21st Century Literature from the Philippines

and the World

3. Folktales – characteristically anonymous,
1st Quarter Notes timeless, and placeless tales circulated orally
among people.
Philippine Literature is the body of works, both
oral and written, that Filipinos, whether native,  The Monkey and the Turtle
naturalized, or foreign born, have created about  Why the Fish has Scales
the experience of people living in or relating to  Juan Tamad
Philippines society.
Salawikain – “Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga”;
Dimensions of Philippine Literature “Ang pag-aasawa ay hindi biro, hindi tulad ng
kanin na iluluwa kapag napaso.”
1. Pre-Spanish Period
2. Spanish Period Sawikain – “Saksi ako sa kanilang pag-iisang
3. American Regime dibdib” (kasal)
4. Post-Colonial Period
Bugtong – “Malambot na parang ulap, kasama
Pre-Spanish Period ko sa pangangarap.” (unan)
 Our ancient literature shows our Legends – stories about origins of something.
customs and traditions in everyday life
Spanish Period
as traced in our folk stories, old plays,
and short stories.  Ferdinand Magellan landed in our
 The first alphabet used by our ancestors country in 1521 but was swiftly killed by
was similar to the Malayo-Polynesian Lapu-Lapu in the Battle of Mactan
alphabet. (Datus of Mactan vs. Datus of Cebu c/o
 Whatever record our ancestors left Rajah Humabon)
were either burned by Spanish friar.  In 1872, a revolution from Filipino
Nationalists began.
E. Arsenio Manuel’s Division of Philippine
Literature  The first three books in the Philippines
are: Doctrina Christiana (The Christian
1. Mythology – creation of human beings, Doctrine talks about the catechism of
natural phenomena, deities and spirits. the Catholic church), Pasion (an epic
narrative of the passion, death, and
 The Creation Story (Tagalogs)
resurrection of Jesus and is usually
 How the Stars and the Moon Came to
chanted during Lenten season), and Ang
Be (Bukidnon)
Pagsusulutan ng Dalauang Binibini na si
2. Epics – deeds and adventures of legendary Urbana at Feliza (relates the importance
hero, warrior, god, or king. of purity and ideal virtues that married
people should practice and enrich).
 Biag ni Lam-ang
 Hinilawod 1.Non-Secular Literature
 Ibalon
 TIBAG – A ritual about the search of St.
 Hudhud
Helena and Constantine for the Holy
 Darangan Cross on which Jesus died.
  CENACULO – The reenactment of
Christ’s passion and death.
 PANUNULUYAN – The dramatization of
the search for Bethlehem by Joseph and
Mary right before the birth of Jesus
Christ.
 SALUBONG – This ritual reenacts the
meeting of Jesus Christ and Mary after
his resurrection.
 LAGAYLAY – A two-hour praise to the
holy cross and a reenactment of the
finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena
and her female entourage.
 CARILLO – a shadow play that usually
features religious stories.
2.Secular Literature
 AWIT – a poem written in 12 syllables
with rhyming stanzas; tales of chivalry
(Florante at Laura by Francisco
Balagtas)
 KORIDO – generic name for Philippine
romances; 8 syllables (Ibong Adarna)
 PROSE NARRATIVES – a literary work
that tells a definite story which uses
paragraphs instead of stanzas (Urbana
at Feliza)
Period of Enlightenment
 Propaganda Movement – spearheaded
by the ILLUSTRADOS (Jose Rizal,
Mariano Ponce, Antonio Luna, Marcelo
H. Del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena)
 LA SOLIDARIDAD – voice of the
propaganda movement.
 DIARIONG TAGALOG – first bilingual
newspaper exposing the
maladministration of the Spaniards and
the oppression of the friars.
 DASALAN AT TOCSOHAN – Marcelo H.
Del Pilar; satirical versions of Catholic
Prayers.
 EVERYTHING IS HAMBUG – Graciano
Lopez Jaena
 FRAY BOTOD – Graciano Lopez Jaena
 NOLI ME TANGERE – Jose Rizal
 REVOLUTIONARY LITERATURE –
Katungkulang Gagawin ng mga Anak
ng Bayan (Andres Bonifacio); Ang
Dapat Mabatid ng mga Tagalog (Andres
Bonifacio); Liwanag at Dilim (Emilio
Jacinto); El Filibusterismo (Jose Rizal)
American-Japanese Period
-American Period-
 Free public-school education for all
children of school age.
 English language became the medium
of instruction in all school levels.
 Free verse poems, modern short
stories, novels, and critical essays.
 JOSE CORAZON DE JESUS – “Huseng
Batute”; Tagalog poetry on the desires
of the Filipinos for independence;
Gintong Dahon; Sa Dakong Silangan.
 SEVERINO REYES – The Father of
Tagalog Drama; Walang Sugat (talks
about the cruelty and corruption of the
friars)
 PAZ MARQUEZ BENITEZ – Dead Stars;
Doing what is right vs. Doing what the
heart says
 The American-Japanese war started on
the attack on the Pearl Harbor.
 Freedom of speech was taken away
from Filipinos.
-Japanese Period-
 The use of English language was
banned.
 All forms of writing were censored.
 VOICE OF FREEDOM – an underground
radio program which became the
contact of the country with the outside
world.
 Rise of the Tagalog Literature
 MANUEL L. QUEZON – Good Fight
  NIPPONGO/NIHONGGO was
introduced to the Filipinos.
 HAIKU – a poem with three lines (5-7-5
or 7-5-7); the first Haiku written in the
Philippines was TUTUBI by Gonzalo K.
Flores
 TANAGA – a 31-syllable poem (5-7-5-7-
7 or 7-5-7-5-5)
 SENRYU – similar to haiku although
themes are more satiric and ironic.
Post-Colonial Period
 Enemy of the people = Ferdinand
Marcos, Sr.
 Assassination of Benigno
“Ninoy”Aquino, Jr.
 Literature became true-to-life and
talked about grief, poverty, aspirations
for freedom, love of God, countrymen,
and the country.
 Writers wrote openly of their criticism
against the government and used
insulting, violent, and profane language.
 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards
for Literature (1950)
 MGA DUGUANG PLAKARD – Rogelio
Mangahas
 Dekada ’70 – Lualhati Bautista
 Sitsit sa Kuliglig – Rolando Tinio
Lesson: the 21st Century Literature of the
Philippines
1. Non-Fiction
2. Fiction
21st Century Poetry
3. Poetry
4. Drama
21st Century Literature Genres
21st Century Fiction
1. Graphic Novel – a narrative in a comic
book format.
2. Flash Fiction – style of fictional
literature of extreme brevity. It is a very
short story that’s under 1500 words
long.
 Nanofiction – contains a maximum
of 300 words.
 Dribble – uses around 50 words.
 Drabble – has exactly 100 words.
 Dagli – Tagalog counterpart of flash
fiction.
 Twitterature – Twitter variety of
flash fiction.
3. Realistic Fiction – a story that can
actually happen and is true to real life.
Example: 100 Tula Para Kay Stella
4. Chicklit – a fiction genre which
addresses issues of modern
womanhood, often humorously and
light-heartedly.
Examples: Diary ng Panget, Girlfriend
for Hire, My Imaginary Ex, The Good
Girl’s Revenge
5. Speculative Fiction – this deals with
imaginative concepts such as futuristic
science, space travel, time travel, a
parallel universe, and extra-terrestrial
life.
Examples: RPG Metanoia, Never Have I
Ever, Lauriat, I Love You Since 1892
6. Text-Talk Novels – these are narratives
written in blogs, emails, and massaging
formats.
1. FlipTop Battle – a contemporary type of
poetry and it combines theatre, poetry,
and music. Modern “Balagtasan”.
 Alaric Riam Yuson (Anygma),
2010 – pioneer of Filipino
FlipTop.
 Revolves around three
elements: content, rhythm, and
delivery.
  Freedom of expression, free
from censorship.
2. Textula – this traces its origin to the
traditional Tagalog form of poetry
called Tanaga (4 lines with 7 syllables
each).
 Frank G. Rivera – “Makata ng
Cellphone” (2005)

Textula Rhyme Scheme

 The Basic – one rhyme scheme

(AAAA).
 Sunuran – two sets of same
rhymes (AABB).
 Salitan – alternating rhymes
(ABAB).
 Inipit – there are two rhyming
lines in between two rhyming
lines (ABBA).
3. Spoken Word Poetry – refers to oral
poetic performance art that is based
mainly on the poem as well as the
performer’s aesthetic qualities.
4. Blog – “Web Blog”; refers to a regularly
updated journal on the internet. It can
be in a form of a diary, letter, short
story, or poem.