T.S. Sungkit Jr. is a Higaonon farmer, poet and novelist. He is the author of Batbat Hi Udan (2009), a novel in Filipino. He is also the author of Mga Gapnod sa Kamad-an, a cebuano novel which he translated into English. The translation “Driftwood on Dry Land” was published by UST Publishing House. He won the NCCA Writers Prize 2009 for the Cebuano novel “Mga Gapnod sa Kamad-an.” He also won the NCCA Writers Prize 2013 for the Cebuano novel “Ang Agalon sa mga Balod.” His Cebuano novel Mga Tigmo sa Balagbatbat also won in the NBDB Trust Fund for Writers 2014. He writes in Higaonon, Cebuano, Filipino and English.
I Higaonon Telesforo Sungkit Jr. I. I you call pagan, you say pagan is bad people. You say you is Christian and Christian is good people. You laugh I kneel on big rock or pray before big tree. You angry I call Migbaya, you say my God is devil. I not laugh you kneel on dead tree or you pray to hanging God there. I not angry you call your God, and I not call Him devil. I angry you get my lands, I angry you get my golds, I angry you burn my wood books, but you say I should love enemy. You say love enemy but you killed grandma bae, You killed uncle bagani, You killed even dog talamuod. II. I you call savage, You say savage is bad people. You say you is civilized And civilized is good people. You laugh I speak wrong your tongue or I not knowing you say. You angry I speak my tongue, You say I silent I not speak your tongue. I not laugh you speak in your noses or you kalamura speak my tongue, I not say you silent you not speak my tongue. I angry you kill my datus, I angry you burn my house I angry you get my honey, I angry you get my sakop, but you say I should know democracy. You say know democracy but you commanding all you telling I not speak, you forcing I live near plantations. You making all us sakop, you killing my brothers not liking you. III. I you call brother You say brother skin also brown. You say you is my brother and brother is good people. You laugh I kneel on big rock or I pray before big tree. You laugh I speak wrong your tongue or I not knowing you say. You angry I call Migbaya, you say my God is devil. You angry I speak my tongue, you say silent I not speak your tongue. I not laugh ou kneel on dead tree or you pray to hanging God there I not angre you call your God, and I not call Him devil. I not laugh you speak in your teeth or you kalamura speak my tongue, I not say you silent you not speak my tongue. I angry you get my lands, I angry you get my golds, I angry you dishonor my sister, but you say I should love brother, skin also brown. You say love brother, skin also brown but you help kill grandpa baylan, you kelp kill grandma bae, you help kill uncle bagani, you help kill dog talamuod, you help kill even my balangkawitan rooster. I angry you help kill my datus, I angry you help burn my house, I angry you steal my honey, I angry you paying cheap my abaca, coffee, coconut, banana, etc. but you say I should know government. You say know government but you commanding all you telling I not speak you forcing I live near plantations you making us all sakop You killing us not liking you. IV. I pagan? I savage? I brother? V. I knowing gooder, I knowing bad. I knowing badder, I knowing good. I knowing brother, I knowing stranger. I knowing things yesterday, today, tomorrow. I ancient. I Higaonon. Source: Peace Mindanao, edited by Jaime An Lim. Philippine Center of International PEN and UST Publishing, 2013.
See Module on I, Higaonon.
AB LITERATURE, PHILIPPINES 