos call the yellow fruit pinya, after the pretty spoiled child.


VI. Story of a legend Aswang in the Philippines

Maria Labo Old story: Here is a common version of the Legend of the Aswang:
Maria Labo is from the province of Capiz. Maria Labo have a happy family she had a kind and
loving husband and one son. Maria Labo was decide working abroad in England, for the sake of
her family.
She had a good employer, who treated her well, but she did not know that here employer was a
vampire. In the months she was employed, Maria was a combination maid and care giver to
here employer. The employer of Maria would always provide her with half-cooked liver to eat.
After months of working for him, Maria began to feel sick. She did not know that she had
ingested some blood of her vampire employer. Due to her unkown illness, Maria decided to
return home to the Philippines, to live with her family.
The husband of Maria was a police officer. One day, after the husband returned home from
work, Maria told her husband that she had already prepared dinner. Upon which time the
husband of Maria sat down to the table and asked Maria, Where is our son?. To which Maria
replied, Our son is right there!. The husband of Maria did not know what she meant. He was
unaware that the meat he had eaten that day, was in fact their son!
Upon opening the refrigerator box, he was shocked to see the head of their son in the
refrigerator. The husband of Maria was so angry, he picked up a big knife and slashed the face
of Maria. Maria had big scar on her face, which is why she was called Maria Labo.
From that day on, Maria would stalk or hunt in many different locations within the Philippines,
but her husband continued to hunt for Maria because he wanted to kill her. Whenever Maria
was known to be in any place within the Philippines, all or the people tried to find and kill her,
to save their own children. From those days till the present, the Filipino people gave Maria the
nickname of the Aswang, meaning Queen of the Vampires.
VII. The Legend of Makahiya

Long time ago, there was a couple in Barangay Masagana (Pampanga today) who wanted a
daughter. Their wish was granted and the wife gave birth to a baby girl. They called her Maria.
Maria was very beautiful but very shy that she wouldn't go out from their house.

Weeks later, Spaniards came to their town. The Spaniards were very cruel that they get
everything they wanted. They rob houses and kill everyone who gets in their way and who
refuses to give what they wanted.

The couple was very frightened to lose their daughter so, they hid Maria in the bushes so the
Spaniards couldn't find her.

After the Spaniards left their town, the couple tried to look for Maria but they couldn't find her
even in the bushes where they hid her, instead they found a little plant that is very sensitive
that when you touch it, it would immediately close.

So they thought it was their daughter, Maria. They called the plant "Makahiya" that means
"touch me not," like their daughter who was very shy.
Philippine
Epic
















I. Darangan (an epic of Maranao)

There was a king in a faraway kingdom in Mindanao who had two sons. The elder was Prince
Madali and the younger one was Prince Bantugan. At a very early age, Prince Bantugan had
shown superior qualities over his elder brother Prince Madali. Their tutors would always tell
their father that Prince Bantugan was very intelligent. He was a fast learner, even in the use
of sword and bow and arrow. And he possessed such great strength that he could subdue
three to five men in a hand-to-hand combat.
The first indication that he would soon be a formidable soldier was seen when he single-
handedly killed a big and ferocious crocodile that had killed several villagers. The villagers
could not believe their eyes after the very short struggle.
He is so strong! an old man blurted out upon seeing the dead crocodile.
How could a man so young as he is can kill a killer crocodile? He must be possessed by the
gods! another villager said in awe.
Come on, let's thank the prince for killing the beast! the chieftain of the place said to all the
villagers.

II. BIAG NI LAM-ANG
Don Juan and his wife Namongan lived in Nalbuan, now part of La Union in the northern part of
the Philippines. They had a son named Lam-ang. Before Lam-ang was born, Don Juan went to
the mountains in order to punish a group of their Igorot enemies. While he was away, his son
Lam-ang was born. It took four people to help Namongan give birth. As soon as the baby boy
popped out, he spoke and asked that he be given the name Lam-ang. He also chose his
godparents and asked where his father was.
After nine months of waiting for his father to return, Lam-ang decided he would go look for
him. Namongan thought Lam-ang was up to the challenge but she was sad to let him go. During
his exhausting journey, he decided to rest for awhile. He fell asleep and had a dream about his
father's head being stuck on a pole by the Igorot. Lam-ang was furious when he learned what
had happened to his father. He rushed to their village and killed them all, except for one whom
he let go so that he could tell other people about Lam-ang's greatness.
Upon returning to Nalbuan in triumph, he was bathed by women in the Amburayan river. All
the fish died because of the dirt and odor from Lam-ang's body. There was a young woman
named Ines Kannoyan whom Lam-ang wanted to woo. She lived in Calanutian and he brought
along his white rooster and gray dog to visit her. On the way, Lam-ang met his enemy
Sumarang, another suitor of Ines whom he fought and readily defeated.
Lam-ang found the house of Ines surrounded by many suitors all of whom were trying to catch
her attention. He had his rooster crow, which caused a nearby house to fall. This made Ines
look out. He had his dog bark and in an instant the fallen house rose up again. The girl's parents
witnessed this and called for him. The rooster expressed the love of Lam-ang. The parents
agreed to a marriage with their daughter if Lam-ang would give them a dowry valued at double
their wealth. Lam-ang had no problem fulfilling this condition and he and Ines were married. It
was a tradition to have a newly married man swim in the river for the rarang fish.
Unfortunately, Lam-ang dove straight into the mouth of the water monster Berkakan. Ines had
Marcos get his bones, which she covered with a piece of cloth. His rooster crowed and his dog
barked and slowly the bones started to move. Back alive, Lam-ang and his wife lived happily
ever after with his white rooster and gray dog.

III. Ibalon (Three Heroes of the Bicol Epic)

When the hero Baltog came to the rich land of Ibalon, many monsters still roamed around in its
very dark forest. Baltog, born in Baltavara to the brave clan of Lipod, was the first to cultivate
the fields in the rich land of Ibalon.

Then the Tandayag attacked and destroyed Baltogs fields and crops. The Tandayag was a
monstrous wild boar but the hero Baltog was not afraid. One night, he waited for the Tandayag
and wrestled with it with all his might. The Tandayag had very long fangs. The earth shook at
the Tandayags step. But Baltog was strong and brave. He was able to pin down the monstrous
wild boar and tear out its mouth.

Baltog carried the Tandayag and hung it on a talisay tree in front of his house in Tondol. The
people celebrated when they learned of the victory of their king Baltog. The clans of Panicuason
and Asog came over to marvel at the monstrous wild boar in Ibalon.

At that time the hero Handiong came with a band of warriors to the land of Ibalon. Handiong
and his men had to fight thousands of battles, and face many dangers to defeat the monsters.
They first fought the one-eyed giants in the land of Ponon. They fought without rest for ten
months until all the one-eyed giants were killed. They went to the lair of the giant flying fishes
called Tiburon which had slimy, scaly, and hardy flesh and sawlike teeth that could crush rocks.
Handiong and his men did not stop until they vanquished every Tiburon.
They tamed the fierce tamaraws. They drove away the giant Sarimaw which was larger than an
elephant and very fierce. They used their spears and arrows to kill all the crocodiles which were
bigger than boats. The savage monkeys were frightened and hid when they
saw the rivers and swamps of Ibalon turn red with blood.

Oriol was the hardest to kill. A serpent with a beautiful voice, Oriol could change its image to
deceive enemies. Oriol had escaped every trap and disappeared. All by himself, Handiong
looked for Oriol in the heart of the forest. He followed the beautiful voice and was almost
enchanted by it in his pursuit. It is said that Oriol admired Handiongs bravery and gallantry.
Thus, the serpent taught the hero how to conquer the monsters until peace came to the whole
Ibalon.

Handiong built a town in Isarog and a season of progress followed. Under Handiongs
leadership, the people planted rice which they named after him. He built the first boat to ride
the waves of Ibalon seas. Because of his good example, inventors came forth from his people.
Ginantong made the plow, harrow, and other farming tools. Hablom invented the first loom for
weaving abaca clothes. Dinahon, an Aeta, created the stove, cooking pot, earthen jar, and other
kitchen utensils. The brilliant Sural thought of the alphabet and started to write on white rock.
It was a golden period in Ibalon when even slaves were respected under the laws of Handiong.
But there came the big flood freed by Unos, with earthquakes and the eruption of the
volcanoes of Hantik, Kolasi, and Isarog. Rivers dried up and the seas receded. The earth parted,
mountains sank, and many towns in Ibalon were destroyed.
Then appeared the giant Rabot, half-man half-beast, with terrible powers.
Bantong, Handiongs good friend, was ordered to kill the new monster in Ibalon. He took with
him a thousand warriors to attack Rabots den. Bantong used his wisdom against Rabot. He did
not attack the giants den right away but instead observed Rabots ways. He saw many rocks
around the den. They were people turned into rock by Rabot.
He also learned that Rabot loved to sleep. When Rabot slept very soundly, Bantong was able to
go near him. The giant died with a single stab by the brave and wise Bantong. Ibalon was at
peace once more.


IV. BIDASARI (MINDANAO EPIC)

A simple merchant and his young son are out in the woods when he discovers a drifting
boat in a river. The boat contains a baby girl, along with a bowl containing a live goldfish. The
merchant realizes the baby is unusual because her life is bonded to the fish: if the fish leaves
the water, the baby stops breathing. The merchant adopts the baby as his own and names her
Bidasari. Years later Bidasari grows up into a beautiful young woman (Sarimah), while the
merchant and his son prosper into a wealthy businessmen believing that their good fortune has
been due to Bidasari's entering their lives.
At the royal palace of the kingdom, the King has just remarried a beautiful woman, the
Permaisuri (Queen). The Permaisuri is a proud woman who secretly practises witchcraft. Hidden
in her chambers is a magic mirror that can show her anything she asks. She uses it to ask who
the most beautiful in all the land is. One day when she asks the mirror this question, the image
of Bidasari appears in it. She is enraged by this and orders her servants to find Bidasari. Her
search leads her to the merchant's house and, under the guise of kindness, the Permaisuri asks
the merchant for permission to bring Bidasari to the palace to be her companion. Although the
merchant is reluctant to part with his beloved daughter, he lets her go. But once Bidasari
arrives at the palace, she is sent to the kitchens as a servant, where she is starved and given the
filthiest jobs.
After the Permaisuri is satisfied that Bidasari's beauty has been ruined, she again asks her
magic mirror who the most beautiful in the land is. When the mirror shows Bidasari yet again,
the Permaisuri flies into a rage and runs to the kitchen, where she grabs burning pieces of
firewood to burn Bidasari's face. She is shocked when the fire goes out and Bidasari's face is left
untouched. Bidasari, who has by now realised that the Permaisuri's malice is targeted only at
her and will never stop, begs for mercy and explains her life is bonded to that of a fish that is
kept in a bowl in her father's garden.
At night, the Permaisuri has a servant steal the fish for her from the merchant's garden. As
soon as the fish leaves the water, Bidasari collapses and stops breathing. Satisfied that
Bidasari's life is in her hands, the Permaisuri hangs the fish around her neck as a trophy. When
she asks the mirror who is the most beautiful in the land, the mirror shows her own image. The
next day the merchant realises the fish is missing, and is told that Bidasari died mysteriously at
the palace. Her body is returned to him and he builds a small tomb for her in the woods where
her body is laid out in peace.
Meanwhile, the Permaisuri's stepson the Prince has been having dreams about Bidasari,
although he has never met her. The dreams plague him even in his waking hours, despite his
father's advice that such a beautiful woman cannot exist. The Permaisuri sees her stepson
acting this way and plants a painting of Bidasari in his room. The Prince finds the painting,
which leads him to the merchant who explains the sad tale of Bidasari's death and the
mysterious disappearance of the fish.
Elsewhere the merchant's son, has traveled to another kingdom to expand the family's
business. There he meets the King and Queen, who have only a young child despite their
advanced years. They tell him that actually had another child, a princess, and that years ago the
kingdom was under attack and they had to send her away for her safety. They explain their
daughter's unusual nature: her life is bonded to a fish. Bidasari's brother tells them that the
princess must be Bidasari, but she has sadly just died. The King and Queen decide to travel to
Bidasari's kingdom to see her body for themselves.
The Prince decides to visit Bidasari's tomb to see her beauty with his own eyes.
Coincidentally at this time, back at the palace the Permaisuri is having a bath in the royal
bathing pool. The fish manages to break free of its locket and drops into the water where it
starts swimming. This causes Bidasari to wake up right before the Prince's eyes. Bidasari tells
him of what the Permaisuri did to her, which confirms the Prince's suspicions of his stepmother.
When the Permaisuri finishes her bath, she discovers that the fish has gotten free. She manages
to catch it just as the Prince is about to help Bidasari leave the tomb, causing her to fall
unconscious again. The Prince places Bidasari back in the tomb and promises to make things
right.
The Prince returns to the palace in a fury, demanding that the Permaisuri give him the fish.
The Permaisuri pretends not to know anything, and when the King listens to the Prince's
explanation, the King declares that his son has gone insane and calls the royal guards. A fight
ensues, during which the Permaisuri is injured and dies.
Just before the Prince is captured, the merchant, Bidasari's biological royal parents, and the
Prince's loyal manservants arrive with Bidasari on a stretcher. The merchant and other King
explain that Bidasari is a princess, and that the story about the fish being bonded to Bidasari's
life is true. The Prince takes the fish from the locket around the Permaisuri's neck and puts it
into a bowl of water. As soon as the fish enters the water, Bidasari comes back to life. The King
apologises to his son, and the Prince and Bidasari are married.






V. MARAGTAS EPIC STORY


The Maragtas Chronicles of Panay is a history of rulers of the island from the time of the Ten
Malay Datus (rulers) that settled from Borneo. The "Legend of the Ten Datus (chieftains)"
narrates about the forefathers of the Filipinos and the story of ten Bornean chieftains who
escaped the cruel regime of Sultan Makatunaw. Datu Puti along with other nine chieftains
plans to leave Borneo. Riding their native boats, they ventured into the night and across the
wide ocean. At first, the ten rulers and their families were afraid that they might perish in the
middle of the sea. Soon, they have reached the islands of Panay and befriended with the
natives called Aetas. The Aetas are quite friendly and decides to sell a piece of their land to the
ten chieftains. The chieftains gave the Aetas leader, Marikudo a golden Salakot (Native head
piece) After this; the chieftains and Aetas lived in peace and harmony. The Haraya is another
epic poem from Panay. It is a collection of rules of conduct told in the form of heroic tales. The
"Hari sa Bukid" of Negros is a mythical epic of Kanlaon (Kan comes from a Persian word "Khan"
meaning "King" and "Laon" from a Malay word meaning "Ancient.") and "Hinilawod" an epic
poem made by the early inhabitants of Iloilo, Aklan and Antique also from Panay. The hero of
Hinilawod, Humadapnon was of divine ancestry. He had super natural powers and guardian
spirits to protect him. His most exciting adventure was his search for Nagmalitong Yawa: A
beautiful maiden whom he saw in his dream. He boarded his golden boat, sailed amidst
dangerous seas, and was captured by an enchantress/engkantada. Finally, he found and won
the love of Nagmalitong Yawa.



VI. The Story of "Indarapatra and Sulayman"

A long, long time ago, Mindanao was covered with water, and the sea cover all the lowlands so
that nothing could be seen but the mountains jutting from it. There were many people living in
the country and all the highlands were dotted with villages and settlements. For many years the
people prospered, living in peace and contentment. Suddenly there appeared in the land four
horrible monsters which, in short time has devoured every human being they could find.
Kurita, a terrible creature with many limbs, lived partly on the land and partly on sea, but its
favorite haunt was the mountain where the rattan palm grew; and here it brought utter
destruction on every living thing. The second monster, Tarabusaw, an ugly creature in the form
of a man, lived on Mt. Matutum, and far and wide from that place he devoured the people,
laying waste the land. The third, an enormous bird called Pah, was so large that, when on the
wing, it covered the sun and brought darkness to the earth. Its egg was as large as a house. Mt.
Bita was its haunt; and there the only people who escaped its voracity were those who hid in
the mountain caves. The fourth monster was also a dreadful bird, having seven heads and the
power to see in all directions at the same time. Mt. Gurayan was its home and like the others, it
wrought havoc to its region.
So great was the death and destruction caused by these terrible creatures that at length, the
news spread even to the most distant lands - and all nations grieved to hear the sad fate of
Mindanao.
Now far across the sea, in the land of the golden sunset, was a city so great that to look at its
many people would injure the eyes of men. When tidings of these great disasters reached this
distant city, the heart of King Indarapatra was filled with compassion, and he called his brother,
Sulayman, and begged hem to save the land of Mindanao from the monsters.
Sulayman listened to the story and as heard it, was moved with pity. "I will go", zeal and
enthusiasm adding to his strength, "and the land shall be avenged," said he.
King Indarapatra, proud of his brother's courage, gave him a ring and a sword as he wished him
success and safety. Then he placed a young sapling by his window and said to Sulayman "By this
tree I shall know your fate from the hour you depart from here, for if you live, it will live; but if
you die, it will die also."
So Sulayman departed for Mindanao, and he neither waded nor used a boat, but went through
the air and landed on the mountain where the rattan grew. There he stood on the summit and
gazed about on all sides. He looked on the land and the villages, but he could see no living
thing. And he was very sorrowful and cried out: "Alas, how pitiful and dreadful is this
devastation."
No sooner had Sulayman uttered those words than the whole mountain began to move and
then shook. Suddenly out of the ground came the horrible creature Kurita. It sprung at the man
and sank its claws at his flesh. But, Sulayman knowing at once that this was the scourge of the
land, drew his sword and cut Kurita to pieces.
Encourage by his first success, Sulayman went on to Mt. Matutum, where conditions were even
worse. As he stood on the heights viewing the great devastation, there was a noise in the forest
and a movement in the trees. With a loud yell, Tarabusaw forth leaped. For the moment they
looked at each other, neither showing any sign of fear. Then Tarabusaw used all his powers to
try to devour Sulayman, who fought back. For a long time, the battle continued, until at last,
the monster fell exhausted to the ground and Sulayman killed him with his sword.
The nest place visited by Sulayman was Mt. Bita. Here havoc was present everywhere, and
though he passed by many homes, he saw that not a single soul was left. As he walked, sudden
darkness fell over the land, startling him. As he looked toward the sky he beheaded a great bird
that swooped upon him. Immediately he struck, and the bird fell dead at his feet; but the wing
fell on Sulayman and he was crushed.
Now at this very time King Indarapatra was sitting at his window, and looking out he saw the
little tree wither and dry up.
"Alas!" he cried, "my brother is dead" and he wept bitterly.
Then although he was very sad, he was filled with a desire for revenge. Putting on his sword
and belt, he started for Mindanao, in search for his brother.
He, too, traveled through the air with great speed until he came to the mountain where the
rattan grew. There he looked about, awed at the great destruction, and when she saw the
bones of Kurita he knew that his brother had been there. He went on till he came to Matutum,
and when he saw the bones of Tarabusaw, he knew that this, too, was the work of Sulayman.
Still searching for his brother, he arrived at Mt. Bita, where the dead bird lay on the ground, and
when he lifted the severed wing he beheld the bones of Sulayman with his sword by his side.
His grief now so overwhelmed Indarapatra that he wept for some time. Upon looking up, he
beheld a small jar of water by his side. This, he knew had been sent from the heaven, and he
poured the water over the bones, and Sulayman, came to life again. They greeted each other
and talked animatedly for great length of time. Sulayman declared that he had not been dead
but asleep, and their hearts were full of joy.
After some time Sulayman returned his distant home, but Indarapatra continued his journey to
Mt. Gurayan where killed the dreadful bird with the seven heads. After these monsters had all
been killed, peace and safety had been restored to the land: Indarapatra began searching
everywhere to see if some of the people who hid in the earth were still alive.
One day, in the course of his search, he caught sight of a beautiful woman at a distance. When
he hastened toward her she disappeared through a hole in the ground where she stood.
Disappointed and tried, he sat down on a rock to rest when, looking about, he saw near him a
pot uncooked rice with a big fire on the ground in front of it. This revived him and he proceeded
to cook the rice. As he did so, however, he heard someone laugh near by, and turning he
beheld an old woman watching him. As he greeted her, she drew near and talked to him while
he ate the rice.
Of all the people in the land, the woman told him, only few were left, and they hid in a cave in
the ground from whence they never ventured to come out. As for herself and her old husband,
she went on, they had hidden in a hollow tree, and this they had never dared to leave until
Sulayman killed the voracious bird Pah.
At Indarapatra's request, the old woman led him to one such cave. There he met the headmen
with his family and some people. They all gathered about the stranger, asking many questions,
for this was the first time they had heard about the death of the monsters. When they found
out what Indarapatra had done for them, the headman gave his daughter to him in marriage,
and she proved to be beautiful girl whom Indarapatra had seen at the mouth of the cave.
Then the people all came out of their hiding places and returned to their homes where they
lived in peace and happiness. And the sea withdrew from the land and gave the lowlands to the
people.