21ST CENT REVIEWER

“In order to know the history of a nation’s spirit, one must read its LITERATURE.”
 Literature
 Derived from the Latin term Litera which mean letter
 A faithful reproduction of man’s manifold experiences blended into one harmonious expression
 A piece of written work which is undying
“Looking back to move forward” – Jose Rizal
The beginning period of Philippine literary history can be considered as the longest as evidenced by the artifacts of
different periods recovered ranging from 50,000 years ago to 14th century A.D. in the Tabon Cave of Palawan.

PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (Before 1542)

“Our rich past was reflected in ‘folk speeches, folk songs, folk narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances
that affirm our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors.’” (Godinez – Ortega, n.d.)
 Common Practices
 Early Filipinos heavily believed on spirits and supernatural entities (animism).
 Social ranking and classes were practiced.
 Economic and political dimensions involved trading, marriage, feasting, and alliance.
 Dimensions
 Philippine literature during the pre-colonial era is mostly based on oral traditions passed down from
generation to generation.
 The language used pertains to daily life.
 Common forms of oral literature are riddles, proverbs, and songs to express a thought or emotion.
 The experiences during pre-colonial period such as food hunting, work at home, caring for the
children, and creatures or objects of nature served as the common subject in oral literature.
 Anyone who knew the language and the convention and forms could be a poet, singer, or storyteller.
 All important events such as rites and ceremonies reflect religious observance where people
commonly recite, sing, or utter a chant.
TYPES OF LITERATURE
 Folk Tales
 These are stories which can be characterized as anonymous, timeless, and placeless tales circulated
orally among a group of people.
o The Sun and the Moon (Mandaya)
 Legends
 These are a form of prose which deal with the origin of a thing, location, or name.
o The Legend of the Tagalogs
 Myths
 Unlike legends where the characters have realistic human qualities, the characters here usually have
supernatural powers where the main purpose is to provide explanation about the existence of
something or someone.
o Bakunawa and the Seven Moons
 Folk Songs
 These can be considered as the oldest forms of Philippine literature that mirror the culture which
expresses hopes, aspirations, lifestyles, and emotions of early Filipinos.
o Kundiman o Ang Dalit o Imno
o Kumintang o Tagumpay o Ang Oyayi o Hele

 Epic
 These pertain to a type of a long narrative poem mainly focusing on the heroic achievements and
deeds of the main character.
o Biag Ni Lam-ang (Epic of Luzon)
 An epic story of the Ilocano people from the Ilocos region of the Philippines.
o Hinilawod (Epic of Visayas)
 An epic poem orally transmitted from early inhabitants of a place called Sulod in
central Panay, Philippines.
o Indarapatra and Sulayman (Epic of Mindanao)
 This is the epic story of King Indarapatra and his brother Sulayman of Maguindanao.
 Proverbs (Salawikain)
 These have been customarily used and served as laws or rules on good behavior by our ancestors. To
others, these are like allegories or parables that impart lessons for the young.
o Kung ano ang puno, siya ang bunga. (Whatever the tree, so is the fruit.)
o Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga. (If you don’t persevere, you can expect no reward.)
o Ano man ang gagawin, makapitong iisipin.
o Ang taong nagigipit, sa patalim kumakapit.
 Riddles (Bugtong)
 These are made up of one or ore measured lines with rhyme and may consist of four to twelve
syllables.
o Heto na si Kaka, bubuka-bukaka. Gunting
o Sa araw ay bubong, sa gabi ay dahoon. Banig
 Chant
 Used in witch craft or enchantment.

SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD (1565 – 1898)

Almost half a decade, after the documented discovery of the Philippines in 1521 during Ferdinand Magellan's
exploration marks the beginning of the colonial period. The Spaniards successfully colonized the Philippines for more
than 300 years having evangelization as its main thrust.
An emphasis on Christian doctrine was manifested through various types of which replaced stories about heroes and
animated creatures to Biblical characters and saints as evidenced by novenas, prayer books, and other printed
materials.
 This can be divided into two major periods:
 Early Spanish Period (1565-1863) and
o The type of literature produced during this period used Spanish, Tagalog, and the vernacular
form of languages.
o Early Spanish Period can be categorized as either religious or secular.
 Later Part or Revolutionary Period (1864-1896).

 Dimensions
 The type of literature produced during this period used Spanish, Tagalog, and the vernacular form of
languages.
 Spanish was introduced as the medium of communication and later shifted to Tagalog when a sense of
nationalism arose during the revolutionary period.
 Folk songs still existed.
 Drama, as another type of literary genre, as well as metrical tales based on European origin (such as
awit and corrido) flourished.
 Diaryong Tagalog (1882), a Spanish-Tagalog newspaper, published bulk of Filipino writings. The
publication signaled the open campaign for reforms.
 In 1889, the La Solidaridad, an underground newspaper, became the mouthpiece of the Reform
Movement.
TYPES OF LITERATURE
 Books
 In 1593, the book written by Fr. Juan de Placencia and Fr. Domingo Nieva entitled Doctrina
Christiana (The Christian Doctrine) was first printed.
 Nuestra Señora del Rosario by Fr. Blancas de San Jose
 Barláan at Jósaphát (first published in 1708)
o translated from Greek to Tagalog by Fr. Antonio de Borja
 Urbana at Felisa by Modesto de Castro
 Recreational Plays
 CENACULO
 CARILLO
 ZARZUELA
 MORO - MORO
 BALAGTASAN
 DUPLO
 KARAGATAN
 Novels
 These are fictitious prose usually lengthy and complex in nature. Pedro Paterno's work entitled
"Ninay" is the first novel published by a Filipino author. This was originally written in Spanish
language and translated into English and Tagalog in 1907 and 1908.
 Newspapers
 Bulk of Filipino writings produced were mostly published in Diaryong Tagalog. The underground
newspaper La Solidaridad is considered as the mouthpiece of the Reform Movement

NOTABLE WRITERS OF THIS PERIOD

 Francisco Baltazar (1788-1862)
 Hailed as the "Master of Traditional Tagalog Poetry". His well-known literary work, Florante at
Laura (1838–1861), is regarded as the most famous metrical romance of the country.
 Pedro Paterno (1857–1911)
 The first Filipino who wrote poetry collection in Spanish entitled Sampaguitas y poesias varias
(1880). His novel in Spanish Ninay (1885) was considered to be the first Filipino novel.

 Jose Rizal (1861–1896)

 A prominent ilustrado and the country’s national hero, is famous for the novels Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo. These novels portray the corruption and abuse of the Spanish officials and the
clergy.
 Andres Bonifacio (1863–1897)
 The founder of the Katipunan, wrote the poem “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa” which appeared in the
official newspaper of the Katipunan called Kalayaan in March 1896.
 Leona Florentino (1849–1884)
 Known as the “Mother of Philippine Women’s Literature,” was a poet in both Ilocano and Spanish.
Twenty of her poems were preserved and exhibited in Europe and were included in the Encyclopedia
International des Oeuvres des Femme in 1889.

AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1898 – 1942)

Philippine literary production during the American Period was spurred by developments in education and culture. One
is the introduction of free public instruction for all children of school age and two, the use of English as medium of
instruction in all levels of education in public schools.
American Colonial Period can be divided into three major periods:
The Re-orientation Period
The Apprenticeship Period / Period of Imitation
The Emergence Period / Period of Self-Discovery and Growth

 Re-orientation period
 It covered the early years of the American period and the landing of the Americans on Philippine
shores including the Philippine-American War.
 English language was used as a medium of instruction in public schools as early as 1900 in
Corregidor Island.
 The first English teachers were the American soldiers stationed in various areas.
 Later on, the professional teachers arrived via US Army transport ship “USS Thomas” hence, these
pioneering teachers were called “Thomasites.”
 University of the Philippines with Murray Bartlett, a Thomasite.
o as the First President which was the first to use the English language in higher education.
 Philippine School of Arts and Trades (which became the Polytechnic University of the Philippines)
 Philippine Normal School (which became Philippine Normal University)
 Silliman University and Xavier University, in the visayas and Mindanao.

Pioneer English Newspapers

El Renacimiento
 The revolutionary newspaper “El Renacimiento” edited by Rafael Palma, who later
on became UP President, was the pioneering newspaper to publish works written in
the English Language.
The Philippines Free Press 
 founded by R. McCullough Dick & D. Theo Rogers was the first privately owned
publication to publish English works of Filipino writers. They pay the Filipino writers
when their work was chosen to be published.

Pioneer English Writers:

Justo Juliano
 wrote “Sursum Corda” as the first literary work published in English in 1907.
Juan F. Salazar
 wrote “My Mother” and “Air Castles” which were published in 1909.
Proceso Sebastian
 wrote “To my Lady in Laoag” which was published in 1909.

 Imitation Period
 The Filipino writers imitated American and English writers. This fact is hardly surprising since the
early writers were, for the most part, college students or young graduates whose literary education had
been largely confined to American and English authors.
 In 1920 the Philippine Herald, the first Filipino daily in English, was founded. It paid for literary
work it published and thus gave a financial reward to writers in English, especially in the short story.
 In 1905, A. V. H. Jartendorp became the editor-publisher of the Philippine Education Magazine.
 Philippine Magazine, was the most influential literary magazine of its time. The Manila Tribune
was established in the same year.

Notable Writers:
Paz Marquez Benitez 
  he wrote the “Dead Stars” which stand out as model of perfection in character
delineation, local color, plot and message.
Bernardo P. Garcia 
 wrote the poem “George Washington.”
Eulogio B. Rodriguez 
 was a research writer of UP College of Liberal Arts who won Villamor Prize in the
Provincial History Competition
Marcelo de Gracia Concepcion 
 wrote the award-winning poem “Azucena.”
Procopio Solidum 
 wrote “Never mind and Other Poems.”
Lorenzo E. Paredes 
 wrote the first poetry anthology “Reminiscenses.”
Zoilo Galang 
 published his first volume of essay entitled “Life and Success.”
Eliseo Quirino and Vicente Hilario 
 wrote the essay “Thinking for Ourselves.”
Zoilo Galang 
 published the first anthology of short stories in “Tales of the Philippines.”
Rodolfo Dato 
 published his anthology “Filipino Poetry.”
Carlos P. Romulo
 published a collection of plays entitled “Daughters for Sale and other Plays.”

 Emergence Period
 The years 1935 to 1945 saw the emergence of a significant trend in Philippine literature in English.
Jose M. Hernandez describes this period as a time of Self-discovery and Growth.

Qualities of Emergence Period:

1. The writers consciously and purposefully to create a national literature.
2. The writers had gained full control of the English language and could successfully manipulate
it as a literary medium.
3. Experimentation with different literary forms and techniques and moods was the fashion.

Emergence Period Writers:

1. Political, social, and reflective essays
 These essays were opinions and viewpoints by the essayists using their newspaper
columns which appeared regularly hence, they were very popular during this time.
 Federico Mangahas
 Salvador P. Lopez
 Pura Santillan Castrence
 Vicente Albano Pacis
 Ariston Estrada
 Jose Lansang
2. Critical essays
 These essays were serious treatment of various issues during this period. As these
essayists regularly appear in various newspaper columns, they became very popular
during this time.
 Salvador P. Lopez
 I.V. Mallari
 Ignacio Manlapaz
 Jose Garcia Villa
 Arturo B. Rotor
  Leopoldo Y. Yabes
 Maximo Soliven
3. Personal or familiar essays
 These essays were casual and light in terms of the mood they were written. They
provided sort of entertainment and relaxation for the readers.
 Francisco “Mang Kiko” B. Icasiano
 Alfredo E. Litiatco
 Solomon V. Arnaldo
 Amado G. Dayrit
 Consuelo Gar Catuca

Notable Essays:
Literature and Society
 was written by Salvador P. Lopez. This is a collection of critical reflections and
serious essays. It won first place in the Commonwealth Literary Contest in essay.
The Filipino Way of Life
 was written by Camilo Osias. This is a series of essays on the Filipino way of life as
drawn from history, folkways, philosophy, and psychology of the Philippines.
Mang Kiko
 was a reprint of Francisco B. Icasiano’s essays in the “Sunday Times Magazine”
under the column “From my Nipa Hut.” It is an essay of the common tao and is
written with humor and sympathy.
I am a Filipino
 was an editorial essay written by Carlos P. Romulo printed in the “Philippines
Herald” magazine. It was published in his book “My Brother Americans” in New
York by Double Day & Company in 1945.

Notable Writers/Short Stories:

Paz Marquez Benitez 
 published her first short story anthology “Filipino Love Stories.”
Jose Garcia Villa 
 published “Philippine Short Stories.” He won first place the Philippine Free Press
short story writing contest with his “Mir-i-nisa.”
Manuel Arguilla 
 won the Commonwealth Literary Contest for short story with his “How my brother
Leon brought home a Wife.”
Paz Latorena 
 wrote “Sunset”
Jose Lansang 
 wrote “Broken Parasol”
Sinai C. Hamada 
 wrote “Talanata’s Wife”
Fausto Dugenio 
 wrote “Wanderlust”
Amado G. Dayrit 
 wrote “His Gift” and “Yesterday”
Amador T. Daguio 
 wrote “The Woman who looked out of the Window”

JAPANESE COLONIAL PERIOD (1942 – 1945)

The stride and growth of the Philippine literature in English language and the development of Philippine literature in
general was interrupted during the Japanese period. The Japanese censured all publications except Tribune and
Philippine Review.
During the Japanese period, Philippine Literature in English was stopped and writers turned to writing in Filipino. The
Japanese authorities, with extreme hate to the Americans, did their best to turn the Filipinos’ sympathy away from
them. They rewarded handsomely the Filipinos who are faithful to them.
 Japan invaded the Philippines on December 8, 1941 which was strongly opposed by the Guerillas.
 Captured soldiers and American deportees were forced to have "Death March"to a prison camp where they
walked for 100 kilometers from Mariveles, Bataan to San Fernando, Pampanga. An estimated 10,000
prisoners died here.
 Aguinaldo cooperated with The Japanese to end Filipino and American opposition.
 Japanese colonizers failed to gain the trust of Filipinos.
 The resurgence of World War II forced former President Manuel L. Quezon and Vice-President Sergio
Osmeña Sr. to immediately leave the Philippines and sought residence in the United States as the
Commonwealth government was in exile.
 There was a great tension between the two major groups: HUKBALAHAP (unified guerilla army against
Japanese invasion) and KALIBAPI (political party approved by the Japanese).
 Jose P. Laurel was appointed as the President of the Philippines under the Japanese-sponsored Republic.
 In 1942, Mc Arthur escaped but promised to return which he did in 1944. The US victory in the battle of
Leyte gulf signaled the beginning of Philippine liberation from the Japanese.
 Dimensions of literature:
 All forms of writings were censored during this time because there was no freedom of speech and of
the press.
 Only those who were living in the United States such as Carlos P. Romulo and Manuel L. Quezon
could write freely.
 The use of English language was stopped in almost all publications and only Tagalog and the
vernaculars were permitted.
 Few literary works were printed and mostly considered as pessimistic and bitter according to the
author Victoria Abelardo.
 Another type of poetry that emerged is the Haiku consisting of three lines with 5-7-5 syllables or 17
syllabic poetries in all.
 Among the other types of literature emerged were essay (e.g., "Literature and Society" by Salvador
P. Lopez) and autobiography (e.g., "The Good Fight" by Manuel Quezon).

Notable Writers:
Carlos P. Romulo
 He won the Pulitzer Prize for his notable works such as "I Saw the Fall of the
Philippines", "I See the Philippines Rise", "Mother America", and "My Brother
Americans".
Narciso Reyes
 He won first prize with his short story "Lupang Tinubuan".

 Haiku
 It is a poem of free verse of Japanese origin. It has 17 syllables divided into 3 lines. The first has 5
syllables, second has 7, and the third has 5 syllables.
 The famous haikus that were penned by the early Japanese haiku masters such as Bashō, Issa, Buson
and Shiki.

POST COLONIAL PERIOD (1945 – Present)

 Year 1946
 The Philippines gained the full independence.
 July 4, 1946
  both the Philippines and the US signed the Treaty of Manila which recognized the Independence of
the Philippines.
 1945-Present
 After the War
 During Martial Law
 After Martial Law

 Dimensions of Philippine Literature
 Filipino writers began to develop new themes, styles, and techniques.
 Ginto sa Makiling
o a novel written by Macario Pineda.
o a narrative of the Philippines' social, political, and moral aspects
o resemblance to the work of Jose Rizal and more to the work of Balagtas in terms of plot and
style.
 Following factors that contributed to the flourishing of Filipino literature:
o The establishment of the University of the Philippines in 1908 where English was primarily
used as the medium of instruction.
o The founding of the Philippine writers’ Association in 1953.
o The establishment of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award in 1955 to name a few.
 English Category Novelist:
o Stevan Javellana
 Without Seeing the Dawn
o Edilberto Tiempo
 Watch in the Night
 Filipino Category Literature:
o Lazaro Francisco
 Bayaning Nagpatiwakal (1932)
 Sugat sa Alaala (1950)
 Maganda pa ang Daiqdig (1956)
 Daluyonq (1962)
 The influence of both Spanish and Engish styles could be observed in the work of Nick Joaquin
where his flashback technique was highly appreciated by critics.
 Some writers attempted to incorporate a taste of folk dance, especially in poetry such as epic and
other oral forms of literature which still existed like Balagtasan.
 However, the oral tradition became less popular as people became more interested in short stories.

HUKBALAHAP – Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon

KALIBAPI – Kapisanan ng Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas