Pranks gone wrong

 

This book is only 112 pages long, and it took me four days to finish it. Not because it was difficult for me to read in Tagalog, but because I wasn’t really enthusiastic about it. The only reason I bought it was that it came bundled with a book I was interested in at this year's MIBF on September 13. It was a good deal, and I saw it as my contribution to the Filipino literary community. Also, since it’s a Palanca awardee—a prestigious local literary award—I was curious to see the caliber of novels that win such an award.

After reading it, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit disappointed. If this won, how come Trese or any of Bob Ong’s works haven’t won any Palanca awards? Maybe their works didn’t qualify since the Palanca requires only unpublished stories to be submitted. That could be the case. But at least now I know one of the qualifications to be a Palanca awardee.

So, what’s the book about? It’s about a group of friends who love horror stories and go around chasing urban legends. When their searches fail, they take it upon themselves to make the urban legends come true. In short, they prank the people in their area based on these legends. Eventually, the pranks escalate into a disaster that breaks up the group of friends.

The flow of the story feels like a Filipinized version of Stranger Things or Stephen King’s IT—a group of friends enjoying adventure until they get a dose of their own medicine.

It’s also a story of typical Filipino youth growing up, which I can personally relate to. Back when I was a kid, my group of friends and I loved to check if urban legends were more than just stories. We even went as far as role-playing, pretending to be aswangs flying at night. Yes, even as a child, I was already delulu.

ChatGPTs depiction of an Aswang

Given its status as a Palanca awardee, I anticipated a more profound and compelling narrative. However, the storytelling came across as somewhat straightforward and predictable, leaving me yearning for greater complexity and nuance. While I appreciate the nostalgia it evokes—reminding me of my own childhood experiences—it may be rooted in the familiar themes of everyday Filipino life. This familiarity, while relatable to me as a Filipino, could potentially resonate more deeply with foreign readers seeking to explore Filipino culture. It’s possible that the book’s ability to encapsulate the essence of growing up in the Philippines contributed to its recognition with a Palanca award, as it provides a window into our unique cultural landscape, even if it lacks the extraordinary elements I had hoped for.

#blessedbydabes

Honestly, the title of the book "Ang Nawawalang Barangay" (The Lost Neighborhood) is a bit misleading—or maybe it's just a language barrier for me. Even though I am Filipino and have lived in Manila for nearly two decades, Tagalog is not my first language. When I saw the title, I initially thought, "Could this be a fanfic about the mythical place in Leyte called Biringan?"

Turns out, it's not. It's not even about looking for a lost neighborhood. Instead, it's about finding the residents of a barangay who suddenly vanish into thin air. Our main character, Bree (real name Brigido), is at the center of it all. I didn’t notice any detailed description of Bree in the book. The only things mentioned are that she has long hair and is gay (something I only figured out after starting the book). Maybe a detailed description wasn’t necessary, since the book includes illustrations that depict Bree as the main character.

The story follows a barangay where its citizens begin disappearing one by one. Bree takes it upon herself to investigate because she feels the barangay officials and local police aren't doing anything about it. During her investigation, she meets Clyde, who becomes her partner in solving the mystery of their missing neighbors—and eventually, Bree's romantic interest (LOL, I accidentally picked up a BL book!).

Their investigation leads them to a local religious cult headed by a transgender person impersonating "Kinkee Balaj," who is described exactly like Nicki Minaj. This impersonator performs by rapping and dancing like Kinkee Balaj, and then gives a homily after the performance. Surprisingly, people fall for it. The cult gains such a large following that when they hold a "Swalla Big Night" (Swalla being the name of the cult), the crowd is as massive as the devotees of the Nazareno every January.

Bree and Clyde eventually discover that people are vanishing because of the heat. When a person reaches a certain temperature, they literally vanish into thin air. The symptoms include sweating, a cloud of smoke surrounding the person about to vanish, and an unexplained coldness felt by those nearby.

As for the ending—well, there isn’t one. It’s an open ending, with no clear resolution and many unanswered questions. But if you look deeper, the ending makes sense within the story’s context.

The novel is not just a mystery or a supernatural thriller; it is a reflection of the unresolved nature of many social and cultural issues that the book touches on. The disappearances in the barangay, for instance, could symbolize how people in society "vanish" or become invisible due to various reasons—whether it's because of economic disparities, the marginalization of minorities like the LGBT community, or the corruption in public offices that allows these injustices to persist. The lack of a clear resolution mirrors the way many of these societal problems remain unsolved, hanging in the air, much like the people in the story who vanished without a trace.

By leaving the story open-ended, the author seems to be emphasizing that not all mysteries in life are neatly tied up, and that some questions—like those Bree and Clyde grapple with—may never be answered. This ambiguity is what gives the novel its weight, making it not just about supernatural disappearances, but also about the many unresolved issues we face in real life. In a way, the story itself vanishes into thin air, leaving readers to ponder over the unexplained and the unresolved, just as Bree is left to wonder about the fate of her neighbors.

The novel is written in Tagalog. Although it's only 200+ pages, it took me five days to finish because reading in Tagalog was challenging for me. Some of the words were so deeply Tagalog that I had to reread entire sentences or paragraphs to fully understand. Honestly, I wish it were written in English so it could reach a global audience. However, the flow of the story fits the Tagalog language. There are certain words, sentences, or phrases that just sound better in Tagalog.

Would I recommend the book? Yes. It’s a good read. It reveals some of the uglier aspects of Filipino culture: how the LGBT community is viewed and treated, the body-shaming of fat people, the corruption of public officials clinging to the rich for power, and how the wealthy actually run the city. It also shows how deeply religion influences Filipino life.

The book also touches on how people cope with the loss of loved ones, exploring themes of mourning and grief. Various social issues are presented in the book, making it worth reading. I don't regret buying it, even though it wasn’t what I expected. Maybe the author left the open ending to make room for a sequel—but even if not, the ending still works as a powerful statement on the unresolved nature of many of the themes it presents.

I asked ChatGPT to draw Bree for me and this is what ChatGPT drew.