High School Projects

Story Report # 1

Story Report #1

Title: Lola’s Long Hair

Author: Rene O. Villanueva

Author’s background:

        Rene Villanueva is an author of fifty(50) stories for children and was the Don Carlos Palanca Hall of Fame-awardee. He is the original writer of the Aklat Adarna. He also became the Executive Producer of Batibot and Creative Director of children’s’ Television Foundation.

Characters:

1.)         Lola- the heroin of the story. She is the woman with the longest hair and the bravest heart.

2.)         Family members- they are the ones who help braid her hair and the ones who bring it everywhere Lola goes.

3.)         The whole community- the ones who prepare for the typhoon. They weren’t able to fully develop their household so they used Lola’s hair for security.

Setting:

        Time- A long time ago

Place- In the barrio

Theme/ Message:

        That Filipinas are the ‘true men’ in the country for they stay strong in times of crisis.

Plot:

1.   Beginning Event

There was once a woman named Lola. She was Lola to the river people, lowlanders, and mountain-dwellers. She was Lola to everyone. What made her so extraordinary was he hair. They say it measured one kilometer when it was let down. But no one could be certain. Her hair had waves so even if she laid it out on the longest street in the barrio, no one could measure her hair’s length.

2.   Reaction of the character

It took one whole day to clean her hair with the bark of the gugo tree. Her hair needed one week to dry. This was never a problem for Lola.

Even while her hair was being washed or dried, Lola could wash clothes, cook, or make copra. She could heal broken bones or help deliver a baby while her hair was being combed or lice were being removed.

No matter what other people were doing to her hair, she could still go around doing her usual business without being bothered.

3.   Goal or purpose

The barrio moved as one as they gathered all the materials they needed for preparing their houses for the series of typhoon. The nipa roofs were fortified and tightened. Each wall was supported with the fattest bamboo poles. Each family was stocked up on salt, rice, tinapa, and oil. Each household prepared for the worst.

4.   Attempts or efforts

The whole barrio knew all their efforts were useless. But Lola did not lose hope. While the wind and rain howled, she asked that her hair be tied to every house in the barrio. Even to the town hall and chapel. Even to the market and cockfighting studio.

5.   Outcome or results

Lola was able to save everything in the barrio. She was honored as a local heroin in their community and hereafter, she was the savior of things whenever typhoons came.

Resolution:

        Lola realized that the barrio wasn’t prepared for the series of typhoons that would be hitting them in the following weeks so she made them tie her hair to everything in the village so that they—being the things in the barrio—wouldn’t be blown off to God knows where.

Reaction of the story:

        I think that the story shows just how much Filipinos are respected. Just like the heroes Gabriela Silang, Tandang Sora, Gregoria de Jesus, Teodora Alonzo.

        Lola in this story is what we women must be: brave, strong, kind-hearted, and sacrificing. We must always be the light of the family when times are dark. Women must be respected, too, because we are the men’s strength.

        For me, this story is inspiring to those who are in need of strength and confidence. True strength comes from within the heart.

        And this quote “Love can make you do crazy things” suits the story. Lola did her little stunt with her hair out of love. She sacrificed her long, beautiful hair to save the whole barrio because she loved and cared for the peopled around her.

        Lola is the pen and paper copy of what we Filipinas are today.