Course Title: GE 224 Ethnographic Literature

Brief Course Description: An introductory course on ethnographic

representations of diverse Filipino society and culture through literary expressions
and texts.
Time Period: Finals
Instructor: Adrian Y. Franco
Lesson: 08
Topic: Ilocano Literature

Ilocano literature pertains to the literary works of writers of Ilocano ancestry

regardless of the language used - be it Ilocano, English, Spanish or other foreign
and Philippine languages. In Ilocano language, the terms "Iloko" and "Ilocano" are
different. Generally, "Iloko" is the language while "Ilocano" refers to the people or
the ethnicity of the people who speak the Iloko language.

Ilocano literature in the Philippines is one of several regional Philippine literatures.

It is one of the most active tributaries to the general Philippine literature, next to
Tagalog (Filipino) and Philippine Literature in English.

Ilocanos are descendants of Austronesian-speaking people from southern China via

Taiwan. Families and clans arrived by viray or bilog, meaning "boat". The term
Ilokano originates from i-, "from", and looc, "cove or bay", thus "people of the
bay." Ilokanos also refer to themselves as Samtoy, a contraction from the Ilokano
phrase sao mi ditoy, "our language here".

Pre-colonial Iloko literature were composed of folk songs, riddles, proverbs,

lamentations called dung-aw, and epic stories in written or oral form. Ancient
Ilokano poets expressed themselves in folk and war songs as well as the dallot, an
improvised, versified and at times impromptu long poem delivered in a sing-song
manner.
During the Spanish regime, Iloko poetry was generally patterned after Spanish
models. In fact, the earliest known written Iloko poems were the romances
translated from Spanish by Francisco Lopez, an Augustinian friar who, in 1621,
published his own Iloko translation of the Doctrina Cristiana by Cardinal
Bellarmine, the first book to be printed in Iloko.

A study of Iloko poetry could be found in the Gramatica Ilokana, published in

1895, based on Lopez's Arte de la Lengua Iloca, earlier published in 1627, but was
probably written before 1606.

Some Iloko writers credit Pedro Bucaneg, who collaborated with Lopez in the
translation of the Doctrina into Iloko, for having been the first known Ilokano poet,
and as the "Father of Ilokano Poetry and Literature." Bucaneg, blind since
childhood, authored the popular epic known as Biag ni Lam-ang ("Life of Lam-
ang") written in the 17th century. The earliest written form of the epic poem was
given by Fr. Gerardo Blanco to Isabelo de los Reyes, who published it in El
Ilocano from December 1889 to February 1890, with Spanish translation in prose,
and also reprinted it in his El Folklore Filipino, under the title Vida de Lam-ang.

Ilocano literature developed in many ways. During the 18th century, the
missionaries used religious as well as secular literatures among other means to
advance their mission of converting the Ilokanos to Christianity. The century also
saw the publication of religious works like Fr. Jacinto Rivera's Sumario de las
Indulgencias de la Santa Correa in 1719 and the Pasion, a translation of St.
Vincent Ferrer's sermons into Iloko by Fr. Antonio Mejia in 1845.

The 19th century likewise saw the appearance of Leona Florentino, who has since
been considered by some as the "National Poetess of the Philippines". Her poems
which have survived, however, appear to the modern reader as being too syrupy for
comfort, too sentimental to the point of mawkishness, and utterly devoid of form.
Fr. Justo Claudio Fojas, an Ilokano secular priest who wrote novenas,
prayerbooks, catechism, metrical romances, dramas, biographies, a Spanish
grammar and an Iloko-Spanish dictionary, was Leona Florentino's contemporary.

Isabelo de los Reyes, Leona's son, himself wrote poems, stories, folklore, studies,
and seemingly interminable religious as well as political articles. The achievement
of both Claudio Fojas and de los Reyes is possibly more significant than the
critical reader of Iloko literature today is ready to admit.

The comedia, otherwise known as the moro-moro, and the zarzuela were presented
for the first time in the Ilocos in the 19th century. The comedia, a highly
picturesque presentation of the wars between Christians and Muslims, and the
zarzuela, an equally picturesque depiction of what is at once melodrama, comic-
opera, and the skit interminably preoccupied with the eternal theme of boy-meets-
girl-who-always-live-happily-ever-after-against-seemingly-impossible-odds are
still as popular today as they were when first staged in the Ilocos.

The comedia was scripted from the corridos like Principe Don Juan, Ari Esteban
ken Reyna Hipolita, Doce Paris, Bernardo Carpio, Jaime del Prado. Marcelino
Mena Crisologo helped popularize the zarzuela based on the culture and tradition
of the Ilokanos particularly those in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. So did Pascual Agcaoili y
Guerrero (1880–1958) of Ilocos Norte who wrote and staged "Daguiti
Agpaspasukmon Basi," and Isaias R. Lazo (1887–1983) of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
who wrote comedia and zarzuela.

The year 1892 saw the printing for the first time of the first Iloko novel, written by
Fr. Rufino Redondo, an Augustinian friar, titled "Matilde de Sinapangan."
Another Iloko novel which was written before the end of the 19th century by one
Don Quintin Alcid was "Ayat, Kaanonto Ngata?" ("Love, When Shall it Be?").

Arturo Centeno of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, also wrote three novels titled Apay a Di
Mangasawa? ("Why Doesn't He Get Married?"), Dispensara and Padi a Puraw
Wenno Naamo a Kibin ("A White Priest or a Good Guide").
The 20th century was comparatively more intense in literary activity. Some of the
literature in this period are "Biag ti Maysa a Lakay, Wenno Nakaam-ames a Bales"
("Life of an Old Man, or a Dreadful Revenge") by Mariano Gaerlan (1909);
"Uray Narigat no Paguimbagan" ("Improvement Despite Obstacles") by Facundo
Madriaga (1911); "Mining Wenno Ayat ti Cararua" ("Mining or Spiritual Love")
by Marcelino Peña Crisologo (1914); "Nasam-it ken Narucbos nga Sabong dagiti
Dardarepdep ti Agbaniaga" ("Sweet and Fresh Flower of a Traveller's Dreams") by
Marcos E. Millon (1921); "Sabsabong ken Lulua" ("Flowers and Tears") by R.
Respicio (1930); "Apay a Pinatayda ni Naw Simon?" ("Why Did They Kill Don
Simon?") first known detective novel in Iloko by Leon C. Pichay (1935); "Puso ti
Ina" ("A Mother's Heart") by Leon C. Pichay (1936).

When the Bannawag magazine, a sister publication of Liwayway, Bisaya and

Hiligaynon, hit the streets on Nov. 3, 1934, Iloko literature reached a headland.
Many Ilokanos started to write literary pieces.

The early Bannawag short stories showed sustained growth. The short stories
written in the 1920s were poor imitations of equally poor American fiction. Early
short story writers had practically no literary background in their attempts.

The growth of the short story was not apparent until Bannawag resumed
publication in 1947. Most of the stories published dealt with themes of war;
guerrilla activities, Japanese atrocities, murder, pillage and death. By the latter part
of the decade, writers of different ages emerged, and from their ranks came stories
that were less verbose, tighter,and with more credible characterization than those
written previously.

While many articles have been written by Ilokanos and non-Ilokanos about the
Ilocos Region, few scholarly studies have been conducted. Among these scholars
were Leopoldo Y. Yabes of the University of the Philippines, who made a brief
survey of Iloko literature in 1934. His findings showed that Iloko literature began
with Pedro Bucaneg.
In 1940, Thomas B. Alcid of the University of Santo Tomas made a study on the
Iloko prose fiction and discussed the Iloko short story and the Iloko novel and their
possibilities in Philippine literature. His study showed that the short stories and
novels at that time were still young and needed more improvement.

In 1954, Mercedes F. Guerrero of the Manuel L. Quezon Educational Institution

(now MLQU) made a masteral thesis titled "Critical Analysis of the Outstanding
Iloco Short Stories Published in the Bannawag from 1948 to 1952." Her findings
showed that the Iloko stories offer a mine of information about the ideals and
customs of the Filipino people. In the display of emotions and feelings, the Iloko
author has been free or spontaneous in dealing with the life he portrayed. Most
often he has been compassionate with his characters. He has treated a wide variety
of subjects that there is no important place of Filipino life that has not been
depicted. There are stories on mere trifling matters as well as their own nation-
slaking subjects. These are stories about persons, about animals, about places and
about events.

Guerrero also found out that the Ilokano author served his society by: 1.)
Preserving the ideals, customs and traditions of the people. 2.) Bringing out the
social consciousness of the era—its mood, conflicts, struggles, and rehabilitation.
3.) Awakening man's sensibilities to the joys, sorrows, loves, hatreds and
jealousies of the people. 4.) Casting away sectional sentiments and prejudices and
bringing about fuller understanding of the different ethnic groups.

A related literature published by Dr. Marcelino A. Foronda, Jr. in 1967, titled

"Dallang: An Introduction to Philippine Literature in Iloko," discussed the traits
and characteristics of the Ilokanos. Of their literature, he stated: "...The Ilokano
language is so highly developed as to have produced the greatest number of printed
works in any Philippine language, next to Tagalog.

Bannawag has played and still plays a major role in the development of Iloko
literature. At present, it publishes poems (daniw), short stories (sarita), novels
(nobela), essays (salaysay), comics, biographies, folktales and many others
including what some call avant garde literary output. It is the only magazine where
Ilokano writers hope to publish most of their writings.

During the magazine's infancy years in the 1930s, most of its contents were
translations from the Liwayway magazine save a novel by Hermogenes F. Belen
titled "Nadaraan a Linnaaw" (Blood-stained Dew) which was serialized in 1947.
Other writers at that time included Benjamin M. Pascual, David D. Campañano,
Godofredo S. Reyes, Benito de Castro, Jose P. Acance, Benjamin Gray, Marcelino
A. Foronda,Jr.

In the 1960s, poems, short stories and novels published by the Bannawag became
better — in craftsmanship, development of plots and themes, among others.
Writers by then, most of whom were college students and professionals, had a
bigger library of literary books.

To help in the development of the Iloko short story, Bannawag launched a writing
contest in 1961. The judges were Prof. Santiago Alcantara of the National
University, Prof. Angel C. Anden of the Manuel L. Quezon University, and Dr.
Marcelino A. Foronda, Jr. of the De La Salle University-Manila. This contest
lasted until 1970. One of the judges said the quality of Iloko short stories was
competitive with those written in English. Before the martial-law era, most of the
poems, stories and novels dwelt on political unrest and protests, like rallies and
demonstrations by students, professionals and workers against the government.
(From an essay by Jose A. Bragado. Bragado is one of the foremost writers in
contemporary Ilokano literature. He is a former literary editor of Bannawag
magazine and past president of GUMIL, an international association of Ilokano
writers.)

Ilokano writers have also published their works in foreign countries. One of the
most popular authors of Ilocano ancestry abroad was the late Carlos Bulosan, a
California immigrant born to Ilokano parents in Pangasinan. And currently, the
most internationally translated Filipino author is an Ilokano from Rosales,
Pangasinan—Francisco Sionil Jose, popularly known as F. Sionil Jose. He is
famous for his Rosales saga, a five-novel work about an Ilokano clan, virtually
documenting Philippine history from Spanish time to the years of the Marcos
administration. The novels, translated in about 22 languages, are circulated and
read around the world.

Back home, many Iloko writers have won major prizes in the annual Palanca
Awards, the most prestigious and most anticipated of all literary contests in the
Philippines. These famous winners' names include Reynaldo A. Duque, Ricarte
Agnes, Aurelio S. Agcaoili, Lorenzo G. Tabin, Jaime M. Agpalo Jr., Prescillano N.
Bermudez, William V. Alvarado, Maria Fres-Felix, Clarito G. de Francia, Arnold
Pascual Jose, Eden Aquino Alviar, Severino Pablo, Ariel S. Tabag, Daniel L.
Nesperos, Roy V. Aragon, Danilo Antalan, Joel B. Manuel, Bernardo D. Tabbada,
Noli S. Dumlao and others.

Clarito G. de Francia expanded his writings by composing songs in English,

when he immigrated to the U.S. His first work "Fil-Am Song" deals with the
pursuit of Filipino-Americans' struggles in the green fields and their triumphs in
great cities. This is followed by "Loyalty for Our Country and Humanity," a tribute
to America as a sanctuary of migrants. President Barack Obama reacted to this
work: "...We should be proud of what we have accomplished together...It’s the
optimism and hard work of people like you that have changed our country for the
better..." After that, come "Today is Your Special" a birthday greetings; "Home
Sweet Home" an upliftment of family togetherness; "Celebrate a Recommitment"
an anniversary song; "Live and Share Christ to the World" for evangelization, etc.
These pieces show De Francia's way of encouraging his fellow Filipinos to impart
their heritage, culture and traditions to the world. As a bridge for this idea, he has
been sponsoring a short story writing contest in English, the DEfrancia Awards for
Literature(DEAL), since 2017.
Sources:

Manuel, E. Arsenio (1963). "A Survey of Philippine Folk Epics". Asian Folklore
Studies. Nanzan University. 22: 12. doi:10.2307/1177562
Yabes, Leopoldo (1936). A Brief Survey of Iloko Literature. Manila. p. 39.
Retrieved 9 October 2019.