WEEK 6

CEBUANO
LITERATURE
Cebu, dubbed as “The Queen of the South,”
distinguishes itself with its rich and vibrant
literary tradition. With a quarter of the entire
country’s population speaking the Cebuano
language, Cebuano literature has proliferated
across Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental.
How the Diversity Unfolded:
Cebuano literature refers to the literary works
written in Cebuano, a language widely spoken in
the southern Philippines. The term is most often
extended to cover the oral literary forms in both
indigenous and colonial Philippines.
While the majority of Cebuano writers are from the
Visayas and Mindanao region, the most recognized
Filipino literary outlet for them, including the
Bisaya Magasin, is based in Makati City in Metro
Manila, while there is also a lively Cebuano
community of writers in the language, which is
based outside the country.
Cebuano Literature may be traced back to several
poetic forms. These included the “balak” (which
contains a “balaybay” or metaphor), the “tigmo”
(riddles), “panultihon” (proverbs), and “garay”
verses.
Balitaw,” a poetic debate that required the
participants (a man and a woman) to improvise
and even sing their lines, was also popular in the
place. Improvised poetry was also present in the
dramatic genre of the “kulilising hari”.
Cebuanos are known for having a rich oral
tradition, this is consist of legends associated with
specific locales, like the “Maria Cacao” legends of
Southern Cebu and those of Lapu-Lapu and his
father Datu Manggal of Mactan; and folktales like
the fable “Haring Gangis ug Haring Leon”, which
gives caution on the unmannerly behavior by the
prevailing group. Many of the tales carry lessons,
but just as many suggest the value of humor,
keeping of one’s wit and resourcefulness, as in the
“Juan Pusong trickster tales”.
It was only in the late 19th century when written
literature became noteworthy. Tomas de San
Geronimo’s “Soneto sa Pagdayeg can Santa Maria
Gihapon Virgen” (1751) is the first of many
religious compositions that show a loss of the
mysterious symbol and metaphor of pre-colonial
verse.
The pasyon is considered the longest poetic form.
It is a verse interpreting the life and suffering of
Jesus Christ that is read during the Lent season.
Among the publications before the war, only
Bisaya has survived as literary outlet of Cebuano,
caused by the rise in stature of English and later
Tagalog. Although Cebuano was still the language
of home and street, postwar Cebuano literature
was downgraded to third class.
Cebuano literature is probably weakest when it
comes to the Drama, even though there are few
writers like Claude Al Evangelio and Allan Jayme
Rabaya whose writings were continued. Cebuano
playwrights have slowly turned to radio- and TV-
scriptwriting triggered by the worry they had
regarding thoughts unusual to writing for theater,
like curiosity in publication and facing the
standard of the theater arts.
The annual “Cornelio Faigao Memorial Writers
Workshop” conducted since 1984 by the “Cebuano
Studies Center of the University of San Carlos”
were attended by many writers. These workshops,
which the Cebuano writers may attend as fellows
and as observers, provide a setting for people
from different backgrounds and walks of life to
share their crafts and discuss problems.
The Santo Niño of Cebu
A Visayan Folktale