''Mga Ibong Mandaragit'' or ''Mga Ibong Mandaragit: Nobelang Sosyo-Politikal'' (literally, ''Birds of Prey: A Socio-Political Novel'') is a

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

written by the

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

writer and social activist,

Amado V. Hernandez Amado Vera Hernandez, commonly known as Amado V. Hernandez (September 13, 1903 – March 24, 1970), was a Filipino writer and labor leader who was known for his criticism of social injustices in the Philippines and was later imprisoned for h ...

in 1969. ''Mga Ibong Mandaragit'', hailed as Hernandez's masterpiece, focuses on the

neocolonial Neocolonialism is the continuation or reimposition of imperialist rule by a state (usually, a former colonial power) over another nominally independent state (usually, a former colony). Neocolonialism takes the form of economic imperialism, gl ...

dependency and revolt in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The novel reflects Hernandez's experience as a guerrilla intelligence officer when the Philippines was under Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945."Mga Ibong Mandaragit" by Amado V. Hernandez
from Amado V. Hernandez: An Introduction, Appreciating Amado V. Hernandez, Revolutionary Proletarian Artist, philcsc.wordpress.com, August 28, 2006

Description

The narrative, illustrates Hernandez's yearning for change and the elevation of the status of Philippine society and living conditions of

Filipinos Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or othe ...

. The setting is in the middle of

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

, when the armed forces of the

Japanese Empire The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

were losing. The novel acts as a sequel to

Jose Rizal Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...

's historic '' Noli Me Tangere'' and '' El filibusterismo''. The protagonist Mando Plaridel is tested by Tata Matyas, an old revolutionary, on his knowledge about Rizal and Rizal's novels. Similar to Rizal's novel, the main character examines the Philippines as an outsider while traveling in Europe.Veric, Charlie Samuya
"''Mga Ibong Mandaragit''" by Amado V. Hernandez
, The Fictions of Necessity, Book Review of Caroline Hau’s “Necessary Fictions”, Ateneo de Manila University, ateneo.edu Hernandez's novel also tackles the lead character's search for Simoun's treasure, acting as a continuation of Rizal's '' El Filibusterismo''. The novel portrays the conditions of the citizenry at the onset of

industrialization Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

brought forth by the

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...

in the Philippines. ''Mga Ibong Mandaragit'' had been translated into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and Russian.Hernandez, Amado V. ''Mga Ibong Mandaragit: Nobelang Sosyo-Politikal'', with a Prologue by

Carlos P. Romulo Carlos Peña Romulo Sr. (January 14, 1898 – December 15, 1985) was a Filipino diplomat, statesman, soldier, journalist and author. He was a reporter at the age of 16, a newspaper editor by 20, and a publisher at 32. He was a co-founder of t ...

and

Epilogue An epilogue or epilog (from Greek ἐπίλογος ''epílogos'', "conclusion" from ἐπί ''epi'', "in addition" and λόγος ''logos'', "word") is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature, usually used to bring closure to the w ...

by Epifanio San Juan, Jr., Progressive Printing Palace, Quezon City, 1969, 416 pages.

References

External links

Hernandez, Amado V. Mga Ibong Mandaragit: Nobelang Sosyo-Politikal (1969), PDF copy from AseanInfoNet.org, Tagalog language, National Library, Filipiniana section (call number FIL 899.2113 H43i 1982), and International Graphic Service, Quezon City, 416 pages (book)/216 pages (PDF file)
– complete novel: PDF copy, retrieved on: March 5, 2008 Novels by Amado V. Hernandez 1969 novels Political novels HAKAJSJUAUISA Historical novels Novels set in the Philippines Novels set during World War II {{1960s-poli-novel-stub