Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Cordillera Administrative Region
Schools Division of Tabuk City
DILAG INTEGRATED SCHOOL

Grade 7 English
First Quarter

Name: Grade/Score:
Year and Section: Date:
School: District:
Subject :______________________________

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Lesson: Philippine Literature during Pre-Colonial Period

Learning Competency
EN7LT-Ia-1: Discover literature as a means of connecting to a significant past
EN7LT-Ia-2: Describe the different literary genres during the pre-colonial period

Reference:
1. K to 12 Curriculum Guide (May 2016), p. 148
2. Pre-Colonial Philippine Literature, Retrieved from
http://philfolks.blogspot.com/p/pre-colonial-philippine-literature.html
3. Learner’s Materials ENGLISH 7

Learning Task:
Pre-colonial Philippine Literature

Owing to the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists, we are able to know
more and better judge information about Philippine 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 showcase the Philippines' rich past through their folk sayings, folk
songs, folk narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances.

The most seminal of these folk sayings is the riddle which is tigmo in Cebuano, bugtong in
Tagalog, paktakon in Ilonggo and patototdon in Bicol. There are also proverbs or aphorisms that
express norms or codes of behavior, community beliefs or values by offering nuggets of wisdom in
short, rhyming verse.

The folk song is 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 (Ilonggo); love songs like

the panawagon and balitao (Ilonggo); 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 tools 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), the mambayu, a Kalinga rice-pounding song,
and the verbal jousts/games like the duplo popular during wakes.
The folk narratives, such as epics and folk tales are varied, exotic and magical. They were created to
explain the phenomena of the world long before science came to be known. 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, the origins of things. Fables
are about animals and these teach moral lessons.

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. They are performed during
feasts and special occasions such as harvests, weddings or funerals by chanters.

Examples of these epics are the Lam-

ang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen (Maranao); Ulahingan (Livunganen
-Arumanen Manobo); Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (The Maiden of the Buhong Sky from Tuwaang-
Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan (Subanon); and Tudbulol (T'boli).

TASK 1: Arrange and Fill it!

Directions: You will be given set of words to arrange into a diagram provided below:
Task 2: Add Some More!
Directions: With the description given on different literary forms, share other examples you know.

 Proverbs: ____________________________________________________________________

 Riddles: ____________________________________________________________________

 Myths: ____________________________________________________________________

 Legends: ____________________________________________________________________

 Folktales: ____________________________________________________________________

Working Songs: ____________________________________________________________________

Lullabies: ____________________________________________________________________

Exit Slip:
Directions: Answer the question below:
Why do we need to study the literature of the Philippines?