Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say/Transcript

Inggo: Mali talaga ito!

Joy: Allis naman sila!

Inggo: Hindi dapat mangyari! I still do not agree!

Chito: It is rude and insulting!

Joy: But we cannot do anything about what the writer fails!

Tomas: Cannot do anything about what?

Inggo: What?

Tomas: What is this all about!/

Inggo: Lolo Tomas! Wow! Ganda! Are these for us?

Tomas: Yes ! I know that these are yours and Karen's favorites.

Inggo: Kaya lang po, w, so Karen offered her assistance. She will not be back until next week.

Tomas: Oh, that is all right. I can always bring some more when she gets back, right!

Inggo: Salamat po.

Tomas: Wait, there seems to be a problem. Why do you all look worried?

Inggo: We are just discussing an article in this magazine, about life and people in the province.

Tomas: I think that is great! Why are you so upset?

Chito: The article is not good!

Joy: The writer did not seem to like the province!

Inggo: Or, maybe, he has never lived in this province.

Tomas: I do not understand. If someone writes something so bad, how can it get published?

Inggo: Well, here, Lolo, read it.

Tomas: '' A week ago, I had an unforgettable experience. How I wish I could just hit my head against the wall to forget about it though I find it extremely discouraging. I went to visit Buslay Province. It made me realize that people in the provinces are lazy. They always take siestas, and they work at a very slow pace. On every corner you would see neighbors chatting around! No wonder most of them end up complaining about their life. There is also a very low standard of education in the provinces. Because of that, and the people's attitude towards life, the province has become a place for lazy and hopeless people? For people without dreams? '' This writer cannot say all these!

Inggo: Uh-huh. I know.

Chito: And I do not like it when he said that we have a low standard of education. We do not!

Tomas: The writer is very arrogant! What do you plan to do about this?

Joy: We go to the publisher of this magazine. They will just ignore us, because we're just kids!

Inggo: Opo.

Tomas: What? You should not think that way? Never ever say that you are just kids! You should be the first ones to believe in yourselves, otherwise no one will!

Inggo: Well, Lolo, even if we believe in ourselves, we do not have the means to go all the way to the publisher.

Tomas: You know what? You are missing something out. Writing a letter.

(The words 'Writing a Letter in yellow appear with a rooster's call)

Inggo: Oh, yes! That would be the answer! Writing a letter to the editor would be a good idea to express how we feel! This is what I will write! All right, (ahem). "Everdearest miss editor, hello there! How are you? I hope you are doing great. I am fine, but I am not very happy with what I read from your magazine. I hope you will nicer the next time because me and my friends are offended. Thank you! I hope that you will write back soon. Love lots, Inggo."

Joy: Oh, didn't forget to write TCC!C.

Tomas: TCCIC?

Chito: Take care because I care.

Inggo: Do you never receive letters, Lolo Tomas?

Tomas: I get plenty of letters. I get letters from my children, my grandchildren, from friends, but wait. About that letter, that letter is nice, if you are writing to a friend.

Inggo: But, this is how to write a letter. This is what Ms. Egala said.

Tomas: I am not saying that that letter is wrong. I am only saying that that letter is a friendly letter. You see, there are different kinds of letters. There is a business letter, a thank you letter, a letter of invitation, and a lot more.

(The words 'Different kinds of letters' appears in white. The letter examples Tomas gives appear in yellow starting from the top left to the bottom right.)

Tomas: They all have different approaches. What we need to write is a letter to the editor. First, you have to know what you want to say. You have to go direct to the point.

(The words 'Letter to the Editor', Know what you want to say.', and 'Go direct to the point.' appear respectively.)

Inggo: Eh, Lolo, wala naman po atang galang yun. Can we not ask how the editor is? Or tell ehr about her studies?

Tomas: Inggo, the editor has a lot to do. Of course, she would want to have her work done right away.

Chito: That is right. If she has to read about other things, she may not have enough time for your reading message.

Tomas: Exactly. Also, you have to be brief and clear.

(The words 'Be brief and clear' show up when Tomas says those specific words.)

Joy: Right. The editor is a very busy person, so she needs to know what we want to say right away.

Inggo: Oh! So, what do we want to say, then?

Chito: What if I start with 'We are the readers of your magazine. The young adults.'?

Tomas: All right, that sounds great. Go on, after this we will put it down on a clean sheet of paper.

Inggo: All right. A-ha! And I will also write Karen a letter. I will tell her all about our letter to the editor. I am sure she will be excited.

(A vignette about the letter to the editor begins. Inggo's future letter spins to the screen, as the words 'LETTER TO THE EDITOR' duplicate in blue.)

Tomas: Well, the content looks great already, but certain adjustments are needed.

Inggo: Do not tell me, Lolo Tomas. I should have used 'love lots' instead of 'kisses and bear hugs'.

Tomas: No, that is not it, Inggo. There is a certain format that we use. You have to put the return address, which is the address of the writer, you have to write the date, then your greeting, your closing, and your signature should be written different.

(What Tomas advises appears on an example letter which reads:

32 Braganza St.

Mabini, Pangasinan

November 10, 2002

Dear Mr. Robles,

I am Elena Sandobal, a Grade 5 student

from Mabini Elementary School. I would like

to express my gratitude to you for providing

additional books for our school library.

These books have helped us a lot in our

studies and will continue to help future

students.

Thank you very much.

Respectfully Yours,

(Elena Sandobal's signature)

Elena Sandobal

The Return Address, Date, Greeting, Closing, and Signature are all represented in green highlighter and yellow font.)

Inggo: Edi, dapat nga, love lots!

Tomas: (laughs) No, but you can use that when writing friendly letters,. In business letters, or in this case, letter to the editor, you should write somethinglike 'respectfully yours'.

Chito: Ah, now we know.

Joy: What about the signature, Lolo Tomas? Inggo wrote his name, did he not?

Tomas: He should have written his full name, and your names should be written as well.

Inggo: All right. All right! Let us make the changes now.

Tomas: Okay, your lot.

Inggo: (humming) Alright, let us read it now.

23 Masipag Road

Barangay Makapagkawanggawa

November 17, 2002

To the editor,

We are readers of your magazine 'The Young Adults'. We are writing concerning one of your articles, "What am I to do?", dated November 2, 2002, issue #104. We have found this article not only inaccurate but also offensive for us who live in the province.

The author wrote that the provincianos are lazy because they take siestas, work slowly, and always chat with their neighbors. All of these do not mean that we are lazy. We take siestas because the heat of the sun would only make us weak. Working slow paced is also the effect of the sun's heat and being in the field all day. We are also neighborly folks and that is why we stop and talk to each other a lot. This is not merely an escape from work.

The article also said that the province has a low standard of education, thus it becomes a place for people without dreams. This is not true of every province. In our province, we have a high standard of education. We have officials who grew up in this province who are doing great service for our hometown. Each of us has our own dreams. Ligaya wants to become the best pediatrician today. Francisco hopes to become a lawyer. And I, Domingo, plan to put up my own school.

The writer is very wrong in saying what he said. We would like to extend our disagreement about publishing such an article. We are hoping to request for another article that would clarify this unpleasant image that is being projected.

Thank you for your time.

Respectfully Yours,

Domingo Dimagiba

Francisco Kagalangan, Jr.

Ligaya Minaglabanan

Tomas: That sounds great!

Inggo: And it feels great to be able to say what you want to say.

Joy: Thank you, Lolo Tomas, for guiding us to speak what is in our hands.

Chito: Now I have realized that there is nothing wrong in standing up in what you believe in.

Inggo: You just have to remember to be tactful and respectful.

(The words 'Be tactful and respectful appear below.)

Tomas: Ah, that is right, Inggo.

Chito: Now, let us send it to the post office.

Tomas: Yes.

(The same transition from earlier appears)

(The text one month later in italics fades on the bottom left)

Inggo: Hey, hey, hey, hey!

Chito, Joy, and Tomas: Inggo!

Inggo: The magazine! The editor answered our letter, and she published it!

Tomas: Really, really? 'We are very pleased to hear from our young readers. We appreciate that you took the time and raised concern about the article that you have read. The Young Adult magazine would like to extend its sheer apologies, for having offended some of our readers, but as we all know, each of us has a right to our own opinion, and we really appreciate that you shared yours. And because of your courage to express yourselves, I was inspired to write an article myself about seeing hope in young adults like you who speak their midns. Thank you very much.'

Chito: I cannot believe our names are in the magazine!

Inggo: Yeah!

Tomas: (laughs) What is that you have there?

Inggo: I got it from the mail, I think this is for you, little Tomas.

Tomas: Ah, this letter must be from my daughter. Oh, it's from all of you. You have written me a thank you letter.

Inggo: Of course!

Tomas: Thank you very much.

Inggo: You're welcome.

Tomas: Everdearest Lolo Tomas, me, Inggo, Joy, and Chito would like to thank you for being a great friend who always encourages us to become better and develop our characters. Thank you for not giving up on us, and believing in us, and for seeing hope in us, no matter what. Love, Inggo, Joy, and Chito.