Tata Selo pumatay? Kabesang Tano patay na.

    Tata Selo is a short story that was written by Rogelio Sicat. The story conveys real-life land reform issues, political cruelties, and social injustice here in the Philippines. After reading the Story of Tata Selo, I felt miserable and sympathy towards him. Tata Selo was a selfless man who only does everything just to take care of his Family. He is a father and a husband as well, all he wanted was the best for them. But when problems conquered their family, he worked really hard and never gave up for them. All he ever did is to stand up for himself and yearns for justice but is deprived of it. 

    Upon reading the story, it depicts the battle of the rich and poor. The background shows the issues of sexual harassment and political cruelties. This pertains to the part of the story where Saling, the daughter of Tata Selo, shows distress while her father is sitting on her lap and the Alkalde and the Hepe are looking at her which obviously is making her feel discomfort. And lastly, this also shows the problem of social injustice. This relates to the scene where Tata Selo defends himself on accidentally killing Kabesang Tano yet his pleas fell on deaf ears. The fact that this reality is what some Filipinos face is a terrible thought, it shows just how helpless these people really are, and how unfair those people who have power and wealth were towards them.

    Being a reader and a student, this story creates an awareness of what happens in our country. This story is like a mirror that allows us to see and widen our perspective regarding such issues. May this literature be an inspiration for young people, like me, to be aware and spread that awareness in order  to help those people who are in need. 

    While reading the story, I’ve been thinking about how issues such as these are continuously present nowadays. Injustice and Political Cruelty are still part of settlement issues. It is difficult to achieve peace without any degree violence or oppression. The status of a person defines how they are respected by the authorities. That is why the battle of the privileged and the unfortunate plagues society.