A Book Review on "Batong Bahay" by Doctor Clarence Batan
As I turn the pages and savor the emotions after reading every word of Doc Clarence Batan's "Batong Bahay", I find myself empathizing with the author and each character in the book. Having a Batong Bahay, the feelings of the Daddy, family matters, and the emotions of the Mother are all not new to me, since I have also come from a poor family. Actually, I have come from a clan of farmers. My grandfather, although he has many lands to sow 'palay', it does not change the fact that he still needs to borrow money from other people to sustain the needs of his family. This is also the reason why my mom and dad had chosen to separate from their parents and tried to build a family in Rizal, a decision which made things even more difficult. Anyway, Batong Bahay has really stricken me. It even made me cry...
Having a Batong Bahay is also a struggle of our family. For many many years, we have rented a house because we do not own anything and we do not have any relative in Rizal. It was only a few years that my mom and dad decided to buy a house in Angono and it was really a struggle. Until now, my parents are doing all that they can to pay everything and at the same time, to sustain our education. I, too, am surprised that despite these problems, my parents were able to send me to UST.
The feelings of the Daddy were very hidden and deep. I think that it is a common characteristic of dads. What made my dad different from Doc Batan's dad is that my dad had not had any vices. This made my mom and dad's relationship a lot easier. As I have read how the dad changed and appreciated Doc Batan's success, I remembered how my dad cried when I graduated from Elementary. When I asked him why he cried, he said that he was just happy because finally, he was able to let his eldest finish grade school.
Like every family, I, too, have witnessed and heard my mom and dad as they fight. Topics like jealousy and money are the most common causes of their fights. Sometimes, I would ask myself ", Bakit pa kasi kailangan ng pera para mabuhay eh?"
In the Bible, instead of Esau (eldest son) getting the blessing of Isaac, Jacob gets the blessing and he became successful in his life. Since then, I have been trying to prove that I, as the eldest daughter, can also become successful - a reason why my parents trained me and patiently molded me to become who and what I am now. Just like what happened to Doc Batan's brother, he encountered a lot of circumstances and it was Doc Batan who honored his parents. I felt it when his mother narrated. His mother thanked him for bringing such honor and pride to them. I also want to do the same thing. I want to make my parents happy and become successful. I want our whole clan not to worry about money and just live peacefully.
