THE VANISHED (the English translation of author Chuckberry Pascual’s “Ang Nawawala”) has introduced this reader to one of the most unforgettable characters to ever grace the page. When things keep getting lost in a particular barangay, there’s only one person to call. Our hero/ine Bree solves seven capers in these tragicomic short stories (alternatively seen as seven chapters in a novella).

Bree was born male (baptized Brigido) but chooses to go by Bree. Others might describe her as “unfortunate,” and they wouldn’t be wrong. The motif of disappearing things starts with Bree’s parents. Orphaned and eventually forced to run away to Barangay Talong Punay, she scrapes by as the unofficial receptionist / masseuse / janitor / errand girl in the barangay hall. Months behind on rent, not qualifying for minimum wage and only able to buy a phone by borrowing money from the neighborhood Punjabi money lender, she considers herself lucky if she has P100.00 left in her wallet. 

But here is where Pascual works his literary magic. For Bree has a heart of gold, and demonstrates ingenuity and empathy that would shame many a reader. Despite her own dire personal straits, she is kind and helpful, with a generosity of spirit that extends to both man and beast. She’s feisty, too, and won’t back down from a fight. But she knows how to play the long game, and never loses sight of who the real bad guys are. Having been powerless herself, she uses what little resources she has to help the people around her, without asking for anything in return. What largeness of soul, putting those with larger wallets to shame. And what a sense of humor!

Bree’s seven labors begin with misplaced items: all the knives from every carinderia suddenly go missing, faces are torn from tarpaulins, the town patroness’ ring vanishes, and plates of fragrant milkfish disappear. Yet the heart of the book lies not in the mysteries, but the circumstances surrounding each missing thing or person. Bree takes us on a journey that shines light on shady doings we don’t talk about, abuses of power or incidences of incompetence by figures of authority (some true-to-life and some fantastic and absurd, yet always with a kernel of truth). Pascual imbues the stories with distinctly Filipino meaning; for instance, the mermaid (sirena) with a missing face (nawalan ng mukha) can also be interpreted as the loss of dignity of queer people when intolerance meets fists.

Bree shines brightly amidst a cast of all too familiar characters: The parish priest who is far too friendly with certain female parishioners, the barangay captain who never reports to work before noon and is perpetually snacking on lechon daily while his own people make do with canned goods and rice, the rich family who sponsors every major political and church event in exchange for favors… they form a dark tapestry that all Filipinos recognize with immediate intimacy (if not in your own village, then surely a relative’s subdivision). 

This review would be incomplete if we didn’t mention the beautiful introduction written by Jun Cruz Reyes, as well as the translator, Ned Parfan, who skillfully manages to preserve the quintessential Filipino flavor of the text despite the code switch. 

By the end of the book, this reader was left with an aching emptiness, for it is all too clear what is missing in this literary microcosm of Filipino society: Equity and justice. 

Pascual’s stories resonate loudly in 2025, as the institutionalized theft by politicians and their contractors is being exposed. Would that more of us could be like Bree, whose open eyes and heart are sorely needed in this country.

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The reader purchased a copy of THE VANISHED from Avenida Publishing House for P480.00. It is also available on Shopee.

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ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Gabi Francisco is a classically trained soprano who now performs in the English / Music / Drama classroom. On weekends she soaks in as much art and literature as she can, so she can pass her love for the arts on to her students. She passionately believes in the transformative role of arts education in nation-building. (IG: teacher.gabi.reads )