21st CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD

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Name:__________________________________ Grade/Section:_____________

What I Know
Directions: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which of the following deals with ideas, thoughts, and emotions of man. It is said to be the story of
man?

a. literature b. history c. generation d. tragedy

2. Which deals with the life of a person which may be about himself, his autobiography or that of
others?

a. interview b. biography c. anecdote d. play

3. Which lyric poem has 14 lines dealing with an emotions, a feeling, or idea?

a. ballad b. sonnet c. psalm d. awit

4. Which is an example of Corridos (Kuridos)?
a. Florante at Laura b. Ibong Adarna c. The Lover’s Death d. Chit-Chirit-Chit

5. Which lyrical poetry refers to a noble feeling expressed with dignity, with no definite number of
syllables or definite lines in a stanza?

a. ode b. folksongs c. psalm d. elegy

6. Which Latin word of “literature” is derived?
a. literus b. litera c. literature d. literia
7. Which is written by Carlos Bulosan?
a. Without Seeing the Dawn c. The Laughter of My Father
b. El Filibusterismo d. Thirteen Plays
8. “The Moth and the Lamp” is an example of which genre?
a. anecdote b. essay c. biography d. oration
9. Who is the prince of Philippine Literature?
a. Francisco Balagtas c. Ricaredo Dementillo
b. Francisco Baltazar d. Wilfredo M. Guerrero
10. An example of a Bikolano folksong.

a. Pamulinawen c. Manang Biday

b. Inday, Inday sa balitaw d. Sarong banggui

LESSON 1 PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN THE PRE-COLONIAL

PERIOD
What I Know

Activity 1. Have you heard of the following selections below? Try identifying their literaryforms.

Biag ni Lam-ang = _____________________

Taga Ilog ! –Tagailog
The moon and the Sun
The Monkey and the Turtle
_____________________
Kundiman
= _____________________
= _____________________
=
= _____________________

What’s In
Activity 2. Identify the following statements as True or False.Write your answer on the space
provided at the end of every statement.
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 1. Folktales about Juan are very popular. Some emphasize certain virtues, and some serve as
warning about behavior. _______

2. “Biag ni Lam-ang”is an Ilocano epic that tells about the adventures of Lam-ang,a man with
supernatural powers. _______

3. The monkey is a common animal character in Philippine fables. It is often depicted as a

tricky animal. ________

4. There are different Filipino legends of the great flood. The story of Bukidnon tells that a
huge crab caused the water to rise by going into the sea. _______

5. There are Philippine versions of the creation myth. The Igorot’s story tells that
Lumawig the Great Spirit created people. ________

What’s New
In the pre-colonial times, oral transmission was the primary means of communicating and preserving
Philippine literature. Long before the colonizers brought their own influences to our culture, our literary
collection had already amassed
an abundance of folk sayings, stories and songs (Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, Brilliant
Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017:8-11).
Literary forms during this period were:
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. Oral Literature 3. Folk Songs
a
. Riddles a. Lullabies
b. Proverbs b. Drinking Songs
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. Folk Tales c. Love songs

a. Myth d. Songs of Death

e. Religious
b. Legends Songs
c
. Epic
d
. Fables

Activity 3. Identify the literaryforms.

1. It is better to have a hut
Inhabited by a person
Than a mansion
Wherein an owl lives = _____________________

1. Go to sleep, my child Your father is far

He cannot fetch us
For the way is muddy and rugged=_________________
2. Skin and bone flying,

3. Let’s sing and feast

For two hearts who are to be married the path they’ll pass

Let’s strew the rice.= ______________________

4. Pass now the glass of tuba, For we are tired

and thirsty.
Don’t take too big a gulp
Because you might drown. = _______________________

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 Have you identified them correctly? These are typical examples of the pre-colonial literary works.

What Is It

To this day, the literary genre of the riddle in pre-colonial times has endured. It has many names and
forms: bugtong in Tagalog, paktakon in Ilongo, patototdon in Bicol, and buburtia in Ilocano. Riddles relied on
talinghaga or metaphor. It is a

guessing game of objects represented by other objects(Simoun Victor D. Redoblado,

Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017:2-3).

Here is an example:
Buto’t balat, lumilipad (Saranggola)

Skin and bone flying,(Kite)

Proverbs are statement of a particular culture’s codes of behavior and beliefs and intended to teach values. They
are known as kasabihan in Tagalog, panultihon or pagya among the Cebuano, kasebian among the Pampango, and
humbaton or hurobaton among the Ilonggo. In Panay it was called daragiton or daraida, andbasahanan in Bukidnon.
(Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017:3Here is an example:

(Tagalog)
Bahay man ay palsyo It is better to have a hut
Kung ang laman ay kuwago inhabited by a person
Mabuti pa ang kubong than a mansion
Laman ay tao. Wherein an owl lives.

Epics were the most prominent literary genre of the pre-colonial period. It featured local heroes taking on
(and, indeed succeeding in) various adventures. Across the country, each tribe has at least one epic, along
with five or six minor epics. It was called darangen in Maranao, ulahingan in Manobo, guman in Subanon, and
hudhud in Ifugao.

Popular examples are Biag ni Lam-ang from the Ilocanos, the Ibaloy epic Kabunlan and Bendian, the
Tagalog epic Kumintang, the Palawan epic Kudaman, the Panay-Bisaya epic Maragtas at Hinilawod, the
Manobo epic Tuwaang Midsakop, the Negros Bisaya epic Hari sa Bukit, the Mindanao epic Darangen, the
Muslim epic Bantugan, and the Ifugao epic Hudhud at Alim.

Myths, legends, and fables are short forms of fiction. Myths served to explain how the world was
created. Legends explained the origin of things while fables were meant to teach lessons.

Aside from short fiction and epics, our country’s pre-colonial literature also abounded in songs. There
love songs, courtship songs, serenades and lullabies. Lullabies were songs to put infants to sleep.

As children grew, they continued to have songs tailored to their imagination and playtime. Other songs
were intended for activities shared by the members of the community. Like a song for rowing, for pounding
rice, for making pots and for hunting bees. There were even songs for drinking (Simoun Victor D. Redoblado,
Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017:4-6).

What’s More
You have just learned the different genres in the pre-colonial period. Now, let us dwell on the common myths
about how the world was created. Read the following selections to appreciate how different points of view-one from
Luzon, one from Mindanao-pictured the world’s creation(Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc.,
2017:8-11).

Bilaan Story of Creation from Mindanao

In the very beginning there lived a being so large that he cannot be compared with any known thing. His name
was Melu, and when he sat on the clouds, which were his home, he occupied all the space above. His teeth were pure
gold, and because he was very cleanly and continually rubbed himself with his hands, his skin became pure white. The
dead skin which he rubbed off his body was placed on one side in a pile, and by and by this pile became so large that he
was annoyed and set himself to consider what he could do with it.

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 Finally Melu decided to make the earth; so he worked very hard in putting the dead skin into shape, and when it
was finished he was so pleased with it that he determined to make two beings like himself, though smaller, to live on it.

Taking the remnants of the material left after making the earth he fashioned two men, but just as they were all
finished except their noses, Tau Tana from below the earth appeared and wanted to help him.

Melu did not wish any assistance, and a great argument ensued. Tau Tana finally won his point and made the
noses which he placed on the people upside down. When all was finished, Melu and Tau Tana whipped the forms until
they moved. Then Melu went to his home above the clouds, and Tau Tana returned to his place below the earth.

All went well until one day a great rain came, and the people on the earth nearly drowned from the water which ran off
their heads into their noses. Melu, from his place on the clouds, saw their danger, and he came quickly to earth and saved
their lives by turning their noses the other side up.

The people were very grateful to him, and promised to do anything he should ask of them. Before he left for the sky, they
told him that they were very unhappy living on the great earth all alone, so he told them to save all the hair from their
heads and the dry skin from their bodies and the next time he came he would make them some companions. And in this
way there came to be a great many people on the earth.

Source: Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1916:139-140).

The Creation Story

Tagalog

When the world first began there was no land, but only the sea and the sky, and between them was a
kite (a bird something like a hawk). One day the bird which had nowhere to light grew tired of flying about, so
she stirred up the sea until it threw its waters against the sky. The sky, in order to restrain the sea, showered
upon it many islands until it could no longer rise, but ran back and forth. Then the sky ordered the kite to light
on one of the islands to build her nest, and to leave the sea and the sky in peace.

Now at this time the land breeze and the sea breeze were married, and they had a child which was a
bamboo. One day when this bamboo was floating about on the water, it struck the feet of the kite which was on
the beach. The bird, angry that anything should strike it, pecked at the bamboo, and out of one section came a
man and from the other a woman.

Then the earthquake called on all the birds and fish to see what should be done with these two, and it
was decided that they should marry. Many children were born to the couple, and from them came all the
different races of people.

After a while the parents grew very tired of having so many idle and useless children around, and they
wished to be rid of them, but they knew of no place to send them to. Time went on and the children became so
numerous that the parents enjoyed no peace. One day, in desperation, the father seized a stick and began
beating them on all sides.

This so frightened the children that they fled in different directions, seeking hidden rooms in the house
-- some concealed themselves in the walls, some ran outside, while others hid in the fireplace, and several fled
to the sea.

Now it happened that those who went into the hidden rooms of the house later became the chiefs of the
islands; and those who concealed themselves in the walls became slaves. Those who ran outside were free
men; and those who hid in the fireplace became negroes; while those who fled to the sea were gone many
years, and when their children came back they were the white people.

Source: Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1916:187-188).

Activity 4. In 2 to 3 sentences, answer the following questions.

1. How do you compare the origin of the two stories? Which elements do they share, and what
differences do they have in explaining how the world came to be?

2. Which creation story is espoused by your religion? How do you compare that particular origin story to
these two folk narratives?

3. Which aspects of the two cultures could have influenced the stories? Based on the details of the two
creation stories, what can we conclude about the two cultures that came up with them?
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 4. Is there such a thing as a “correct” version of how the world was created? What can we learn
about diversity from the creation stories that we have?

What I Have Learned

Activity 5. Compare and contrast how your time and the early Filipinosviewed God as reflected in
the myth you have read and the belief you have now through a Venn Diagram.
A C B

How Filipinos viewed

God:
A. Early Filipinos’
viewed God
B. Your time view
God
C. Similar views
on God by early
Filipinos and
now.

What I Can Do

Activity 6. Write your own version of Creation based on your imagination.You may provide extra sheet of
paper for your composition.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer. Write the letter of your answer on the
blank before the number.

--------1. What literary genre are the lines below?

Bungbong kung liwanag Bamboo stem during the day
Kung gabi ay dagat. At night, a sea.

a. Proverbs b. Riddle c. Epic d. Legend

______2. What object is described in the number 1 literary work?

a. Bed b. Wall C. Mat d. Map

______3. What literary genre are the lines below?

Bahay man ay palasyo It is better to have a hut
Kung ang laman ay kuwago Inhabited by a person
Mabuti pa ang kubong than a mansion
Laman ay tao. Wherein an owl lives.

a. Proverbs b. Riddle c. Epic d. Legend

_____4. What is the message of the literary work in Number 2?

a. It is nice to live in a big house with an owl.
b. It is nice to live in a hut with poor people.
c. It is nice to live in a hut with a human being.
d. It is nice to live in a mansion of an owl.
____5. Which one is a song of a boatman?
a. How pitiful are those born poor
Our sinews if we don’t stretch
Will not earn silver.
b. Row, let’s row
Our full strength let’s give
The wind is strong; we might be benighted
c. Go to sleep, my child
Your father is far
He cannot fetch us.
d. Badla will also descend
He’ll give away strength
Let the Baylans dance…

LESSON 2 PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN THE SPANISH PERIOD

What I know

Activity 1. Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer. Write the letter of your
answer on the blank before the number.

---------1. Work of poetry written in octosyllabic verse.

a. Duplo b. Corrido c. Balagtasan d. Awit

---------2. A poetic competition in speaking and reasoning.

a. Duplo b. Corrido c. Balagtasan d. Awit

--------3. A poetic competition which debates a particular topic or issue.

a. Duplo b. Corrido c. Balagtasan d. Awit

--------4. The most popular composition of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

a. Doctrina Crstiana c. Noli Me Tangere

b. Florante at Laura d. La Solidaridad

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--------5. The most popular verses written by Francisco Balagtas.

a. Doctrina Crstiana c. Noli Me Tangere

b. Florante at Laura d. La Solidaridad
What’s In
We learned in the previous lesson that during the pre-colonial period there were already
different genres of literature existed. Let us see if you can remember some of them.

Activity 2. Arrange the jumbled letters below to form the different genres and other forms
of literature during the pre-colonial period.

Jumbled Words Correct Words

1
. SYMHT _________________________
2
. AELFB _________________________
3. E E L D G N _________________________
4. S L L L A I E U B _________________________
5. V R P B S O E _________________________

What’s New

Activity 3. Arrange the jumbled letters below to identify some of the Philippine literatures
which were influenced by the Spanish.

1. OICRRDO _________________
2. AOYRRS _________________
3. S N K L I A U O _________________
4. S S W L R A A E _________________
5. P U L D O_________________

What Is It

There were many changes occurred during the Spanish period. The Spanish have a strong
influence on our literature. They introduced the Romanalphabet. The teaching of the Christian Doctrine
became the basis of religiouspractices. Many Filipinos embraced the Catholic religion. Our periodicals
gained religious tone. The Spanish language became the literary language. But they collected and
translated our ancient literature to Tagalog. Many grammar books they have were printed in Filipino.

The Christian Doctrine (Doctrina Cristiana) was the first book printed in the Philippines in 1593. It
was written by Fr. Juan de Placencia and Fr.Domingo Nieva in Tagalog and Spanish. It contained the Our
Father (Pater Noster), Hail Mary (Ave Maria), Hail Holy Queen (Regina Coeli), The Ten Commandments of
God, the Commandments of the Catholic Church, the Seven Mortal Sins, How to Confess, and the
Catechism.

The Passion is another book printed which is about the life and sufferingsof Jesus Christ that is still
read during Lenten season nowadays by devout Catholics. This book is an example of a narrative poetry.

Religious lyric poems included complimentary verses and meditativeverses. Complimentary

verses were intended to attract readers to read a certain book by giving praises. It served a double
purpose: to draw readers and to teach the Spanish language to the Filipinos. Meditative verses were found
in novenas and catechisms. Examples of meditative verses were Francisco de Salazar’s “Dalitsa
Caloualhatian sa Langit na Cararatnan nang mga Banal” and Pedro SuarezOssorio’s “Salamat nang
Ualang Hoyang.” Verses in novenas and catechisms tended to be written in the poetic form dalit, an early
form that resembles free verse, in that there is no fixed rhyme or meter, save for some octosyllabic four-line
stanzas.

The Spaniards brought a variety of dramatic forms to enrich Philippinetheater. These forms included
sarswela, the sinakulo and the komedya. It is evident that even in the genre drama, religious themes
continued to be dominant. The sinakulo, for one, dramatized the pasyon, in that it was a live action
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 simulation of Christ’s passion and death. Even battles between Christian and Muslims-itself and
longstanding issue-was dramatized in the moro-moro or comdia de capa yespada(Simoun Victor D.
Redoblado, Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017:12-14).

Other contributions of the Spanish were: Duplo, it is a poetic joust in speaking and reasoning.
Balagtasan is another poetic joust of skills in debate on a particular topic or issue. This replaced duplo and
is held in honor of Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar. Folksongs became widespread in the Philippines. Each
region had its song. It manifests the artistic feelings of the Filipinos. Examples which are sting sang today
are: Leron-Leron Sinta from the Tagalog, and Dandansoy, a Bisaya song. There was also a Corrido. It is in
octosylllabic verse. Example to this is Ibong Adarana. Awit is another work which is dodecasyllabic.
Florante at Laura of Francisco Balagtas is an example.

It was in this period that our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal made many compositions which are still
known today. Like the Noli Me Tangere and ElFilibusterismo. His two masterpieces that portrayed the
colorful characteristics ofPhilippine society. Before he died, he wrote the Mi Ultimo Adios.

Source: Alicia H. Kahayon and Celia A. Zulueta, Philippine Literature: Through the Years,
CachoHermanos, Inc., 2010:31-43).

What’s More
”.

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Source: Rodrigo M. Martinez,Philippine’s Literary:GEMS An Anthology, (Mindshapers. Co. Inc, 2016:99-102).

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Process Questions

Activity 4. Based on the given preceding excerpt, briefly answer the followingquestions. Use another sheet of
paper for your answers.

1. Whose idea was Dr. Rizal responding to? What exactly was the notion held about Filipinos during
Rizal’s time?

2. How did Rizal defend the identity of his countrymen? What arguments, conditions, and examples did he
cite to substantiate his case?
3. Among Rizal’s arguments, which was the most helpful to his defense of
Filipinos? Explain.

4. In your own experience and perspective, how can you prove that the Filipinos are, in actuality,
hardworking? Cite concrete examples to make your case.

Source: Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017:20.

What I Have Learned

Activity 5.Fill in the blanks with the correct literary works during the Spanish period.

1. _______________was a debate in poetic delivery during the Spanish time which is still done
today.
2. _______________is recited during Lenten season by Catholic devotees.
3. _______________is written by Dr. Jose P. Rizal before he died.

4. _______________the first book printed which consisted the rosary and commandments.

5. _______________means lazy.

What I Can Do

Activity 6. Write a reflective essay to prove that Filipinos are one of the mostindustrious people in the
world. Provide specific examples or instances.

Essay Rubric:

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Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer. Write the letter of your
answer on the blank before the number.

----------1. It has a religious theme which dramatizes the passion of Christ.

a. Sarswela b. Sinakulo c. komedya d. moro-moro

---------2. A book which is about the life and sufferings of Jesus Christ.

a. Christian Doctrine c. Complimentary Verse

b. The Passion d. Meditative Verse

--------3. A religious lyric poem were novenas and catechisms are found

a. Christian Doctrine c. Complimentary Verse

b. The Passion d. Meditative Verse

--------4. What did Rizal believe can cure the cause of indolence among Filipinos.

a. revolution b. peace c. education d. slavery

--------5. What was the situation of the Filipinos based on “The Indolence of Filipinos” essay.

a. They lived lazily in their homes

b. They worked so hard with less pay.
c. They worked but not appreciated.
d. They lived without work.

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