Jose Dalisay and Noel Bulaong in "Killing Time in a Warm Place" by Claudio V. Tabotabo, MA (May, 2005)

Jose Dalisay is the author of the novel "Killing Time in a Warm Place". Noel Bulaong is the main personae of the novel. The two persons although real and fictive respectively are overwhelmed together by the same success and lamented over the same failure.

Dalisay was born in 1954 in Romlon. He came to Manila study in the University of the Philippines. It was in the height of student radicalism when he entered the U.P. Marcos engulfed the country with social unrest that came to the explosion of martial law. 1n 1973 Dalisay was imprisoned for seven months.

His involvement in student radicalism and imprisonment are the by-products of his belief that fighting against the dictator and shouting in the street are symbols of his nationalism.

Through the Full-bright he went to America to finish his Master and Doctor Degrees in the American schools. He worked in the multinational corporation like the Asian Bank and actively a member of western organizations. He had a series of success like the 16 Palanca awards in various genres.

After fighting in the street against the Marcos-American dictatorship or against the colonialist America, he decided to stay in the Philippines forever. It is a common decision for a man who feels he wronged his country, repayment.

By accepting scholarship of the American, by working in the internationally owned company and by studying in the American schools, he betrayed the Filipinos and he disowned the old principle that bound him to fight against colonialism.

Noel Bulaong like his originator is a provinciano. He was from Kangleong an island in the Visayas. He came to Manila to study in the height of student radicalism. He was involved in the series of riots, bore arms and when martial law was declared he was arrested and put to prison.

Having studied and worked in the Marcos government, he went to America to work for the imperialist Americans. In America he was a writer and a movie reviewer. Usurped, overly used and a lonely man he went back to his country to be buried in Kangleong. The Dalisay in real life is the transformed Noel Bulaong in the novel.

The questions concerning nationalism is not a rare thing in the Philippines. At first the purpose of Philippine government for sending Filipinos to study in America is to observe the American culture. What came out is that the Filipinos sent there came home in an American culture.

We are aware of students who stubbornly agitate and spread unrest in the name of nationalism. "Down the American backed- government of...Down the American Imperialism, Long live the Filipinos". After graduation they work in the multinational corporation travel abroad and apply for American citizenship. These Filipinos are epitome of arrogance and the embodiment of the worst Filipino trait - hypocrisy.

In the novel one of the former comrades of Neol Bulaong in the name of Benny is summarily executed after he is discovered to break from the movement.

If the novel consists of symbolic figure the killing of Benny is a dramatization of the anger of the Filipinos to those who claimed to be nationalist with weak personality insignificant characteristics.

Dalisay just wants to tell us that in the roar of protest only a few are true to themselves.