#mikeportes

[sophialucilleagagasa]

Article #2 (2nd quarter)

Pillar of society

Mothers are one of the most important pillars of society not only are they the symbol of life they are also the ones who have sacrificed many things for us children, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures, there are times when our own mothers make questionable decisions and often judge them for it. The short story “Minsan may isang Puta” by author Ms. Mike Portes captures the struggles and judjement for their decision that some mothers experience. The whole story follows a conversational format as if the main character was actually talking to you. The short story was filled with many symbolisms, the most prominent being that the main character is a whole personification of our country the Philippines.

The story started with Pilipinas confiding with the reader, she explained how her community see’s her as a prostitute or a whore who sells her body to strangers. She then proceeds to describe how she had many suitors that she welcomed with open arms and yet she still got fooled by them. Later on she tells about the three foreigners who raped and how the last one was the hardest to get away from and it felt addicting to her. She was able to combat this and finally break free from him then she later explains how much she and her children had to struggle after he left.

The whole story recounts the many battles our country has faced throughout history the three foreigners represent the Spanish,American/Japanese period and lastly the most addicting yet dangerous time was the Marcos Regime. It was a prosperous time of our country the economy rose, most of the filipino citezens had jobs and could provide for their families, but underneath these rose tinted glasses lies a tragic fate for some.

This very heartbreaking yet informative story reminds all of us of what the past of our motherland is and remember all the sacrifices our hearoes had to do inorder to reach the freedom of our nation

[juvidamaxinne]

Minsan May Isang P*ta

Mike Portes the writer of the short story "Minsan mya isang p*ta" is born woman but she became part of trans community because of unfortunate events. Mike Portes also has biological children. Jumping to his work, the literary piece "Minsan may isang p*ta" was written in 2004 and was modified in 2007. This short story was originally published in April 30, 2004 at peyups.com

This short story written by Mike Portes is such a masterpiece, he used the word "p*ta" to describe the Philippines and it has a lot of meaning in the story. The writer used metaphorical words that described the suffering and pain of the Philippines embodied in a role of a woman who was abused by three foreigners. These foreigners represents the three countries who tried to take over the Philippines.

The main character here in the story is the prostitute / the Philippines, the author's relationship to the main character is that the author lives in this country. The center of attention in the story is clearly the woman / the mother. The environment being described in this story is about the cruelty of the foreign countries to the Philippines.

As you read the story, the atmosphere is emotional and reflective as it digs into the harsh reality and struggles of the protagonist. The woman expresses her desire to break free from her past and stop engaging in sex work but she is hindered by the burden of debt that she accumulated.

The short story written by Mike Portes "Minsan may isang p*ta" consists of 3 pages (online) and 1,138 words. The external conflict that is being shown in the story is how the protagonist face the world and challenges in her life and family, on the other hand, her internal problems are her mental and emotional battles.

There are many problems in the story, these problems are how the Philippines is being buried in debt, how the Philippines is being destroyed in the past because of the other countries, etc.

In the story, the one who has a problem is the mother. She was molested by the foreigners three times. The mother is also struggling on how to support her children and make a living, her other children also took advantage of her and betrayed her.

The man vs man in the story is how the three foreigners raped the mother, the man vs society is the mother's children who moved to the other countries for good and it is similar to what is happening in our country because of the government, low salary, etc. , Filipinos chose to move to other countries to live a better life. The man vs nature shown is still the rapists and the mother because of how those three countries tried to ruin and take advantage of the Philippines.

This story written by Mike Portes is such a realistic story because it reflects the reality of life and it symbolizes the past of the Philippines, it reflects the history of the Philippines.

The characters in the story is the mother / the Philippines, three foreigners, and the children. The author presents the characters as the people who lived in the Philippines and the countries during the time the Philippines was being attacked and ruled by the other countries. We see here that the main character in the story is the mother (Philippines) and the secondary character is the foreigner / the last relationship the mother had, who played a significant role in her life.

This short story takes us back in the Philippine history and the author wants to show us and tell us how our country suffered in the past and how our country was being enslaved by the other countries. The author also wants to portray how much damage these events from the past left our country and the people in our country.

That is the story "Minsan may isang p*ta" is all about.

[ieshayuniceapineda]

"Minsan May Isang P*ta" by Mike Portes

"Minsan May Isang P*ta" is a Filipino short story written by an author named Mike Portes. It belongs to the contemporary era as it was originally published on November 22, 2014. Within the author's works, it is one of her most famous works, alongside "The Dove Files". In this essay, I will analyze this short story based on different categories.

According to the plot, "Minsan May Isang P"ta" can be interpreted in three ways. First, in symbolic manner, the main character who is a prostitute symbolizes our country, the Philippines who is being judged by her neighbors and is being abandoned by her children who are Filipinos. Secondly, in literal meaning, it depicts the life of a sex worker whose name is Pilipinas, who was abused by three foreigners which resulted in the judgment of the people around her and her children forgettign and financially abusing her. Lastly, metaphorically speaking, the protagonist was compared to the Philippines, the foreigners as Spain, America and Japan, and her children as the Filipino citizens.

Portes wrote this piece of literature with our nation as her inspiration. She is a Filipino woman, one of the children of the Philippines which is the protagonist and the center of attention. The environment is our country in which the author and the audience are citizens of. She made the atmosphere a little heavy and full of emotions in order for the readers to relate to the story.

"Minsan May Isang P*ta" is a detailed narrative of how the Philippines was the most beautiful among its neighboring countries that is why the three foreigners got interested in it and colonized it for hundreds of years. It narrares how the three nations made their lives toxic and at the same time, conducive. And eventually after many years, she managed to gain freedom. However, after being free, its children continuously abused her. In summary, this short story portrays the sufferings and struggles of our country in the hands of the foreigners and the Filipinos.

The problems presented in this short story is the fact that the main character is aware of the abuse and violence that she experiences but still wants it to happen again. Moreover, her children are not grateful for her sacrifices, instead, they financially abuse her and don't show remorse and concern for her. Specifically, the conflicts encountered by the Philippines are man vs. society and man vs. system.

"Minsan May Isang Puta" is a real and historical story inspired by the history and present of the Philippines. The main character is our country and the Filipinos are the secondary characters. The author presented them in a metaphoric manner wherein our nation was represented by a sex worker and the citizens were symbolized by the children.

This short story takes us to the reality of how some Filipinos fight each other and neglect their duties as a citizen. They abuse the treasures and beauty of the Philippines. They use them to their advantage. And only a few Filipinos have concern and unity. Portes wants to tell us about the sufferings and pain of our country not just because of the foreigners but also because of the citizens' greed and grudge. She wants us to realize our shortcomings and pay back the sacrifices of our nation. Indeed, it is crucial to study and value the history of our country for us to realize its importance and not take it for granted.

[mikeportes-blog]

From "WHEN DOVES CRY" by Fernell Cruz: “I took the risk, I know many will take offense but I had no other way to tell the truth that many had been so deluded to believe,” declares Mike Portes when asked about the Minsan May Isang Puta. It’s a short piece that uses a first-person narrative technique that speaks directly to its reader. The voice is even pedestrian that in its familiar tone the reader is simply drawn to it. The voice simply asks that you listen as if an old friend or relative is about to tell a story. It is a story that found thousands of listening ears since it first appeared in 2004. The story is at once familiar yet enigmatic. In “re-telling the truth through the words of a loving mother and by using sex as an impulse zone” is perhaps what makes it fresh, intimate and endearing. Portes was already a mother of two when she worked on Minsan May Isang Puta and would have added the realistic, not imagined or distantiated, tone of a mother’s lament in the story—a layer that was underscored in the 2007 version. It is a voice and a layer that resonates among many Filipinos, and reinvigorated the interest on the piece. Portes has always been passionate about writing, yet never neglecting her social and moral obligations. Portes wants the people who chance upon her work “to bring something with them each and every time.” One of the uncalculated effects of writing a piece that takes up a familiar and much abused figure is how it would affect creativity in another person, in another medium. The story was already in circulation and received much following when Sarah Roxas chanced upon it through the internet. The mother’s lament touched Sarah and felt the “pain and love for her children.” To her mind, “it would make a really good short film.” Read the whole article at : http://hubo.asia/tag/mike-portes/