Philippine Literature  

 
 
Philippine Literature under Pre- Colonial Period
- B.C to 1564
- First period of Philippine history is the longest
- The discovery of “Tabon Man” has allowed us to stretch our prehistory as far as 50 000 years
back
- Oral Literature​ bore the marks of community
> subject was invariably the common experience of the people
> language of daily life
> any member of the community was a potential poet, singer or story teller as long as he
knew the language and had been attentive to the conventions of the forms

Philippine Literature
● Collection of texts, both oral and written, whether published as:
○ Boks
○ Serialized in periodicals
○ Recorded in tapes
○ Mimeographed in loose sheets
○ Etched in bamboo
○ Chanted (at home) or recited around a fire
○ Literally any kind and any where ​(CCP Encyclopedia)

● Oral tradition: Form of ​Social Factuality

○ Sacred texts of collective awareness
○ Non-sensory perceptible force that homogenizes and unifies social groups by acting as
“locus of existence of individual systems of cultural phenomena such as language,
religion, science, politics, etc​ (Hidalgo and Legasto)

BUGTONG
● “Riddles”
● Palaisipan o talinhaga na may nakatagong kahulugan
● Patungkol sa pag-uugali, kaisipan, pang-araw-araw na buhay at katutubong paligid ng mga
Pilipino.

SALAWIKAIN
● Karunungang bayan
● Moral na katotohanan at mga asal at gawi
● Hango sa karanasan ng matatanda
● Mabuting payo tungkol sa kagandahang - asal at mga paalala tungkol sa batas ng kaugalian
● Patnubay sa pamumuhay at kabutihan
 ● Maikli at malaman ang pahayag na naglalarawan ng mga karanasan, katotohanan, kagawian at
kalagayan
○ MGA PAGKSAIN
■ batas ng buhay
■ Kabutihang asal
■ Pagpapahalaga sa sistema ng kaugalian
■ Katotohanan sa buhay at kalikasan ng tao
■ Nakakapagpatawa / kasiyahan sa buhay

MATALINHAGANG TANAGA
● Anyo ng tulang Tagalog
● 4 na taludtod (lines)
● 7 pantig na may tugmaan sa dulong pantig ng bawat taludtod
○ ISTRUKTURA
■ Unang 2 linya: batayang imahen
■ Dulong 2 linya: salungatin o may mas masalimuot o mas malalim na
paglalarawan

TALINHAGA
● Mula sa salitang “talino” at “hiwaga”
● Isang pahayag na hindi tahasang ibinibigay ang kahulugan

MANGYAN AMBAHAN
● A poem of social character
● Serving practical purposes within the community
● Used by parents in educating their children
● Used by young people in courtship
● By relatives bidding goodbye or farewell
● By elderly in reflecting on the inevitability of death

Mangyan
● Comprise of 7 different ethnic groups in Southern Mindoro; they are distinct from each other with
regard to language, customs, and ways of living
● Areas within municipalites of Bulalacao, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, San Jose and Occidental
Mindoro
● Hanunuo ​is added to “mangyan” as indication that they are ​genuine

Anton Postma
● Dutch expert on Philippine scripts especially on the writings of the Mangyan
● Worked with Mangyan for half a century
Philippine Literature under Spanish Colonialism
- Started in 1565 during the time of ​Miguel Lopez De Legazpi (​ first Spanish
governor-general in Ph) until the Cavite Revolt in 1872
- Literary scene during this era was focused on religious themes due to the Christianization
of the Philippines by the Spaniards.
- Philippine literature at the time of conquest and conversion into Christianity was mainly
oral ​(legends, epics, songs, riddles, and proverbs)
- Conquistado (​ colonizers) especially ecclesistical arm, destroyed whatever written
literature he could find, and hence rendered the system of writing inoperable
- Native systems of writing that have survived are the syllabaries of Mindoro Mangyans
and the Tagbanua of Palawans
- Colonial strategy was to undermine the native oral tradition by substituting for it the story
of the Passion of Christ
- Native tradition survived and even flourished in areas inaccessible to the colonial power
- Tardiness and lack of assiduity of the colonial administration in making a public
educational system work meant the survival of oral tradition, or what was left of it,
among the conquered tribes.
- Colonialism power highlighted enrichment of literary outputs in the religion they
introduced.
- Code of law and structure had also been birthed upon this period
- Until 19th century, printing presses were owned and managed by the religious orders
Major Spanish Influences
● ALIBATA to Roman/ Latin Alphabet
● Christian doctrines
● Main literary language: Spanish Language
● Main Literary Output Tone: Religious
● European legends and traditions were greatly considered
● Ancient literature was collected and translated into Tagalog
● Education: Grammar books and dictionaries (printed in Filipino)

PABASA
● Reading and chanting ritual during the Lenten season
● Introduced to the various indigenous people of the Philippine islands by the Spanish
priests and ​incorporated it to their own custom​ of singing epics during native celebrations

First Books
1. Doctrina Christiana
- First book printed in the PH
- Prayer Book written in Spanish with Tagalog translation
2. Nuestra Señora del Rosario
 - (2nd book printed in PH)
- Written by ​Fr. Blancas de San Jose ​in 1602
- Printed at UST Printing Press
- Contains the biographies of saints, novenas, and questions and answers on
religion

3. Libro de los Cuatro Postprimeros de Hombre

- In Spanish and Tagalog
- First book printed in typography

4. Historia Magistral de Barlaan y Josaphat

- Juan Damaceno, ​1830

5. Ang mga Dalit kay Maria (Psalms for Mary)

- Collection of songs praising the Virgin Mary
- Fr. Mariano Sevilla, a​ Filipino priest wrote this in 1865
- Popular especially during the May time “flores de mayo” festival

6. Urbana at Felisa
- Padre Modesto de Castro
- Ang buong pamagat ay “Pagsusulatan nang Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at
Feliza” (palitan ng lihim ng magkapatid)
- Binabanggit ang mga tukso at panganib sa landas ng kabataan at sinasabi kung
paano maiilagan ang mga ito

Gaspar Aquino de Belen - ​most gifted native poet-translator

Jose de la Cruz
- foremost exponent of the komedya during his time.
- His appeal to the non-literate was universal. Mas
- Master of dramatic form
Franciso Baltazar
- Popularly called ​Balagtas
- Acknowledged master of traditional Tagalog poetry
- hometown : Bigaa, Bulacan
- Peasant; improved his lot by determination
- Was one of the first ​Indios t​ o become a Filipino
- Wrote Florante at Laura
- Caught in two cultures; Switching codes
Pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa
- Andres Bonofacio
Ninay
- f​irst Filipino novel
- Written in Spanish by ​Pedro Paterno ​(also wrote ​Sampaguitas)
- Highlight the endearingly unique qualities of Filipinos

Mahal Na Pasion ni Jesu Christo

- Published in 1704
- Tagalog based poem based on Christ’s passion
- Marks the beginning of the end of the old mythological culture and conversion to the new
paradigm introduced by the colonial power.

Literary Compositions
1. Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala
- Art and rules of the Tagalog (language)
- Written by ​Fr. Blancas de San Jose
- Translated to Tagalog by Tomas Pinpin in 1610
2. Compendio de la Lengua Tagala
- Understanding the Tagalog Language
- Written by ​Fr. Gaspar de San Agustin ​in 1703
3. Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala
- First Tagalog dictionary
- Written by ​Fr. Pedro de San Buenaventura ​in 1613
4. Vocabulario de la Lengua Pampanga
- First book in Pampanga
- Written by ​Fr. Diego i​ n 1732
5. Vocabulario de la Lengua Bisaya
- Best language book in Visayan
- By ​Mateo Sanchez i​ n 1711
6. Arte de la Lengua Ilokana
- The Language art of the Ilocano Language
- First Ilocano grammar book
- By ​Francisco Lopez
7. Arte de la Lengua Bicolana
- The art of the Bicol language
 - First book in the Bicol language
- Written by ​Fr. Marcos Lisbon ​in 1754

Ladinos - ​poets who are well-versed in Spanish and Tagalog

Folk Songs:
1. Leron Leron Sinta
● “Work” song
● Originated in tagalog region
● Sang during the papaya harvest season
2. Dandansoy
● Visayan Folk song
● Sang as lullaby
● Name of a boy
● About the singer leaving Dandansoy to go back to her hometown
● The girl gave him the chance to prove his everlasting love
3. Ati cu pung singsing
● Kampampangan song
● About a woman looking for a missing ring given by her mother and offers her
love as a prize for the man who could find it
● Identity song too
4. Pamulinawen
● Ilocano folk song
● About a girl with a hardened heart who does not need her lover’s pleading
● About courtship and love

5. Sarong Banggi
● Song that has eased the tired nerves of hard working Bicolanos for decades
● Has also been used by budding Bicolano bachelors to serenade pretty Bicolanas
that has smitten their hearts

Recreational Plays:
1. Cenakulo
● Dramatic performance of the passion and death of Christ
2. Zarzuela
● Father of drama
● Musical comedy or melodrama three acts
● Death with men’s passion and emotions like love, hate, revenge, or some political
problem
 3. Panunuluyan
● Philippine Christmas dramatic ritual narrating the whole family’s search for a place to
stay in Bethlehem for Jesus Christ’s birth through songs
4. Salubong
● Dramatic ceremonial of the reunion of the Risen Christ and His Mother

5. Lagaylay
● Special occasion for the Pilarenos of Sorsogon during maytime to get-together
6. Tibag
● Dramatic performance of the purpose of manifesting devotion for the Holy Cross
7. Carillo
● Form of dramatic entertainment perform on a moonless night during a town fiesta or on
dark nights after a harvest
8. Sainete
● Short musical comedy popular in the 18th century
● Exaggerated comedy shown between acts
● Plays were mostly performed by characters from the lower class
9. Moro- Moro
● Presented also on special stage during town fiestas to entertain the people and remind
them of their Christian religion
10. Karagatan
● Poetic vehicle of socio-religious nature celebrated during the death of a person
11. Duplo
● A poetic joust in speaking and reasoning which replaced Karagatan
12. Dung-aw
● Chant in free verse by a bereaved person of his representative beside the corpse of the
dead.
13. Balagtasan
● Poetic joust or a contest of skills in debate on a particular topic or issue
14. Awit
● Chanting dodecasyllabic verse
● By ​Francisco Baltazar
● Fabricated stories from writer’s imagination although setting and characters are
European-inspired
15. Corrido
● Narration
● Octosyllabic verse
● By ​Jose de la Cruz
● Legends or stories which are European-inspired

Evolution of the Filipino Alphabet

Pre-colonial:
 1. no writing system; relied on oral tradition in recording folklore and folk history
2. baybayin
- 13th century
- Derived from the Indian-influenced cultures of Indonesia and Malaysia
- Used by certain inhabitants of Luzon and the Visayas
- An alpha-syllabic script, certain characters can stand for either a single consonant or
vowel while some characters stand for an entire syllable
- 3 alphabet vowels: A, E/I, and O/U
- 14 consonants: B, C/K, D/R, G, H, L, M, N, NG, P, S, T, W, Y
- Kudlit ​is added to change the vowel: ​above ​- a to e/i ​below a​ - o/u

Spanish period: ​Abecedario

- A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, IJ, L, M, N, O, P, Q, RR, S, T, U, V, X, Y, and Z

American to Commonwealth eras: ​ ​Abakada

- English alphabet, 26 letters
- In 1937 (Philippine Commonwealth), government ordered for the adoption of national language
based on Tagalog

Ang Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa (The Grammar of the National Language)

- Lope K. Santos
- Santos retained only one letter to represent significant sound in the Tagalog language (e.g C, K, Q
same sound; only one is retained)
- 20 letters
- Letters are read in an abakada manner as opposed to the English or Spanish pronunciation

1970s: ​ Revised Abakada

- 1973 Constitution issued a new definition of the national language renaming it as Filipino
- Filipino: language in the process of development
- 11 letters came back (C, CH, F, J, LL, enye, Q, RR, V, X, Z)
- 31 letters

1987: ​ ​Present Filipino Alphabet

- 28 letter following the signing of the 1987 Constitution
- Led to creation of the Komisyon on Wikang Filipino
- Revision were published in DECS Order No. 81 “Alphabet and Spelling Guide of the Philippine
Language”
- Retained the letters C, F, J, enye, Q, V, X, Z
- To be read in English as opposed to the abakada pronunciation, in accordance with the Bilingual
Education policy.