A Quick Look at the History of Philippine Literature

Philippine literature had evolved much before colonization. It is full of

legends and tales of colonial legacy. Mexican and Spanish dominance over the
land and the people, over varying periods of time, witnessed the incorporation of
English, Spanish, Filipino and native languages, to express ideology and opinion.
Literature in the Philippines developed much later than in most other countries.
Evidence reveals the use of a script called "Baybayin" that flourished in 1521.
"Baybayin" was used to write about legends, in Luzon, during Spaniard
domination.

Philippine Literature in Filipino

The literature of the Philippines before the advent of the Spaniards was
predominantly a reflection of the indigenous culture and traditions of the land.
The people of Manila and native groups within the Philippines used to write on
bamboo and the arecaceae palm. They used knives for inscribing the ancient
Tagalog script. The literature thus preserved was limited to the seventeen basic
symbols of the language. With just three vowels and consonantal symbols that
had predetermined, inherent sound, the literature handed down was in a 'raw'
state and needed to be developed.

The Tagalog language script that was used initially to preserve and hand
down literature, was limited to a diacritical mark or "kudlit" that further modified
pronunciation and writing. The dot, line or arrow head was either placed above or
below the symbol. The literature thus preserved has played a very important role
in the public schooling arena and the rise of the educated class.

The colonization by Spain breathed a different kind of life into vernacular

and Filipino literature. Spain brought about liberal ideas and a sense of
internationalism to the people of Philippines, which was reflected in the popularity
of chivalric heroic poems called "awit" and religious poems called '"corridos"'.
Religious literature, biography of saints and folktales became the mainstay of
vernacular literature during the early period of colonization.

Philippine Literature in Spanish

Philippine literature in Spanish can be broadly categorized into three stages

or phases. The first phase was the time period when religious works as instructed
by the colonial masters were spread throughout the land. In the early 17th
century Tomas Pinpin published a book that attempted to translate Spanish to
local Tagalog language. Thus paving the way for Filipinos to learn and understand
the ways of the colonialists. This small event marked the beginning of increased
learning and use of Spanish by local writers and authors. By the early 1800s
many writers began to recognize the Philippines a separate entity from Spain and
subsequently expressed their views and ideas through their works. Some
prominent works of the time were, "El Paranaso Filipino", "Mare Magnum".

Literature in the Philippines was developed and preserved by native Filipino

intellectuals. Isidro Marfori, Enrique Fernandez Lumba, Cecilio Apostol, Fernando
Ma. Guerrero, Jesús Balmori, Flavio Zaragoza Cano and Francisco Zaragoza
played a major role in the preservation of the stories handed down in time.
Writers such as Castrillo, Fernandez, Rivera, Licsi and Estrada also spent a major
part of their lives in the documentation of 'by-word-of-mouth' hand-downs.
Columns and articles in newspapers such as "El Renacimiento", "La Vanguardia",
"El Pueblo de Iloilo", "La Democracia" and "El Tiempo" kept the legacies alive in
Spanish. In the later half of the 19th century, strong nationalistic and patriotic
ideas began to flow around all of Philippines and an idea of a free Philippines,
distinct from Spain was expressed by many writers and publications of that time.
It was ironic that nationalism was propagated more through Spanish language
instead of the local vernacular tongue. This era (1870 to 1903) saw the rise of
national heroes like Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marcelo H. Del Pilar and
Pedro Paterno who contributed to important Spanish literary work in the
Philippines by the way of various historical documents, revolutionary propaganda
and nationalist articles. Philippine literature in Spanish was preserved well
through private publications like '"Plaridel"' and the first Spanish newspaper '"El
Boletín de Cebú"' and '"Flora Sentino"', by Orlando Agnes.

At the start of the 20th century the American control introduced English to
the islands that brought about a significant change in the use of Spanish in
Philippine literature. Further more, Japanese occupation during World War II and
Commonwealth membership brought about a slow demise of Spanish and an
emergence of English in the country's literature.

Philippine Literature in English

The emergence of Philippine literature in English can be traced back to the

early 1900s after the Philippine-American War as English became the medium of
teaching in educational institutions across the Philippines. The advent of
missionaries and English educators led to the establishing of English newspapers
and magazines which were short-lived. But the real impetus to English literature
was provided by the founding of the magazines "Philippines Herald" and "Manila
Tribune". These publications helped introduce authors like "Loreto Paras", "Jose
Garcia Villa", "Casiano Calalang" to the reading public. The first quarter of the
twentieth century proved to be the most favorable period for English literature in
the Philippines and some of the famous publications of those times were: "A
Child's Sorrow", "Many Voices", "The Wound and the Scar", "Literature and
Society".
 The advent of the Second World War and the subsequent Japanese
occupation led most writers and authors to either go underground or write in
Tagalog. Writing in English regained its earlier fervor and enthusiasm once the
war was over and produced some famous writers like "Carlos Bulosan",
"Alejandro Roces", "Francisco Arcellana", "Nick Joaquin". Later on in the 1960s
the Philippine government also recognized writers in the form of awards and
felicitations which still continue today.

Literary work now available includes articles on Spanish conquest, native

cultural heritage, pre-colonial literature and traditional narratives. Another very
interesting segment of Philippine literature includes inspiring speeches and songs.
This segment has effectively maintained the mystifying characteristic of Philippine
epics and folk tales. The narratives and descriptions of various magical
characters, mythical objects and supernatural are surreal, distinctly adhering to
the ideologies and customs of the natives.

Ethno-epics such as "Biag ni Lam-ang" or the Life of Lam-ang, "Agyu" or

"Olahing", "Sandayo of Subanon", "Aliguyon, the Hudhud" and "Labaw Donggon"
are great examples of assimilated styles and language variations. Today,
Philippine literature reflects national issues through political prose, essay writing
and novels. Novels by Jose Rizal, El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere patronize
the revival of the rich folk traditions. Philippine literature is a uniting element
among its people that encompasses a way of life and values cherished by the
locals and will continue to evolve as enriched by modern changes.