Without Seeing the Dawn
Stevan Javellana
 Without Seeing the Dawn was set in a small farming village called Manhayang in Santa Barbara, Iloilo. The residents of the barangay were living their simple life when the violence of war reached their place and brought death and suffering. Ricardo "Carding" Suerte, the young son of Juan Suerte wanted to marry Lucia (nicknamed "Lucing"), the daughter of the teniente del barrio. Although Ricardo's father wished to send him to school first, the blessing to marry was given and the traditional asking the hand custom known as the pamamanhikan was done. Ricardo built a house for him and his wife on the land that was entrusted to Ricardo's father by Don Diego (a landlord) despite the advice of the elderly that building one's house in May will bring misfortune. Soon after, misfortune struck: their first child was stillborn, Lucia had an affair with Luis, the son of Don Diego, and the land the Suerte's had been tilling was given to another tenant. The couple went to Iloilo City where Ricardo met fellow stevedore and union member Nestong and Rosing, a prostitute. Lucia left Ricardo because of Rosing. Ricardo followed Lucia who was then in Badlan after receiving news that Lucia was pregnant and that the representante (representative) entrusted them with a land to till. They named their son Crisostomo. Misfortune came again because their landlord sold the land they were tilling, and a flood destroyed their harvest and killed their carabao. They went to Mindanao to find a land to own. However, Ricardo was drafted for military service. Upon his return, Lucia was pregnant but his father and their son died. At first he was not told the truth, the real reason why his father and son died was because they were killed by Japanese soldiers, not by illness. His wife was also raped by the Japanese occupiers. He was angered after knowing the truth and became an enemy executioner. Because of Ricardo's behavior, Lucia sent him away. When the Japanese invaders ordered the people to go to a designated barrio to be identified as non-guerrillas, the Manhayang villagers evacuated the area, except for Lucia who wanted to wait for Ricardo who would be leading the "suicide attack" at the enemies' garrison. When they met, Ricardo asked for Lucia's forgiveness but said farewell after giving Lucia some money. Lucia refused and stayed even if she had to welcome back Ricardo as a corpse.