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OUTLINE
Unit 7: Philippine Literature during the American
and the Japanese Periods
- Lesson 1: Philippine Literature during the
- Lesson 2: Filipino Author during the
American Colonization: Aurelio Tolentino
- Lesson 3: Philippine Literature during the
Japanese Occupation
- Lesson 4: Filipino Author during the
Japanese Occupation: Manuel Arguilla
Unit 8: Philippine Literature in the Postwar and
Contemporary Period
- Lesson 1: Postwar Philippine Literature 4
- Lesson 2: Philippine Literature during
Martial Law
- Lesson 3: Philippine Literature Post-EDSA
Revolution (1986–1995)
- Lesson 4: 21st Century Philippine
Literature (2001–Present)
Unit 9: Philippine Literature from the Regions
- Lesson 1: Overview of Philippine
Literature from the Regions
- Lesson 2: Literature from Luzon
- Lesson 3: Literature from Visayas 12
- Lesson 4: Literature from Mindanao
7.1 Philippine Literature during the
American Colonial Period
American colonial period was a time
when knowledge and information became
increasingly accessible to Filipinos. At that time,
the English language was used as a mode of
instruction and writing. Many literary writers
also emerged during this era. Namely Paz
Marquez Benitez, and Juan F. Salazar.
The Treaty of Paris that came into effect
on April 11, 1899. This agreement was signed by
John Hay, the US Secretary of State, after the
Spanish-American War. This agreement includes
that Spain surrenders to the remaining colonies
of the Spanish Empire: Cuba, Puerto Rico,
Guam, and the Philippines to the US. The US
paid Spain 20 million dollars.
During those times, the American
soldiers were in charge of education. But it all
changed in 1991 when around 600 teachers
arrived at USS Thomans to replace the soldiers.
These teachers were also called as the
Thomasites. And that public education was
made free for all that time.
Philippines was colonized by Spain for
333 years.
7.2 Filipino Author during the American
Colonization: Aurelio Tolentino
Aurelio Tolentino is a famous writer,
playwright, poet, journalist, and revolutionary
during the American Colonial Period that
wanted to see the freedom of Philippines from
its colonizers and the Philippine independence
that is depicted through his works. Also known
as the Father of Tagalog Drama.
He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree
at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and took law
at the University of Santo Tomas.
During the American Period, he formed
Junta de Amigos which means “Friends
Together.” Junta de Amigos is a secret
organization comprised of former Katipuneros
to fight for the Philippine independence during
the American Colonization.
Tolentino became known for his play
titled “Kahapon, Ngayon, at Bukas (Yesterday,
Today, and Tomorrow). The theme of this play
is anti-imperialist that attacks our colonizers
which are the Americans and also our past
colonizers like Spain.
He also founded El Parnaso Filipino
which is a school that promotes Tagalog
literature because he was an advocate of using
tagalog as a language to unify Philippines as a
whole.
7.3 Philippine Literature during
Japanese Occupation
Three years. This is how long the
Japanese occupation lasted. However, despite
their brief rule in the country, they made lasting
marks, most especially to our elders who
survived the war. Our literary development
paused for a while since there was great
censorship in all forms of media.
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It was during the infamous World War II 7.4 Filipino Author during the Japanese
when the Philippines was occupied by the Occupation: Manuel Arguilla
Japanese from 1941 to 1945. It began on
December 8, 1941, 10 hours after Japan
Manuel Arguilla is known as a famous
bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
Filipino author during the Japanese colonial
During the war between Japan and the United
period wherein he wrote short stories. He’s an
States, the late President Manuel L. Quezon and
Ilocano writer that wrote in English and has
General Douglas MacArthur fled to the US. But
proved that his nationalism and spirit as a
before leaving, MacArthur made a promise to
writer will never falter.
the Filipino people: “I shall return.” The saying
His given name is Manuel Estabilla
is still embedded on our history books and is
Arguilla, born on June 17, 1911 in Nagrebcan,
still popular and referenced even up to this day.
Bauang, La Union. His father is Crisanto Arguilla,
In 1944, he came back to Leyte.
a farmer, and Margarita Estabillo, a potter. He
The Fall of Bataan and the Death
was the fifth of six children. He finished his
March, which slaughtered thousands of
elementary school in his hometown and his
Filipinos and Americans, were results of the
high school in San Fernando where he became
final major battles of the Japanese invasion.
the editor-in-chief of their school newsletter La
Japanese rule in the Philippines began after
Union Tab, not only that, but he was also an
they subdued all Philippine and American
athlete where he became a champion in
military forces in the country.
swimming events he joined.
Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day, 1945)
After that, he earned an education
was declared after Japan surrendered to the
degree in 1933 at the University of the
United States on August 15, 1945. After this was
Philippines and joined the UP Writers Club and
the inauguration of the First Philippine Republic
later became the president and editor of the UP
on July 4, 1946.
Literary Apprentice. After teaching in the
During the Japanese occupation, there
University of Manila, he became the editor of
was only an inadequate number of Filipino
Welfare Advocate, the publication of Bureau of
literatures in English that was written and
Public Welfare where he worked.
published. However, Philippine literature in
He married Lydia Villanueva, a fellow
general thrived in this period, especially those
artist and talented writer in English and lived in
that were written in Tagalog and other
Ermita, Manila.
Philippine languages. English plays during this
He became a prominent writer during
period were translated into Filipino or the
that time because his famous work “How My
vernacular. Plays were also one of the more
Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” won first
popular forms of entertainment because the
prize in the Commonwealth Literary Contest in
Japanese banned American films.
1940. It is a story of how the city bride of a
Without Seeing the Dawn - a novel
village boy adjusts to a life of simplicity and toil
written by Stevan Javellana, was published in
in the village. Similar to other Filipino writers,
the United States in 1947. It depicts the
he used a lot of local color in his literary pieces.
experiences of Filipinos during the war between
Local Color is the presentation of features,
the Americans and the Japanese. This novel was
characteristics, and objects of a particular
later on adapted into a movie entitled
community. Most of his stories depict scenes in
“Santiago!”, which was directed by Lino Brocka
Barrio Narebcan, Bauang, La Union, the place
and starred Fernando Poe, Jr. and Hilda
where he was born.
Coronel.
His other works such as Midsummer,
Morning in Nagrebcan, Ato, Heat, A Son is Born,
and The Strongest Man are all compiled under
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How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife as
the main story of this collection. Another one of
this works is The Long Vacation wherein under
this is Mr. Alisangco, Though Young He is
Married, The Maid, The Man, and The Wife, and
etc. Lastly, another compilation is Caps and
Lower Case wherein under this were The
Socialists, Epilogue to Revolt, Apes and Men,
etc.
He was later appointed to the Board of
Censors. He became a teacher, writer, and
fighter when he joined the freedom forces of
the country. He secretly organized a guerrilla
intelligence unit against the Japanese in 1941.
He was captured, tortured, and executed in
1944 along with his family, and he was
sentenced to death by the Japanese army in
Fort Santiago. He died at the age of 33.
8.1 Postwar Philippine Literature
Philippine Literature during postwar is a
period in Philippine History that started in 1945
(the time when Philippines was freed from
Japanese occupation) until 1960. It is also
known as a “Recovering Era” because it is the
period in which people are recovering from the
World War II.
We were colonized by Japanese in 1941
to 1945, Philippine literature in English came to
halt. Most of the newspapers in English were
stopped by the Japanese, except for Tribune,
and the Philippine Reviews, Pillars, Free
Philippines and Filipina. During the Japanese
occupation, Tagalog was favored by the
Japanese military authority while writing in
English was consigned to limbo. In other words,
Filipino Literature was given a break during this
period. This had the advantages on Filipino
Literature, which experienced renewed
attention because writers in English turned to
writing in Filipino. Therefore, Tagalog was
declared as official language together with
Nihonggo.
During the postwar period, poetry and
fiction was dominated by the writers in English
educated and trained in writers’ workshops in
the United States or England. Among these
were the novelists Edilberto and Edith Tiempo
(who was also a poet), short-fictionist Francisco
Arcellana, poet-critic Ricaredo Demetillo, poet-
fictionist Amador Daguio, poet Carlos Angeles,
fictionists N.V.M. Gonzalez and Bienvenido N.
Santos.
Filipino writers during the post-war
years were inspired by American teachers and
were able to borrow their technique, which
helped them achieve greater mastery in English.
After that, most of them returned to the
Philippines to teach. They also saw the
beginning of the teaching of Philippine
literature as a subject at college level. With
their credentials and solid reputations, they
influenced the form and direction of the next
generation of writers mainly in accordance with
the tenets of the formalist New Critics of
America and England.
The Formalist New Criticism is a literary
theory characterized by close reading of the
text to understand its metaphor, irony, tension
and paradox. Moreover, even literature in the
Tagalog-based national language, now known as
Filipino, could not avoid being influenced or
(even in the critical sense) assimilated.
The years between 1945 to 1960 which
is the postwar era is a productive period for
Philippine authors and Philippine Literature
flourished even more during this time.
Filipinos learned to express themselves
more confidently. And with that confidence,
Filipino writers contributed greatly to the
literature of this time. Characteristics included:
romanticism, nationalism, independence,
nature, and expression of feelings.
8.2 Philippine Literature during Martial
Law
Former President Ferdinand Marcos
implemented Martial Law. The law is also
known as the Proclamation No.1081. Also, don’t
forgot that this was implemented on September
21, 1972. He imposed this in order to eliminate
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any possible threats from communist and the
increase of civil strife (a conflict between
political factions or regions within the same
country).
The 14-year period that happened here
in the Philippines was one of the memorable
records of human right abusers. Never forget
the livid experiences of our fellow Filipinos. The
implementation placed the country at risk
under the said law.
Moreover, people who fought against
the dictatorship of Marcos will be remembered.
In the year 1986, the unforgettable EDSA People
Power Revolution happened. Several Filipinos
gathered from all walks of life to march along
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) the main
part around Metro Manila in order to end the
reign of Marcos and launch unto a new
beginning of freedom and democracy.
During the Martial law, there were
people who were held captive, imprisoned, and
went missing such as people who openly
opposed to the government such as prominent
figures in political and media.
Since then, people wanted to take their
voice back. Different literacies were formed a
form of protest and expression. The literacies
aimed to reveal anomalies, conspiracies and
leftist perspective on the concept of “military
abuses against citizens economic plunder by
bureaucrats and cronies of the regime, and
impoverishment of the masses” (Lumbera, p.
196).
Leftist used to describe someone who
support the ideas of socialism communism.
In more simpler terms, they wanted to
narrate the unfair and unjust events that
happened in the Philippines during Martial law.
One of the forms of protest that they did was
through literacy.
There were four literacy works that
emerged during the era. Protest literature or
revolutionary literature are works that
expressed different negative emotions that
tackled the state of the country as well as the
political sector during the martial law. Social
Realism was also evident in this literature in
order to showcase the portrayals of the truths
in the society, events and happenings that
occurred during the said era. Social realism
using any representations or symbols that emit
a social or political attitude.
Still under protest literature, Luha ng
Buwaya (1983) or "Crocodile's Tear" by Amado
Hernandez was also written. The novel
discussed about the unity of poverty-stricken
farmers who fought against the family Grande,
the family who have greedy desires. Crocodile’s
tear is also an idiom that symbolizes people
who are greedy and corrupt. Mga Ibong
Mandaragit (1969) or Birds of Prey: A Socio-
Politcal Novel tackled the experiences and
domination of the Filipino people under the
American Industry according to Bienvenido
Lumbera. This historical fiction examined the
past of the Philippines but manage to expressed
real and present struggles in societies not only
in the Philippines but also around the world.
Under Protest literature, the Jose
“Pete” Lacaba wrote “Prometheus Unbound.”
That critiqued the dictatorship of Marcos. In his
poem, he mentioned Adolf Hitler, a famous
German dictator. With the pen name “Ruben
Cuevas”, the poem was published in Focus
Magazine in 1973. The poem has a hidden
meaning in which every first letter of each line
of the poem when read downwards. This
conveyed the resistance movement against the
dictator. MARCOS HITLER DIKTATOR TUTA was
the hidden message.
The Proletarian Literature is a literature
that people from working class wrote. One of
their concepts focused on working-class issues
that included their experiences and difficulties
during the Commonwealth period as said by
Salvador P. Lopez who gave the first definition
of Proletarian lit.
Prison literature. From the name itself,
it was written by authors who were imprisoned
in a secluded area. Authors under this literature
were Bienvenido Lumbera, Ninotchka Rosca,
Ricardo Lee, and Jose Ma. Sison. During the era,
they did not only capture dissidents or
protestors in the political and media part but
also scholars and writers.
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Circumvention literature that uses
symbolism, allegories, and metaphors in order
to convey transgression (an act that goes
against a law) politically and socially. In order to
have their works unnoticed by the
government’s censors and inspectors, they used
different symbols and codes subtly to hide
meanings. Moreover, the definition of
circumvention is an action of overcoming a
difficulty in a clever way. Writers used this to
avoid getting caught.
8.3 Philippine Literature POST-Edsa
Revolution (1986-1995)
The first notable event was when critics
like Virgilio Almario, Isagani Cruz, and Soledad
Reyes used post-structuralist and postcolonial
techniques in interpreting Philippine writing.
Now let us define post-structuralist and
postcoloninal techniques. When we say post-
structuralist, it promotes a way of thinking
about the world that questions what we
consider to be "truth" and "knowledge." It also
refers to philosophical, theoretical, and literary
theories that both build on and reject concepts
established by structuralism. Structuralism, ito
yung intellectual enterprise na galling sa
underlying, and unconscious regularities of
human expression. Postcolonial techniques on
the other hand, is not just about denouncing or
criticizing colonial powers; it's also about
exposing homegrown corruption, which has
betrayed the dreams of newly liberated nations.
Connecting to literature, it is like valorization or
pag-enhance nung value ng isang literary work.
The second notable event. Anvil
Publishing, New Day Publishers, and Solidaridad
Publishing House were among the publishers
who embarked on nontraditional projects such
as anthologies, novels, poems, and so on. In
the present day, Anvil Publishing is the
publishing arm of the famous national
bookstore. New Day Publishers is a pioneered
Filipiniana book publisher.
The third notable event one is, gay and
feminist writings flourished as a result of the
development of gay and female writers,
including male authors writing about women.
Danton Remoto's poem "The Way We Live"
which was published on 1992 was one of the
first poems written by a gay poet during the
1990s. Remoto is a Filipino writer who earned a
Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
from Ateneo de Manila University. He is also an
outspoken supporter of the LGBTQIA++
movement. Also, he dedicated his poetry to Ted
Nierras, a friend of his, who is also a proponent
of the LGBTQIA++ community.
8.4 21st Century Philippine Literature
(2001-Present)
Change is the only constant in this
world. Especially now that there’s technology
where our world is continuously developing and
integrating. That is why we could compare that
to literature because before we were only
limited to one language and a certain topic
which is mostly about religion but with the
advent of the digital world in modern
civilization, the role of media and literature has
been affected in many ways. Truly, Literature
changes with time.
The Philippines went through war and
revolution, freedom and peace, along with that
its literature evolved with those changes. Such
as from the strict use of the Filipino or English
language which writers before are not allowed
to use both of those languages because they
are only writing based on what language is
acceptable at each period. But now the writers
are allowed to use both at the same time. Thus,
the search for national identity shifted to the
search of personal identity.
With advanced technology, Philippine
literature has evolved in a way that writers are
able to form creative themes and storylines,
research about social issues, and explore topics
that are not the usual subjects discussed
before. As Danton Remoto wrote in his article
in the Philippine Star, “Philippine writing in the
21st century has taken a new turn.” From
conservative plots, literary works nowadays are
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gender-sensitive in a way that it encompasses
the ability to understand gender preferences
and differences, exploring the plurality of
culture and challenging social normativities.
Writers are also allowed to write both in English
and Filipino.
Literature is a timeless piece of
entertainment. The way we read has changed
and evolved in tandem with technology
developments. However, the core of narrative
and its impact on our lives has not changed. An
example of 21st century Filipino literature may
be seen on blogs, where stories are developed
and converted into books.
Bob Ong is a contemporary Filipino
writer known for using conversational writing
techniques to create humorous and reflective
depictions of Philippine life. But Bob Ong is not
his real name, he’s very mysterious, and uses
pseudonyms. If you didn't, a pseudonym means
pen name. With that, his identity remains
unknown.
ABNKKBSNPLAko is his most popular
work which he got the idea for this work in his
blogs where he posts online on his website
“Bobong Pinoy” in his spare time. The title is
meant to be read as “Aba, nakakabasa na pala
ako?!”. The novel details what are supposedly
the childhood memories of the author, from his
earliest days as a student until his few years of
work. Aside from that, He has other works as
well like Stainless Longganisa (2005) and Alamat
ng Gubat (2003).
Another piece of 21st century Filipino
literature has emerged through stories that
were published in a website known as Wattpad.
In this we could read through our phones. Here
we have one of the most popular stories; She’s
dating the Gangster is a 2013 Tagalog romance
novel by Bianca Bernanrdino (pen name:
SGwannaB) originally published on the writing
community website Wattpad. It got so
popularized that it was released by Summit
Media into local Filipino book stores, where it
became a local bestseller. In 2014, Summit
Media announced plans for a film adaptation,
which leads us to our next piece of 21st cent fil
literature.
Movies are a set of moving images and
shown in a theater. As I said earlier, literature is
a timeless piece of entertainment. It can range
from many forms; here we have movies; a story
or event recorded by a camera on television; a
motion picture.
With time and technology, women,
lesbian, and gay writings continue to flourish
and become recognized and accepted. In these
kinds of writings, you would discover not only
how people used to live out their same-sex
urges and relationships, but also how we might
live differently today to our own benefit. These
types of works expand our minds to new
possibilities.
Gay literature and Lesbian literature
with our time has also emerged. Literature is a
broad term that refers to the collection of the
written materials, also, to the writings that
could be considered as art forms, like prose,
fiction, drama, poetry and many more. The
term has broadened in recent decades to
include oral literature, most of which has been
transcribed.
These writings are produced by and or
for the LGBT community which involves
characters, plot lines, and/or themes portraying
male homosexual behavior. This type of
writings explores on the LGBTQIA+ issues.
Examples: lesbian-themed fictions, and
nonfictions about lesbian or gay-related
themes. Historically, the term "gay literature"
was sometimes used to cover both gay male
and lesbian literatures.
Aside from women, lesbian, and gay
writings that continue to flourish and become
recognized and accepted. More regional works
are being recognized, and these literary texts
are now included in workshops and awards.
Writers also embark on translating their works
into another language or dialect or translating a
foreign work into Filipino, such as Remoto’s
translation of John Greene’s The Fault in Our
Stars.
A graphic novel is a narrative work in
which the story is conveyed to the reader using
sequential art in either an experimental design
or in a traditional comics format. Graphic novels
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can be fiction, non-fiction, history, fantasy, or
anything in-between. Graphic novels are similar
to comic books because they use sequential art
to tell a story. Unlike comic books, graphic
novels are generally stand-alone stories with
more complex plots.
The first one is Manga: The Japanese
word for "comic" but in the US is used to
describe Japanese style comics. Next is
superhero Story: Superhero graphic novels have
taken the most popular form of comics and
turned what were once brief episodic
adventures into epic sagas. Superhero comics
are dominated by a few mainstream publishers
Marvel, DC, and Darkhorse. The third one is
Personal Narratives ("Perzines"), these are
autobiographical stories written from the
author's personal experiences, opinions, and
observations. Lastly, Non-fiction: are similar to
perzine's in that they are written from the
author's personal experience, but the author is
generally using their own experience to touch
upon a greater social issue.
But of course, we shouldn’t forget
about the examples here in our country, the
Philippines. To name some comics, some
examples include Carlo Vergara’s Ang Kagila-
gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa
Zaturnnah (2004), Manix Abrera’s Kikomachine
Koicmix, and Pol Medina Jr.’s Pugad Baboy.
People back then were only used to
doing oral poetries (chants), where they only
recited the poem with proper delivery. But now,
because of modern civilization, this oral poetry
is being revived through poetry readings or
open mic readings giving it a modern twist. In
these open mic readings, it is where one can
perform their poems. From those poetry
readings or open mic readings, an unusual kind
of poetry genre has emerged through textula.
Textula is mastered by Frank Rivera. It is
where the entirety of the poem is written and
read on mobile phones. And fun fact! The term
"textula" is a blend of the English word "text"
and the Filipino word "tula! And if combined it
is textula meaning a text poem. And I’ll repeat,
it is a poem written in the form of a text
message.
An excerpt written by Frank Rivera
which was published in the Philippine Star. This
poem talks about how we pray for miracles to
happen in our life, how we put our faith in it
despite the uncertainties, and how we hope
that things will turn out to be true as long as we
believe in miracles. Another example of a
textula is “Ang Makata ng Cellphone” also
written by Frank Rivera. This poem talks about
how Filipinos would hope for development.
Nowadays, along with the rise of
technology and digitization, false narratives
have also become prevalent on social media. It
basically says that in this day and age in recent
years, due to the advancement of technology
and digitalization there have been a widespread
unreliable source of information in the media.
There is also a movement now that they
are trying to rewrite history in favor of former
president Ferdinand Marcos. As discussed in an
article titled “A Different EDSA Story” by Ed
Lingao, Marcos is portrayed as a hero. While the
people during the EDSA revolution are
portrayed as a mix of professional protesters,
military adventurists, and people who do not
have an idea what they are fighting about. The
younger generation who did not experience
martial law are more attracted to the alternate
version of the facts because of its prevalence on
social media. You know what as they say,
martial Law is a period in the story of the
Filipino nation that is too critical to be
forgotten. But for the past decades, the
memories of that period have been slowly
receding. Because of these false narratives in
social media. That is why what we are getting
now is a different version from what really
happened before.
And many of those who experienced
the atrocities first hand - meaning these are the
Filipinos who suffered in the hands of their
fellow Filipinos- are now gone. And the main
actors are now in the spotlight and they are
working hard to revise history. That is why, it is
very important to know the truth behind what
was told to you. Especially now that everything
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is fast moving, just one click and the fake news
spreads thoroughly.
Philippine Literature: Literature in
Luzon
Philippine literature is literature
associated with the Philippines from prehistory,
through its colonial legacies, and on to the
present.
Pre-Hispanic Philippine literature was
actually epics passed on from generation to
generation, originally through an oral tradition.
The post-colonial literature in the
Philippines exhibited several characteristics.
The first covered a literary period typified by
experimentation with a new language,
particularly the forms and imagery that are
offered by English and American literature.
Modern literature (20th and 21st
century). A portion of early modern Philippine
literature was written during the American
period, most often as an expression of post-
Hispanic nationalism by those who had either
been uneducated in Spanish or had lived in the
Bisaya-speaking cities, and whose principles
entered in conflict with American cultural
trends.
Luzon, largest and most important
island of the Philippines.
The following are the regions in Luzon
in which every region has its own literary works
that flourish and become famous even up to
this day:
Ilokano literature is one of the most
active tributaries to the general Philippine
literature, next to Tagalog (Filipino) and
Philippine Literature in English.
Pedro Bucaneg (March 1592 – c. 1630)
Father of Ilokano Literature. Bukaneg was a
foundling, who shortly after his birth already
floating in a basket between Bantay and Vigan
in the Banaoang River was found by an old
woman. They brought him to the Bantay
Augustiner priest who baptized him as Pedro
Bucaneg. He took lessons in Latin and Spanish
and also learned the local languages and
Ilocano Isneg.
Leonora Florentino (1849 - 1884)
Mother of Philippine Women's Literature. She
was a Filipino poet in the Spanish and Ilocano
languages. Born to a wealthy and prominent
family in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Florentino began to
write her first verses in Ilocano at a young age.
Due to the feminist nature of her writings,
Florentino was shunned by her husband and
son; she lived alone in exile and separately from
her family. She died at the age of 35. Her lyrical
poetry in Spanish, and especially that in Ilocano,
gained attention in various international forums
in Spain, Paris and St. Louis, Missouri.
Isabelo de los Reyes (1864 - 1938)
Father of Philippine Folklore. He is also known
as "Father of the Philippine Labor Movement"
and the "Father of Filipino Socialism". He was a
prominent Filipino politician, writer and labor
activist in the 19th and 20th centuries. He also
was active in seeking independence from the
United States. After serving in the Philippine
Senate in the 1920s, he settled into private life
and religious writing. de los Reyes wrote on
diverse topics in history, folk-lore, language,
politics, and religion.
Literature in Visayas
● the smallest island group in the
Philippines
● divided into three regions: Western,
Central, and Eastern
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● major regional languages: Cebuano,
Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Kinaray-a, and
Waray
● seven main islands: Bohol, Cebu, Panay,
Samar, Negros, Leyte, and Masbate
About Visayan Literature
a. Poems are called binalaybay.
b. Stories are called asoy or sugilanon.
c. Riddles are called paktakon.
d. Proverbs are translated to hurubaton. These
are usually in two lines and rhymed.
e. Lullabies are called ili-ili.
f.  Ambahan is long song alternately sung by a
soloist and chorus.
g.  Siday is a long poetic battle between two
paid poets representing the two families in the
pursuit of marriage.
h.  Balitaw is a love song sung by a man and a
woman in a debating manner.
Examples of Visayan Literature
Western Visayas
Hinilawod - It is the oldest and perhaps most
well-known epic of Panay. It narrates the story
of the goddess of the eastern sky named
Alunsina who reached the age of maidenhood.
Every god from different places tried to win her
heart. Soon, the goddess decided to marry a
mortal from Halawod, Datu Paubari.
The Fall of Polobulac - This is a tale from Panay
about the seven deadly sins.
Eastern Visayas
Bowaon and Totoon - This is a Waray folktale
with the English translation “Falsehood and
Truth.” It is about two friends named Bowaon
and Totoon who could not find work, so they
decided to go away from their place to look for
their fortune elsewhere.
Si Amomongo at Si Iput-iput - This is a fable
about a gorilla and a firefly. The lesson it
conveys is that one should never belittle those
who are small because they could do big things
that big people cannot do.
Central Visayas
Sicalac and Sicavay - This is a Visayan creation
myth about Captan and Maguayan who are
both gods who created earth and all living
things. Captan planted a bamboo in the garden.
One day it broke into two sections and out
stepped a man and woman who were
respectively named as Sicalac and Sicavay.
Catalina of Dumaguete - This is a legend about
a 16-year-old girl named Catalina who was very
beautiful and industrious but with many strange
ways. She was said to have mysterious powers
and was said to have saved Dumaguete from
the Moros.
Literature in Mindanao
● the second largest island group in the
Philippines
● divided into six regions: Davao Region,
Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern
Mindanao, Soccsksargen, ARMM, and
Caraga Region
● major regional languages: Chavacano,
Maguindanao, Maranao, and Tausug
● generally inhabited by Muslims, but
although they are no longer a majority,
the Islamic culture is still evident
● Unlike Luzon and Visayas, Mindanao
was not entirely colonized by the
Spaniards.
● large groups of ethnic minorities:
Maranao, Maguindanao, Ilanun, and
Sangil; also referred to as Moro
● groups found in the uplands: the
Bagobo, Bukidnon, Manadaya, Manobo,
and Subanon
● Every ethnic minority has a number of
raconteurs or narrators who deliver a
story in a creative way, bearing two or
three or more folktales. The stories they
tell have been conveyed to them by
older members of their respective
families, friends, and acquaintances,
some of whom have already died.
Raconteurs can be young or old, men or
women.
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21ST LIT REVIEWER: MIDTERMS 1ST SEM

Examples of Literature from Mindanao

The Origin of Davao (Davao Region) - This is an
account of the beginning of Davao. It is about
the natives of Davao called Kalagans.
Ag Tobig Nog Keboklagan (Zamboanga
Peninsula) - This is an epic story translated as
The Kingdom of Keboklagan. It is considered as
one of the oldest epics in Zamboanga. It is
chanted or performed during their week-long
buklog festival, and it tells the life and
adventures of an extraordinary hero named
Taake.
How Cagayan de Oro Got Its Name (Northern
Mindanao) - This is a legend explaining the
origin of the name of the province, which
means “shameful peace.”
Ulahingan (SOCCSKSARGEN) - This is an epic
about the adventures of Agyu and his relatives
who had a conflict with their rulers. As they flee
from their place, they were guided by a diwata.
The Maguindanao Tale of the Faithful Wife
(ARMM) - This folktale is about an aged man’s
last words to his son, telling him that he should
never marry a widow and only choose a young
lady.
Tulalang (Caraga Region) - This folktale is about
Tulalang, the firstborn of a poor couple. One
day, he went into the forest to gather some
food. When he was collecting crops, an old lady
approached him and pitied their poor life. She
said that they will never be hungry, and they
can get anything they want. Soon after, they
had a prosperous life.