Mga Bata sa Selda 43

A. Mga Bata sa Selda

Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina’s Mga Bata sa Selda 43 follows 13-year-old Philip and his 9-year-old brother Ino, waking up in a prison-like cell thinking aliens had abducted them. While waiting for their mother to find and save them, they meet Ed, a 20-year old college student who has been inside the cell for the longest time. The truth about their abduction unfolds as they talk about their poverty-stricken family, their unattainable aspirations in life, and how the government crushes the dreams of these children as they disappear without justice.

Context
1. General and Specific Locale

a. General Locale

The author hinted that the general setting of the play took place in a specific country which is the Philippines, particularly during President Duterte’s reign as president and his war on drugs or the extra judicial killings in 2016. Philip’s younger brother, Ino told the story of what happened to them and the reason why they ended up in the place they currently are. He said that police officers entered their home and dragged them to a secluded place where they shot him and his brother. This clearly describes what the victims of President Duterte’s war on drugs went through and suffered.

b. Specific Locale

The specific location and setting of the play is inside a prison cell, where the souls of people who are victims of President Duterte’s dictatorship and whose bodies have not yet been found by people are located. The place as described by Ed is called Selda kwarenta y tres or Selda 43. It is a room with barely anything but a bed and door and no one is allowed to go out unless people have found where their bodies are.

Time (Composition, Action, and Dramatic Time)

a. Time of Composition

"Mga Bata sa Selda 43" by Rolin Cadallo Obina is set in the year 2018, two years after the Philippines' current President, Rodrigo Duterte, took office. During his campaign, President Duterte pledged to rid the Philippines of drug use completely within the first few months of his presidency. This vow, however, was overshadowed by his violent and unlawful strategy in dealing with the so-called "War on Drugs." Obina's story takes place during the height of all the unjust killings, with many people comparing the war on drugs to the year 1972, when then-President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. Despite the fact that it was written in 2018, the writer was able to shed light on the resurfaced tragedy of Martial Law, in which thousands of innocent lives were taken, by using the three characters and their stories.

b. Time of Action

The story takes place in the year 2018, as explicitly stated by the character Ino (page 27). There is also a reference to the “Taga Saan Ka?” challenge (Page 13) which was made popular in the same year. The time of the events presumably occurs around night time. Although not explicitly mentioned, the characters appear in the cell after their death, as mentioned by Ed (Page 25). Ino then proceeds to describe how both him and Philip were asleep when they were abducted (Page 27). With this knowledge, it's safe to assume that the story begins when the characters arrive at Selda 43 late at night after being shot.

c. Dramatic Time

As previously stated, Ed has observed that people only appear in their cells after they have died, and that the only way out is if their bodies are discovered. As pointed out by an unnamed character in the plays conclusion, Philip's body has been missing for about a week (Page 30). This leads us to believe that the two brothers spent a week in their cell before one of their bodies was discovered. Aside from that, the abrupt switch to a market scene in the scene where Ino is on the hunt for food could indicate a change in time or days passing (Page 16).

Situations (Social, Political, Economic)

a. Economic Situation

The ragged and dirty clothes of Ino and Philip suggest that they lived in the slums. As we peek through their conversations, we can also assume that they lived in poverty as Philip and Ino's basic needs were insufficiently met (such as begging for money to buy food and not attending the correct grade level in school). This is also embodied as we learn that their parents made a living through illegal means, such as drug pushing and holdaping.

b. Political Situation

In 2018, Duterte enabled and gave the PDEA and PNP the ‘permission to kill’ those allegedly involved with drugs under his anti-drug campaign, which started when he took over as the President in 2016. The drug war continued in spite of the call of the human rights defenders to stop the killings since most of the victims were killed brutally without trial. Approximately 122 children have been reported as victims of the PNP as Duterte dismissed their deaths as “collateral damage.”

c. Social Situation

We can tell from the brothers' dynamic that they rely heavily on each other as their parents are not able to do so. They are responsible for taking care of each other and their grandmother. The people from the environment they are part of might also be susceptible to being victims of human rights abuses since often, the police target the underprivileged. We can also tell that in their environment, the parents' activities may affect their children as implied in their banter, "... Ino, kapag hindi sa' yo h'wag mong kuhanin." says Philip. "E, bakit si Kiko?" Ino responds. “Si Kiko pinalaki ng mga magulang n’ya sa pagnanakaw. Ikaw, hindi." This dynamic also affects the brothers since their mother is involved with drug pushing; they were falsely accused of drug pushing, which led to their fatal death.

Definition of Terms

Nakabubulahaw (Isang pulang bombilya ang iilaw sa bandang likuran ng entablado kaalinsabay ng pagtunog ng isang sirena, malakas, nakabubulahaw. Page 1)

Denotative: A noise or a disturbance
Connotative: A noise that can be heard loud and clear that interrupts a quiet space/environment.
Matikas (Mamemewang si Philip. Matikas ang porma na parang isang superhero sa pelikula. Page 3)

Denotative: A kind of body that has an elegant and a bearing built-up body form.
Connotative: A way of standing that shows a strong and confident person which has a refined body form that can be usually seen in superhero movies.
Mamumutawis (Makikitang mamumutawis sa mga mata ni Philip ang mga luha. Page 7)

Denotative: These are words that are coming out of your mouth.
Connotative: A feeling of a certain emotion causing the eyes to tear up.
Sinisipat (Lulundag-lundag ito na parang sinisipat kung sino ang dumadaan ngunit wala itong makikita. Page 18)

Denotative: To find or to look for something.
Connotative: To look at something or to check is there are people outside th cell.
Infiltrators (‘Yong iba naman, kaya lang sumasama sa amin dahil mga bayaran. Binabayaran para guluhin kami. Tawag namin sa kanila mga infiltrators. Page 24)

Denotative: A person who is secretly a part of the group that gets private information and influences the people’s way of thinking or behaving.
Connotative: A person, especially a military or an agent that joins and discretely observes in an organization with a hidden intention.

Sirena (Sa pagsisimula ng dula, isang pulang bombilya ang iilaw sa bandang likuran ng entablado kaalinsabay ng pagtunog ng isang sirena, malakas, nakabubulahaw. Page 1).

Denotative: A device that makes a loud prolonged sound as a signal or warning.

Connotative: New people who died secretly due to the unjust system or whose lost bodies cannot be found.

Nanay (PHILIP: Si Nanay. Ino si Nanay. Naririnig ko si Nanay. Page 12).

Denotative: A female parent, also known as a mother. (Tagalog Dictionary).
Connotative: Savior that would lead them out from their suffering.
Alien (INO: Alien. Alien Imbeysyon. Page 9)

Denotative: Creatures from another planet. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Connotative: The Duterte Administration.
Makapangyarihan (INO: Pero mayaman naman. Di ba kapag mayaman, makapangyarihan? Tsaka, bakit? Ayaw mong yumaman? Page 4).

Denotative: Someone who is strong, powerful, authoritative, and almighty. (Tagalog.com)
Connotative: Someone who is at a higher position in the government, or the rich who uses their money for control.

Selda (ED: Nakakatuwang makalipas ang mahigit tatlumpung taon, may nakakasama na naman ako sa Selda kwarenta y tres. Page 22).

Denotative: A prison cell.
Connotative: A purgatory-like place where people go after they die if their bodies in the world of the living are hidden or haven’t been found.

Rumoronda (Philip: Oo nga ano? Kapag may pulis na rumoronda sa saklaan, ayon, pulasan ang mga sugarol. Page 5).

Denotative: Police on patrol.

Connotative: Police looking for tokhang victims.

Tubusin (Philip: Tiisin mo. Sigurado paparating na si nanay para tubusin tayo.. Page 8).

Denotative: To use it as collateral when you’re borrowing money.

Connotative: Demand for the release of someone from captivity.

Tulak (Ino: Puwede akong magint tulak? Page 17).

Denotative: To push someone or something.

Connotative: To supply drugs or any illegal substance.

Mabubulok (Philip: Hindi na makakalabas ‘yon. Doon na ‘yon mabubulok. Page 18).

Denotative: Decay or cause to decay by the action of bacteria and fungi.

Connotative: To never be released in prison and die there.

Matagpuan (Ed: Hindi ganoon kadali ‘yon Ino. Makakalabas ka lang dito kung matatagpuan na ang katawan mo. Page 25).

Denotative: Be found.

Connotative: To find the body in real life.

Character Sketch and Analysis
1. INO
2. PHILIP
3. ED

Click here to view the performance text.

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