“Letter to Pedro, U.S. Citizen, Also called

Pete”

Rene Estella Amper’s

Reported by Joshua “Gwapo” S. Abel De Guzman

He was born on October 18, 1940 in Boljoon,

Cebu. As physician he has served as head of the Boljoon rural health unit; as poet, he has participated as an Asia Foundation Writing Fellow at the Silliman University. Summer Writers' Workshop in 1968 and 1969. He has also shared the 2nd Palanca prize in poetry in 1989 with Fatima Lim for a collection called All Else Is Grass. His works have been published in 12 Poems (1969) and Collected Poems (1990). He has been mayor of Boljoon.

Rene Estella Amper

According to (Logronio & Lumayno, 2008), the persona talked about the socio-political problems of their hometown. He wrote to Pedro to inform him of the developments that were taking place in the town and how these advancements altered the simplicity and beauty of the town and affected the townsfolk. He mentioned the destruction of the forests to make way for the feeder road and how this event in the modernization of their town affected the farmers. He also revealed the vices that the farmers were slaves to. He cited the behavior the people displayed in church. He flippantly discussed how women became more acquisitive. He was also able to imply that colonial mentality was operative in the minds of the people when he stated “remember us to your American wife, you lucky bastard” and “P.S. Tasyo, the old goat, sends your lizard his warmest congratulations”. The persona also meant to confront the problems at hand.

Tradition & Modernity

Pete, old friend,There isn’t really much changeIn our hometown since you left.

A steel bridge named after the congressman’s wifenow spans the gray river where Tasyo, the oldgoat, had split the skin of our young lizardsto make us a man many years ago.

The end!

Thank you for listening…