AMERICAN PERIOD

 The American Period in the Philippines was spurred by two significant developments in education and
culture.
1. The introduction of free public instruction/education for all children of school age.
2. The use of English as medium of instruction in all levels of education in public schools.
 Philippine Literature in English was born.
 Writers increased in number because of freedom in expression and freedom of press.
 Established Philippine normal school (1901) and University of the Philippines (1908)
 Establishment of guilds or organization; P – oets, E – ssayists, N – ovelist (PEN)
- The giving of incentives in form of awards to outstanding writers
 This period is the most productive not only because of the number of authors but also with the number of
publishing companies involved in this field, literature in various genres were considered world class.
 The 2 clashing school of thought
i. The art for art’s sake dictum, Jose Garcia Villa which treats literary pieces as art objects, subject to
aesthetic appreciation.
ii. The art for society’s sake dictum, Salvador Lopez which treats literature as instruments to effect
social change.
 The literature during American period was imitative of the form of American writing.
 Forms of poetry still followed the old structure but had contents that ranged from free writing and societal
concerns under the American regime.
 Thomasites – the first English teachers
 Drama also became popular as it was used to degrade Spanish rule and immortalized the heroism of Filipinos
who fought under katipunan.
 Remake novels also took up Dr. Jose Rizal’s portrayal of social conditions under colonial repression.

LITERATURE
1. Jose Corazon de Jesus’
 Mga Gintong Dahon 1920 – a collection poem that tackled themes on passion-slaying, grief
induced, insanity and lover’s suicide. (non-traditional poem)
- Also known as Huseng Batute
- First king of Balagtasan
- He also produced the finest poems and lyrics during this period.
2. Paz Marquez Benitez
 Dead Stars 1925 – a short story that was published and was made the landmark of the maturity
of the Philippine writer in English.

 The combination of writing in English while dwelling on Filipino customs and traditions earmarked the
literary output of major fictionist in English.
 In 1936, the Philippine writers league was organized; Filipino writers in English began discussing the value of
literature in society. Initiated and led by Salvador P. Lopez, whose essay, “literature and society” won in the
commonwealth literary awards – this essay posited that art must have substance and that poet Jose Garcia
Villa’s adherence to “art for art’s sake” is decadent.
 It was in early American period that seditious paly, using the form of the zarzuela, were mounted.
 Before the onset WW II, Wilfred Ma. Guererro would gain dominance in the theatre through his one-act,
which he toured through his “mobile theatre”.
 Novel’s in tagalog, iloko, Hiligaynon, and sugbuanon also developed during this period aided largely by the
steady publication of weekly magazines like liwayway, bannawag, and bisaya, which serialized the novels.

3. Lope K. Santos
 Banaag at Sikat (From Early Dawn to Full Light) – one of the first literary novels written in
Tagalog language in 1906.
- “Bible of the working class Filipinos”
- Revolves around the life of Delfin, his love for a daughter of a rich landlord.
 - Santos also discusses the social issues such as socialism, capitalism, and the works of the united
associations of laborers.
 Other Tagalog novelists wrote on variations of the same theme, the interplay of fate, love, and social justice.
 Poetry in all languages continued to flourish.
4. Francisco F. Baltazar
- Tagalogs hail him as the nation’s foremost poet invented the Balagtasan in his honor.
- Also known as Balagtas
 Balagtasan – a debate in verse, poetical joust done almost spontaneously between protagonists
who debate over pros and cons of an issue. Named after Francisco.
 Florante at Laura - a literary work considered as awit.
 The first balagtasan was held in April 6, 1924 at the Instituto de Mujeres. It was during this balagtasan de
jesus emerged triumphant to become the first king of Balagtasan.
 Crisotan of Pampangos – a poetic joust name after Juan Crisostomo Sotto, Father of Pampango Literature.
 Bukanegan of Ilocanos – a joust named after the Father of Ilocano Literature, Fr. Pedro Bukaneg.
5. Alejandro G. Abadilla
 Ako ang Daigdig – began the era of modernism in Tagalog poetry.
 Modernist poetry – which utilized free or blank verses was intended more for silent reading than oral
delivery. 

JAPANESE PERIOD
 War came unexpectedly to the Philippines. Japan opened a surprise attack on the Philippines on Dec. 8, 1941
on Pearl Harbor.
 The defending Philippine and united states troops were under the command of General Douglas MacArthur.
 Japanese invaders limited the movement of the people and they attacked both soldiers and civilians alike.
 Japan occupied Philippines for over 3 years.
 Tagalog was declared as official language together with Nihonggo.

LITERATURE
 The types of literature during the time of the Japanese occupation were very few since the freedom they once
enjoyed during the previous years were curtailed.
 The writing activities of the Filipino artists came to halt with the coming of the Japanese.
 The writers stopped wielding pens and started wielding guns.
 The weekly LIWAYWAY was placed under strict surveillance until it was managed by Japanese named
ISHIWARA.
A. Filipino Poetry
- Common theme was nationalism, country, love, and life in barrios, faith, religion and the arts.
1. Haiku – short descriptive poem about nature, consisting of 17 syllables (5-7-5)
2. Tanka – is similar to haiku in structure but different in rhyme (senryu is unrhymed), about
human nature and the tone is usually satirical and ironical.
3. Senryu – is longer, has 5 lines and 31 syllables (5-7-5-7-7)

B. Filipino Drama
- The drama experienced a lull during the Japanese period because movie houses showing American
films were closed.
- The big movie houses were just made to show stage shows. Many of the plays were reproduction of
English plays to Tagalog.
- The translator were Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Alberto Concio, and Narciso Pimentel. They also
founded the organization of Filipino player’s name Dramatic Philippines.
A few of play writers were:
1. Jose Ma. Hernandez
 Panday-Pira – story about a Philippine hero who is a blacksmith named Pira who made a
unique weapon that the Spaniards admired.
- “Unang Pilipino na Nakagawa ng Canyon”
 - the cannons made by Panday Pira were said to have been used by Rajah Sulayman to protect Manila
against the Spanish invaders led by Martin de Goiti.
2. Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo
 Pula sa Puti – this play is a comedy that comments on people’s weakness in a situation
recognizable throughout the country.
- The main character is a sabungero or cockfighter who is addicted to cock pit.
- This play tells about how he learns and realizes his foolishness of gambling.
3. Clodualdo del Mundo
 Bulaga – an expression in the game hide and seek.
4. Julian Cruz Balmaceda
 Sino ba kayo?
 Dahil sa Anak
 Higante ng Patay

C. Filipino Short Story

- The field of the short story widened during the Japanese period. Many wrote short stories.
- Tagalog short story reached its maturity during the period.
- The best works were compiled by the liwayway magazine editors in ‘Ang Pinakamabuting Maikling
Kathang Pilipino ng 1943’, which came out in 1944.
- It is a collection of stories that won a contest sponsored by the Japanese.
Top 4 stories were:
 1st prize – “Lupang Tinubuan” by Narciso Reyes
 2nd prize – “Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa” by Liwayway Arceo
 3rd prize – “Lungsod Nayon at Dagat-Dagatan” by N.V.M Gonzales
 “Suyuan sa Tubigan” by Macario Pineda

Japanese introduced the following:
1. Nihongo or Nippongo – Japanese language
2. Ikebana – Japanese art of flower arrangement
3. Origami – art of folding papers
4. Tempura & Sushi – cuisine

BODABIL
- a popular form of entertainment in the Philippine from 1910-1960s
- the local version of Vaudeville
- often staged in theaters in Manila
- was at its peak during the Japanese occupation
- featuring various form : musical, comedy, and even magic acts, skits, monologues and acrobatics, etc.

Origin
- zarzuelas and komedyas
- imported vaudeville acts
- 1901 – Teatro Zorilla: “Novilities in Manila”
The Platform to Stardom
1. Luis Borromeo
- Indigenized vaudeville
- Organized the first Filipino Bodabil Company
- “Classical Jazz Music”
2. Catalina dela Cruz
- “Queen of Filipino Jazz”
- Highest paid entertainer at the age of 18
- Jazz vocals and Torch songs

3. Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr.

- Started in bodabil during the Japanese occupation
 - “The King of Comedy”
4. Bayani Casimiro Sr.
- “Fred Astaire of the Philippines”
- Later became a film star, most notable as Vic Sotto’s father in “Okay ka Fairy ko”