Chapter 1

The Problem

Introduction

Interpreting literature is considerably a very subjective activity wherein the

most common tool to decode its message is solely experience. For each individual

has unique adventures in life that may be related in a given literary work, it is

impossible to come up with one interpretation. Consequently, there is a zero

chance in obtaining objectiveness in interpreting literature and the only known

purpose it plays on Basic Education is enhancing children’s reading and

comprehension skills and nothing more. Thus, the profitable use of literature and

its real value for education is not recognizable even if it can help Filipino youth to

connect with their cultural roots for it is the written record of their ancestors’

struggles and traditions.

With the light of promoting nationalism, the Commission on Higher

Education (CHED) updated the Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the

Higher Education Act of 1994, with CHED Memorandum Order (CMO), No. 59,

Series of 1996. It adopted a new general education curriculum which must be

implemented as part of all baccalaureate degree programs in all Higher Education

Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines. The said order involved implementing an

interdisciplinary approach which would help the students see the human beings as

1
in integral person living in both a national and a global community. To achieve

such goal, it specifically mentioned applying the Regional Approach in the subject

Literature One or Lit 1 which must cover “The Literatures of the Philippines”. It

meant focusing on the literatures of all regions of the Philippines, whether written

in native or foreign languages from the beginning of Philippine history to the

present wherein literary texts and authors outside the National Capital Region

should be taken with adequate attention.

In accordance with the preceding order which aimed to produce culturally-

sensitive and nation-loving citizens which the Philippines is dramatically losing

today, the Republic Act 10533 or The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 was

passed. It states that there will be additional two years on the Basic Education

which is the Senior High School. Based on Department of Education’s

Qualification Framework Articulation, Senior High School students should

possess an understanding of right and wrong; one’s history and cultural heritage;

and deep respect for self, others and their culture, and the environment. Also, for

the medium of instruction, the Department of Education (DepEd) mandated the

Mother Tongue Based Approach to make cognition easier for children with the

justification that students learn better if lessons are delivered by their first

language which is Filipino in Philippines’ case. To aid schools situated in the

provinces which speak of different dialects, there are 19 dialects in focus and

2
Tagalog is one of those that is used in the Batangas, the part wherein this study

referred to.

In fact, aside from its dialect which is commonly known as the exaggerated

Tagalog, Southern Luzon is also rich in its Batangas folk literature. Their folktales

are imbued with morals, religion and values to live by. A study about Batangas

folktales by Ilagan (1996) revealed that the predominating themes drawn from its

popular folktales are curses, fear, fantasy, friendliness and hatred. To further

pursue cultural development specifically provincial progress, each family which is

the basic unit of society, the local government, educational institutions and other

sectors concerned with the improvement of society must continue to enrich the use

of existing literature where values maybe deduced, applied to their everyday life

and passed on to the younger generations.

As the aforementioned acts K12 and CHED Memorandum Order No. 59,

Series of 1996 hoped to infuse a sense of nationalism that is deteriorating among

Filipino youth, literature could play a vital part in addressing its agenda. Sadly,

this would be infeasible if there is always an imprecise interpretation for every

literary piece, a dilemma that motivated researchers to conduct such study.

This study was anchored in the said acts as the researchers wanted to

support President Noynoy Aquino’s and CHED’s vision and priority for the

country’s literature in highlighting Philippines’ cultural heritage. Additionally, the

researchers liked to materialize the goal of the DepEd which was to make our

3
youth aware of their roots, their culture, their own stories and songs, most

specially their identity as Filipinos.

As future educators, the researchers aimed to provide useful information to

improve the instruction of literature by using the Structuralist approach in

conducting this study. Structuralism, is at least seemingly, scientific and objective.

It identifies structures, which endow signs or items with identities and meanings,

and shows the way in which people think. (Pettit, 2003)

Since Literature speaks about the ideals and beliefs of the society where it

originated, it is therefore imperative to distinguish the role of the local folktale in

Batangas as a means for cultural transmission and basis in supplementing the

teaching of Creative Writing course. The researchers chose to conduct a study to

acquire information they could adapt in addressing the structure of narratives in

Batangas. This research can also be of great importance to literature instructors in

terms of its in-depth analysis of narrative functions, characters involved, the

process they exhibit, and the functional grammar applied to narratology. Also,

conclusions drawn from this study can be of good foundation for improving the

instruction of the Philippine narratology.

Statement of the Problem

The main objective of this study was to describe the common structure of

selected folktales in Batangas using the Structuralist Approach.

4
 Specifically, the study attempted to answer the following questions:

1. What are the narrative functions drawn from the selected Filipino folktales

in Batangas:

1.1. Juan and His Adventures as narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a Tagalog

from Lipa, Batangas

1.2. The Story of Carancal as narrated by José P. Caedo, a Tagalog from

Batangas City; and

1.3 Juan and Clotilde as narrated by Vicente Hilario, a Tagalog, who heard

the story from an old man living in Batangas?

2. Which dramatis personae are involved in each narrative function?

3. Which transitivity process is dominantly exhibited by the dramatis personae

involved in each narrative function?

4. How may the structure of Filipino folktales from Batangas be described

considering the narrative function, dramatis personae, and transitivity process?

5. What is the implication of the findings to Philippine narratology and to the

teaching of Creative Writing?

Significance of the Study

5
 Since the study was anchored in the principle of Structuralism, its primary

aim was to describe the structure of Batangas narratives by drawning the narrative

functions, dramatis personae and the transitivity processes presented in each

selected folktale from Batangas. It is believed that this study was beneficial to the

literature instructors, to the students, to the literature students, to the Philippine

narratology, and to the researchers as future educators.

To the literature instructors, this study can help them come up with specific

interpretation drawn from objective and scientific process. Moreover, teaching

Creative Writing will be easier if they are well-acquainted with the structure of

Philippine narratology that could serve as model in writing narratives.

The results of this study could also benefit the students as it could serve

them formula and structure in writing their own story. They may be able to

experiment in manipulating plots observed from the common structure they

already know. By doing so, they might be able to unfold and explore their

creativity for their writing skills. This study could support the dreams of the

aspiring writers in the country. This would also benefit students enrolled in

literature courses for this study can widen their skills in interpreting literature

with a more scientific and objective approach.

This study could benefit the Philippine narratology for it described the

structure of local folktales distinguishing its nature, style and linguistic feature

from other regional narratives. This would help the practitioners of the said

discipline to identify the characteristics of folktale unique to narratives in

6
Batangas. This would also lead to the recognition of local styles and colors in

literature.

For the researchers as future educators, this study could serve their purpose

in opening the minds of Filipino youths that literature is worth their appreciation

as they could recognize its value in orienting themselves into their cultural

heritage. The experience of conducting structural analysis might also provide

opportunity for the researchers to hone their literary perception and judgement that

they will soon pass to their future students.

Furthermore, this study can serve as inspiration or basis for future

researchers who will conduct related studies. They might explore other structural

and linguistic features presence in other forms of narratives.

Scope and Delimitation

This research work analyzed the structure of the selected folktales in

Batangas for the researchers were also from the aforementioned region. The said

stories were chosen according to the availability and appropriateness of reference

materials. Although there were 16 texts matching the category needed, there were

only three which are deemed applicable for the study. The researchers analyzed

the stories “Juan and His Adventures” as narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a

Tagalog from Lipa, Batangas, “The Story of Carancal” as narrated by José P.

Caedo, a Tagalog from Batangas City and “Juan and Clotilde” as narrated by

7
Vicente Hilario, a Tagalog, who heard the story from an old man living in

Batangas.

While there were many narrative functions, dramatis personae and

transitivity process that could be enumerated, the data that this study revealed were

delimited to what the stories reflect as dominant and common among them. As to

the identification of the structure folktales in Batangas, this exploration was geared

on the Structuralist Approach where the researchers focused only on the narrative

functions, dramatis personae involved in each narrative function and to the

transitivity process exhibited by the dramatis personae which are manifested in the

stories used as subjects under this study.

This study will not focus on folktales narrated outside the premises of

Batangas. While in enumerating the functions exposed on the said stories, the

researchers only used three theories as proposed by well-known Structuralists

namely Vladimirr Propp, Joseph Campbell, and David Adam Leemings. The

researchers dealt with the dramatis personae involved in each narrative functions

using Gary Pullman’s writings in Creating Compelling Characters. The

researchers also utilized M. A. K. Halliday’s theory of Transivity Process in

describing how the dramatis personae acted in each narrative function. This

exploration was bound to identify the structure of the Batangas Folktale narratives

and their implication in cultural transmission. Lastly, the researchers did not dwell

on the lesson implied in each story.

8
 Chapter II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter presents the relevant literature and related studies which aided

the researchers to determine and evaluate the different narrative functions,

dramatis personae involved in each narrative functions, and the transitivity process

exhibited by each dramatis personae presented in the selected Philippine folktales

from Batangas.

Conceptual Literature

This part deals with the theoretical literature gathered by the researchers

from various sources. These concepts aided them in coming up with the

framework of the present study.

Structuralism is defined as an approach to literature and other social

sciences that interprets and analyses its subject in terms of oppositions, signs, and

hierarchical structures, as they reflect universal mental characteristics or

organizing principles. It is the specific method for interpretation for it follows a

9
system in deciphering the message of a text and focuses solely on the text and its

grammar.

In concern with the said approach, there are three most prominent icons in

literature who devoted their time and dedication in flourishing Structuralism. They

are Vladimir Propp, Joseph Campbell and David Adam Leemings. Their

propositions are presented below.

Vladimir Propp (2005) developed his theory of Russian fairy stories. His

approach is understood by comparing the subject of a sentence with the typical

characters or what he later termed as dramatis personae (hero, villain, etc.) and the

predicate with the typical actions in the stories. While there is an enormous

profusion of details, the whole corpus of tales is constructed upon the same basic

set of thirty-one functions of dramatis personae as he concluded that Russian Tales

always end with a wedding.

The first function is Absentation. It happens when a member of a family

leaves the security of the home environment or one of them absents himself from

home that the hero will later need to rescue. Sometimes, it is represented by the

death of the parents or other member of the family.

It is followed by Interdiction. This occurs when a prohibition is addressed

to the hero. Since the two function forms available here are interdiction and

command, one might choose for the general term Injunction that may be followed

10
or obeyed. Sometimes, on the contrary, an interdiction is evidenced in a request or

bit of advice such as a mother warns her son not to go out fishing.

The Violation of the Interdiction comes next. The interdiction is violated.

This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although

not necessarily confronting the hero. They are just a lurking presence or they

attack the family while the hero is away.

Reconnaissance is the fourth function. In this function, the villain often in

disguise has the aim of finding out the location of children, or sometimes of

precious objects. He may speak with a member of the family who innocently tells

information. The villain may also seek to meet the hero knowing already that the

hero is special in some way. An inverted form of reconnaissance is evidenced

when the intended victim questions the villain.

The aforementioned function is followed by Delivery. The villain directly

receives an answer to his question. The villain gains information often about the

hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or

treasure location. Delivery can be done in a direct responsive manner. In some

cases the delivery of information takes the form of a careless act like when a

mother calls her son home in a loud voice and thereby betrays his presence to a

witch.

The above mentioned function is followed by Trickery. The villain attempts

to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings. The

villain assumes a disguise and makes an attempt using persuasion like asking for

11
alms. If not given, the villain proceeds to act by the direct application of magical

means or he will employ other means of deception or coercion.

The seventh function is Complicity. The victim submits to deception,

unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero

or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. The hero mechanically reacts

to the employment of magic or other means. It is possible to observe that this

function can also exist separately. No one lulls the hero to sleep: he suddenly falls

asleep by himself in order to facilitate the villain's dirty work.

After Complicity, Villainy follows. The villain causes harm or injury to

family member by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in

other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone,

substitutes child, commits murder, imprisons someone, threatens forced marriage

or provides nightly torments. Alternatively, a member of family lacks something

or desires something.

The preceding function is followed by Mediation. The misfortune or lack is

made known. Hero is dispatched or hears call for help. Alternative is that

victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment. The hero now discovers

the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or

caught up in a state of anguish and woe. The hero is approached with a request or

command. He is gone or dispatched.

After the prior stated function is Beginning Counter-Action. It happens

when the seeker agrees or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to

12
act in a way that will resolve the lack. This is a defining moment for the hero as

this is the decision that sets the course of future actions and by which a previously

ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.

Then Departure comes next. Hero leaves home. Departure here denotes

something different from the temporary absence element. The departure of the

seeker-heroes and victim heroes are also different. The departures of the former

group have search as their goal, while those of the latter mark the beginning of a

journey without searches, on which various adventures await the hero.

After the previous cited function, the First Function of the Donor occurs. It

is identified when the hero is tested, interrogated, attacked and preparing the way

for his /her receiving of a magical agent or helper (donor). It can be that the donor

tests the hero, the donor greets and interrogates the hero, a dying or deceased

person requests the rendering of a service which takes on the character of a test, a

prisoner begs for his freedom, or the hero is approached with a request for mercy.

The next function is The Hero’s Reaction. The hero reacts upon the actions

of the future donor which may be negative or positive. For instance as the hero

gives the request of the future donor, he will receive an object as a fruit of his

kind-heartedness. It can be that if the hero defeats a creature that tests or

interrogates him, he will obtain something (a sword) from the beast.

After the aforementioned function is the Provision or Receipt of a Magical

Agent. The hero acquires and uses four magical agent; animals, objects out of

which magical helpers appear, objects possessing a magical property and qualities

13
or capacities which are directly given. All of these objects of transmission are

conditionally termed as magical agents. The forms by which they are transmitted

can be the agent is directly transferred, pointed out, prepared, sold and purchased,

falls into the hands of the hero by chance.

The prior function is followed by Spatial Transference Between Two

Kingdoms, Guidance. This can be seen when the hero is transferred, delivered, or

led to the whereabouts of an object. Generally the object of search is located in

another or different kingdom. The means of unification may be identical in all

cases, but specific forms do exist for great heights and depths.

Then the Struggle comes next. This is when the hero and the villain join in

direct combat. This form needs to be distinguished from the struggle or fight with

a hostile donor. These two forms can be distinguished by their results. If the hero

obtains an agent, for the purpose of further searching, as the result of an unfriendly

encounter, this would be the element of the First function of the donor. On the

other hand, the hero receives through victory the very object of his quest.

The previous function is followed by Branding or Marking. This occurs

when the hero is branded with a wound or scar either from a villain or a princess

who awakens him before the fight by making a small wound in his cheek with a

knife.

After that is Victory. This is when the villain is defeated. The hero wins

against his opponent. This is followed by Liquidation of Initial Misfortune. This

14
function, together with Villainy, constitutes a pair. The narrative reaches its peak

in this function. Here, the hero resolves the dilemma brought by the villain.

Return is the subsequent function. It is when the hero returns home where

sometimes its natural way is fleeing. Afterwards, there is the function Pursuit or

Chase, it is the pursuer flies after the hero. This will be followed by Rescue, this is

the rescue of the hero from pursuit wherein he is carried away through the air from

his pursuer. The hero is rescued from without.

The function Unrecognized Arrival then follows. This is when the hero

arrives home or in another country unrecognized. Then there will be the function

Unfounded Claims, it is the false hero presents unfolded claims. If the hero arrives

home, the false claims are presented by others like his brothers. To resolve the said

function, the next function termed as Difficult Task immediately occurs. This is

where a difficult task is proposed to the hero. Consequently, the function Solution

follows when the hero resolves the difficult task.

After Solution, Recognition follows. Here, the hero is recognized by a

mark, a brand or a thing given to him. In this case, recognition serves as a function

corresponding to branding and marking. The hero is also recognized by his

accomplishment of a difficult task. This is almost always preceded by an

unrecognized arrival. Finally, the hero may be recognized immediately after a long

period of separation. In the latter case, parents and children or brothers and sisters,

may recognize one another.

15
 Then, there will be Exposure. This function is connected with the one

preceding. Sometimes it is the result of an uncompleted task such as the false hero

cannot lift the dragon’s heads.

The function Transfiguration occurs after the above mentioned one. The

hero is given a new appearance directly affected by means of the magical action of

a helper. The hero passes through the ears of an animal and receives a new,

handsome appearance.

Next, is the function Punishment. Usually only the villain of the second

move and the false hero are punished, while the first villain is punished only in

those cases in which a battle and pursuit are absent from the story. Otherwise, he is

killed in battle or perishes during the pursuit.

Lastly, as Propp cites that the ending of almost every Russian fairy tales is

the function Wedding. The hero is married and ascends the throne. Sometimes the

hero simply marries without obtaining a throne, since his bride is not a princess.

With his work, Propp inspired Lévi-Strauss (2005) to analyze the Oedipus Rex

myth in a manner which is truly structuralist and uses a linguistic model. He later

called the unit of myth as mythemes. They are organized in binary oppositions like

the basic linguistic units. He believed that this linguistic model will uncover the

basic structure of the human mind – the structure which governs the way human

being shape all their institutions, artifacts, and forms of knowledge.

Greimas (2008) offered an elegant streamlining of Propp’s theory. He

arrived at the universal grammar of narrative by applying a semantic analysis of

16
sentence structure. He came up with three pairs of binary oppositions and termed

them as six roles or actants: Subject/Object, Sender/Receiver, and

Helper/Opponent. These pairs describe three basic patterns which perhaps recur in

all narrative: desire, search, or aim (Subject/Object), communication

(Sender/Receiver), and Auxillary support or hindrance (Helper/Opponent).

Fischer (2007) is also influenced by Propp when he analyzed the

sociopsychological structure of folktales which involves the study of the relations

between the first of these systems and the other two. This includes the tale itself

that is considered as connected and rather tightly structured discourse, the modal

personality of the typical audience-narrator group for the tale, and the social

system relevant to the tale including not only that segment of the society in which

are found the active and passive participants in the tale but the pattern of the whole

society.

As one of the most celebrated writings in comparative mythology, Joseph

Campbell (2008) stressed his theory that the important myths from around the

world which have survived for thousand years all share a fundamental structure,

which he called the monomyth. In laying the monomyth, he cited three-part stages

or steps along the hero’s journey.

The first part is the Departure which consists The Call to Adventure,

Refusal of the Call, Supernatural Aid, The Crossing of the First Threshold, and

The Belly of the Whale. This part deals with the setting of the hero’s journey

17
before he enters a whole new world full of trials and struggles. The Call to

Adventure is an incident in which the adventure can begin. Refusal of the Call is

where the hero refuses to answer the call to adventure. Supernatural Aid is for

those who have not refused the call, the first encounter of the hero-journey is with

a protective figure who provides the adventurer with amulets against the negative

forces he is about to pass. The Crossing of the Threshold is about the

personifications of his destiny to guide and aid him, the hero goes forward in his

adventure until he comes to the threshold guardian at the entrance to the zone of

magnified power. The Belly of the Whale is the idea that the passage of the

magical threshold is a transit into a sphere of rebirth is symbolized in the

worldwide womb image of the belly of the whale. The hero, instead of conquering

or conciliating the power of the threshold, is swallowed into the unknown, and

would appear to have died.

The second part is Initiation comprised with The Road of Trials, The

Meeting with the Goddess, Woman as the Temptress, Atonement with the Father,

Apotheosis, and The Ultimate Boon. The Road of Trials is where the hero moves

in a journey where he must survive a succession of trials. The Meeting with the

Goddess occurs when ultimate adventure is commonly represented as a mystical

marriage of the triumphant hero-soul with the Queen Goddess of the World.

Woman as Temptress is the marriage with the queen represents the hero's total

mastery of life; for the woman is life, the testing of the hero, which were

preliminary to his ultimate experience were symbolical of those crises in realizing

18
his consciousness. Atonement with the Father is the event wherein the hero

experiences being at one with the only Father, the creator. Apotheosis is the hero’s

achievement of godlike being as pattern of the divine state to which the human

hero attains who has gone beyond the last terrors of ignorance. The Ultimate Boon

is where the hero gathers the fruits of his struggles, may it be magic, object, or

throne.

The third and last part is Return. It is consisted of Refusal of the Return,

The Magic Flight, Rescue from Without, The Crossing of the Return Threshold,

Master of the Two Worlds, Freedom to Live. Refusal of the Return is when the

hero refuses to go home after his triumph from a different world. The Magic Flight

is the flight that may be complicated by marvels of magical obstruction and

evasion back home of the hero after ignoring the idea of The Refusal of the

Return; this commonly becomes a pursuit in trying to keep his boon from demon

guardians of the threshold. Rescue from Without is where the hero has to be

rescued by an outside force and pulled back into the world because he do not want

to return and at other times, he do not know he is willing to share the boon till

someone puts the idea into his head. The Crossing of the Return Threshold is

when he accomplishes his adventure, or again is simply lost, imprisoned, or in

danger. His return is described as a coming back out of that yonder zone. Masters

of the Two Worlds completes the journey out and back in. The hero is now a

master of both the domestic and alien worlds and can pass over the threshold

between the two without further trial. Lastly, Freedom to live means having

19
conquered the demons without and within, the hero has earned the right to live life

as they please.

One of the most important contributors to the development of Structuralism

is Leemings. Like Campbell, he is also related to the identification of structures

endowed from mythology. He stressed that mythology has its own metaphor

which became idioms of the unknown that man must decipher. The myths he

presented spoke of the most fundamental human experience, a part of Campbell

called the wonderful song of the soul's high adventure. He arranged eight-part

events of the monomyth.

Part one deals with The Miraculous Conception and Birth and the Hiding of

the Child. In this event, the hero begins his high adventure by being born. The

conception or the birth or the events immediately following the birth are

miraculous or unusual in the extreme. This is not surprising. For all humans birth

is the first experience of trauma and the first miracle of life. For the hero who will

burst through the limitations of the local and historical, this first event, like all the

events in his life, must be special.

Part two expounds on Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs wherein

childhood is considered as a stage of basic initiation. The child is suddenly aware

of forces infinitely larger than himself which he cannot fully comprehend. In

myth, this is expressed by struggles with wild animals or with giants in a sense

that to little children, all adults must be giants, friendly or cruel. To get through

this stage, the child often requires outside assistance—a sense of security based in

20
a more powerful being. Mythically, this often becomes the divine sign. The

modern individual seeking to achieve a mythic consciousness must work through

this primitive but idyllic stage of existence.

Part three is composed of Preparation, Meditation, Withdrawal and Refusal

in which the initiated hero withdraws for meditation and preparation. Anyone in

search of personal destiny must use intellect and spirit to find the god within the

self. This is a major step in the losing of the self to find the self. Often the hero,

like any individual in this stage, is tempted by the world, which is represented

mythically by a devil figure who attempts to disrupt the lonely vigil.

Next, is the Part four which is characterized by Trial and Quest. The quest

or trial comes in the form of agony and rewards of adult life. For the hero, this

might be a quest for a Golden Fleece or a Holy Grail, or it might be the labors of a

Heracles or a Christ. The source of these myths is man's need to cope with the

externals of life, as he has coped with the internals in his stage of meditation.

The hardship or the quest continue essentially in Part five termed as Death

and the Scapegoat. At this stage, where the hero must confront physical death. For

the hero, death, like birth, is miraculous or unusual. As his birth is definitive in the

extreme, so is his death apparent. Often he is dismembered. In death, the hero acts

psychologically for the benefit of the majority. He becomes a scapegoat for

people’s fear and guilt. He also serves as a reminder that everyone must follow his

undertaking. In any case it is important that his death be memorable

21
 Part six signifies The Descent to the Underworld. The hero continues his

role as scapegoat and his role as quester or laborer. He is now the representative of

the wish that death might somehow be known and understood. So he descends to

the underworld to confront the forces of death. Sometimes he goes as one who has

suffered physical death, sometimes as a living being who in his descent suffers a

symbolic death. In a sense this stage is a more dramatic expression of the

withdrawal stage. It is the final confrontation of the self—now on a cosmological

level—with its depths. But the dismemberment and the descent into the earth hold

promise of a new life. Fertility and death are inseparable in the cycle of nature,

whether that cycle be expressed by the seasons, the moon, or the sun. And

logically enough the hero, usually with the help of a woman representing both

fertility and the hope of the eventual union of all things ascends from the

underworld.

Part seven illustrates the Resurrection and Rebirth. Continuing in his role as

scapegoat, the hero rises from the dead. He thus acts out humankind's most

elementary desire—he physically overcomes death and is united with the natural

cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Lastly, Part eight deals with Ascension, Apotheosis, and Atonement

wherein the hero reflects a later desire, to be given special treatment by being

taken out of the cycle and placed in a permanent state in relation to the cosmos and

to the creator-father god. Man longs for eternal life or for immortality. Thus, the

hero in this part ascends to heaven, achieves atonement, or is made a god himself

22
if he was not one. In a purely psychological sense this is the individual's final step.

Having dealt with his childhood, his inner self, his adult life, and the problem of

death, he is prepared to discover God once and for all. The wonderful song of the

soul's high adventure is complete.

An additional concern of Structuralism is the Dramatist Personae or the

Type of Characters involved in each narrative function drawn from the selected

folktales. A prominent theory in creating compelling character is proposed by

Pullman (2008). This method suggests that there is a general, adaptable way to

create characters. It used traits and situations to develop literary characters. In

creating compelling characters, Pullman cited nine types of characters, namely:

Protagonist, Confidant (feminine, confidante), Antagonist, Foil, Stock, Dynamic,

Static, Flat, and Round character.

Protagonist is the focal point in which any given story revolves. He is faced

with a conflict that must be resolved but he may not necessarily be of good

character at all times. As support for the role of the protagonist, the confidant, for

male figure or confidante, its female counterpart, is a character in a story that the

protagonist confides in, trusts, and asks for help. Sometimes, the confidant aids the

protagonist with initiative and does not need to hear the protagonist ask for help.

While the antagonist represents the opposition against which the

protagonist must contend. In other words, the antagonist is an obstacle that the

protagonist must overcome. In accordance with the antagonist goal, a foil is any

23
character or an important supporting character whose personal qualities contrast

with another character usually the protagonist.

Stock character are the character who have become conventional or

stereotypical through repeated use in particular types of stories. It is usually

represented by kings, princesses, wise old man, fairy god mothers, and the likes.

Pullman described dynamic character as a person who changes over time,

usually as a result of resolving a central conflict or facing a major crisis. While

Static character is someone who does not change over time; his or her personality

does not transform or evolve. As for rounded character, Pullman cited it is anyone

who has a complex personality; often portrayed as a conflicted and contradictory

person and flat character has a notable personality for it only possesses one kind of

personality trait or characteristic.

Another priority of the discipline of the structuralism is to describe the

Transitivity Profiles of the dramatis personae involved in a given narrative. A

systemic functional linguistics (SFL) approach was proposed by M. A. K. Halliday

(2010) to establish a method of analyzing the transitivity profile. This approach

deals with the description of the transitivity system that functions as one of the

clause analysis methods in an ideational function of language. In Transitivity

analysis, Halliday cited three components, namely: processes which deals with

kind of event, participants which describes the entities involved in each process

24
such as the actor, sayer, senser, and the circumstances which specifies the when,

where, why and how of the process. Halliday also divided the system of

transitivity or process types into six processes, namely: material, mental,

relational, behavioral, verbal, and existential.

Research Literature

This part examines the various related studies which dealt with the use of

Structural Approaches in interpreting various materials. The researchers were

enlightened by these studies and enabled them to discover the essence and

effectiveness of Structuralism in teaching writing and cultural study as well.

Divya (2011) examined narrative strategies employed in feature films

accomplish the dual role of entertainment-education to shape social reality

surrounding health issues. He also illuminated how a coherent HIV/AIDS

narrative is woven into cinematic artifacts laden with specific cultural values,

beliefs and practices. As narratives are transmitted through various media and

consumed within a culture through storytelling, so are the values and beliefs that

guide behavior. He applied Proppian Approach to analyze films containing

HIV/AIDS messages. He employed a cross-cultural study design to investigate

films in four different languages. The films were Longtime Companion, All About

My Mother, Yesterday and Mirugam in English, Spanish, Zulu and Tamil

respectively.

25
 Opheim (2010) identified two major common features found in all the

books. He noted that the structure of fantasy resembles the structure found in fairy

tales. Many of Propp’s functions could be applied to the fantasy genre. Some

functions were present in all the books. His study also realized that some functions

were classified into different circumstances.

Bordwell (2007) criticized television programs using Propp’s approach. He

concluded that American television was remarkably structured as Russian

fairytales and that Stories were governed by a set of unwritten rules acquired by all

storytellers and receivers, much the way people acquire the basic rules of

grammar.

Nakajima (2013) analyzed the prototyping and subsequent production of a

digital narrative experience utilizing the theories of Propp. The prototype

examined the theories detailed in Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale. He

implemented Propp’s narrative functions according to a general scheme,

connected by connectives. His prototype dynamically generated narratives

according to this scheme. His research concluded that there were advantages in

applying Propp-based system of narrative generation. Propp-based narratives were

better than what other digital narratives produced such as hypertext.

Zhang (2006) concluded that although Propp‘s work appeared much earlier

than Campbell’s, his analysis of plot typology in Russian folktales corresponded

with Campbell‘s monomyth and with Jung‘s ideas of the collective unconscious

26
that was discernable in mythology. Propp studied the narrative functions, while

Jung and Campbell focused on the archetypes and meaning, to come to a

conclusion that everyone in the world was born with the same basic subconscious

model of what a hero, a mentor, or a quest is, even though they did not speak the

same language.

Hammond (2011) applied concepts from Propp’s model of the narrative

structure of fairy tales to a story authoring tool for children. He developed a

computer story authoring application based on Propp’s morphology and evaluated

this through empirical studies with children. Using the Propp-based authoring tool

that is presented in his study, children were able to grasp Propp’s abstract concepts

and apply them to their own story writing. The use of a story authoring tool based

on Propp’s morphology improved some aspects of the narrative structure of the

stories written by children, and children reported that they enjoyed using the tool

and felt it was helpful to their story writing. This study laid the foundation and

identified the methods for further study of children’s appropriation of narrative

structure by constructing stories using a story authoring tool based on Propp’s

morphology.

Samuels (2006) examined the Russian piece The White Duck using the

fusion of Proppian Approach and Feminist Criticism. She narrated how the said

text follows the format Propp had enumerated and how the world sees women as

naïve and illogical ones and men as polygamous ones which affect the progression

27
of any story. She concluded that these are the types of things writers inject into

children’s minds at a young age as they were the major audience of fairy tales.

Synthesis

In this portion, the researchers analyzed the ideas and concepts learned

from the present readings and their relevance to the present study. This

summarizes the conceptual and research literature mentioned, and discussed the

similarities and differences of the present study to the previous studies that have

been examined. The ideas gleaned from the conceptual literature were found very

useful for the in-depth analysis of the present study.

The narrative structures proposed by Propp, Campbell and Leemings were

utilized as basis for describing the narrative functions drawn from selected

folktales. Pullman’s nine types of compelling characters served as basis for

classifying the dramatis personae involved in each narrative function. Meanwhile,

Halliday’s systematic functional linguistic was used in describing the transitivity

process associated to each dramatis personae.

There are similarities found among the studies of Samuels, Zhang,

Bordwell, Hammond, Divya, Opheim, Nakajima and in the present study in terms

of using the Proppian-based approach. However, the present study differs from the

previous studies for it did not only use Propp’s structure of narratives as basis of

analysis but combined it with other approaches such as those of Campbell and

Leemings which is similar with Samuels who also used other approach such as

Gender Criticism.

28
 The studies of Bordwell, Divya, and Nakajima utilized electronic and

audio-visual materials such as computer software, television programs, and feature

films as materials for structural analysis. In contrast, the present study analyzed

local folktales to describe their structural and linguistic features.

The difference of the present study with the previous studies is that the

present study did not only use Propp’s theory combined with other narrative

structures proposed by Campbell and Leemings but also utilized the transitivity

process associated with the dramatis personae involved in a given narrative

function to identify the local features of selected Filipino folktales in Batangas. In

addition, the past studies focused on canonical works while the present study

analyzed three selected folktales in the Philippines limited to the home region of

the researchers.

With the fusion of Structural, Pullman’s, and SFL approach, there was no

doubt that the researchers came up with objective and specific interpretations, for

all the aforementioned methods are logical and systematic in nature. Also, each

method focused on structures and units which are beneficial in establishing the

identity of the narratives in Batangas and its cultural heritage.

Theoretical Framework

This study described the structure of selected folktales in Batangas by

examining their narrative functions, the dramatis personae involved in each

function and the transitivity process associated with each dramatis personae. This

is anchored on the structuralist narrative theory advocated by Todorov (Selden et

29
al., 2005). This theory develops from elementary linguistic analogies that illustrate

syntax or the rules of sentence construction as the basic model of narrative rules.

As applied in narratives, a sentence composed of the subject and its

predicator serves as the core of an episode or even an entire tale. This entails that

each event of a narrative plot may be deduced to a single sentence which will

serve as a narrative function. A narrative function is represented by a sentence

having a subject which denotes a typical character such as a hero or villain, and a

predicate which exemplifies a typical action associated with the subject of the

sentence.

A whole corpus of tales is constructed upon the same basic set of thirty-one

functions that describe the morphemes of a given narrative. Propp year stresses

that each morphemes of given actions which form the narrative and follow a

logical sequence such as hero punishes the villain, is married, and ascends to the

throne. This is governed by the core of the narrative which is again a sentence with

the character acting as subject and an action associated with the nature of the

subject and regarded as a predicator.

In analyzing the structure of a narrative such as folktale, it is important to

trim the plot into sentences and examine them closely to describe the narrative

progression of the relationship of each event to one another. This would only be

possible by conducting an in-depth analysis of the characters or dramatis personae

who caused the action in each event. By describing the structure of a folktale, one

30
can identify its unique features which distinguish this from the narratives of other

cultures leading to a heightened literary appreciation as the former explores his

cultural heritage gleaned from the narrative that have been analyzed.

Conceptual Framework

This part illustrates the flow and the process of the study. A paradigm is

presented to provide information on how the researchers conducted the study. It

also serves as the framework of this research work.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Selected Folktales Structural analysis of

from Batangas the selected folktales
employing Propp’s,
 Juan and His Campbell’s, and
Adventures as Leemings’ Narrative
narrated by José Theories.
Ma. Katigbak;

 The Story of
Classifying the
Carancal as
Dramatis Personae
narrated by José
Involved in each
P. Caedo; and Implications to
Narrative Function
using Gary Philippine
Pullman’s Creating narratology and to
 Juan and Compelling the instruction of
Clotilde as Characters Creative Writing
narrated by courses
Vicente Hilario
Analysis of the
Functional
Transitivity
31
Processes Exhibited
by the Dramatis
Personae Involved in
 Figure 1

Paradigm of the Study

Figure 1 illustrates the various processes that aid the researchers in

identifying the narrative functions exposed in selected folktales in Batangas and

determining their structure which served as a basis in identifying the unique

features of folktales in Batangas.

The first box presents the input of the study which is composed of the

selected folktales from Batangas and used as the subject of this study. The Tagalog

folktales are Juan and His Adventures as narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, The

32
Story of Carancal as narrated by José P. Caedo, and Juan and Clotilde as narrated

by Vicente Hilario. These were read in depth taking into consideration the

narrative functions presented in each story. Meanwhile, the dramatis personae and

how they acted in each story were also analyzed according to their importance in

the progression of each narrative function.

The second box expounds the processes of the study. In determining the

narrative functions found in each selected story, the researchers extracted the core

of each tale using the Structuralist Approach and guided by the proposed narrative

structure from Propp, Campbell, and Leemings. In identifying the dramatist

personae involved in each function, the researchers used Gary Pullman’s Creating

Compelling Characters as their basis in classifying the character involved in each

narrative function. As for addressing the transitivity process exhibited by each

dramatis personae involved in a certain narrative function, the researchers utilized

Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach to identify the transitivity

processes dominant in each narrative function.

Having the noble goal of redefining literature instruction, the input and the

process boxes are directed towards the output box. The result of the study served

as a basis for the researchers in identifying the unique features of narrative in

Batangas. Moreover, the result would also help language instructors in providing

models for narratives while teaching Creative Writing courses. This would help

the students to have a deeper concept about literature and to develop their utmost

33
appreciation of their cultural heritage and their identity as Filipinos. This would

motivate them to be productive and efficient members of the society.

Hypothesis

The study did not test any hypothesis for it is purely a descriptive one.

Definition of Terms

To facilitate understanding of the study, the researchers listed terms which

are defined conceptually and operationally. They are arranged alphabetically.

Dramatis Personae. This refers to the characters or a list of characters in a

play or story (Feist et al., 2009). In this study, it denotes the characters involved in

the selected stories.

Folktales. It is a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people

or folk, especially one forming part of theoral tradition of the common people

(Aarne et al.,, 2006). In this study, the term applies the selected stories in Batangas

and served as the subject of the study.

Functions. A concept employed in structuralist literary theory as to which

language can be directed, or as an action contributing towards the development of

a narrative (Feist et al., 2009). In this study, this is the events that occur as result

of the characters’ motives and actions.

34
 Narratology. It refers to the branch of knowledge or literary criticism that

deals with the structure and function of narrative and its themes, conventions, and

symbols (Feist et al., 2009). In this study, this term suggests the trend of literature

narration exclusive to Batangas as subject of this research.

Structure. This term refers to the construction, the syntax, or the

morphology of a narrative (Propp, 2005). In this study, it signifies the sequence of

events that constitute the selected folktales.

Transitivity Process. It is normally understood as the grammatical feature

which indicates if a verb takes a direct object (Halliday, 2010). In this study, it

pertains to the relationship of the verb to its doer and to its direct object.

35
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter deals with the research design, subject of the study, research

instrument, data gathering procedures and statistical treatment of data depicted in

three selected folktales from Batangas.

Research Design

This study identified the common structure of selected folktales from

Batangas and described their narrative features based on how the stories were

constructed. This study utilized the documentary analysis type of research. It

described the structure of previous documents which are the stories originated

from Batangas. This study allowed the researchers to systematically explore in

36
written documents and described certain properties, structures or characteristics

that are evident.

The method of documentary analysis enables the researcher to include large

amounts of textual information and systematically identify its properties.

Researchers quantify and analyze the presence, meanings and relationships of such

words and concepts, then make inferences about the messages within the texts, the

writer, the audience and even the culture and time of which these are a part.

(Picciano, 2005).

The researchers deemed this method appropriate to use for they examined

the narrative functions, dramatis personae and the transitivity process presented in

the three selected folktales from Batangas which exists in Philippine Literature and

identified the common structure in each story. The researchers also determined its

implications to Philippine narratology and in teaching Creative Writing courses.

Subject of the Study

This research work dealt with three selected folktales from Batangas

province which exists in Philippine narratology. The researchers used the Project

Guttenberg Ebook of Filipino Popular Tales which is collected and edited with

comparative notes by Dean S. Fansler as their reference. This anthology contains

the most popular folktales in the Philippines during the years from 1908 to 1914

37
which have not appeared in print before and this was released last December 09,

2008 by the American Folklore Society.

The researchers found that there are 74 folktales in Dean S. Fansler

compilation of Filipino Popular Tales. These published collection of folktales are

originated in nine different Christian provinces in the Philippines; eleven in

Pampanga, sixteen in Batangas, seventeen in Laguna, five in Rizal, eight in

Mindanao, four in Bicol, seven in Pangasinan, three in Catanduanes and three in

Ilocos.

The folktales from Pampanga are Suan’s Good Luck, Suac and His

Adventures, Juan Manalaksan, Juan Wearing the Monkey’s Skin, How Salaksak

Became Rich, Is He the Crafty Ulysses? The Devil and the Guachinango, Juan and

Maria, Tomarind and the Wicked Datu, Sagacious Marcela and Ruined Because of

Invidiousness. Thus, the folktales from Batangas are The Story of Carancal, The

King’s Decision, The Manglalabas, The Story of Zaragoza, Juan the Peerless

Robber, Lucas the Strong, Strong Juan and His Six Companions, The King and the

Dervish, Juan and his Adventures, The Golden Lock, The Woman and

Her Coles Plant, The Fate of an Envious Woman, Juan and Clotilde, The

Miraculous Cow, The Charcoal-Maker Who Become King and Juan the Poor

Who Became the King.

38
 There are also folktales from Laguna and these are King Tasio, Pablo and

the Princess, Legend of Prince Oswaldo, Lucas the Rope-Maker, The Mysterious

Book The Two Friends, Juan the Orphan, The Reward Of Kindness , An Act of

Kindness, The Servant of Emilio Chonguita, Who is the Nearest Relative?, The

Three Humpbacks, Alberto and the Monsters Maria and the Golden Slipper, The

Denied Mother and Clever Juan and Envious Diego. Hence, there are also

folktales coming from Pangasinan. These are The Seven Crazy Fellows, The Story

of King Kalmarin, Three Brothers of Fortune, The Golden Rule, The Magic Ring, 

Juan the Poor,  Andres the Trapper and Abadeja .

Aside from the folktales mentioned above, there are also folktales coming

from Rizal, Mindanao, Bicol, Catanduanes and Ilocos. These are the folktales

Suan Eket, How Suan Became Rich, The Poor Man and his Three Sons ,The rich

and the poor, and Respect Old Age from Rizal, The Four Blind Brothers,The

Three Brothers, The Prince’s Dream  The Indolent Husband A Negrito Slave, The

Monkey and Juan and Pusong Tambi-Tambi from Mindanao, Teofilo the

Hunchback and the Giant Juan, The Buringcantada The Enchanted Prince and 

The Wicked Woman’s Reward from Bicol, The Four Blind , Pedro and Satan,

Pedro and the Witch from Catanduanes and The Three Brothers, Cochinango and

Juan Sadut from Ilocos.

From the stories mentioned, the researchers found out 16 stories matching

in the category needed. They read, examined, re-examined and have an in- depth

39
analysis of the said stories by detailing the instances where the narrative functions

were found. Based on the data extracted by the researchers, they only chose the

most appropriate stories to be used. The researchers worked in the stories, “Juan

and His Adventures,” as narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a Tagalog from Lipa,

Batangas, “The Story of Carancal,” as narrated by José P. Caedo, a Tagalog from

Batangas, Batangas and “Juan and Clotilde,” as narrated by Vicente Hilario, a

Tagalog, who heard the story from an old man living in Batangas.

Research Instrument

To facilitate analysis on the narrative functions, dramatis personae and

transitivity process drawn in each story, the researchers made use of five structural

theories proposed by prominent figures in Structuralism as the instrument of this

research. These are the theories proposed by Joseph Campbell, Vladimir Propp,

Adam Leemings, Gary Pullman and M.A.K Halliday.

This research work used Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth which named the

nuclear unit of monomyth as : Departure – Initiation - Return, Vladimmir Propp’s

theory of Russian Fairytales which has 31 funcions as stated : Absentation,

Interdiction, Violation of Interdiction, Reconnaissance, Trickery, Complicity,

Villainy or Lack, Mediation, Beginning Counteraction, Departure, First Function

40
of the Donor, Hero’s Reaction, Receipt of a Magical Agent, Guidance, Struggle,

Branding, Victory, Liquidation, Return, Pursuit, Rescue, Unrecognized Arrival,

Unfounded Claims, Difficult Task, Solution, Recognition, Exposure,

Transfiguration, Punishment, Wedding, and David Adam Leeming’s Eight Part

Events of Monomyth: The Miraculous Conception and Birth and the Hiding of the

Child: Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs: Preparation, Meditation,

Withdrawal and Refusal: Trial and Quest: The descent to the Underworld:

Resurrection and Rebirth: Ascension, Apotheosis, and Atonement as the basis in

determining the narrative functions drawn in each story according to the narrative

functions explicited in the aforementioned theories.

To figure out the dramatis personae in each narrative function, the

researchers made use of Gary Pullman’s Creating Compelling Characters. There

are nine types of dramatis personae or characters involved in a specific story

which are the Protagonist, Antagonist, Confidant (male) or Confidante (female),

Foil, Flat, Round, Static, Dynamic, Stereotypical, and Stock character. However,

the researchers only used the five main types of characters which are the

Protagonist, Antagonist, Confidant or Confidante, Foil and Stock as they named

and enumerated the dramatis personae involved in the narrative functions drawn in

the three selected folktales from Batangas which is subject of this research study.

Moreover, to find out the transitivity process which is dominantly exhibited

by the dramatis personae involved in each story, the researchers made use of M. A.

K. Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach. As cited in this

41
approach, there are six transitivity processes namely: material, mental, relational,

verbal, existential, and behavioral.

Data Gathering Procedure

The availability and the appropriateness of materials were the primary

consideration in selecting the folktales to be used in the study. Since the

researchers are from Batangas, they looked for the list of folktales from Batangas

which exists in Philippine Literature in books and internet. Upon searching, they

found out the most comprehensive and convenient reference in selecting the

folktales. The researchers made used of the Project Guttenberg Ebook of Filipino

Popular Tales which is collected and edited with comparative notes by Dean S.

Fansler as their reference. Fansler’s life was interwoven with the Philippines for

several years. His anthology contains the most popular folktales in the Philippines

during the years from 1908 to 1914 which have not appeared in print before and

this was released last December 09, 2008 by the American Folklore Society,

the US-based professional association for folklorist.

Dean S. Fansler’s Filipino Popular Tales provided English translation of the

Filipino tales rather than in vernacular since Fansler wants to present them in the

most convenient way for the readers. The published collection is further limited to

the Christian Filipino provinces and does not include materials from the Pagan or

Muslim groups. The published folktales came from nine ethnolinguistic groups:

42
Tagalog, Bikol, Pangasinan, Iloko, Zambali, Hiligaynon, Sugbuanon, and Samar-

Leyte, and divisions of Visayan. 

The researchers found out 74 folktales in Fansler’s anthology. They

examined the stories and they located folktales coming from respective places in

Batangas. They found out 16 folktales which considered Batangas as their

etymology. Although there are 16 folktales matching in the category needed, the

researchers selected the three most appropriate stories to be used in the study as

they read, examined, re-examined and analyzed the instances in each story.

In conducting this study the researchers followed a process under the

influence of Structuralism as proposed by Propp, Campbell, and Leemings. After

the careful and in-depth reading of the three selected folktales from the province of

Batangas, the researchers then analyzed their structure by taking consideration the

functions or events cited by the above mentioned Structuralists.

For the analysis of the folktales, the researchers based upon the narrative

functions cited which is done in a matrix form. The researchers checked a given

function exhibited from the stories used as subject for this study. The logic behind

the use of matrix was it aimed to reveal the dominant functions similar to each said

stories. The use of matrix was to give the researchers a systematic and organize

view towards the structure of the selected stories. Consequently, the identified

43
functions out of this matrix described the narratives in Batangas and the culture

and tradition it speaks of.

After analyzing the narrative functions from the selected folktales, the

researchers then analyzed the dramatis personae or characters involved in a

specific narrative function of a given folktale. Like that of the first process, it was

done in a matrix form where the characters that appeared in each function for

every folktale studied were presented. The researchers did so to determine which

type of dramatis personae contribute in the occurrence of a specific narrative

function as the given folktale progressed. The researchers also believed that using

the matrix helped them to conclude how the different dramatis personae involved

in the studied folktales mirror the traits of the people in Batangas.

As soon as the researchers had examined the dramatis personae involved in

each narrative function, they analyzed the transitivity process which the dramatis

personae dominantly exhibited in each narrative function. This is also done in a

matrix form under the principle of Halliday’s Transitivity Process. The matrix

served the purpose of the researchers to derive the formula present in the

occurrence of each function or why such events happen in the story. In applying

Halliday’s Transitivity process, the researchers can objectively identified the

characters profile and how it could affect the progression of the story with regards

in their involvement in each function.

44
 To ensure the accurateness of the findings, the researchers re-examined the

narrative functions, dramatis personae and the transitivity processes that they have

found. This helps the researchers to come up with a list of functions that best

described the structure of the folktales and build a basis in describing the

narratives in Batangas. The findings of this study could also foresee the

possibilities of its contribution in enhancing the instruction of Literature in the

Basic Education and in Creative Writing Courses.

Statistical Treatment of Data

In the analysis of the three selected folktales, the researchers did not apply

any statistical treatment but instead a literary analysis was used. Structuralist

Approach was used in depth analysis of the folktales since the structure which was

found dominant functioned as the common structure. By applying this approach,

the focus of the analysis was on the structure of the folktales mentioned earlier

which are from Batangas and exist in Philippine Literature.

45
 Chapter IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the data gathered together with its corresponding

analysis and interpretation. The data gathered are presented in tabular form

organized in sequential manner which resembles the order of presentation of the

specific problems posed in Chapter I.

1. Common Narrative Functions of the Selected Folktales from Batangas

In this portion, the narrative functions gleaned in each selected folktales

from Batangas were presented. Guided by the light of the theories proposed by

Propp, Campbell, and Leemings who are considered as prominent icons in the

46
field of Structuralism, the researchers analyzed the selected texts using Structural

Approach to identify the common narrative functions in the selected folktales.

They enumerated the events important to the progression of each presented

folktale and carefully examined each. Through a critical examination of the events

in each selected folktale, the researchers were able to extract and classify the

narrative functions present in Batangas folktales as described by the

aforementioned icons in Structuralism.

The succeeding tables show the narrative functions gleaned from

Katigbak’s Juan and His Adventures, Caedo’s The Story of Carancal, and

Hilario’s Juan and Clotilde. The narrative functions branded with an asterisk (*)

are originally coined by the researchers to supplement those functions which are

not present among the studies of those cited structuralists. Nevertheless, the

following functions are based from the principles of Propp, Campbell, and

Leemings - the three prominent icons in Structuralism to describe the progression

of the examined folktales.

1.1 Juan and His Adventure as narrated by Jose Ma. Katigbak

This folktale is about a boy named Juan who dared to leave the comfort of

his parents’ guidance and shelter upon discovering the abduction of his three

sisters as a result of his father’s trouble with an enchanted snake before the time

Juan was born. As he went on to look for his sisters, he eventually found them

with their good husbands. Just as he was off to return home, he found himself into

47
another adventure of saving another country’s dilemma of their stolen princess.

Juan encountered many obstacles which his brothers-in-law willingly helped him

and succeeded altogether.

Table 1 presents the narrative functions gleaned from Katigbak’s Juan

and His Adventures. Each narrative function is described by the events from

the said folktale.

Table 1

Narrative Functions of Katigbak’s Juan and His Adventure

Events Narrative Functions

Pedro earned their living by selling the leaves of the magical tree. *Synergy
A snake came out after Pedro cut down the tree. *Dissonance
The enchanted snake gave punishment to Pedro. Trickery
Pedro’s three daughters agreed to be brought to the snake. Complicity
Each of the three girls gave her mother a handkerchief as a First Function of the Donor
remembrance.
The sisters of Juan disappeared. Absentation
Juan was born to the old couple. Miraculous Conception
and Birth
Juan discovered that her sisters were taken away by snake. Preparation, Mediation,
Withdrawal and Refusal
Juan asked permission to search for his three daughters. Beginning Counter-Action
Juan was permitted and went to the mountains. Departure
Juan received three articles from the three boys who were quarrelling *Second Function of
over the possession. Donor
Juan flew with the magical agent. Provision or Receipt of a
Magical Agent
Juan opened the door inside the cave. Crossing of the First
Threshold
Juan was not recognized by her sister. Unrecognized Arrival
Juan showed the handkerchief to his sister. Branding
The king of the lion, his brother-in-law pointed where his other sisters Spatial Transparence
were. between Two Kingdoms
The three brother-in-laws of Juan promised to aid him whenever he Liquidation of Initial
needed. Misfortune
The king offered his wealth and his daughter’s hand to anybody who Call to Adventure
could save the princess

48
Juan used the three articles to look for princess. Beginning Counter-Action
Juan used the key to enter giant’s cave. *Crossing of the Second
Threshold
Juan remained near the princess until the giant went away. Meeting with the Goddess
Juan flew away with the princess. Rescue
Giant stole back the princess.
Juan went to his brother-in-law for help.
The king of the eagles the solution to kill the giant.
Road of Trials
The king of the fishes to fetch the box for Juan’s request.
The king of the lions willingly opened the box for Juan.
The king of the eagles caught the bird from the box for Juan.
Juan was startled by the giant that he crushed the egg and killed the *Indirect Struggle
bird.
The giant fell on its back and Juan carried the princess back to the *Liquidation of Second
palace. Misfortune
Juan was married to princess and ascends the throne. Wedding
Juan visited his parents and told them all about his adventures. Return
Juan took his parents to his own kingdom. Reward

As manifested in table 1, Synergy is the first narrative function appeared in

folktale. This narrative function refers to the established relationship between the

characters of Pedro the father of Juan and the enchanted snake. It is followed by

the function Dissonance which pertains to the established gap between the

connections of Pedro’s family to the magical tree after cutting it down in order to

get all the money he could acquire from it. Consequently, the function Trickery

became visible when the snake acted directly by asking Pedro’s daughters custody

as an act punishment for his ungratefulness. Complicity was the next narrative

function found in the story when Pedro submitted to the snake’s deception. He

agreed to the snake and brought his three daughters to the enchanted snake.

The narrative function First Function of Donor appeared next when the

mother received a handkerchief from her three daughters which will later play a

49
vital part in the progression of this folktale. The next function Absentation came

out when the three sisters of Juan disappeared as soon as they reached the snake’s

territory located at the foot of the mountain. This loss of the family is the first lack

in this folktale which the Protagonist will resolve.

Then there is the narrative function Miraculous Conception and Birth. Juan

was born with miraculous and unusual attributes when in fact his parents were too

old to have a baby. After a long time, it is followed by the narrative function

Mediation when Juan discovered that his sisters were taken away by the snake.

The narrative function Beginning Counter-Action appeared next when Juan

decided to search for his three sisters and promised his mother that he will resolve

the lack. It is followed by the narrative function Departure, Juan left his family. It

was the mark of the beginning of Juan’s search, on which various adventures

awaited him.

On the beginning of his journey, the narrative function Second Function of

the Donor occurred. Juan received the three amulets, the key, the cap and the shoes

from the three boys that served as magical agents or helpers which Juan can use in

his journey. It is followed by the narrative function Provision or Receipt of a

Magical Agent, Juan acquired the use of the magical agents. He flew away by the

use of the magic shoes. He made himself invisible by using the cap and unlocked

the door in saving the princess inside the cave of the giant by using the key.

Consequently, it is followed by the narrative function Crossing of the First

50
Threshold wherein Juan went forward in his adventure until he reached the cave of

the King of the Lion which is the husband of one of his long lost sisters.

Then the narrative function Unrecognized Arrival appeared next when Juan

arrived at the mountain not recognized by one of his sisters. After not seeing each

other even once, Juan was acknowledged by his sister by showing the

handkerchief she left before to their mother as remembrance. This event plays the

narrative function Branding where the Juan, the Protagonist, was recognized

because of the evidence showing their connection as siblings.

The next narrative function occurred is Spatial Transparence between Two

Kingdoms wherein Juan was led by his brother-in-law, the King of the Lions, in

another mountain where he can find his other sisters. It is followed by the narrative

function Liquidation of Initial Misfortune. In this event, Juan resolved the

dilemma brought by the enchanted snake and was able to build a relationship with

his brothers-in-law who all promised their help whenever he needed it.

Just as Juan decided to return home, he took another way and came across a

town which is doomed with the abduction of their princess. Here, enters the

narrative function Call to Adventure when the King announced and offered his

wealth and his daughter’s hand to anybody who could save their town’s princess.

This is the call in which Juan began his next adventure. The second appearance of

the narrative function Beginning Counter-Action appeared when Juan promised

the king to save his daughter and used the three amulets that served as the magical

51
agents to find the princess. It is followed by the narrative function Crossing of the

Second Threshold. Juan went forward in his adventure until he came at the

entrance of the giant’s cave.

The narrative function Meeting with the Goddess appeared next when Juan

finally found the princess and stayed with her until the giant was gone so that they

he could finally take her back to their castle. Then the narrative function Rescue

followed when Juan rescued the Princess by flying away. Subsequently, it is

followed by the narrative function The Road of Trials. First, the Giant used its

magic in steeling again the princess just as Juan was about to take her back.

Second, Juan asked help to his three brothers-in-law. Third, when the king of the

eagles detailed the solution to kill the giant. Fourth, the king of the fishes helped

Juan to fetch the box according to the advice of the King of the Eagles. Fifth,

when the King of the Lions willingly opened the box for Juan still from the advice

of the King of the Eagles. Lastly, the King of the Eagles caught the bird as it

immediately flew out from the box for Juan.

Then the narrative function Indirect Struggle followed when Juan

accidentally defeated the villain without using any force as he was startled by the

raging giant who was fast approaching him. It is followed by the narrative function

Liquidation of Second Misfortune when Juan resolved the dilemma when he

released the ladies along with the princess after the giant fell on its back and can

52
no longer stand up. Apparently, the dead giant had long been abducting innocent

ladies in town and kept them in his cave.

The result of Juan’s labor is the narrative function Wedding as Juan was

married to the princess and ascended the king’s throne. It is followed by the

narrative function Return when Juan paid homage and later visited his parents, and

told them of all his adventures. Finally, he took them to his own kingdom where

they lived happily together and this was the last function cited in the folktale, the

narrative function Reward.

1.2 The Story of Carancal as narrated by Jose P. Caedo

Caedo’s Story of Carancal deals with the Protagonist born by parents who

never stopped praying so that they could have a child. But because he grows

unbelievably fast unlike his boys of common age and eats ferociously that his

parents could no longer handle, his parents tried to drive him away by all means

they could imagine. Carancal, noticing that he was no longer loved, decided to

leave home with no certain destination to go to. He had so many adventures that

led him to the company of his friends who eventually helped and shared with him

the challenges, triumphs, and rewards he had.

Table 2

Narrative Functions of Caedo’s The Story of Carancal

Events Narrative Functions

53
Carancal is born as a result of childless couple’s unceasing prayers. Miraculous Conception and
Birth
Carancal grows stronger than what he expected to be. Childhood, Initiation and
Divine Signs
Carancal parents planned to bury him under the tree.
Carancal came home carrying a big tree. Preparation, Mediation,
Carancal parents planned him to be devoured by a fish. Withdrawal and Refusal
Carancal went home carrying an alligator.
Carancal’s parents gave him an enormous bolo. First Function of The Donor
Carancal took the bolo. Hero’s Reaction
Carancal leaves home with a bolo. Departure
Carancal defeated Bugtongpalasanin wrestling.
Carancal defeated Tunkodbola in wrestling. The Road of Trials
Carancal defeated Macabuhalbundok in wrestling.
The three men joined Carancal in his journey.
The monster attacked Butongpalasan.
The monster beat Tunkodbola. *Indirect Villainy
The monster crushed Macabuhalbundok.
Carancal deceived the monster. *Inverted Trickery
Carancal destroyed the monster. Liquidation of Initial
Misfortune
The four men heard a rumor about the huge stone Call to Adventure
The four set out to try their strength.
The four men swam for three weeks. Road of Trials
They landed on the wrong island.
The fish carried the travelers in a kingdom. Spatial Transference
Between Two Kingdoms
The four men presented themselves to the king. Unrecognized Arrival
Bugtongpalasan hardly budged the stone.
Tunkodbola moved the stone in a few yards.
Macabuhalbundok moved the stone half a mile. Difficult Task
Carancal throw the stone. Solution
The king was pleased with Carancal. Recognition
Bugtongpalasan married the king’s daughter. Wedding
The three unmarried men lived with Butongpalasan. Reward
King Walangtacut sent a letter to the four men. Call to Adventure
People in town welcomed the three strong men. *Recognized Arrival
Tunkodbola and Macabuhalbundok tried to drag out the fish. Difficult Task
Carancal drag the fish out into the sea. Solution
The king and the people congratulate Carancal. Recognition
Tunkodbola married King Walangtacut’s daughter. Wedding
The king sent a letter to Carancal and Macabuhalbundok. Call to Adventure
Macabuhabundok cannot remove the big stone. Difficult Task
Carancal removed the big stone. Solution
Carancal considered as the father of the three princess. Recognition
Macabuhalbundok married the king’s daughter. Wedding
Carancal came home again. Return

54
 As stated in table 2, the first narrative function appeared in the story is

Miraculous Conception and Birth, Carancal was born as a result of childless

couples’ unceasing prayers to Gods and even in witches. It is followed by the

narrative function Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs which pertains to the

incident when Carancal grew stronger than what he expected to be. When born,

Carancal never grew taller than four feet but he developed enormous appetite and

possessed great power.

The narrative function Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal and Refusal

comes next. Due to poverty, Carancal withdrew for meditation by his parents. His

parents planned schemes to send him off. First, his parents planned him to bury

under a huge tree in the forest. Carancal’s father ordered him to stand under a huge

tree when it was about to fall so that when it fell, Carancal would be entirely

buried. After that, his father went home thinking that Carancal was already dead.

However, while his parents were talking, Carancal came home with a big tree on

his shoulders. The next day, Carancal’s parents planned another scheme. Carancal

was invited by his father to go fishing. They rowed and rowed until they were far

into the sea. They put their net in the water and Carancal’s father ordered him to

dive down for him to be devoured by a big fish. After a minute, the water became

red and foamy and this made the old man think that Carancal was already dead.

The father rowed homeward but while Carancal’s parents were eating their supper,

Carancal came in carrying a big alligator. The couple were now discourage to get

55
rid of Carancal and at last they already said their intention to him and this is where

the narrative function First Function of the Donor takes place.

The narrative function First Function of the Donor is very evident in the

instance where Carancal’s parents gave him a bolo before leaving. Then the

narrative functions Hero’s reaction and Departure appear next. Carancal took the

bolo and finally left home. Consequently, the first appearance of the narrative

function The Road of Trials is explicited in the next successive instances. In this

function, Carancal surpasses the three strong men Bugtongpalasan, Tunkodbola

and Macabuhalbundok consecutively in strength-tests. Upon defeating such men,

the four became companions and they walked on together and continue their

journey. In their journey, they saw a big house which seemed uninhabited. This is

where the narrative function Indirect Villainy and Inverted Trickery take place.

In Indirect Villainy, the monster caused harm and injury to Carancal’s

companions; first to Bugtongpalasan, secondly to Tunkodbola, and lastly to

Macabuhalbundok. After the previous event, the narrative function Inverted

Trickery is immediately revealed. In this function, Carancal used his wit, strength

and luck to deceive the monster and destroy it. Luckily, he made it. He destroyed

the monster as he set its body on fire and this instance details the narrative

function Liquidation of the Initial Misfortune. Then, the first occurrence of the

narrative function Call to Adventure is exemplified in the story when the four

companions: Carancal, Bugtongpalasan, Tunkodbola and Macabuhalbundok

56
heard a rumor that in a kingdom on the other side of the sea there lived a king who

wanted to remove a huge stone from his kingdom.

After the aforecited incident, the second appearance of the narrative

function The Road of Trials occurs in the next instances in the story. In this

narrative function, the four strong men, Carancal, Bugtongpalasan, Tunkodbola

and Macabuhalbundok set out to try their strengths. They swam for three weeks

since there were no boats to sail on. Then, they landed on the wrong island. They

rested on a smooth and slippery island and this made them wonder what it could

be, Carancal drew his bolo and the thrust it into the island. The island moved after

a stroke and the island was not really an island but a big fish. Fortunately, the fish

carried the strong men near the shores of the kingdom that they were seeking. This

event shows the narrative function Spatial Transference Between Two Kingdoms.

When the four men arrived in the kingdom, the narrative function Unrecognized

Arrival occurs when the four men presented themselves in the king and told him

that they would try to remove the stone out of the kingdom.

The preceding narrative function is followed by the first appearance of the

function Difficult Task. In this function, the four men were proposed into a

difficult task which was to remove the huge stone in the kingdom. Bugtongpalasan

was the first to try but he could hardly budge it. Then Tunkodbola tried, but

moved it only few yards. When Macabuhalbundok’s turn came, he moved the

great stone half a mile. The king is not satisfied leading to the narrative function

57
Solution. Carancal took hold of the rope tied to the stone and gave a swing. In a

minute, the great stone was out of sight. Then, the first appearance of the narrative

function Recognition and Wedding came. The king was very much pleased with

Carancal and he asked him to choose a princess for his wife but he refused.

However, he gave the privilege to Bugtongpalasan and he was made a prince. The

narrative function Reward comes next when the three unmarried man lived with

the palace of Bugtongpalasan.

The second occurrence of the function Call to Adventure follows. A letter

from King Walangtacut addressed to the four strong men came. Recognized

Arrival immediately follows this narrative function. As the four men passed in

every town, the people recognized their heroic deed. The king received them with

a banquet and all the houses in the town were decorated with flags. The second

appearance of the narrative function Difficult Task follows. Tunkodbola and

Macabuhalbundok try to drag the dead fish but they did not make it. The second

appearance of the narrative functions Solution and Recognition happens when

Carancal successfully removed the decaying fish. The king and the people

congratulated Carancal in doing so. The second occurrence of the narrative

function Wedding takes place. Carancal refused to marry King Walangtacut’s

daughter; however, he chose Tunkodbola to marry the princess in replace of him.

The third appearance of the function Call to Adventure occurs. Another

king sent a letter to Carancal and Macabuhalbundok. The two responded, they

58
travelled to the other kingdom and faced the third occurrence of the narrative

function Difficult Task and Solution. Macabuhalbundok did not make the work

but Carancal did. Then, the third existence of the narrative function Wedding takes

place wherein Macabuhalbundok marry a princess just like what happened to

Bugtongpalasan and Tunkodbola. Carancal considered as the father of the three

princess yet remained bachelor until one day he thought about visiting his parents

and lived once more with them and it is the incident where the last narrative

function in Caedo’s story of Carancal was found, the narrative function Return.

1.3. Juan and Clotilde as narrated by Jose Vicente Hilario

Perceived to be the Filipino version of Grimm’s Tale Rapunzel, the

folktale pertains to a boy named Juan who tried his luck even against the will of

his family in saving a princess abducted by her upset aged magician lover. But

before he could go on his journey, his family tried innumerable times to stop him

for fear that he could only worsen his older brothers’ shameful failures. Juan

succeeded in saving the princess but was lost in a strange country after mounting

on her winged horse to avoid the magician’s friend who guards the tower. Upon

arriving at a new country, he met a rich old man who adopted him as his son and

helped Juan in proving he was the real savior.

Table 3

Narrative Functions of Hilario’s Juan and Clotilde

59
 Events Narrative Functions
The king has a magician friend who increased his riches twofold. Synergy
The magician fell in love with Clotilde but does not love him back. Dissonance
The magician left the king and the princess magical agents. First Function of Donor
He locked Clotilde and the three magic horses. Villainy
King Ludovico offered his wealth to anybody and Juan tried his luck. Call to Adventure
Preparation, Mediation,
Juan’s family advised him to abort his mission.
Withdrawal, and Refusal
Juan took things he could use to save Clotilde Beginning Counter Action
Juan had to make the trip on horseback. Departure
Juan’s brother led him in the wrong direction.
Juan’s parents tried to poison his food.
Juan gave his horse some of his food. Road of Trials
The horse died.
Juan was obliged to finish the journey on foot.
Crossing of The First
Juan climbed the tower with nails and ropes.
Threshold
Juan and Clotilde whispered words of love in each other's ears. Meeting with the Goddess
*Second Function of
Clotilde gave Juan one of the magic necklaces as reward.
Donor
Juan’s brother pulled out the nails he used to climb the tower. Road of Trials
Provision or Receipt of a
Clotilde told Juan to mount on one of the magical horses.
Magical Agent
The magical horse flew from the tower. Rescue
The magical horse landed on a country strange to Juan’s eyes. Unrecognized Arrival
Juan was at last able to make his way back to his native country. Return
A rich old man named Telesforo adopted Juan as his son. Atonement with the Father
The townspeople have tried to produce the exact counterfeit of the
Unfounded Claims
necklace.
Juan asked Telesforo to borrow the necklace and saw they didn’t
Difficult Task
differ.
Clotilde confirmed the authenticity of the necklaces. Solution
Clotilde asked Telesforo to bring Juan to the Palace. Recognition
Juan and Clotilde were married and he became the King after
Wedding
Ludovico’s death.

As manifested in table 3, the first narrative function appeared in the story

Juan and Clotilde as narrated by Hilario is what the researchers originally coined

as Synergy. It refers to the established relationship between the characters of King

Ludovico and his magician friend and how the king’s powers were maximized by

60
his friend. It is followed by the narrative function Dissonance which pertains to the

ruined connection of King Ludovico and his magician friend when Clotilde, the

king’s daughter, cannot give back the magician’s love towards her. Then, the

narrative function First Function of the Donor appeared. It is exhibited in the

instances when the magician gave the king three enchanted winged horses; the

princess, two magic necklaces of exactly the same appearance, of inimitable

workmanship and of priceless worth.

However, before the magician died, he locked Clotilde and the three magic

horses in a high tower inaccessible to any human being. This event plays the

narrative function of Villainy which sets the course that the Protagonist must solve

or accomplish. It is followed by the first appearance of the narrative function Call

to Adventure. The king called out to every man that whoever can set his daughter

free shall receive his wealth, his crown, and his daughter’s hand. The narrative

function Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal, and Refusal comes. The Protagonist

named Juan was advised by his family not to go on the journey of finding the

princess. Thus, Juan insisted on his plans to save the princess. He collected all the

biggest nails and ropes that he could use in attaining his plans. This event

exemplifies the narrative function Beginning Counter Action. After preparing all

his tools, the narrative function Departure comes next. Juan left home and went on

to the journey with his horse.

61
 After the occurrence of the narrative function Departure, the narrative

function The Road of Trials comes next as Juan crosses several obstacles. First,

his older brother tried to divert him by giving him a wrong direction. Secondly, his

parents tried to poison him. Then, his horse died after he let it eat a portion of his

food. These are the reasons why he had to make the trip on foot. Upon reaching

his destination, Juan drove out the nails with his rope to make an improvised

ladder to enter the tower. This incident details the instance where the narrative

function Crossing of The First Threshold was found. The narrative function

Meeting with the Goddess exists next. Juan met Clotilde with flooded tears and

they immediately whispered their words of love to one another. Then, Clotilde

gave Juan one of the necklaces given by the magician to her and this event

signifies the narrative function Second Function of the Donor.

The second occurrence of the narrative function The Road of Trials

appeared next. It is when Juan discovered that his older brother pulled out the nails

when he was about to climb in the tower to avoid direct combat with the guardian

of the tower. That is why Clotilde told Juan to mount on one of the magical horses

given by the magician before he died. This event functioned as the Provision or

Receipt of a Magical Agent. Then, the magical horse flew from the tower which

expounds Rescue as narrative function. It is followed by the narrative function

Unrecognized Arrival which pertains to the incident when Juan and the magical

horse landed on a country which seems strange or unfamiliar to Juan.

62
 Thus, after a long journey Juan was at last able to make his way back to his

native country. This event details the narrative function Return. It is then followed

by the narrative function Atonement with the Father when a rich old man named

Telesforo adopted Juan as his son. The old man became the father figure for Juan

from then on. Then, the narrative function Unfounded Claims appeared next when

King Ludovico gave out proclamations stating that anyone who could exactly

match his daughter's necklace should be his son-in-law. Thousands tried, but they

tried in vain. It is followed by the narrative functions Difficult Task and Solution.

Juan asked Telesforo to borrow the necklace and saw that they were exactly the

same. However, Clotilde confirmed the authenticity of the necklaces. Then,

Clotilde asked Telesforo to bring Juan to the Palace. This incident expounds the

narrative function Recognition. Later on, Juan married Clotilde and Juan ascended

the throne after Ludovico’s death. It is the incident where the last narrative

function in Hilario’s Juan and Clotilde was found, the narrative function Wedding.

The table that follows presents the summary of the narrative functions that

were present among the three selected Batangas folktales.

Table 4

Summary of the Narrative Functions Gleaned from the Three Selected

Folktales from Batangas

*Synergy
*Dissonance
Miraculous Conception

63
 Absentation
Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs
Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal, and Refusal
Act 1 Beginning Counter Action
Departure First Function of the Donor
Hero’s Reaction
Trickery
Complicity
Villainy
Call to Adventure
Departure
Road of Trials
*Second Function of the Donor
Provision or Receipt of a Magical Agent
*Crossing of the First Threshold
Branding
Spatial Transparence between Two Kingdoms
Liquidation of Initial Misfortune
Call To Adventure
Act 2 Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal, and Refusal
Initiation Beginning Counter-Action
Departure
Crossing of the Second Threshold
Meeting with Goddess
Rescue
The Road of Trials
*Indirect Villainy
*Inverted Trickery
*Indirect Struggle
*Liquidation of the Second Misfortune
Atonement with the Father
Unfounded Claims
Unrecognized Arrival
Difficult task
Solution
Recognition
Wedding
Reward
Call to Adventure
Recognized Arrival
Difficult Task
Solution
Recognition
Wedding
Call to Adventure
Difficult Task
Solution
Return
Act 3 Recognition
Return Wedding

64
 Return

Table 4 enumerated the narrative functions gleaned from the three selected

folk tales from Batangas. The narrative functions with an asterisk (*) are the

narrative functions originally named by the researchers since the instances labelled

are important in showing the established structure of the three folktale. However,

it is still based on the idea proposed by Propp, Campbell and Leemings, the three

prominent icons in Structuralism which this study is anchored to.

For each function there is given a brief summary of its essence and its

examples from the studied folktales. The citation of examples illustrates and

shows the presence of the function as a certain generic unit. The series of functions

given below does not represent the morphological foundation of folktales in

general but it shows the important features of the Batangas Folktales.

In discussing the narrative functions present among the three selected

folktales, the researchers used the outline format. This was so because the

researchers believed it could provide the utmost convenience of understanding the

structure found and the description of events which contributes to the progression

of the selected Batangas folktales. In accordance with this, the researchers used

numeric representations for each folktale in detailing the events which describes a

specific narrative function whereas 1.1 refers to Katigbak’s Juan and His

Adventures, 1.2 pertains to Caedo’s The Story of Carancal, and 1.3 concerns to

65
 Hilario’s Juan and Clotilde. There are 33 functions narrative functions listed

below.

A folktale usually begins with some sort of an initial situation; mostly the

initial situation present in Batangas folktales refers to a relationship between two

parties. This situation plays a vital part in describing the so-called “the calm before

the storm” which the researchers coined as:

I. SYNERGY. A mutually advantageous conjunction or compatibility of distinct

business participants or elements

1. A person benefits himself from an object or a person that has

supernatural attributes. (1.1) “This family was very poor at first. Near

the foot of a mountain was growing a tree with large white leaves. Pedro

the father earned their living by selling the leaves of that tree.” (1.3)

“His power was increased twofold by his attachment to an aged

magician, to whom he was tied by strong bonds of friendship.”

This function can be explained easier through the idea of a Commensalism

type of symbiotic relationship where only the other organism benefits while the

other one is unaffected.

II. DISSONANCE. Lack of agreement or an instance of such inconsistency or

disagreement

66
 1. The benefiting party takes advantage of the situation. (1.1)”After a year

he decided to cut down the tree, so that he could sell it all at once and

get much money.”

2. The benefiting party could not give back to the needs/wants of the

giving party. (1.3) “Ludovico had an extremely lovely daughter by the

name of Clotilde. Ever since his arrival at the palace the magician had

been passionately in love with her; but his extreme old age and his

somewhat haughty bearing were obstacles in his path to success.”

The said function shows the kind of a Parasitism type of symbiotic

relationship where one organism benefits while the other one is negatively

affected. Sometimes, the benefiting party has no power to give back to the host

party for it is beyond their control. Like for example, the king, being a loving

father, cannot force his daughter to love the old magician even if he made their

riches double. This kind of disagreements usually sets the problem in common

Batangas folktales.

III. MIRACULOUS CONCEPTION. The bearing of a child under the most

impossible situations.

1. A couple too old to bear a child carries one. (1.1) “A year had not

passed by before a son was born to the old couple.”

2. A couple bears a child after doing desperate measures for a long

time. (1.2) “Once upon a time there lived a couple who had long

been married, but had no child. Every Sunday they went to church

67
 and begged God to give them a son. They even asked the witches in

their town why God would not give them a child. After a year a son

was born to them.”

It explains the bearing of a child for couples faced with multiple reasons

and problems about not having a child and still be able to born one. It is usually

preceded by worshipping and praying to powerful forces as god-like images and

witchcraft.

IV. ABSENTATION. A member/s of the family absent themselves from home.

1. The victim/s goes someplace else and suddenly disappears. (1.1) “As

soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, the three daughters

disappeared at once, and the poor father returned home cheerless.”

V. CHILDHOOD, INITIATION, AND DIVINE SIGNS. The child shows

unnatural traits different from others.

1. The child’s extraordinariness is being noticed. (1.2) “He was very small, as

the witches had foretold, but he was stronger than any one would expect such

a small child to be.”

Another instance, others would remark on his differences to other normal

children, “It is strange,” said a neighbor. “Why, he eats more food than his stomach can

hold.” The boy grew larger and larger, and the amount of food he ate became greater and

greater.”

VI. PREPARATION, MEDIATION, WITHDRAWAL AND REFUSAL. The hero

is approached with a request or a command, he is allowed to go or dispatched

68
 1. Misfortune is announced. A mother tells her son the abduction of her

daughters that took place before his birth. (1.1) "Yes, you have three; but

they were taken away by a snake," she told him.

2. The hero is rejected by his own family. (1.2) “I will take him to the

forest and there kill him; and if the neighbors ask how he died, we will

say that an accident befell him while cutting trees.” (1.3) “ His parents

and his older brothers expostulated with him not to go, for what could a man

unskilled in the fine arts do?”

It only focuses on how the hero discovers the journey that awaits him and

the courses of the decision he or people around him make. The rejection refers to

the withdrawal of the hero’s skill in accomplishing such tasks.

VII. BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION. The hero decides upon his action to

resolve the lack.

1. The hero asks for permission to go. (1.1) “Juan was so angry, that he asked

his parents to give him permission to go in search of his sisters.”

2. The hero searches for the tools to use on his journey. (1.3) “He took as many

of the biggest nails as he could find, a very long rope, and a strong hammer.”

This function refers to the determined courses of action the seeker/hero is

decided to make.

VIII. FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR. The hero is given the articles he could

use as he goes.

69
 1. The hero asks for the articles. (1.2) “But before I depart, father and

mother, please give me a bolo, a big bolo, to protect myself in case of

danger.”

2. The articles were given by the donor. (1.3) “He left to the king three

enchanted winged horses; to the princess, two magic necklaces of

exactly the same appearance, of inimitable workmanship and of

priceless worth.” (1.1) “Each of the three girls gave her mother a

handkerchief as a remembrance.”

With Propp’s explanation, First Function refers to the interrogation or

attack. But in the Batangas Folktale, it refers to voluntary handing of the articles to

the hero.

IX. HERO’S REACTION. The hero reacts to the actions of the future donor.

1. The hero accepts the article. (1.2) “Carancal took it, kissed the hands of

his parents, and then went away with a heavy heart.”

X. TRICKERY. The villain attempts to deceive his victim in order to take

possession of him or of his belongings.

1. The villain employs use of deception or coercion. (1.1) “The snake said

to Pedro, "I gave you the leaves of this tree to sell; and now, after you have

gotten much money from it, you cut it down. There is but one suitable

punishment for you: within three days you must bring all your daughters

here and give them to me."”

70
 The act of punishment is only given to those who break a law or agreement

which was not given by the victim before he decided to cut the tree. Turns out the

snake was disguised as a tree and waited for his turn for the man to take action on

the goods the tree was giving. As soon as the man cut the tree, the snake made it

look like he was punishing him to get his possessions which are his daughters.

XI. COMPLICITY. Victim submits to deception and thereby unwittingly helps the

Villain.

1. The victim agrees to the villain’s persuasion. (1.1) "Don't worry, father!

We will go there with you," said the three daughters. The villain

attacked the father emotionally that made the daughters give in to the

plans of the villain.

XII. VILLAINY. The villain causes harm or injury to the member of the family.

1. The villain abducts a person. (1.3) “He locked Clotilde and the three magic

horses in a high tower inaccessible to any human being.”

As the only type of Villainy from the studied materials on this research, it cannot

only be limited to abduction. It also involves the similar acts of Absentation which causes

for a member of the family to die.

2. Attacks on the closest friends of the Protagonist. For this instance, it will be

quoted as the “INDIRECT VILLAINY” (originally coined by the reaserchers)

since it harms not directly the family but the colleagues, companions, or

friends closest to the Protagonist.

71
XIII. CALL TO ADVENTURE. Refers to a call in which the journey or quest of a

hero could began.

1. The hero overheard or discovered a rumor or news. Whether it was for

the proclamations of reward or the noble heart of saving lives, the hero

sets on the journey of finding the important thing that is missing. (1.1,

1.2, and 1.3) “The king offered his wealth and his daughter’s hand to

anybody who could save the princess”

2. A direct letter was sent. It only happens when the hero had quite

established an image of a hero ready to save anyone. (1.2) “ They had not

enjoyed a year’s hospitality in Bugtongpalasan’s home when a letter

addressed to the four men came.”

XIV. DEPARTURE. The hero leaves home.

It only refers to the action of the hero towards leaving home, usually with all

the articles that his family had given him. It is always a beginning of his journey

on finding his target.

XV. ROAD OF TRIALS. An experience wherein the hero faces a series of

misfortunes, hardships along his journey.

XVI. SECOND FUNCTION OF DONOR. Refers to another incident wherein the

hero comes across another giver of a magical agent that he could use to finish

his journey.

XVII. PROVISION OR RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT. The hero acquires the

use of a magical agent that he gathered from his donors.

72
XVIII. CROSSING OF THE FIRST THRESHOLD. It only refers to the turning point

in which the hero must enter the dungeon of the villain or the Antagonist and

defeat it in order to get back the possession of others or victims it hides.

XIX. UNRECOGNIZED ARRIVAL. Simply refers to the arrival of the hero unto a

place he had never been before and nobody knows him. It has its inverted form

which is the “RECOGNIZED ARRIVAL” when the hero already has

established his prominence in the society.

XX. MEETING WITH THE GODDESS. Refers to the symbolical matrimonial

unity of the Protagonist with the princess as soon as he found it.

1. The hero finds the princess. (1.3) “Juan and Clotilde whispered words of

love in each other's ears.”

In some cases, it may differ with the occurrence of fairies and nymphs,

fairy god mothers, and other female figures in folktales.

XXI. BRANDING. The branding or marking of the hero.

1. The hero is recognized by an object in his care. (1.1) “Juan showed the

handkerchief to his sister.”

2. Sometimes, the other forms are markings in his body.

XXII. RESCUE. The rescue of the hero from the pursuit.

1. The hero is carried away through the air. (1.3) “Juan flies away on a

horse.” Or sometimes the hero takes the refugee he tries to save along

with him.

73
XXIII. SPATIAL TRANSFERRENCE BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS. The hero is

led, transferred, delivered to the whereabouts of an object of search.

1. The area on the hero’s search was pointed out. (1.1)“The king of the lion, his

brother-in-law pointed where his other sisters were.”

2. The hero was carried by an animal. (1.2) “The fish carried the travelers

in a kingdom.”

Generally the object of search is located in “another” or “different”

kingdom. This kingdom may lay far away horizontally, or else very high up or

deep down vertically.

XXIV. INDIRECT STRUGGLE. The hero does not choose to go in a direct combat.

XXV. LIQUIDATION OF INITIAL MISFORTUNE. This function, together with

villainy, constitutes a pair. The narrative reaches its peak in this function.

1. The object of search was found in safer hands and was able to build

new relationships. (1.1) “The three brother-in-laws of Juan promised to

aid him whenever he needed.”

2. The hero was able to rescue/restore his object of search. (1.1) “Juan

released all the ladies with the princess.”

When there is another dilemma about to be solved by the Protagonist after

the first one, it serves as the function “LIQUIDATION OF SECOND

MISFORTUNE” as the researchers had originally named accordingly to the nature

of the Southern Tagalog Literature which shows redundancy.

74
 XXVI. RETURN. The hero returns home.

It simply refers to the action of the hero in going back to his hometown.

XXVII. ATONEMENT WITH THE FATHER. The symbolical representation pertaing

to the unity of the Protagonist with the Father in literal Terms.

1. Adoption. (1.3) A rich old man named Telesforo adopted Juan as his

son.

XXVIII. UNFOUNDED CLAIMS. A false hero represent false claims

This function only refers to the false claims presented by other people in

order to get the prize.

XXIX. DIFFICULT TASK. A task has to be done in order to know the true identity

of the true hero, in which only the real savior could accomplish. It blocks the

chances of every false claimers to get the reward.

1. Giving the proof. (1.3) “Juan asked Telesforo to borrow the necklace

and saw they didn’t differ.”

XXX. SOLUTION. The task is resolved.

1. The princess finds out who was her real savior. (1.3) “Clotilde

confirmed the authenticity of the necklaces.”

This function always go with the preceding function.

XXXI. RECOGNITION. The hero is recognized usually because of the hero’s

accomplishment of the difficult task.

75
 1. The hero is made known. (1.3) Clotilde asked Telesforo to bring Juan to

the Palace.

Finally, the hero may be recognized immediately after a long period of

separation.

XXXII. WEDDING. The hero is married and ascends the throne.

Sometimes, on the contrary, only accession to the throne is mentioned.

XXXIII. REWARD. The hero savors all the fruit of his hardwork.

1. The hero gives back to the family with all the fruits of his labor. (1.2)

“Carancal was the benefactor of three kings.”, (1.2) “So he set out,

carrying with him plenty of money, which the three kings had given

him. This time his parents did not drive him away, for he had much

wealth. Carancal lived once more with his parents, and had three kings

under him.”

The results convey the unique traits of Batangas folktales. Batangas

folktales expound on the importance of debt of gratitude or “Utang na Loob” as

seen on the narrative functions Synergy and Dissonance which are unique only to

the Batangas narratology as it is not present to the proposed theory of the

renowned stucturalists. According to Dancel (2004), as an indebtedness which

even death cannot erase, Utang na Loob stands out among the many virtues that

define a Filipino. It means that Batangueños value of paying their debt of gratitude

that if they were not able to do so, whether they mean it or not, problems arise that

76
it may discord them to others and it would be impossible to establish a harmonious

relationship to the community they belong.

The results also showed the narrative functions unique in Batangas Folktale

which is the Indirect Struggle when the Protagonist did not mean to be vicious by

killing his opponent and eventually liquify the chaotic situation. The other one is

the narrative function Inverted Trickery where the Protagonist defeated the giant

by playing mind games with it instead of engaging in a mortal combat. These

events denotes a different view about Batangueños who are stereotyped as

arrogant, brazen, and full of hot air usually because of the symbols connected with

them: the Balisong knife and the strong Kapeng Barako or brewed coffee. To

contradict this image of Batangueño people, Gutierrez (2007) said that

Batangueños’ confidence is mistaken for arrogance that they are judged as

barbaric on account of how loud and agitated their voices become in the midst of

arguments when in fact they are just passionate and emphatic on the ideas they

advocate. It means that Batangueños are peace-loving people and will try their best

to walk out of trouble and not to pick up a fight.

The three selected folktales from Batangas exposed a repeated cycle of

events wherein each folktale showed that some narrative functions appeared

redundantly, another unique trait of Batangas folktales. As for instance in

Katigbak’s Juan and His adventures and Hilario’s Juan and Clotilde, the narrative

function Road of Trials appeared twice. While in Caedo’s The Story of Carancal,

77
the narrative functions Call to Adventure, Road of Trials, Difficult Task, Solution,

Recognition and Wedding happened numerous times.

This could explain a phenomena which not only the Batangueños but

Filipinos in general are known for, “History repeats itself”. As quoted by Jimenez

(2014), those who refuse to learn from history are condemned to repeat it. He cited

the instances where Philippine’s government had been torn within the turmoil

between its Presidents and Vice Presidents since Macapagal-Garcia’s term during

the 1960’s, Erap-Macapagal’s tandem on 2000’s, and what is currently happening

with President Aquino and VP Binay acting like a father and a mother hitting each

other in front of their children’s eyes.

Filipinos have not changed after all this time and the culture puts the people

on a pattern of perpetual subjugation. They exclaim things like they are resilient

even if it actually means withstanding repeated blows of hammers they do to their

own heads. While the researchers believed it to be true with the times the Filipinos

had been conquered thrice, for the redundant cases of Impeachment Trials for the

same corruption suits with a random politician, and the unsolved forgotten

criminal cases. Thus, it means that Filipinos never learn with their own mistakes

which seems to be a cultural problem as seen on Caedo’s Story of Carancal

wherein the series of the difficult task they have to solve resulted from their own

trivial solutions from their past problems.

2. Dramatis Personae Involved in Each Narrative Function

78
 To identify the dramatis personae in the selected Batangas folktales, the

researchers analyzed them using Pullman’s theory on Creating Compelling

Characters. The researchers enumerated the dramatis personae or the characters

involved in each function in the presented folktales and carefully examined each.

Through a critical examination of each character’s thoughts, dialogues, and

actions, as well as the comments of the narrator and of the other characters, the

researchers were able to extract the traits of every character and classify them as to

their corresponding narrative function involvement.

The succeeding table show the dramatis personae involved in each narrative

function gathered from the three selected Batangas folktales.

Table 5

Dramatist Personae Involved in Each Narrative Function Found in the Three

Selected Folk Tales from Batangas

Narrative Dramatist Personae Involve in Each Function

Functions
Katigbak’s Juan Caedo’s Story of Hilario’s Juan
and His Carancal and Clotilde
Adventures
*Synergy Pedro, Stock King Ludivico,
Stock
*Dissonance Pedro, Stock Clotilde, Stock
Miraculous Juan, Protagonist Carancal, Protagonist
Conception

79
 Absentation Juan’s sisters,
Stock
Childhood, Carancal, Protagonist
Initiation and
Divine Signs
Preparation, Juan, Protagonist Carancal, Protagonist Juan’s family,
Act 1 Mediation, Carancal’s Parents, Foil Foil
Departure Withdrawal, and Carancal, Protagonist
Refusal Carancal, Foil
Beginning Counter Juan, Protagonist Juan,
Action Protagonist
First Function of Juan’s sisters, Carancal’s Parents, Magician,
the Donor Confidant Confidants Confidant
Hero’s Reaction Carancal, Protagonist
Trickery Snake, Foil
Complicity Pedro, Stock
Villainy Magician,
Antagonist
Call to Adventure King, Stock King Ludivico,
Stock
Departure Juan, Protagonist Carancal, Protagonist Juan,
Protagonist
Road of Trials Giant, Antagonist Carancal, Protagonist Juan’s brother,
Foil
Juan, Protagonist Carancal, Protagonist Juan’s parent,
Foil
King of Eagles, Carancal, Protagonist Horse,
Act 2 Confidant Confidant
Initiation King of Fishes, Three men, Confidants Juan,
Confidant Protagonist
King of Lions, Juan,
Confidant Protagonist
*Second Function Three boys, Clotilde,
of the Donor Confidant Confidante
Provision or Juan, Protagonist Clotilde,
Receipt of a Confidante
Magical Agent
*Crossing of the Juan, Protagonist Juan,
First Threshold Protagonist
Branding Juan, Protagonist
Spatial King of Lions, Fish, Confidant
Transparence Confidant
between Two
Kingdoms
Liquidation of Juan’s three Carancal, Protagonist
Initial Misfortune brothers-in-law,
Confidant
Call to Adventure King, Stock King, Stock
Preparation, Juan, Protagonist
Mediation,

80
Withdrawal and
Refusal
Beginning Counter Juan, Protagonist
Action
*Crossing of the Juan, Protagonist
Second Threshold
Meeting with Juan, Protagonist Juan,
Goddess Protagonist
Rescue Juan, Protagonist Horse,
Confidant
Carancal, Protagonist Juan’s brother,
Three men, Confidant Foil
Carancal, Protagonist
Three men, Confidant
Road of Trials Carancal, Protagonist
Three men, Confidant
*Indirect Villainy Monster, Antagonist
Monster, Antagonist
Monster, Antagonist
*Inverted Trickery Carancal, Protagonist
*Indirect Struggle Juan, Protagonist
*Liquidation of the Juan, Protagonist
Second Misfortune
Unrecognized Juan, Protagonist Carancal, Protagonist Juan,
Arrival Three men, Confidant Protagonist
Difficult task Bugtongpalasan,
Confidant
Tunkodbola, Confidant
Buhalbundok,
Confidant
Solution Carancal, Protagonist
Recognition King, Stock
Wedding Bugtongpalasan,
Confidant
Reward Three men, Confidant
Call to Adventure King Walangtacut,
Stock
*Recognized People in town, Stock
Arrival
Difficult Task Tunkodbola, Confidant
Macabuhalbundok,
Confidant
Solution Carancal, Protagonist
Recognition King, Stock
Wedding Tunkodbola, Confidant
Call to Adventure King, Stock

81
 Difficult Task Macabuhalbundok,
Confidant
Solution Carancal, Protagonist
Recognition King, Stock
Wedding Juan, Protagonist Macabuhalbundok,
Confidant
Return Juan, Protagonist Carancal, Protagonist Juan,
Protagonist
Atonement with the Telesforo,
father Confidant
Unfounded Claims People in town,
Foil
Act 3 Difficult Task Juan,
Return Protagonist
Solution Clotilde,
Confidant
Recognition Clotilde,
Confidant
Wedding Juan,
Protagonist
Reward Juan, Protagonist

Table 5 contains the dramatis personae involved in each narrative function

gathered in each Batangas Folktales under study. It can be seen that in each

function, there are dominating characters for every function that contributes to the

progression of each folktale.

The Stock characters or what are commonly defined as stereotype

characters present in any folktale such as Father, Sisters, King, and Princess are

clearly stated in the table for the occurrence of the following functions. The

functions that are purely dominated by Stock characters are Synergy, Dissonance,

82
Complicity, Call to Adventure, Meeting with Goddess, Recognized Arrival, and

Recognition. It shows that Stock characters only contribute in the surfacing of the

problem to be solved by the Protagonist.

While the Antagonists’ or the Villains’ presence in any Batangas folktales

dominated the functions that explain the hardships of other characters in the story

especially of the Protagonist. These functions are Road of Trials and Indirect

Villainy.

There is another character type that contributed to the progression of each

folktale under study. It is the Foil character which if not directly works or

associated with the Villain or Antagonist, has the same agenda of stopping the

Protagonist in reaching his goal and in finishing his journey. These characters

dominated in the functions drawn as Road of Trials, Indirect Villainy and

Unfounded Claims.

Another type of character that manifested from the studied folktales is the

Confidant or Confidante. These characters are described as people or enchanted

animals that contribute to the success of the Protagonist whether in helping him or

giving him objects he could use in his journey. They occurred in the functions like

First Function of the Donor, Road of Trials, Second Function of the Donor,

Provision or Receipt of a Magical Agent, Spatial Transparence between Two

Kingdoms, Liquidation of Initial Misfortune, Rescue, Atonement with the Father,

Unrecognized Arrival, Difficult task, Solution, Recognition, Wedding, and

83
Reward. It can be seen that these characters also shares the Protagonist their

hardships and triumphs.

The most important type of character that surfaced in every folktale is the

Protagonist which is commonly defined as the center character in which the story

revolves. The functions dominated by this character are Miraculous Conception,

Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs, Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal, and

Refusal, Beginning Counter-Action, Hero’s Reaction, Departure, Road of Trials,

Provision or Receipt of a Magical Agent, Crossing of the First Threshold,

Branding, Liquidation of Initial Misfortune, Crossing of the Second Threshold,

Meeting with Goddess, Rescue, Inverted Trickery, Indirect Struggle, Liquidation

of the Second Misfortune, Unrecognized Arrival, Difficult task, Solution,

Wedding, Reward, and Return.

The result showed that the essence of the main conflicts to be solved by the

Protagonist is the Stock character. This means that even if the given Batangas

folktale focuses on the Protagonist, its conflict which makes it exciting is not

necessarily because of the Protagonist’s own misfortune or misconduct but of

other stereotype character. It shows the good traits of Batangueños, whereas they

display the act of Pakikipagkapwa-tao or regard for others by manifesting a

basic sense of justice and fairness, and concern for others as the Protagonist has

the choice not to lend his help to those Stock characters. According to Licuanan

(2012), it is demonstrated in the Filipino's ability to empathize with others, in

84
helpfulness and generosity in times of need and in the practice of mutual

assistance.

While another custom of Filipinos was seen as well from the result of the

table above where the Confidant or Confidante shares the hardships and

triumphs of the Protagonist. It perfectly exemplifies the “Kumpadre System” of

the Filipinos which refers to a Fictive kinship as described by Brooks et al.,

(2014) which often revolves around the barkada, or “gang of friends” — people

who develop a strong bond, much like that of a second family, though they are

not related by blood. It could also show the importance of sense of brotherhood

or friendship for Batangueños.

The researchers also discovered that some Foil and Antagonist type of

dramatis personae are not originally against the protagonist or evil-minded

from the start. Most of the Foil characters cited from the Batangas folktales

refers to the own family of the Protagonist because they fear he might only

bring shame to the family if he fails, it shows how Batangueños cared so much

about “Delicadeza” or sense of honor. As what Licuanan (2012) had said,

Filipinos believe they must live up to the accepted standards of behavior and if

they fail to do so they bring shame not only upon themselves, but also upon

their family. Moreover, Burke et al (said) said that the nature of the self and

what individuals do depends to a large extent on the society within which they

85
live. It only explains conformity when people are concerned about making a

good impression in front of the society regardless if the action conflicts with

their moral code. While the good side which conformity and delicadeza bring is

that foul personalities are altered in order to fit in to what the society and the

community needs. For example in Caedo’s Story of Carancal, some Foil and

Antagonist type of dramatis personae change into helpers or donors in support

to the Protagonist. It shows that Batangas Folktales may also contain dynamic

characters – characters that are changing through the course of any folktale or

piece – it suggests that Batangueño people are opt to change themselves in order

to please the eyes of the society.

3. Transitivity Process Dominantly Exhibited by the Dramatis Personae in

Each Narrative Function

Using Halliday’s theory on Transitivity Profiles, the researchers were able

to examine each Batangas Folktale under study. They gathered the Transitivity

Process dominantly demonstrated by the dramatis personae involved with regards

to the narration and how the characters acted or were described upon each

narrative function. Also, the researchers focused mostly on the verbs and other

constituents of the sentences which correspond to the dramatis personae involved

in a certain narrative function.

Table 6

86
 Transitivity Process Exhibited by the Dramatist Personae Involved in the

Narrative Functions Found in the Three Selected Folk Tales from Batangas

Narrative Functions Transitivity

Dramatis Personae
Process
*Synergy Stock Material
*Dissonance Stock Material
Miraculous Conception Protagonist Existential
Absentation Stock Relational
Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs Protagonist Relational
Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal, Foil, Protagonist Verbal, Material
Act 1 and Refusal
Departure Beginning Counter Action Protagonist Material, Verbal
First Function of the Donor Confidant Material
Hero’s Reaction Protagonist Material
Trickery Foil Verbal
Complicity Stock Verbal
Villainy Antagonist Material
Call to Adventure Stock Material
Departure Protagonist Material
Road of Trials Foil Material,
Protagonist Mental,
Confidants Behavioral,
Relational
*Second Function of the Donor Confidante, Material, Verbal
Protagonist
Provision or Receipt of a Magical Protagonist Material
Agent
*Crossing of the First Threshold Protagonist Material
Branding Protagonist Material
Act Spatial Transparence between Two Confidant Verbal, Material
Initiation Kingdoms
Liquidation of Initial Misfortune Confidant, Protagonist Verbal, Material
Call To Adventure Stock Verbal, Material
Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal, Protagonist Verbal
and Refusal

Beginning Counter-Action Protagonist Material

*Crossing of the Second Threshold Material
Protagonist

Meeting with Goddess Protagonist Material, Verbal

Rescue Confidante, Material
Protagonist
The Road of Trials Confidant, Material
Protagonist

87
 *Indirect Villainy Antagonist Material
*Inverted Trickery Protagonist Material
*Indirect Struggle Protagonist Behavioral
*Liquidation of the Second Misfortune Protagonist Material
Unrecognized Arrival Protagonist, Confidant Material, Verbal
Difficult Task Confidants Material
Solution Protagonist Material
Recognition Stock Behavioral
Wedding Confidant Material
Reward Confidant Material
Call to Adventure Stock Material
*Recognized Arrival Stock Material
Difficult Task Confidants Material
Solution Protagonist Material
Recognition Stock Material
Wedding Confidant Material
Call to adventure Stock Material
Difficult Task Confidant Material
Solution Protagonist Material
Recognition Stock Material
Wedding Confidant Material
Return Protagonist Material
Atonement with the Father Confidant Material
Unfounded Claims Foil Material
Act 3
Difficult Task Protagonist Verbal
Return
Solution Confidante Verbal
Recognition Confidant Verbal
Wedding Protagonist Material
Reward Protagonist Material

Table 6 presents the Transitivity Process exhibited by the dramatist

personae involved in the narrative functions found in the three selected folktales

from Batangas.

As stated in the table above, the first function Synergy is always associated

with Material Transitivity Process as well as the function Dissonance. It is seen

that this process clearly supports that these two functions are always connected

88
since the Material Process involves an Actor, one who does something, that

extends to something or someone which Halliday called as the Goal or Recipient,

one to whom the action is directed at or the goods are delivered to.

While the only function that has the Existential Process is the Miraculous

Conception. It meant that this function only refers to the upcoming existence of

the “would-be-Protagonist” of the folktale.

The next function Absentation as acted upon the involved character

exposed a Relational Process. It is because this event occurred without a direct

object as described by Halliday, the proponent of the theory this study is anchored

on. This process is also described to be circumstancial which explains how

something is said to “be” something else like when the character suddenly

disappeared.

The function that follows Childhood, Initiation and Divine Signs also

showed Relational Process. As Halliday described Relational Process, it refers to

having attributes. It is clearly stated in Caedo’s The Story of Carancal how the

story showed the changes of the Protagonist’ physique and skills and the surfacing

of the character’s unusual attributes which makes him above the other children as

he grows up.

As seen on the table above, the function Preparation, Mediation,

Withdrawal, and Refusal showed Verbal and Material Process. It showed that as

89
before the hero start a journey, some characters will try to stop or encourage him

by verbal means or act directly which will affect the progression of a folktale. The

same goes with the function Beginning Counter-Action which manifested Verbal

and Material Process, if the hero decides upon the problem, he will ask for

permission for leaving as the Verbal Process or go straight ahead on resolving the

lack with the goal in his mind as the Material Process.

While the characters involved in the First Function of the Donor or the

Second Function of Donor (for the second appearance) showed that it has Material

Process. As how Halliday had described it, the donor or the actor do something or

give something directly to the beneficiary or goal. It is obvious as the Confidant

characters give help or objects useful to the Protagonist for every folktale under

this study. The function that follows it is the Hero’s Reaction with the same

transitivity process, wherein the hero gives back a response to the donor of the

articles which he may use on his journey.

Trickery manifested Verbal Process as the character involved in this

function worked its way on the thinking of his victim by persuasion through

words. It occurred as the villain talked over to his victim that he should lose his

belongings, his daughters for that matter, as a form of punishment for what

seemed to be his fault. Followed by the function Complicity, the character

involved in its occurrence revealed the same process as the victims willingly

granted to the whims of the villain by saying their agree on it.

90
 As for the next function Villainy, the character involved displayed a

Material Process as the villain directly attacked on its victim as the object of its

evil course of action.

The characters present in the function Call to Adventure displayed Material

process as they directly send or gave out proclamations and rewards to anybody

who could solve their problem. They also showed Verbal Process for saying,

verbally detailing or talking about their problem which the Protagonist later

discovers/hears and acts upon.

The function Departure was displayed by the characters involved on it with

the Material Process. This is so because the Protagonist directly acted on leaving

home towards his literal goal. This Goal is theoretically defined by Halliday as the

object of any direct action done by a dramatis personae.

While the longest trail of hardship manifested by the characters involved in

each story under this study for the function Road of Trials showed Material,

Mental, Behavioral, and Relational process. It has Material process for it

concerned about one’s definite action towards a goal. There is also the Mental

process for the activation of senses of the character involved in its occurrence like

when the narration of the story emphasized on the thinking process of the

Protagonist about the advances of others against him. Behavioral process was

shown when one of the characters had an unplanned response natural to the pacing

of events in the folktale (dying after eating a poisoned food). Relational process

91
refers to the action of the character involved under a circumstance like when he

was obliged to leave on foot because his horse already died.

For the consecutive functions Provision or Receipt of a Magical Agent,

Crossing of the First Threshold (or Crossing of the Second Threshold for the

second appearance) and Branding, each has only one character involved which

manifested only the Material process which is the Protagonist. It only explains the

goal of this character similar to other functions with the same process.

This next function Spatial Transparence between Two Kingdoms which

was dominated by the character Confidant was exposed with Verbal and Material

process. It has Verbal process shown by verbally detailing the next destination of

the Protagonist the character Confidant was helping. For Material process, the

Confidant tries to physically deliver the Protagonist to his next destination so that

the journey goes on.

Followed by Liquidation of Initial Misfortune dominated by the Confidant

and the Protagonist, they show Verbal and Material processes. Verbal process only

refers to the settling of the peace as the characters involved talk and hold a

conversation to resolve the problem. While the Material process refers to the direct

physical action of the characters involved to calm the chaotic situation.

The function Meeting with Goddess as dominated by the Protagonist shows

Material process wherein he was able to find the princess as the object of his

92
search and of his goal. It also has the Verbal process when the Protagonist detailed

and talked to the victim usually a princess on how he will save her. The same goes

for the next function which is Rescue that has a Material as he eventually saves the

princess.

For the consecutive functions Indirect Villainy and Inverted Trickery, both

are dominated by the characters Antagonist and Protagonist. Both functions also

exhibits Material process as the two characters shared the same goal of defeating

one another in which case the latter one wins.

The function Indirect Struggle shows how the Protagonist unintentionally

harmed and eventually killed its villain when he was startled by the raging giant.

This event clearly shows a Behavioral process.

The characters involved in the Unrecognized Arrival manifested Material

process as they reach a place in search of their goal. While its inverted form

Recognized Arrival shows Verbal process as the characters involved such as Stock

represented by townspeople or a king cheers for the arrival of the hero they had

heard of.

Atonement with the Father, the function only dominated by the character

Confidant showed the Material Process. Like what a Confidant does in every

story, this character has the sole goal of helping the character. In which this

93
character acted as a father figure as he gave refuge to the lost hero, he made a

course of action by adopting the hero.

Unfounded Claims dominated by Foil characters such as false claimers

exhibited Material process. They all have the same goal of stealing the fame,

glory, and the reward that goes with it from the true hero for solving the problems

present in the folktale. This event should be answered by the next function.

For the function Difficult Task, it involves characters as Confidants and

Protagonist in the manifestation of Verbal and Material process. Both characters

shared the same goal in helping each other to do the ordeal they are asked to do in

order to prove their identity as saviors which explains the Material process for that

matter. While the Verbal process was executed by the Protagonist, it was for

asking help from the Confidant in accomplishing the difficult task.

As answer to the preceding function, Solution is dominated by the

Protagonist and Confidante in showing Material and Verbal process. The

Protagonist eventually accomplishes the difficult task and solves the task for the

Material process. While the Confidante as the princess in the story helps the

Protagonist by verbally confirming that he was indeed the true hero that resolved

the recent chaos in the folktale.

Finally recognizing the unrecognized hero comes the function Recognition,

Stock characters shows Behavioral and Material process as they show feelings of

94
delight and fondness for the hero who helped them and acts on giving thanks to

the Protagonist’s heroic deed. Whereas the contribution of the Confidante, the

princess for this matter, verbally proclaims and asks to bring the true hero on

center stage which shows Verbal process.

After that, it is usually followed by the function Wedding. It is dominated

by characters Protagonist and Confidant where all of them marries the princess

they had just saved and is usually the object of their search. Aside from that, all of

them ascend the throne in case the King, the father of the princess they wed with

dies. Here shows the Material process as these characters became the benefactor of

something which is the throne and the princess.

Just as the Protagonist finished his journey, he is now ready to go back

home to his family as shown from the table above. This is the function Return with

the Material process as the Protagonist seeks the familiar comfort of his family as

his goal for going back home.

As for the function, Reward is dominantly portrayed by the Protagonist

with the Material process as he enjoys all the fruit of his labor and shares it with

his family. The folktales under this study commonly narrated that the hero usually

takes his family to his new kingdom. It has Material process as the Protagonist

appears as the giver or donor and his family becomes the benefactor in which his

deeds are directed on.

95
 As depicted on table 6, Batangas Folktales are comprised mainly of

Material Process which shows that Batangueños are goal-oriented and family-

oriented people who aspire to work hard on their ambition and motives. According

to Licuanan (2012), Filipinos have the capacity for hard work, the desire to raise

one's standard of living and to possess the essentials of a decent life for one's

family, combined with the right opportunities and incentives, Filipinos are

stimulated to work very hard. This is manifested most noticeably in a willingness

to take risks with jobs abroad, and to work there at two or three jobs.

4. The Description of Structure of Batangas Folktales Considering the

Narrative Function, Dramatis Personae, and the Transitivity Process

After the careful analysis of the preceding datas presented above using the

Structuralist Approach, the researchers were able to describe the structure of

Batangas Folktales with regards to its narrative functions, dramatis personae, and

the transitivity process exhibited by the characters. As a result, the researchers

developed their own structural model which they think could best illustrate the

structure of Batangas Folktales.

96
 Figure 2

Structure of Batangas Folktales

Figure 2 refers to the description of the Batangas Folktales, it has three acts

which pertains to Campbell’s nuclear unit of monomyth which the researchers

discovered that is also present in the Batangas Folktales. These are the Departure,

Initiation, and Return. Act 1, Departure, deals with the on settling of the conflicts

where a call to adventure is announced or the disorder is discovered which the

protagonist will resolve on these folktales. It also deals with how the situations and

97
the other dramatis personae prepared the Protagonist before he made a decision of

leaving the comforts of home with his family.

While Act 2, Initiation, refers to the actual adventures of the Protagonist,

this is where the Protagonist encounters his Confidants or the Donors of the

Magical Agents he could use on accomplishing the original cause of his journey.

Together with the Confidants or usually the Protagonist alone enters the First

Threshold. As soon as the Initial Misfortune is liquidated, the Protagonist

alongside with his Confidants is faced again with another problem to solve where

they are asked to enter the Second Threshold where the Foil or Antagonist they

must defeat resides. The researchers also discovered that with whatever problem

the Protagonist must face, he never use any act of violence by not engaging into a

direct combat with his opponents. Also the Initiation Act is consisted of repeated

events such as calls of adventure and crossing of thresholds the Protagonist and his

Confidants are asked to undertake. It shows the repetitive feature of the Batangas

narratives where certain events are about to happen redundantly.

As for Act 3, Return, pertains to the homecoming of the Protagonist and the

harvesting of the fruits of his labors that he usually share with his family. It

involves events where he is asked to claim the recognition against the take of the

false claimers as the savior of the certain society he belongs.

With regards to the Transitivity Processess exhibited by the dramatis

personae involved in the folktales under this study, the researchers learned that

Batangas folktales are mostly dominated by the presence of Material Process. In

98
exemption, Verbal process is exhibited by how certain characters communicated

their motives towards the other dramatis personae and persuaded others in order

agree to their own terms through words. However, Behavioral, Relational, and

Existential processes though present appeared scarcely.

In analyzing the selected Batangas folktales, the researchers take into

consideration the language and the syntax it used since the approach applied in this

study is Structuralism. Language, as described by Belves (2011), has different

kinds of varieties such as regional varieties or "dialects". As for instance, the

official language of the Philippines is Filipino and it has different variations

referring to its dialects where in Batangas case is Tagalog. She said that with this

understanding, it proves that language identifies a country while dialect recognizes

locality.

In accordance with this light, the researchers learned that with regards to

establishing the structure of the folktales in a certain country there also has

variation in structure among its regions. This was because each region has their

own dialect, culture, and tradition even if they are all inside the same country.

Each region has their own form of folklore which tells something about their

locality. With all the analysis presented in this chapter, it all comes down to the

description of Batangas Folktales which serve as its local style in narrating its

stories.

99
5. Implication of the Findings in Philippine Narratology and to the Teaching

of Creative Writing

Using the Structural Approach, this study was conducted to identify the

structure of Batangas folktales by describing the features common to the three of

its narratives or stories with regards to its narrative functions, dramatis personae,

and the transitivity processes it dominantly exhibited. Moreover, the researchers

conducted this study to articulate the implicit characteristics of Batangas folktales

which has significant implications both for describing the Philippine narratology

and for the purpose of advancement within the Creative Writing course and its

subfields.

With this study, not only the professionals engaged in teaching literature

but also the students and future readers of Philippine folktales will be able to

identify the variation of narratives present in other regions in the Philippines. The

findings of this study could also address the features of Philippine narratology, its

structure, its elements which reflects its culture, and the values or customs it

inculcate to the Filipino youth.

In respect to that, it could address the agenda of DepEd through the K12

curriculum which is to have their students possess an understanding of one‘s

history, his cultural heritage, and develop a deep respect for self, others and their

100
culture, and the environment. The same goes for the updated CHED Memorandum

Order which suggested the use of Regional Approach in undertaking Literature

classes which means that one can understand the differences among Filipinos with

regards to their locality. Say for an instance, if a citizen from another region, a

Bicolano or Manileño perhaps, met a Batangueño or someone who grew up on a

Batangueño household is enlightened about Batangas folktales that has a lot to say

about its culture, he would understand why this Batangueño think, speak, or act in

a certain way foreign to his province or city and vice-versa. That is the kind of

respect for one’s diversity that should deliver Filipinos from indifference (usually

because of different dialects and cultural orientation) the researchers want to

achieve in the conduct of this study.

Likewise to the structure of a given text, knowing that a certain folktale has

a repetitive structure, one can say that it originated from Batangas since the

analysis of this study said that Batangas narratives are redundant in nature. Proper

identification of the structure and its elements presented in this study will help the

teachers and professionals involved in teaching Creative Writing find a way to

overcome or supress the challenges in teaching this subject and its subcategories.

The educator who is the very source of knowledge must possess the familiarity,

skills, values, and interest for this matter towards the effectiveness in teaching

Creative Writing. If they have the dedication and the interest in familiarizing

themselves in the structure of these folktales, they could not only supress but they

101
could also surpass their teaching styles they could show to their students. There is

a great teacher factor in motivating the students in developing their curiosity and

interest in writing.

Since students are the center of the teaching-learning process, one of the

very aim of this study is to give them the benefits of using Structuralism in

understanding literature towards an objective interpretation. With that, they will

not take for granted the use of folktales which they thought were only helpful in

practicing their reading skills when they were still young. This lack of engagement

tends to be equated with lack of value; readers often do not value what they do not

understand when in fact, they could use it to connect to their culture if they only

have the skills to read between the lines and consider the syntax and language the

folktale used.

Combine the teacher’s motivation and the student’s interest towards reading

results to one’s urge to write his own story. This is where the teaching of Creative

Writing plays a crucial role in establishing the style of the country’s aspiring

writers. Since the teachers already know the description of these folktales, they

could show their students a model which they could use as guide in manipulating

their own plots as they were only starting to develop their writing venture. As

these would-be writers are fully acquainted with the common structure, they could

explore in writing stories with unusual structure in showing the real events

happening to their society because literature depicts reality. The folktales they

102
studied as patterns are records of the past and the stories they will write shall soon

be passed on to future generations. Eventually, time will pass, the present will

replace the past and so it continues. As what Bautista (2008) had wrote, literature

is always history because it is the only valid history as a result of the writer's

creative energy located in a phenomenological milieu.

With all these, it would be very possible to make teaching-learning process

enjoyable and successful for the educators and the learners towards establishing

the Philippine narratology and taking the Creative Writing experience.

103
 Chapter V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary of the findings revealed in the study, the

conclusion drawn and the recommendations offered by the researchers based from

the results of the analysis and interpretation of the gathered data.

Summary

The main objective of this study was to describe the common structure of

the selected folktales in Batangas using Structuralist Approach by detailing the

instances where the narrative functions occured. Also, this study endeavored to

find out the dramatis personae involved in each narrative function by using

Pullman’s theory on Creating Compelling Characters. Moreover, the researchers

also examined the transitivity process dominantly exhibited by each dramatis

personae involved in each narrative function.

Specifically, this study sought answers to the following questions:

1. What are the functions drawn from the selected Filipino folktales in

Batangas:

104
 1.1. Juan and His Adventures as narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a Tagalog

from Lipa, Batangas;

1.2. The Story of Carancal as narrated by José P. Caedo, a Tagalog from

Batangas, Batangas; and

1.3 Juan and Clotilde as narrated by Vicente Hilario, a Tagalog, who heard

the story from an old man living in Batangas?

2. Which dramatis personae are involved in each function?

3. Which transitivity process is dominantly exhibited by the dramatis personae

involved in each function?

4. How may the structure of Filipino folktales from Batangas be described

considering the narrative function, dramatis personae, and transitivity process?

5. What is the implication of the findings of the study in establishing the Batangas

Folktale narratology and in the teaching of Creative Writing?

In conducting this study, the researchers utilized the three selected folktales

in Batangas as the subject of the study. These are Juan and His Adventures as

narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a Tagalog from Lipa, Batangas, The Story of

Carancal as narrated by José P. Caedo, a Tagalog from Batangas, Batangas, and

105
Juan and Clotilde as narrated by Vicente Hilario, a Tagalog, who heard the story

from an old man living in Batangas.

The researchers applied the documentary analysis type of research to

systematically explore the three selected folktales and describe certain properties,

structures, and characteristics that are evident. The principal tools in gathering data

were the theories proposed by Propp, Campbell, Leemings, Pullman, and Halliday.

In determining the narrative functions presented in the selected folktales,

the researchers used Propp’s 31 narrative functions, Campbell’s 3 phases of hero’s

journey, and Leemings’ 8 stages of monomyth. While in addressing the dramatis

personae involved in each narrative function, the researchers utilized Pullman’s

writings in Creating Compelling Characters. In his book, Pullman cited 9 dramatis

personae but the researchers only applied its 5 major types which are the

Protagonist, Confidant, Antagonist, Foil, and Stock. As for citing the transitivity

process dominantly exhibited by the dramatis personae involved in each narrative

function, the researchers employed Halliday’s 6 Transitivity Profiles which are the

Material, Existential, Relational, Verbal, Mental, and Behavioral process.

Findings

The findings of this study to every question posed are enumerated as

follows:

106
1. The study showed that the three selected folktales from Batangas comprised the

nuclear unit of monomyth: Departure, Initiation, and Return. The narrative

functions that complete the common structure found among the selected folktales

are the following: Call to Adventure, Preparation, Mediation, Withdrawal, and

Refusal, Departure First Function of the Donor, Road of Trials, Unrecognized

Arrival Wedding, Reward and Return.

2. The three selected folktales from Batangas exposed a repeated cycle of events.

It means that there are narrative functions which are repetitive in occurrence. For

example, each folktale showed that some narrative functions appear redundantly.

As for instance in Katigbak’s Juan and His adventures and Vicente’s Juan and

Clotilde, the narrative function Road of Trials appeared twice. While in Caedo’s

The Story of Carancal, the narrative functions Call to Adventure, Road of Trials,

Difficult Task, Solution, Recognition and Wedding happened numerous times.

3. The result showed that the essence of the main conflicts to be solved by the

Protagonist is the Stock character. This means that even if the given Batangas

folktale focuses on the Protagonist, its conflict which makes it exciting is not

necessarily because of the Protagonist‘s own misfortune or misconduct but of

other stereotype character.

107
4. While another custom of Filipinos was seen as well from the result of the table

above where the Confidant or Confidante shares the hardships and triumphs of the

Protagonist.

5. The researchers found out that Batangas folktales have dynamic dramatis

personae. For example, in the case of Katigbak’s Juan and His Adventure and

Vicente’s Juan and Clotilde, some foil and antagonist type of dramatis personae

are not directly against the protagonist or evil-willed from the start. However, in

Caedo’s Story of Carancal, some foil and antagonist type of dramatis personae

change into helpers or donors of the protagonist.

6. With regards to the Transitivity Profiles dominantly present in Batangas

Folktales, Batangas narratives are mainly manifested of Material Process.

Conclusions

In the light of the important findings revealed in this study, the following

conclusions were drawn:

1. Batangas narratives are composed of the stages Departure, Initiation and Return.

The protagonist in the stories decided to leave his home, seeks for adventure but in

the end the protagonist always comes back to his family to share the fruits of his

labors. Therefore, it reflects that Batangueños are inevitably family oriented.

108
2. Most narratives originated in Batangas have a repeated cycle of events. Events

manifested in the stories are often appeared repetitively even those instances harm

the characters until the accounts ended. This stresses that Batangueños and their

culture put themselves on an outline of continuous suppression.

3. Batangas folktales directly adopted the unique traits of Batangueños. Thus,

Batangas folktales are highly imbued with morals and values such as

Pakikipagkapwa tao or regards to others, Kumpadre system or brotherhood and

Delicadeza or sense of honor.

4. Also the study showed that because Batangas folktales have dynamic folktales,

the researchers therefore conclude that Batangueños are open and adaptable to

changes so that they will be able to conform to the society and protect the image

and needs of their family.

5. The dominance of Material Process in Batangas narratives showed that

Batangueños are goal-oriented and family-oriented people who aspire to work

hard on their ambition and motives so that they will be able to give the needs of

their family.

6. There is a need to expose the people in these kinds of narratives to strengthen

their values which are dramatically losing nowadays.

Recommendations

109
 In view of the findings obtained in this study, the following

recommendations are hereby given:

1. The study of folklore in a certain locality must be continuously included in

school subjects starting from basic education to inculcate the structure of these

folktales among its people. By that, its citizens will gain consciousness about

the kind of narratives they have. Likewise, the structure revealed while

studying the folk literature might serve as a guide to those aspiring writers; it

could serve as their pattern or framework since they are in the starting phase of

their writing endeavor. The structure revealed could serve also as a cue for

writers in manipulating plots to produce new breed of stories compared to

those which appeared so common in nature (see Philippine Telenovelas). Thus,

studying folk literature will be very useful in terms of guiding whoever is

inclined in writing.

2. Additional scholarly studies on folk literature must be undertaken by people of

different localities to revive their own narratives and to identify its variation

from the narratives of other regions. Thus, the significant feature of both

community and cultural development is the concept of shared culture, which

involves the development of mutual respect for every culture in a community.

The supplementary studies need to be commenced also to recapture the

significance of the narratives in their localities since it reflects the unique traits

110
 of their place, their life and culture because folk literature are mostly drawn

from real life situations.

3. The values that will serve as agents in directing the lives of the young

generations depicted through pieces of literature should be inculcated by the

educators among the learners. This will certainly help the learners to foster

respect, love, peace and harmony among diverse cultures and beliefs of people

belonging in different social classes. Through those values taught, individuals

will be able to give and gain love and respect from their own identities and to

others.

4. Social goals and policies should be created by the provincial government of

Batangas to preserve its literature which served as Batangueños’ bridge to their

cultural heritage. Such as annual role playing presentations, poem or script

writing competitions and the likes which offers not only cash and gift checks

as a prize but also gives writing workshops as a reward for joining such

societal gatherings that could enrich their cultural awareness.

5. Areas for cultural development such as parks, libraries, and museums

manifesting the literature as well as the culture in Batangas should be

established. Those areas will develop the awareness of the youth in integrating

their customs, beliefs, literature and culture into different activities and turned

this into educational arena. Involving youth in educational programs on

cultural, social, environmental, and economic forms of sustainability can help

111
 provide them with a more optimistic and sustainable outlook about the

importance of literature in the development of their culture and the essence of

culture in building their own identity. Additionally, the established areas for

cultural development can be a part of the cultural tourism of Batangas which

sustains both tangible and intangible cultural heritage specifically the

transcendent values of Batangueños and the literature or the narratives itself

from Batangas.

6. Refreshment courses should be given to teachers with regards to improving

their Creative Writing teaching strategies freely by the government to support

them in providing the Filipino youth a quality springboard towards writing.

112