RIZAL COLLEGE OF TAAL

Taal, Batangas

21st Century
Literature from
the Philippines
and the Wo rld
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Dimensions
of Philippine Literary History
and
Representative Texts and
Authors from Each Region
in the Philippines

SELF – LEARNING
 LESSON 6
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE FILIPINO CANONICAL WRITERS IN
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
Let’s learn more…
This time friends, let’s deepen our understanding about canonical writers and their
contributions to Philippine Literature. Let’s absorb everything about them because they
contributed to the literature that we have now! Let’s know more about them! Let’s go!

Filipinos are passionate when it comes to literature. Many Filipinos are able to show their
artistry especially in terms of literature. In addition, here are the Filipino writers and their
contributions to literature specifically the development of national literature.

“one of the first contemporary poets regardless of race or language”

Ang ibig sabihin ng contemporary ay nabibilang sa kasalukuyan. Ibig sabihin si Jose Garcia ay
isang manunulat na kayang mag adjust sa kasalukuyang nagyayari noong mga panahon yaon.
Known for introducing the reversed consonance rhyme scheme in poetry.
Ang reversed consonance rhyme scheme in poetry ay ang paggamit ng huling katinig ng
huling pantig. (e. g. light – tile, tall, tale, etc.)
a.k.a Dove, Eagle, and Lion (Doveglion)
Some of his well-known literary works are Mir-i-nisa (won in the Philippines Free Press in
1929), and Footnote to Youth (published in 1933).
He is also known for his comma poems, where he employed a comma after every word.

a.k.a. Amante Hernani, Herminia dela Riva, Julio Abril

Committed artist “Writer’s function is to act as the conscience of society and to affirm the
greatness of the human spirit in the face of inequity and oppression.”
Began his writing career, as a journalist and later editor of various pre-World War II Tagalog
newspapers, like Watawat, Pagkakaisa, Makabayan, Sampaguita and Mabuhay Extra
He was imprisoned in 1951 for alleged subversive activities.
His famous literary Work is Luha ng Buwaya.
Pen name: Quijano de Manila
“Before 1521, we could have been anything and everything not Filipino; after 1565, we can be
nothing but Filipino.” –Culture and History, 1988
Regarded by many as the most distinguished Filipino writer in English writing.
Wrote The Woman Who had Two Navel, (1961) which examines his country’s various
heritages.
A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino (1966), a celebrated play, attempts to reconcile historical
events with dynamic change

First Asian who served as the president of the United Nations General Assembly.
I am a Filipino is one of the many essays written by Carlos P. Romulo. It was published in The
Philippines Herald in August 1941.
He also wrote the book entitled I Saw the Fall of the Philippines, in which he narrated his
personal experiences as an aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur in Corregidor.
followed by, I See the Philippines Rise, (a sequel to I Saw the Fall of the Philippines) a
journalistic account of the Philippine War in 1944.
Mother America: A Living Story of Democracy, a discussion of his political ideals about
American democracy in the Philippines,
I Walked with Heroes, his autobiography.