| Canal de la Reina | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Liwayway A. Arceo |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Tagalog |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publication date | 1985 |
| Media type | |
| Followed by | Titser |
Canal de la Reina ("The Queen's Canal") is a 1985 Tagalog-language novel written by Filipino novelist Liwayway A. Arceo. It is a novel that exposes the social cancer in the high levels of contemporary Philippine society. The social cancer, based on the novel, is masked by the flamboyance and the pomposity of the affluent members of Filipino society.[1][2]
The main characters in Canal de la Reina are the Marcial family and the De los Angeles family. The members of the Marcial family are Nyora Tentay (i.e. Senyora Tentay; the term senyora is the Filipino word for the Spanish term señora, meaning “Mrs.”; nyora is the abbreviated form of senyora), Victor, Gracia, and Gerry. In the story, Nyora Tentay is depicted as the matriarch of the wealthy Marcial family and is labelled as the “queen of Canal de la Reina”. Apart from being the controller of the Marcial family, Nyora Tentay is a lender of money who charges high interest rates. Victor is Nyora Tentay’s son. Gracia is Victor’s wife. Gerry is Victor and Gracia’s son. On the other hand, the De los Angeles family is composed of husband and wife Salvador and Caridad. Leni and Junior are their children. Gerry Marcial and Leni de los Angeles are lovers.
The conflict between the Marcials and the De los Angeleses began when Nyora Tentay bought a piece of land owned by the De los Angeles family. Nyora Tentay did not buy the land directly from the De Los Angeles family. She bought it from the De los Angeles’ former caretaker, Precioso or Osyong Santos. Nyora Tentay used bribery to assert her claim. A flood occurs at Canal de la Reina. Building and structures have been damaged. Caridad found Nyora Tentay’s documents. Caridad returns the documents to Nyora Tentay, instead of using them against the latter. Because of Caridad’s good will, Nyora Tentay had a change of heart. Gerry Marcial and Leni de los Angeles gets married.