‘Ang Hukuman ni Sinukuan’ Helps Kids Understand Justice
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Ang Hukuman ni Sinukuan”as retold by Virgilio S. Almario. (Photo from adarna.com.ph)
In her court, the sequence of events leading to the mishap, from one animal to another, is revealed.
When the root of it all is finally bared, one of the smallest creatures among them turns out to be the culpable one. Justice is served, and the animals learn their lessons. They emerge from the court changed into how we know them today. For example, the starling never nests on the ground anymore, lest its eggs be trampled, but on treetops.
Told in the tradition of the alamát or legend, Ang Hukuman ni Sinukuan is a cogent study of justice based on individual experiences and truths. Retold by National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario and illustrated by Mitzi Villavecer (the original illustrations were by Gilbert Torres), the book is published by Adarna House, Inc., with English and Filipino texts on every vibrant page. It can be a staple in read-along and storytelling sessions for children.
The author in costume reads to children at an event during the Araw ng Pagbasa (Day for Reading) at Bonifacio Global City.
Children’s stories have didactic and inspirational potency. In the eyes and ears of young audiences seemingly mundane events can become windows for understanding of causality.
Truth-telling involves owning up to one’s narrative. When we tell stories about ourselves, we are shaping in words ideas and images of our identity. Our stories must be honest depictions of our walking, warm selves.
Unlike some children’s stories where honesty is revealed by first exposing a lie, Ang Hukuman ni Sinukuan uses personal truths to access larger ones. Maria’s probing shows the importance of sources. All the characters involve speak from experience, putting the reader in a position to weigh circumstances and contexts in reaching a judgment.
“Told in the tradition of the alamát or legend, Ang Hukuman ni Sinukuan is a cogent study of justice based on individual experiences and truths.”
Anthropomorphism is an essential technique in children’s literature. Not only does it give a familiar world to the reader through local color, but it also adds a degree of emotional distance, especially when themes of justice, truth-telling, and punishments could be confounding to young readers. By using characters like the frog, turtle, and crab, we can attribute the animals’ foibles to their limitations.
Acknowledging that there are various angles to consider before one gets to the truth is one of the biggest lessons in this book. The search for truth needs perseverance, the way Maria consults one source after another.
In this age of misinformation, fake news, and censorship, children’s stories, including traditional Filipino forms like this alamát, can be useful in introducing contemporary problems to the young. Why is it essential that Maria ask all animals involved? What is the importance of listening to all their narratives? Why are the animals’ stories equally important to the final judgment? This story can help children delve into issues, looking outside of oneself.
Reading helps us to “see” other beings through their voices. (Photo from Unsplash)
Virgilio S. Almario weaves a narrative that is precise both in verse and in diction. When the animals address Maria, the “po” honorific does not only signify the respect that must be accorded in courts, it also becomes a unifying lilt and a signifier of humility when sharing one’s story.
Ang Hukuman ni Sinukuan is not exclusively about a court. Villavecer’s illustrations transport us around Mt. Arayat through the characters’ ecology. The face of justice is a woman, and as Maria takes on this role, Mt. Arayat becomes the perfect metaphor for Mother Earth.
Ian Layugan hails from Baguio City and is currently based in Gunma Prefecture, Japan where he works with the Kiryu City Board of Education under the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. He has written for Rappler and has led research projects for Oxfam, Asmae International, and the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore. Follow him on Instagram/Twitter at @ianlayuganx.
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