The Filipino Revolutionists won against the spaniards who colonized us for

more than 300 years. Filipino writers went into all forms of literature like news
reporting, poetry, stories, plays, essays and novels. ... thier writings clearly
depicted their love of countryand thier longings for independence.

Historical Background
Philippine Literature during the American Regime (1898-1941)
Historical Background
The Filipino Revolutionists won against the spaniards who colonized us for more than 300 years. Our flag
was hoisted on june 12, 1898 as a symbol of our independence. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was selected the
first president of the philippine republic but this was short lived. The filipino-american war resulted in the
defeat of Gen. Miguel Malvar in 1903. The peace movements started as early as 1900. Many filipino
started writing again and the nationalism of the people remain undaunted. Filipino writers went into all
forms of literature like news reporting, poetry, stories, plays, essays and novels. thier writings clearly
depicted their love of countryand thier longings for independence.

American Influences

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.

The juxtaposition of U.S. democracy and imperial rule over a subject people

was sufficiently jarring to most Americans that, from the beginning, the
training of Filipinos for self-government and ultimate independence—the
Malolos Republic was conveniently ignored—was an essential rationalization
for U.S. hegemony in the islands. Policy differences between the two main
political parties in the United States focused on the speed with which self-
government should be extended and the date on which independence should
be granted.
Footnote to Youth (short story)

-Jose Garcia Villa

In "Footnote to Youth" by José García Villa, Dudong asserts his supposed maturity
and marries Teang at the age of 17. He thinks they are old enough to take on this
responsibility, but after they have several children they both bemoan the
dissolution of their youth and the dreams that came along with it. Teang wonders
how things could have been if she'd married another of her suitors. At the end,
Dudong's son Blas approaches his father wanting to marry at about the same age,
even though Dudong doesn't want Blas to make the same mistake he did. However,
history ends up repeating itself.

Summer Solstice (short story)

-Nick Joaquin

But the Western Stars

Angela Manalang Gloria

Set me adrift on the bay tonight,

Tonight when the gray winds blow;
Over the waves to the western stars
My banca and I must go.

You would have built me an altar here

Where lingers the wave-born dew,
And I would have taken the silver dusk
To gather young dreams for you.

But the western lagoons and the lonely stars –

They whisper across the sea,
And I must away to a misty shore
That calls through the dark to me.

Then set me adrift on the bay tonight --

Tonight when the sad winds blow,
And over the waves to the western stars
Evening and I will go.
 Angela Manalang-Gloria was born in Guagua, Pampanga. She was a well – known lyric
poet during the commonwealth period. Her works were known to have romantic
vocabularies. She reveals her own image and feelings in her works.

But The Western Stars

The purpose of this poem is to voice out the freedom of speech
of every women in precolonial times wherein writers specifically
women writers are often forced into silence, euphemism or
circumlocution in their speech. That's why Manalang Gloria's
poem became “double voiced discourse” containing both a
dominant and muted story embedded within the text. We
conclude this essay with a feminist reading of one of Manalang
Gloria's most popular poems, "But the Western Stars" because, it
is the poem in which her muted voice is heard most clearly