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2 unusual facts about Twice Blessed


Twice Blessed

In this satirical novel, Rosca derided the Marcoses and exposed how some moneyed Filipino warlords preserve their status and power through clan alliances, corruption, and “fuel and favors” (i.e. bribery, sexual favors, and the like) generally known as gasolina in the vernacular meaning “gasoline” to “keep things running” as planned.

Twice Blessed was described as a “comic parable” concerned about the Philippines’ status, at the time of writing, as “a nation struggling to be born.” It was published when Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos were exiled in Hawaii, USA.



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