The Literary Forms in Philippine Literature

By: Christine F. Godinez- Ortega

       The diversity and richness of Philippine literature evolved side by side with the country's

history. This can best be appreciated in the context of the country's pre-colonial cultural

traditions and the socio-political histories of its colonial and contemporary traditions.         

       The average Filipino's unfamiliarity with his indigenous literature was largely due to what

has been impressed upon him: that his country was "discovered" and, hence, Philippine "history"

started only in 1521.

       So successful were the efforts of colonialists to blot out the memory of the country's largely

oral past that present-day Filipino writers, artists and journalists are trying to correct this inequity

by recognizing the country's wealth of ethnic traditions and disseminating them in schools and in

the mass media.

       The rousing of nationalistic pride in the 1960s and 1970s also helped bring about this change

of attitude among a new breed of Filipinos concerned about the "Filipino identity."

 

Pre-Colonial Times

       Owing to the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists, we are able

to know more and better judge information about our pre-colonial times set against a bulk of

material about early Filipinos as recorded by Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and other chroniclers of

the past.

       Pre-colonial inhabitants of our islands showcased a rich past through their folk speeches,

folk songs, folk narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances that affirm our ties with

our Southeast Asian neighbors.

       The most seminal of these folk speeches is the riddle which is tigmo in Cebuano, bugtong in

Tagalog, paktakon in Ilongo and patototdon in Bicol. Central to the riddle is the talinghaga or

metaphor because it "reveals subtle resemblances between two unlike objects" and one's power

of observation and wit are put to the test. While some riddles are ingenious, others verge on the

obscene or are sex-related:

Gaddang:

        Gongonan nu usin y amam If you pull your daddy's penis

        Maggirawa pay sila y inam. Your mommy's vagina, too,

(Campana) screams. (Bell)

       The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community beliefs or they

instill values by offering nuggets of wisdom in short, rhyming verse.

       The extended form, tanaga, a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and

lessons on life is "more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with

the folk lyric." Some examples are the basahanon or extended didactic sayings from Bukidnon

and the daraida and daragilon from Panay.

       The folk song, a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people's

lifestyles as well as their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naive as in

the children's songs or Ida-ida (Maguindanao), tulang pambata (Tagalog) or cansiones para

abbing (Ibanag).

       A few examples are the lullabyes or Ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like

the panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or serenade (Cebuano); the bayok(Maranao); the

seven-syllable per line poem, ambahan of the Mangyans that are about human relationships,

social entertainment and also serve as a tool for teaching the young; work songs that depict the

livelihood of the people often sung to go with the movement of workers such as

the kalusan (Ivatan), soliranin (Tagalog rowing song) or the mambayu, a Kalinga rice-pounding

song; the verbal jousts/games like the duplo popular during wakes.

       Other folk songs are the drinking songs sung during carousals like the tagay (Cebuano and

Waray); dirges and lamentations extolling the deeds of the dead like the kanogon (Cebuano) or

the Annako (Bontoc).

       A type of narrative song or kissa among the Tausug of Mindanao, the parang sabil, uses for

its subject matter the exploits of historical and legendary heroes. It tells of a Muslim hero who

seeks death at the hands of non-Muslims.

       The folk narratives, i.e. epics and folk tales are varied, exotic and magical. They explain

how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics, why some places

have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna and, in the case of legends, an explanation

of the origins of things. Fables are about animals and these teach moral lessons.

       Our country's epics are considered ethno-epics because unlike, say, Germany's

Niebelunginlied, our epics are not national for they are "histories" of varied groups that consider

themselves "nations."

       The epics come in various

names: Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud (Ifugao); and Ulahingan (Manobo).

These epics revolve around supernatural events or heroic deeds and they embody or validate the

beliefs and customs and ideals of a community. These are sung or chanted to the accompaniment

of indigenous musical instruments and dancing performed during harvests, weddings or funerals

by chanters. The chanters who were taught by their ancestors are considered "treasures" and/or

repositories of wisdom in their communities.

       Examples of these epics are the Lam-

ang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen (Maranao); Ulahingan (Livun

ganen-Arumanen Manobo); Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (The Maiden of the Buhong Sky from

Tuwaang--Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan (Subanon); and Tudbulol(T'boli).

 

The Spanish Colonial Tradition

       While it is true that Spain subjugated the Philippines for more mundane reasons, this former

European power contributed much in the shaping and recording of our literature.   Religion and

institutions that represented European civilization enriched the languages in the lowlands,

introduced theater which we would come to know as komedya, the sinakulo, the sarswela, the

playlets and the drama. Spain also brought to the country, though at a much later time, liberal 

ideas and an internationalism that influenced our own Filipino intellectuals and writers for them

to understand the meanings of "liberty and freedom."

       Literature in this period may be classified as religious prose and poetry and secular prose

and poetry.

       Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and Tagalog were

included in early catechism and were used to teach Filipinos the Spanish language. Fernando

Bagonbanta's "Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias de sin sempiternas" (Unending thanks) is a

fine example that is found in theMemorial de la vida cristiana en lengua tagala (Guidelines for

the Christian life in the Tagalog language) published in 1605.

       Another form of religious lyrics are the meditative verses like the dalit appended

to novenas and catechisms. It has no fixed meter nor rime scheme although a number are written

in octosyllabic quatrains and have a solemn tone and spiritual subject matter.

       But among the religious poetry of the day, it is the pasyon in octosyllabic quintillas that

became entrenched in the Filipino's commemoration of Christ's agony and resurrection at

Calvary. Gaspar Aquino de Belen's "Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong Panginoon natin

na tola" (Holy Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Verse) put out in 1704 is the country's earliest

known pasyon.

       Other known pasyons chanted during the Lenten season are in Ilocano, Pangasinan, Ibanag,

Cebuano, Bicol, Ilongo and Waray.

       Aside from religious poetry, there were various kinds of prose narratives written to prescribe

proper decorum. Like the pasyon, these prose narratives were also used for proselitization. Some

forms are: dialogo (dialogue), Manual de Urbanidad (conduct book); ejemplo (exemplum)

and tratado (tratado). The most well-known are Modesto de Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng

Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza" (Correspondence between the Two Maidens

Urbana and Feliza) in 1864 and Joaquin Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson)

in 1879, an adaptation of Daniel Defoe's novel.

       Secular works appeared alongside historical and economic changes, the emergence of an

opulent class and the middle class who could avail of a European education. This Filipino elite

could now read printed works that used to be the exclusive domain of the missionaries.

       The most notable of the secular lyrics followed the conventions of a romantic tradition: the

languishing but loyal lover, the elusive, often heartless beloved, the rival. The leading poets were

Jose Corazon de Jesus (Huseng Sisiw) and Francisco Balagtas. Some secular poets who wrote in

this same tradition were Leona Florentino, Jacinto Kawili, Isabelo de los Reyes and Rafael

Gandioco.

       Another popular secular poetry is the metrical romance, the awit and korido in Tagalog.

The awit is set in dodecasyllabic quatrains while the korido is in octosyllabic quatrains. These

are colorful tales of chivalry from European sources made for singing and chanting such as

Gonzalo de Cordoba (Gonzalo of Cordoba) and Ibong Adarna (Adarna Bird). There are

numerous metrical romances in Tagalog, Bicol, Ilongo, Pampango, Ilocano and in Pangasinan.

The awit as a popular poetic genre reached new heights in Balagtas' "Florante at Laura" (ca.

1838-1861), the most famous of the country's metrical romances.

       Again, the winds of change began to blow in 19th century Philippines. Filipino intellectuals

educated in Europe called ilustrados began to write about the downside of colonization. This,

coupled with the simmering calls for reforms by the masses gathered a formidable force of

writers like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Emilio Jacinto and Andres

Bonifacio.

       This led to the formation of the Propaganda Movement where prose works such as the

political essays and Rizal's two political novels, Noli Me Tangere and the El

filibusterismo helped usher in the Philippine revolution resulting in the downfall of the Spanish

regime, and, at the same time planted the seeds of a national consciousness among Filipinos.

       But if Rizal's novels are political, the novel Ninay (1885) by Pedro Paterno is largely cultural

and is considered the first Filipino novel. Although Paterno's Ninaygave impetus to other

novelists like Jesus Balmori and Antonio M. Abad to continue writing in Spanish, this did not

flourish.

       Other Filipino writers published the essay and short fiction in Spanish in La Vanguardia, El

Debate, Renacimiento Filipino, and Nueva Era. The more notable essayists and fictionists were

Claro M. Recto, Teodoro M. Kalaw, Epifanio de los Reyes, Vicente Sotto, Trinidad Pardo de

Tavera, Rafael Palma, Enrique Laygo (Caretas or Masks, 1925) and Balmori who mastered

the prosa romantica or romantic prose.

       But the introduction of English as medium of instruction in the Philippines hastened the

demise of Spanish so that by the 1930s, English writing had overtaken Spanish writing. During

the language's death throes, however, writing in the romantic tradition, from the awit and korido,

would continue in the novels of Magdalena Jalandoni. But patriotic writing continued under the

new colonialists. These appeared in the vernacular poems and modern adaptations of works

during the Spanish period and which further maintained the Spanish tradition.

 

The American Colonial Period

       A new set of colonizers brought about new changes in Philippine literature. New literary

forms such as free verse [in poetry], the modern short story and the critical essay were

introduced. American influence was deeply entrenched with the firm establishment of English as

the medium of instruction in all schools and with literary modernism that highlighted the writer's

individuality and cultivated consciousness of craft, sometimes at the expense of social

consciousness.

       The poet, and later, National Artist for Literature, Jose Garcia Villa used free verse and

espoused the dictum, "Art for art's sake" to the chagrin of other writers more concerned with the

utilitarian aspect of literature. Another maverick in poetry who used free verse and talked about

illicit love in her poetry was Angela Manalang Gloria, a woman poet described as ahead of her

time. Despite the threat of censorship by the new dispensation, more writers turned up "seditious

works" and popular writing in the native languages bloomed through the weekly outlets like

Liwayway and Bisaya.

       The Balagtas tradition persisted until the poet Alejandro G. Abadilla advocated modernism

in poetry. Abadilla later influenced young poets who wrote modern verses in the 1960s such as

Virgilio S. Almario, Pedro I. Ricarte and Rolando S. Tinio.

       While the early Filipino poets grappled with the verities of the new language, Filipinos

seemed to have taken easily to the modern short story as published in thePhilippines Free Press,

the College Folio and Philippines Herald. Paz Marquez Benitez's "Dead Stars" published in

1925 was the first successful short story in English written by a Filipino. Later on, Arturo B.

Rotor and Manuel E. Arguilla showed exceptional skills with the short story.

       Alongside this development, writers in the vernaculars continued to write in the provinces.

Others like Lope K. Santos, Valeriano Hernandez Peña and Patricio Mariano were writing

minimal narratives similar to the early Tagalog short fiction called dali or pasingaw (sketch).

       The romantic tradition was fused with American pop culture or European influences in the

adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan by F. P. Boquecosa who also penned Ang Palad ni

Pepe after Charles Dicken's David Copperfield even as the realist tradition was kept alive in the

novels by Lope K. Santos and Faustino Aguilar, among others.

       It should be noted that if there was a dearth of the Filipino novel in English, the novel in the

vernaculars continued to be written and serialized in weekly magazines like Liwayway, Bisaya,

Hiligaynon and Bannawag.

       The essay in English became a potent medium from the 1920's to the present. Some leading

essayists were journalists like Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge Bocobo, Pura Santillan Castrence, etc.

who wrote formal to humorous to informal essays for the delectation by Filipinos.

       Among those who wrote criticism developed during the American period were Ignacio

Manlapaz, Leopoldo Yabes and I.V. Mallari. But it was Salvador P. Lopez's criticism that

grabbed attention when he won the Commonwealth Literay Award for the essay in 1940 with his

"Literature and Society." This essay posited that art must have substance and that Villa's

adherence to "Art for Art's Sake" is decadent.

       The last throes of American colonialism saw the flourishing of Philippine literature in

English at the same time, with the introduction of the New Critical aesthetics, made writers pay

close attention to craft and "indirectly engendered a disparaging attitude" towards vernacular

writings -- a tension that would recur in the contemporary period.

 

The Contemporary Period

       The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue especially with the

appearance of new publications after the Martial Law years and the resurgence of committed

literature in the 1960s and the 1970s.

       Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels and essays whether

these are socially committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in intention or not.

       Of course the Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the proliferation of

writers workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature available to him via the mass media

including the internet. The various literary awards such as the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial

Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Home Life and Panorama

literary awards encourage him to compete with his peers and hope that his creative efforts will be

rewarded in the long run.

       With the new requirement by the Commission on Higher Education of teaching of Philippine

Literature in all tertiary schools in the country emphasizing the teaching of the vernacular

literature or literatures of the regions, the audience for Filipino writers is virtually assured. And,

perhaps, a national literature finding its niche among the literatures of the world will not be far

behind.

Philippine Literature during the American Period

DR. LILIA QUINDOZA-SANTIAGO

       Philippine literary production during the American Period in the Philippines was spurred by

two significant developments in education and culture. One is the introduction of free public

instruction for all children of school age and two, the use of English as medium of instruction in

all levels of education in public schools.

        Free public education made knowledge and information accessible to a greater number of

Filipinos. Those who availed of this education through college were able to improve their social

status and joined a good number of educated masses who became part of the country’s middle

class.

        The use of English as medium of instruction introduced Filipinos to Anglo-American modes

of thought, culture and life ways that would be embedded not only in the literature produced but

also in the psyche of the country’s educated class. It was this educated class that would be the

wellspring of a vibrant Philippine Literature in English.

        Philippine literature in English, as a direct result of American colonization of the country,

could not escape being imitative of American models of writing especially during its period of

apprenticeship. The poetry written by early poets manifested studied attempts at versification as

in the following poem which is proof of the poet’s rather elementary exercise in the English

language:

Vacation days at last are here,

And we have time for fun so dear,

All boys and girls do gladly cheer,

This welcomed season of the year.

In early June in school we’ll meet;

A harder task shall we complete

And if we fail we must repeat

That self same task without retreat.

We simply rest to come again

To school where boys and girls obtain

The Creator’s gift to men

Whose sanguine hopes in us remain.

Vacation means a time for play

For young and old in night and day

My wish for all is to be gay,

And evil none lead you astray

                        - Juan F. Salazar    Philippines

Free Press, May 9, 1909

        The poem was anthologized in the first collection of poetry in English, Filipino Poetry,

edited by Rodolfo Dato (1909 – 1924). Among the poets featured in this anthology were Proceso

Sebastian Maximo Kalaw, Fernando Maramag, Leopoldo Uichanco, Jose Ledesma, Vicente

Callao, Santiago Sevilla, Bernardo Garcia, Francisco Africa, Pablo Anzures, Carlos P. Romulo,

Francisco Tonogbanua, Juan Pastrana, Maria Agoncillo, Paz Marquez Benitez, Luis Dato and

many others. Another anthology, The English German Anthology of Poetsedited by Pablo Laslo

was published and covered poets published from 1924-1934 among whom were Teofilo D.

Agcaoili, Aurelio Alvero, Horacio de la Costa, Amador T. Daguio, Salvador P. Lopez, Angela

Manalang Gloria, Trinidad Tarrosa, Abelardo Subido and Jose Garcia Villa, among others. A

third pre-war collection of poetry was edited by Carlos Bulosan, Chorus for America: Six

Philippine Poets. The six poets in this collection were Jose Garcia Villa, Rafael Zulueta da

Costa, Rodrigo T. Feria, C.B. Rigor, Cecilio Baroga and Carlos Bulosan.

        In fiction, the period of apprenticeship in literary writing in English is marked by imitation

of the style of storytelling and strict adherence to the craft of the short story as practiced by

popular American fictionists. Early short story writers in English were often dubbed as the

Andersons or Saroyans or the Hemingways of Philippine letters. Leopoldo Yabes in his study of

the Philippine short story in English from 1925 to 1955 points to these models of American

fiction exerting profound influence on the early writings of story writers like Francisco

Arcellana, A.E. Litiatco, Paz Latorena. .

        When the University of the Philippines was founded in 1908, an elite group of writers in

English began to exert influence among the culturati. The U.P. Writers Club founded in 1926,

had stated that one of its aims was to enhance and propagate the "language of Shakespeare." In

1925, Paz Marquez Benitez short story, "Dead Stars" was published and was made the

landmark of the maturity of the Filipino writer in English. Soon after Benitez, short story writers

began publishing stories no longer imitative of American models. Thus, story writers like

Icasiano Calalang, A.E. Litiatco, Arturo Rotor, Lydia Villanueva, Paz Latorena , Manuel

Arguilla began publishing stories manifesting both skilled use of the language and a keen

Filipino sensibility.

        This combination of writing in a borrowed tongue while dwelling on Filipino customs and

traditions earmarked the literary output of major Filipino fictionists in English during the

American period. Thus, the major novels of the period, such as the Filipino Rebel, by Maximo

Kalaw, and His Native Soil by Juan C. Laya, are discourses on cultural identity, nationhood and

being Filipino done in the English language. Stories such as "How My Brother Leon Brought

Home a Wife" by Manuel Arguilla scanned the scenery as well as the folkways of Ilocandia

while N.V. M. Gonzales’s novels and stories such as "Children of the Ash Covered

Loam," present the panorama of Mindoro, in all its customs and traditions while configuring its

characters in the human dilemma of nostalgia and poverty. Apart from Arguilla and Gonzales,

noted fictionists during the period included Francisco Arcellana, whom Jose Garcia Villa lauded

as a "genius" storyteller, Consorcio Borje, Aida Rivera, Conrado Pedroche, Amador Daguio,

Sinai Hamada, Hernando Ocampo, Fernando Maria Guerrero. Jose Garcia Villa himself wrote

several short stories but devoted most of his time to poetry.

        In 1936, when the Philippine Writers League was organized, Filipino writers in English

began discussing the value of literature in society. Initiated and led by Salvador P. Lopez, whose

essays on Literature and Societyprovoked debates, the discussion centered on proletarian

literature, i.e., engaged or committed literature versus the art for art’s sake literary orientation.

But this discussion curiously left out the issue of colonialism and colonial literature and the

whole place of literary writing in English under a colonial set-up that was the Philippines then.

        With Salvador P. Lopez, the essay in English gained the upper hand in day to day discourse

on politics and governance. Polemicists who used to write in Spanish like Claro M. Recto,

slowly started using English in the discussion of current events even as newspaper dailies moved

away from Spanish reporting into English. Among the essayists, Federico Mangahas had an easy

facility with the language and the essay as genre. Other noted essayists during the period were

Fernando Maramag, Carlos P. Romulo , Conrado Ramirez.

        On the other hand, the flowering of a vibrant literary tradition due to historical events did

not altogether hamper literary production in the native or indigenous languages. In fact, the early

period of the 20th century was remarkable for the significant literary output of all major

languages in the various literary genre.

        It was during the early American period that seditious plays, using the form of the

zarsuwela, were mounted. Zarsuwelistas Juan Abad, Aurelio Tolentino ,Juan Matapang Cruz.

Juan Crisostomo Sotto mounted the classics like Tanikalang Ginto, Kahapon, Ngayon at

Bukas and Hindi Ako Patay, all directed against the American imperialists. Patricio

Mariano’s Anak ng Dagat and Severino Reyes’s Walang Sugat are equally remarkable

zarsuwelas staged during the period.

        On the eve of World War II, Wilfredo Maria Guerrero would gain dominance in theatre

through his one-act plays which he toured through his "mobile theatre". Thus, Wanted a

Chaperone and The Forsaken Housebecame very popular in campuses throughout the

archipelago.

        The novel in Tagalog, Iloko, Hiligaynon and Sugbuanon also developed during the period

aided largely by the steady publication of weekly magazines like

the Liwayway, Bannawag and Bisaya which serialized the novels.

        Among the early Tagalog novelists of the 20th century were Ishmael Amado, Valeriano

Hernandez Peña, Faustino Aguilar, Lope K. Santos and Lazaro Francisco.

        Ishmael Amado’s Bulalakaw ng Pag-asa published in 1909 was one of the earliest novels

that dealt with the theme of American imperialism in the Philippines. The novel, however, was

not released from the printing press until 1916, at which time, the author, by his own admission

and after having been sent as a pensionado to the U.S., had other ideas apart from those he wrote

in the novel.

        Valeriano Hernandez Peña’s Nena at Neneng narrates the story of two women who

happened to be best of friends as they cope with their relationships with the men in their lives.

Nena succeeds in her married life while Neneng suffers from a stormy marriage because of her

jealous husband.

        Faustino Aguilar published Pinaglahuan, a love triangle set in the early years of the

century when the worker's movement was being formed. The novel’s hero, Luis Gatbuhay, is a

worker in a printery who isimprisoned for a false accusation and loses his love, Danding, to his

rival Rojalde, son of a wealthy capitalist. Lope K. Santos, Banaag at Sikat has almost the same

theme and motif as the hero of the novel, Delfin, also falls in love with a rich woman, daughter

of a wealthy landlord. The love story of course is set also within the background of development

of the worker’s trade union movement and throughout the novel, Santos engages the readers in

lengthy treatises and discourses on socialism and capitalism. Many other Tagalog novelists wrote

on variations of the same theme, i.e., the interplay of fate, love and social justice. Among these

writers are Inigo Ed Regalado, Roman Reyes, Fausto J. Galauran, Susana de Guzman, Rosario

de Guzman-Lingat, Lazaro Francisco, Hilaria Labog, Rosalia Aguinaldo, Amado V. Hernandez.

Many of these writers were able to produce three or more novels as Soledad Reyes would bear

out in her book which is the result of her dissertation, Ang Nobelang Tagalog (1979).

        Among the Iloko writers, noted novelists were Leon Pichay, who was also the region’s poet

laureate then, Hermogenes Belen, and Mena Pecson Crisologo whose Mining wenno Ayat ti

Kararwa is considered to be the Iloko version of a Noli me Tangere.

        In the Visayas, Magdalena Jalandoni and Ramon Muzones would lead most writers in

writing the novels that dwelt on the themes of love, courtship, life in the farmlands, and other

social upheavals of the period. Marcel Navarra wrote stories and novels in Sugbuhanon.

        Poetry in all languages continued to flourish in all regions of the country during the

American period. The Tagalogs, hailing Francisco F. Balagtas as the nation’s foremost poet

invented the balagtasan in his honor. Thebalagtasan is a debate in verse, a poetical joust done

almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the pros and cons of an issue.

        The first balagtasan was held in March 1924 at the Instituto de Mujeres, with Jose Corazon

de Jesus and Florentino Collantes as rivals, bubuyog (bee) and paru-paro (butterfly) aiming for

the love of kampupot (jasmine). It was during this balagtasan that Jose Corazon de Jesus, known

as Huseng Batute, emerged triumphant to become the first king of the Balagtasan. Jose Corazon

de Jesus was the finest master of the genre. He was later followed by balagtasistas, Emilio Mar

Antonio and Crescenciano Marquez, who also became King of the Balagtasan in their own time.

        As Huseng Batute, de Jesus also produced the finest poems and lyrics during the period. His

debates with Amado V. Hernandez on the political issue of independence from America and

nationhood were mostly done in verse and are testament to the vitality of Tagalog poetry during

the era. Lope K. Santos, epic poem, Ang Panggingera is also proof of how poets of the period

have come to master the language to be able to translate it into effective poetry.

        The balagtasan would be echoed as a poetical fiesta and would be duplicated in the Ilocos

as thebukanegan, in honor of Pedro Bukaneg, the supposed transcriber of the epic, Biag ni Lam-

ang; and theCrissottan, in Pampanga, in honor of the esteemed poet of the Pampango, Juan

Crisostomo Sotto.

        In 1932, Alejandro G. Abadilla , armed with new criticism and an orientation on modernist

poetry would taunt traditional Tagalog poetics with the publication of his poem, "Ako ang

Daigdig." Abadilla’s poetry began the era of modernism in Tagalog poetry, a departure from the

traditional rhymed, measured and orally recited poems. Modernist poetry which utilized free or

blank verses was intended more for silent reading than oral delivery.

        Noted poets in Tagalog during the American period were Julian Cruz Balmaceda,

Florentino Collantes, Pedro Gatmaitan, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Benigno Ramos, Inigo Ed.

Regalado, Ildefonso Santos, Lope K. Santos, Aniceto Silvestre, Emilio Mar. Antonio , Alejandro

Abadilla and Teodoro Agoncillo.

        Like the writers in English who formed themselves into organizations, Tagalog writers also

formed the Ilaw at Panitik, and held discussions and workshops on the value of literature in

society. Benigno Ramos, was one of the most politicized poets of the period as he aligned

himself with the peasants of the Sakdal Movement.

        Fiction in Tagalog as well as in the other languages of the regions developed alongside the

novel. Most fictionists are also novelists. Brigido Batungbakal , Macario Pineda and other

writers chose to dwell on the vicissitudes of life in a changing rural landscape. Deogracias Del

Rosario on the other hand, chose the city and the emerging social elite as subjects of his stories.

He is considered the father of the modern short story in Tagalog

        Among the more popular fictionists who emerged during the period are two women writers,

Liwayway Arceo and Genoveva Edroza Matute, considered forerunners in the use of "light"

fiction, a kind of story telling that uses language through poignant rendition. Genoveva Edroza

Matute’s "Ako’y Isang Tinig" and Liwayway Arceo’s "Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa" have been

used as models of fine writing in Filipino by teachers of composition throughout the school

system.

        Teodoro Agoncillo’s anthology 25 Pinakamahusay na Maiikling Kuwento (1945) included

the foremost writers of fiction in the pre-war era.

        The separate, yet parallel developments of Philippine literature in English and those in

Tagalog and other languages of the archipelago during the American period only prove that

literature and writing in whatever language and in whatever climate are able to survive mainly

through the active imagination of writers. Apparently, what was lacking during the period was

for the writers in the various languages to come together, share experiences and come to a

conclusion on the elements that constitute good writing in the Philippines.

PHILIPPINE LITERARTURE DURING PRE-COLONIAL PERIODPresentation

Transcript

1. Philippine LiteratuMidterm Group

2. SpaniSh Colonial period

3. Spanish occupied Philippinesin early 15th century. The

FirstFilipino alphabet is Alibata –when Spanish colonizedPhilippines

they changedalibatas into Roman alphabet. Spanish banned the use

ofAlibata because they believedthat it is a work of evil. SoSpanish

fully introduced theSpanish literary language usingmany Spanish

terms.

4. The European literature wasbrought by the Spaniardsand are

assimilated inFilipino songs andindigenous themes.The

early printing press inthe Philippine is run andmonopolized by

theSpaniards friars.

5. During Spanish colonizationFilipinos felt that they beingharassed

by the Spaniards.Then the Birth of thePropaganda movement andLa

Solidaridad.Then Filipino fought andintroduced Tagalog to be

thelanguage of revolution of thenationalist movement.

6. SpaniSh Colonial periodliteratureunderSpaniSh Colonial

periodliteratureunder

7. ORALLITERATUREDRAMASONGSRELIGIOUSDRAMA

8. SONGSA song is a composition for voice or voices,performed

by singing. Achoral or vocal song maybe accompaniedby musical

instruments,or it may beunaccompanied, as in thecase of a

cappella songs.The lyrics (words) ofsongs are typically ofa poetic,

rhyming nature,though they maybe religious verses orfree prose.

9. SONGSThis song depictshumbleness. Its thestory of a man who

triesto show what he got towin the heart of hisbeloved

one. LERONLERONSINTA

10. SONGSa Kundiman whichmeans “one night” or“one evening” in

Bicol.A kundiman is aFilipino love songtraditionally sung by aman

wooing the womanof his dreams.SARUMBANGGI

11. reliGiouS draMaThe religious drama, as settingforth events

recorded in the Bible ormoral lessons to be drawn fromreligious

teaching, is distinctivelymedieval in character, and in originis closely

connected with theservices of theChurch.

12. RELIGIOUS DRAMAPanunuluyan (Tagalog for "asking for

lodgings")is a Philippine Christmas dramaticritual narrating the Holy

Familyssearch for a place to stay inBethlehem forJesus Christs birth

through song.

13. DRAMADrama is

thespecific mode of fiction represented in performance. The

enactment ofdrama in theatre, performedby actors on a

stage beforean audience, presupposes collaborative modes

ofproduction and a collective form ofreception.

14. DRAMA“Why Women Wash the Dishes” is a playthat depicts a

betting game between couplewhom either one would not like to

wash thedishes. The play is filled withhumor and antiques.Bakit

Babae ang Naghuhugas ng Pinggan

15. WRITTENLITERATURESHORTSTORIESPOETRY

16. POETRYPoetry is an imaginative awareness ofexperience

expressed through meaning, sound,and rhythmic language choices so

as to evokean emotional response. Poetry has been knownto employ

meter and rhyme, but this is by nomeans necessary. The very nature

of poetry asan authentic and individual mode of expressionmakes it

nearly impossible to define.

17. The story is about the love anddetermination of the Duke

Floranteand the Princess Laura of Albaniawhile being pursued by the

usurperCount Adolfo.POETRYFLORANTE ATLAURA

18. A short story is a briefwork of literature,usually

writtenin narrative prose.A classic definition ofa short story is

thatone should be able toread it in one sittingSHORTSTORIES

19. The short story revolvesaround one thing –Freedom. Or

moreclearly, it seeks todefine what is freedom,and what sense it

makesto those who are notfree; slaved for theatonement of their

sins.SHORTSTORIESCONVICT’STWILIGHT

20. RIZAL AND

HISCONTEMPORARIESJOSERIZALMARCELODEL

PILARANDRESBONIFACIO

21. SELECTEDWORKS OFHe is considered oneof the national

heroes ofthe Philippines. Studying inEurope, he was the most

prominentadvocate for reform in thePhilippines during

the Spanishcolonial era. He was wronglyimplicated as the leader of

theKatipunan Revolution, and that ledto his execution on December

30,1896, now celebrated as Rizal Day,a national holiday in the

country.JOSE RIZAL

22. SELECTEDWORKS OFMI ULTIMOADIOSA poem written by

Philippine nationalhero Dr José Rizal on the eve ofhis execution on

30 December 1896.This poem was one of the last noteshe wrote

before his death; anotherthat he had written was found in hisshoe but

because the text wasillegible, its contents remains amystery.

23. SELECTEDWORKS OFMARCELO H.DEL PILARHe was a

celebrated figurein the Philippine Revolutionand a leading

propagandistfor reforms in thePhilippines. Popularlyknown as

Plaridel, he wasthe editor and co-publisherof La Solidaridad(The

Solidarity).

24. SELECTEDWORKS OFMARCELO H.DEL PILARThis is a

satire on thefriars hypocrisy,licentiousness and greed,which consists

of parodiesof the Sign of the Cross, theAct of Contrition, theLords

Prayer, the HailMary, and the catechism.Rizal considers this as

amodel of classical proseand an excellent example ofTagalog humor,

wit, andDASALAN ATTOCSOHAN

25. SELECTEDWORKS OFHe was a founder and laterSupremo of

the Katipunanmovement which sought theindependence of the

Philippinesfrom Spanish colonial rule andstarted

thePhilippineRevolution.ANDRESBONIFACIO“Father ofthe

PhilippineRevolution,"

26. SELECTEDWORKS OFANDRESBONIFACIOThis poem

whichwas first published in theDiariong Tagalog. As the

titleindicates, the theme is directed tothe Filipinos in order to

arousetheir spirit ofnationalismandself-dependence.PAG-IBIG

SATINUBUANGLUPA

27. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD

28. Philippine literaryproduction during theAmerican Period in

thePhilippines was spurred bytwo significantdevelopments in

educationand culture. One is theintroduction of free publicinstruction

for all children ofschool age and two, theuse of English as mediumof

instruction in all levels ofeducation in public schools.

29. Free public educationmade knowledge andinformation accessible

to agreater number ofFilipinos. Those whoavailed of this

educationthrough college were ableto improve their socialstatus and

joined a goodnumber of educatedmasses who became partof the

country’s middleclass.

30. The use of English asmedium of instructionintroduced Filipinos

toAnglo-American modes ofthought, culture and lifeways that would

beembedded not only in theliterature produced but alsoin the psyche

of thecountry’s educated class. Itwas this educated classthat would

be thewellspring of a vibrant

31. Philippine literature inEnglish, as a direct resultof American

colonization ofthe country, could notescape being imitative

ofAmerican models of writingespecially during its periodof

apprenticeship.

32. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIODLITERATUREunder

33.

RomanticPoetryShortStoriesLITERATUREUNDERAMERICAN

COLONIAL PERIODTagalogNovelBeginning ofPhil Litin English

34. TAGALOGNOVELA novel is along prose narrative that

describesfictionalcharacters andevents in the formof a

sequentialstory, usually. ATagalog novel is anovel written in,of

course, Tagalog.

35. TAGALOGNOVEL is one of the first literarynovels

writtenby Filipino author LopeK. Santos inthe Tagalog

language in1906. As a book thatwas considered as the"Bible of

working classFilipinos", the pages ofthe novel revolvesaround the

life of Delfin,his love for a daughterof a rich landlord, whileLope

K.Banaag at Sikat

36. Romantic PoetryThe dominant theme ofRomantic poetry: the

filteringof natural emotion throughthe human mind in order tocreate

art, coupled with anawareness of the dualitycreatedby such a

process.

37. Romantic PoetryPAG-IBIGJose Corazon DeJesusJosé Corazón

de Jesús , wasa Filipino poet who used Tagalog poetry to expressthe

Filipinos desire for independenceduring the American occupation

ofthe Philippines,a period that lasted from 1901 to 1946.He is best

known for being the lyricist of the Filipino song yan Ko.

38.

SHORTSTORIESA short story is a brief work of literature, usually 

written in narrative prose. A classic definition of a short story is that 

one should be able to read it in one sitting

39. SHORTSTORIES

This is a short story written by Alejandro Roces during his freshman 

year in Arizona State University. He was well known for his humoro

us stories and whit in writing. “We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers” is d

ated back to the 1940s.We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers

40. BeginningofPhilippineLiteratureinEnglishPhilippine literature

inEnglish By 1901, publiceducation wasinstitutionalized in

thePhilippines, with Englishserving as the medium ofinstruction.

That year,around 600 educators inthe S.S. Thomas toreplace the

soldiers whohad been serving as thefirst teachers.

41. BeginningofPhilippineLiteratureinEnglish"How My Brother

LeonBrought Home a Wife"A story about an occasionthat would be

a big day inthe life of any family, theday one of the sons ofthe family

brings hopethe woman he intends tomarry. The story is toldin the

first person byLeons younger brother.

Category:Philippine Short Stories

Philippine short stories, written in Filipino, English and other indigenious languages of the

country, have varieties of themes that mark from the period of colonization to contemporary

social issues. In the midst of the American colonial period, Filipino short story writers found

their way to publish their works through the magazines such as Liwayway (1922, Tagalog),

Bisaya (1930, Cebuano), Hiligaynon (1934, Ilongo) and Bannawag (1934, Iloko).

Below are some of the acclaimed short stories of famous Philippine writers. White Devils Vein

Articles in category "Philippine Short Stories"

There are 34 articles in this category.

A

A Son is Born

D

Dead Stars

Death in a Sawmill

H

Heartland

How My Brother Leon

Brought Home A Wife

M

May Day Eve

Merlie

Midsummer

My Father Goes to Court

O

Oldtimer

P

Pulse of the Land

S

Stranger in An Asian

City

T

The Bird Lover of City

Hall

The Body

The Bread of Salt

The Doubters

The Flood in Tarlac

The Fruit of the Vine

The Hand of God

The Judge

The Little Wars of

Filemon Sayre

The Mats

The Nobel Prize of

Jorge Luis Borges

T cont.

The Other Side

The Outsider

The Painting

The Perpetual Monday Morning

in the Life of Jose Sakay

The Reprieve

The Sky Is Always Blue

The Summer Solstice

The Tangerine Gumamela

The Three Juans And How

They Joined the Revolution

The Virgin

The Witch

Philippine literature

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please

help improve this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced

material may be challenged and removed.(August 2013)

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Map of usage of Filipino languages

Philippine literature is the literature associated with the Philippines and includes the legends of

prehistory, and the colonial legacy of the Philippines. Most of the notable literature of the

Philippines was written during the Spanish period and the first half of the 20th century in

Spanish language. Philippine literature is written in Spanish, English,Tagalog, or other

native Philippine languages.

Contents

  [hide] 

1   Early works

2   Classical literature in Spanish during the 19th Century

o 2.1   Poetry and metrical romances

o 2.2   Prose

o 2.3   Dramas

o 2.4   Religious drama

o 2.5   Secular dramas

3   Modern literature (20th and 21st century)

4   Notable Philippine literary authors

5   See also

6   References

7   External links

Early works[edit source]

Doctrina Christiana , Manila, 1593, is the first book printed in the Philippines.

Tomas Pinpin  wrote and printed in 1610 Librong Pagaaralan nang mga Tagalog nang

Uicang Castilla, 119 pages designed to help fellow Filipinos to learn the Spanish language in

a simple way. He is also with the first news publication made in the Philippines, "Successos

Felices".

Classical literature in Spanish during the 19th Century[edit source]

Main article: Philippine literature in Spanish

On December 1, 1846, the first daily newspaper, La Esperanza, was published in the country.

Other early newspapers were La Estrella (1847), Diario de Manila (1848) and Boletin Oficial de

Filipinas (1852). The first provincial newspaper was El Eco de Vigan (1884), which was issued

in Ilocos. In Cebu City "El Boletín de Cebú" (The Bulletin of Cebu), was published in 1890.

On 1863, the Spanish government introduced a system of free public education that increased the

population's ability to read Spanish and thereby furthered the rise of an educated class called

the Ilustrado(meaning, well-informed). Spanish became the social language of urban places and

the true lingua franca of the archipelago. A good number of Spanish newspapers were published

until the end of the 1940s, the most influential of them being El Renacimiento, printed in Manila

by members of the Guerrero de Ermita family.

Some members of the ilustrado group, while in Spain, decided to start a Spanish publication with

the aim of promoting the autonomy and independence projects. Members of this group

included Pedro Alejandro Paterno, who wrote the novel Nínay (first novel written by a Filipino)

((cn)) and the Philippine national hero,José Rizal, who wrote excellent poetry and two famous

novels in Spanish: Noli Me Tangere(Touch Me Not), and El Filibusterismo.

Especially potent was La Solidaridad, more fondly called La Sol by the members of the

propaganda movement, founded in 15 February 1885.[citation needed] With the help of this paper,

Filipino national heroes like José Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and Marcelo H. del Pilar were

able to voice out their sentiments.

Poetry and metrical romances[edit source]

Ladino Poems – Were natives of first Tagalog versifiers who saw print: highly literate in

both Spanish and the vernacular.

Corridos – Were widely read during the Spanish period that filled the populace's need for

entertainment as well as edifying reading matter in their leisure moments.

Awit – like corridos, these were also widely read during the Spanish period as entertaining,

edifying, reading manner in their leisure time. It is also a fabrication of the writers

imagination although the characters and the setting may be European. The structure is

rendered dodecasyllabic quatrains.

Prose[edit source]

This section

requires expansion. (August

2013)

The prose works of the Spanish Period consisted mostly of didactic pieces and translations of

religious writings in foreign languages.

Dramas[edit source]

This section is

empty. You can help

by adding to it. (August

2013)

Religious drama[edit source]

The Panunuluyan– Literally, seeking entrance, the Tagalog version of the Mexican Las

Posadas. Held on the eve of Christmas, it dramatizes Joseph's and Mary's search

for Bethlehem.

Cenaculo – Was the dramatization of the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

Salubong – An Easter play that dramatizes the meeting of the Risen Christ and His Mother.

Moriones – Refers to the participants dressed roman soldiers, their identities hidden behind

colorful, sometimes grotesque, wooden masks.

The Santacruzan – Performed during the month of May which have the devotion for the

Holy Cross. It depicts St. Elena's search for the cross on which Christ died.

Pangangaluwa – An interesting socio-religious practice on All Saint's Day which literally

means for The Soul.

Secular dramas[edit source]

These were generally held during the nine nights of vigil and prayers after someone's death, on

the first death anniversary when the family members put away their mourning clothes.

The Karagatan – comes from the legendary practice of testing the mettle of young men

vying for a maiden's hand. The maiden's ring would be dropped into sea and whoever

retrieves it would have the girl's hand in marriage.

The Duplo – A forerunner of the balagtasan. The performances consist of two teams; One

composed of young women calledDupleras or Belyakas; and the other, of young men

called Dupleros or Belyakos.

The Comedia – It is about a courtly love between, a prince and a princess of different

religions. It is about a Christian-Muslim relationship

Modern literature (20th and 21st century)[edit source]

The greatest portion of Spanish literature was written during the American period, most often as

an expression of pro-Hispanic nationalism, by those who had been educated in Spanish or had

lived in the Spanish-speaking society of the big cities, and whose principles entered in conflict

with the American cultural trends.[citation needed] Such period of Spanish literary production—i.e.,

between the independence of Spain in 1898 and well ahead into the decade of the 1940s—is

known as Edad de Oro del Castellano en Filipinas. Some prominent writers of this era

were Wenceslao Retana and Claro Mayo Recto, both in drama and essay; Antonio M.

Abad andGuillermo Gomez Wyndham, in the narrative; Fernando María Guerrero and Manuel

Bernabé, both in poetry. The predominant literary style was the so-called "Modernismo", a

mixture of elements from the French Parnassien and Symboliste schools, as promoted by some

Latin American and Peninsular Spanish writers (e.g. the Nicaraguan Rubén Darío, the

Mexican Amado Nervo, the SpaniardFrancisco Villaespesa, and the Peruvian José Santos

Chocano as major models).

Notable Philippine literary authors[edit source]

Estrella Alfon

Francisco Arcellana

Carlos Bulosan

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Linda Ty Casper

Gilda Cordero-Fernando

N. V. M. Gonzalez

Nick Joaquin

F. Sionil José

Ambeth R. Ocampo

Alejandro R. Roces

Bienvenido Santos

Edilberto K. Tiempo

Kerima Polotan Tuvera

José Rizal

Francisco Balagtas

Zoilo Galang

Lualhati Bautista

Genoveva Edroza-Matute

Nicanor Abelardo

Kris Astudillo

See also[edit source]

Philippines portal

Cebuano literature

Ilokano literature

Pangasinan literature

Philippine folk literature

Philippine literature in English

Philippine literature in Spanish

Philippine Literature in Filipino

Waray literature

Ninay , first Philippine novel

Languages of the Philippines