Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region IV-A CALABARZON
Division of Rizal
KASIGLAHAN VILLAGE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
SCHOOL ID No.: 342562 / Contact No.: 2961534
Phase 1K2, Kasiglahan Village, Barangay San Jose, Rodriguez, Rizal

Midterm Period
(Week 3, Session 3)

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

Lesson 3: Literary Contributions of Ilocos Regions + What is National Literature?

Content Standard: The learner will be able to understand and appreciate the elements and context of 21st
Century Philippine literature from the regions
Competencies: EN12Lit-Ia-23
- value the contributions of local writers to the development of regional literary traditions.
EN12Lit-Ia-24
- appreciate the contributions of the canonical Filipino writers to the development of
national literature.

INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERARY CONTRIBUTIONS OF ILOCOS REGIONS

Ilocos Regions are among the richest sources of Filipino fiction, which has always had a strong literary
heritage dating back pre-Hispanic times.

Ilocano writing is called Kurditan Samtoy, which means “our language, written here.”

Biag ni Lam-ang – an epic sung poem believed to have been performed long before the arrival of the
Spaniards.

Early on, most of the published literature coming from the region were poems, fiction began to gain
prominence in the later years of the 19th century with the publication of El Ilocano – the first regional
newspaper in the Philippines.

El Ilocano published both poetry and fiction and published the first Ilocano short story, “Ti Langit Ti
Inanamtayao” (The Glory of Our Hopes), written by the founder of the newspaper, renowned writer
Isabelo delos Reyes who was the son of prominent Ilocano poet Leona Florentino, the first
internationally recognized Filipino poet.

This tradition of writing and publication resulted in what is probably Ilocano literature’s greatest
contribution to Philippine writing: Bannawag magazine.

The publication serialized what would become some of the classics in Ilocano literature. The magazine
remains instrumental today as both source of Ilocano literary work and as inspiration to Ilocano writers
who wish to pursue their craft.

COMPILED AND PREPARED BY: MARLON M. DELA ROSA, KVSHS HUMSS TEACHER - v. 2020
FROM REGIONAL TO NATIONAL

While are focusing on the writings of the regions, we cannot forget that these all contribute to the idea
of a “national literature.”

According to an Afro-French philosopher, writer and critic Frantz Fanon, the idea of national literature
is literature and literary production by a nation’s intellectuals which only becomes truly nationalist
when it stops addressing the colonizer, whether to charm or to criticize, and begins to address the
nation itself.

National Artist, Bienvenido Lumbera makes an additional distinction as to what material can be
considered “national literature” – that it must confront or provoke the Filipino reader “with ideas,
subject matter, and social and political issues that serve to provoke an emotional or intellectual
response, if not, a necessarily positive action.”

In both cases, our chosen regional text, “Voice Tape”, a Palanca-award winning short story by Ilocano
writer, Ariel Sotelo Tabag, addresses these concerns.

Tabag responds to the context of the OFW presenting an experience of the OFW phenomenon that
has been told in many stories before. He uses a clever plot to create mystery and excitement in the
story.

AGAIN. WHAT IS NATIONAL LITERATURE?

(World Perspective - by Frantz Fanon, Afro-French Philosopher)

National literature is literature and literary production by a nation’s

intellectuals which only becomes truly nationalist when it stops addressing the
colonizer, whether to charm or to criticize, and begins to address the nation
itself.

(Filipino Perspective - by Bienvenido Lumbera, National Artist for Literature)

National Literature is a literature that confronts or provokes the Filipino

reader with ideas, subject matter, and social and political issues that serve to
provoke an emotional or intellectual response, if not, a necessarily positive
action.

COMPILED AND PREPARED BY: MARLON M. DELA ROSA, KVSHS HUMSS TEACHER - v. 2020