Five favorite Philippine short stories in English

As a Filipino fictionist in English, I have read many local short stories. Much as I would like to add more to complete a top-ten list, I could only name five at the moment. I have read each story below (accompanied by a selected passage) at least thrice; that’s how much I like them. I’m a little surprised that all of them are written by women.

Doreen’s Story (2003) by Rosario Cruz Lucero:

“Every town needs its legends. Doreen was of that town and of a generation that created the poignant story of Anabella and Francisco and their forbidden love. When Anabella dies, she will live on as the ghost who haunts the balcony of a phantom second storey, gazing longingly at her lover’s children who could have been hers.”

The Flight (1994) by Katrina Tuvera:

“… It was then that I asked Uncle if he was frightened by ghosts, but for once, Uncle Tony did not laugh. ‘No Luisa, not ghosts,’ he said, ‘because ghosts are everywhere and you can’t hide from them all your life; they take all forms, some live in houses like that one, but others live in your soul, and running from one end of the world to another won’t rid you of them.’”

Welostit (1997) by Maria Romina M. Gonzalez:

“Mother Earth wasn’t the only one keeping me close to the wet, grimy floor that time. Funny how we never complained about the bits of street dirt that clung to our hair, faces, and limbs. We weren’t even talking. I tried to keep my eyes closed, only half opening them from time to time, looking at you in parts—your shoulders, your arms, your chest, your throat, perhaps your chin—but never your face. When we were over, you were out of breath and dazed, a bit like me. I looked down and felt my heart springing a leak when I thought of the bigger mess we had made.”

We Won’t Cry About This (2002) by Socorro A. Villanueva:

“You never know what Ma thinks. She has headaches and pains bigger than the house, Squeak says, though I don’t know how she knows. Ma never speaks of pain. “We won’t cry about this,” she’s been saying for as long as I can remember. The times we fell from our bikes, when we cancelled a beach trip because Squeak got the pox, when our dog Bruno died; and that’s what she said when she announced she had cancer. We won’t cry about this. Like when Pa left. There was no pain to talk about, and I wonder where the pain goes when you just keep it in. Maybe they become cancer cells that eat you alive. Metastatic whatever. Who knows?”

A Wilderness of Sweets (1963) by Gilda Cordero Fernando:

“People were dancing in the streets, hugging one another with tears in their eyes and whenever they yelled “Victory Joe,” the GI’s threw showers of candy and gum. One of the chewing gums in a red-white-and-blue wrapper landed on the crossbar of our gate. I picked it up and kept it in my pocket because my brother was dead, my brother was dead and I couldn’t find a flower, but I could save him a piece of gum.”

What are your favorite Philippine short stories in English? Ü