SI

PINGKA
a short story written by Isabelo
S. Sobrevega

WPresented by
Ms. Guia
Mortel
 About the Author
Isabelo S. Sobrevega is the author of the short story "Si
Pinkaw." It was published in Hiligaynon on August 14,
1968, and translated into Filipino for the Philippine
Collegian on August 14, 1975. Sobrevega is known for
his works that are deeply honest and feature characters
rejected by society, victims of injustice, scavengers,
and others who face oppression in the world.
 SUMMA
RY
The story is about Pinkaw, a woman who attracts the attention of children with her
peculiar appearance. She walks down the street carrying something and dancing, her
clothes torn and worn, with one foot wearing socks, possibly blue or green. On one
leg, there's a red paper tied with a milk can at the end. She also wears a shiny crown
on her head.
The children tease Pinkaw, asking her to sing a particular song, but she hesitates and
seems shy. One bold child threatens to take away her child if she doesn't comply.
Pinkaw backs away, clutching her child tighter. The children continue to taunt her,
saying they will take her child away. Eventually, Pinkaw collapses to the ground,
crying and stomping.
 The narrator, witnessing the situation, scolds the children and threatens them to stop
teasing Pinkaw. The children, possibly frightened by the strong reprimand, leave one by
one. Once they're gone, Pinkaw looks up at the narrator and says, "Mayor, they will take
my child." The narrator, amused at being called mayor, reassures Pinkaw that they won't
take her child.

As Pinkaw continues to sing a lullaby while dancing, the narrator notices that the
thing she was carrying was actually a can of biscuits wrapped in a wet cloth. Pinkaw
picks it up, wraps it again, and continues singing, pretending to put her child to sleep.
The narrator reflects on how Pinkaw, once a normal neighbor, has now lost her sanity.
The story portrays the struggles of Pinkaw and the ignorance of the children who mock
her.
Digging through garbage is her livelihood; this is where she finds food, usable items, or things
to sell. She used to sing a lot. er singing isn't pleasant. While pushing a cart with three wheels
down potholed and muddy streets, she's trailed by barking dogs. The only noticeable thing
about her is that—she always sings. Her voice isn't good—broken and masculine. But there's a
certain power in it that captivates my ears. Maybe it's because of the sad tone of her song or
perhaps the curiosity about why she's so happy while just digging through garbage. Usually, by
lunchtime, she returns from the dumpsite. Her cart is full of cardboard, paper, bottles, rags, and
worn-out shoes. In the buri bag hanging on the side of the cart, you'll find her lunch. Leftover
sardines, corned beef, or sometimes pork-and-beans, a piece of bread that's often bitten into,
and if lucky, a chicken bone with some meat still attached. Despite her thin body, you'd think
her load is heavy, but you'd be surprised; she seems light and often sings a Bisaya folk song.
When she arrives in front of her shanty, she immediately calls her children: "Poray, Basing,
Takoy, I'm here." And they would run to meet her, asking excitedly if she brought home jeans
for them, what's for lunch, did she buy bitsukoy?”
We've been neighbors for two years, but I don't even know her real name. Everyone calls her
"Pinkaw."
They say she is a widow. Her husband died from epilepsy while she was pregnant with their
youngest child. However, Pisyang, the gambler, swears on favorite saint that Pinkaw was never
married. According to her, each of her three children has a different father. Her eldest, Poray, is
unusually tall for her age of thirteen and very thin. When you see him wearing shirts brought
by her mother from the dumpsite, you immediately think of scarecrows in cornfields. Basing,
the second, is cheeky but fond of growing a mustache, even though only the juice flows from it
through the crack in his lips. The youngest, who is probably about three years old, is fair-
skinned and very handsome. He looks completely different from his siblings, making you
sometimes believe what Pisyang says.
After lunch, Pinkaw would remove the contents of the cart, separate the cans, bottles,
cardboard, and other items picked up from the dumpsite, with the help of her children. After
that, she would push the cart towards the Chinese junk shop.

Pinkaw loves her children very much. In the dumpsite, you often see mothers hurting their chil,
but you never see Pinkaw mistreating her children. "Children," he once said while buying dried
fish from the store and saw a mother hitting a small child caught looking at indecent pictures.
"There's no need to hit them; it's enough to tell them gently. A child listens to a parent because
of respect and love. If a child is beaten, they will obey but rebel and harbor resentment." In the
struggle for a living in the dumpsite, where people are willing to step on each other's noses to
survive, Pinkaw's character is surprising. She is extremely helpful, especially to those like her
who just dig through garbage. Shee often helps push other people's carts, especially the elderly
and children. It is also said that during her Sunday worship, she never fails to distribute twenty
centavos to the beggars. Everyone in the dumpsite knows these things.
Once, Pingkaw's eldest son fell ill with El Tor. She went to his trusted Chinese friend, asking
for a loan. The Chinese man agreed, but with a condition. Rumors circulated about the Chinese
man's disdain for women, so people speculated about the condition since no one witnessed their
conversation. What happened next became known to everyone: Pingkaw broke a pot over the
Chinese man's head. Despite this, Pingkaw's son didn't improve with the doctor's treatment.
When Pingkaw returned home, she boiled guava leaves and gave the concoction to his son,
which ultimately healed him. Pingkaw attributed it to God's mercy, saying that if God wanted
her son to die, he would have died without medical help. Still, since God wanted him to live, he
survived even without a doctor.

One day, while discussing rice, relief, and other government-provided items for the poor,
Pingkaw expressed her dissatisfaction, stating that she didn't want to rely on the government for
her livelihood. She believed in working hard and pushing her cart for a living. She criticized the
government for not helping those who truly needed it and instead assisting those who were well
off. Pingkaw was content with her life.
The next events happened when I wasn't at home as I was taking care of my sick sibling. When I
returned, my neighbors recounted the story, and I felt intense anger towards them. One day, after
the family had lunch, the children suddenly writhed in pain, possibly due to spoiled food.
Pingkaw panicked and ran to the neighbors for help, but they couldn't do anything except advise
him to take the children to the hospital. Without any passing vehicles, Pingkaw loaded his
children onto her cart. She headed to the nearby doctor's house, but the doctor wasn't there as she
was supposedly playing golf, according to the helper. In frustration, Pingkaw pushed her cart to
another doctor. She rang the doorbell for a long time, but no one answered, even though she saw
someone peeking through the window.

Distraught, Pingkaw continued pushing her cart towards the town. Exhausted and saddened by the
harsh reality, she persisted. When she reached the main road, several cars were flagged down to
transport her sick children, but none stopped. Soon, she noticed that her eldest child wasn't
moving.
She checked and realized that the child had stopped breathing. Tearfully, she continued pushing
the cart, trying to save the lives of her remaining two children. Many people observed her, but it
was perplexing why no one came forward to help. Her children bounced in the cart on the uneven
road. It felt like a century before she reached the government hospital. Amidst the doctors and
nurses prioritizing seemingly wealthy patients, Pingkaw's two remaining children finally received
medical attention.

The next night, Basing, the eldest, died. Two days later, the youngest also succumbed. I heard
noises again, and when I looked out, Pingkaw returned, followed by mischievous children. He
sang a lullaby while cradling the tin-can dressed like a baby, saying, "Hush-hush, sleep now. Your
mother is not here...“

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 ANALYS
IS/
INTERPRETATIO
N
WHAT CAN YOU SAY
ABOUT THE MAIN
CHARACTER?
 Pinkaw is a depiction of a Filipino mother that is
strong, loving and willing to do anything for the sake of
it’s children. Pinkaw showed that she could stand on her
own two feet despite of their poor living. She remain
kind even the world is tough for her, for them. Pinkaw
became strong in every challenge she face, she has this
perspective that she won’t ever let her problems and
struggles defines her as a person. She faced lofe with a
positive outlook, as long as she’s with her children, they
are her real treasures in life. However, in the struggles
she faced, Pinkaw was defeated by the world’s evilness
and selfishness.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
IS THE AUTHOR’S
PURPOSE IN WRITING
THE STORY?
 In my own understanding, the author wants to
convey the message hidden behind the painful story of
a loving mother, Pinkaw. He wanted to open our eyes
and reflect how harsh our situation is, that there is
really discrimination happening between poor and
rich.
He reveals the sad reality we have in the
government, how it feels to become to being refused,
rejected and marginalized by the society, and how
poverty remain as the main problem in our society.
WHAT SYMBOLISMS
ARE PRESENT IN THE
STORY THAT
REFLECTS THE LIVES
OF THE FILIPINOS?
The garbage dump- The hardships experienced by Filipinos widens the gap
between the lives of the poor and rich. It reflects lack of stable and
permanent livelihood for many of us. Most engage in temporary jobs that
don’t really sustain a family. Sometimes, due to lack of employment, some
resort to committing crimes just to provide for their families.
Vehicles- In our lives, there are people who won’t really help when we need
assistance. They judge based on the physical appearance of the person they
are helping. If they see you are dirty, they won’t help because they think
they won’t gain anything from you. But if you look clean and prosperous,
they will rush to help you because they know there might be something in
it for them.
Potholed Roads- This symbolizes the challenges that most Filipino faces
today, challenges that society ignores because those in power see them as
useless to the world.
Stale food- It symbolizes the adversity faced by many Filipinos today, those
ignored by society because those in power see them worthless in the world.
 MY
In the story presented, I was touched by how Pingkaw stands as a

REFLECTION
mother for her children, it reminded me of my own mother who is willing to
do and sacrifice what she has for us. It is really true that a mother’s love for
her child is invaluable and unmeasurable. I also came with the realization
the this world we are living in can be truly harsh. There are people who,
when you need them, are nowhere to be found and some take advantage of
your struggles.
In our society, which is sometimes fake and deceptive, and money
and power are the basis of recognition, we should thrive to change this.
It shows, from then, until now, the dishonesty and the desire for excess. It
can be compared to valuing the rich more than the poor, as they are ignored.
This can be observed in schools, with patients in hospitals and other
situations. But we should remember to give equal and proper treatment to
our society- MAGING MAKATAO TAO, whether poor or rich, EVERYONE HAS
VALUE.
Thank You!