LESSON 5

Philippine Literature in the Post War-Contemporary Period

(1945 – Present)

Learning Targetss
 To identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary history
from pre- colonial to the contemporary;
 To identify representative text and authors from each region ( e.g. engage in oral history
research with focus on key personalities from students’ region/province/town)
 To appreciate the contributions of the canonical Filipino writers to the development of
national literature;
 To explain the literary context and discuss how it enhances the meaning of the text and
enriches the reader’s understanding;
 To situate text in the context of the region and nation; and
 To explain the relationship of the context with the meaning of the text.

The Rebirth of Freedom (1946 1970) Historical Background

The Americans returned to the Philippines in 1945 to end the Japanese rule. The Filipinos were
jubilant and the guerillas who fled in the mountains joined the liberating American Army.

Philippine Literature During this Period

The post liberation period was marked by a “struggle of mind and spirit” posed by the sudden
emancipation from the Japanese rule and the strong desire to experience the freedom of writing.

The Filipinos learned to express themselves more confidently but post war problems in connection to
language and print – like economic stability, the threat of new ideas and morality-had to be dealt with
side by side.

The newspapers like the Free Press, Morning Sun of Sergio Osmena Sr., Daily Mirror of Joaquin Roces,
Evening News of Ramon Lopez and the Bulletin of Menzi, proved that there were more readers in
English than in any other vernaculars like Tagalog, Ilocano or Hiligaynon during this period.

During this period, journalists indulged in more militant attitude in their reporting. Gradually, as peace
and order were restored, the tones and themes of their writings turned to the less pressing problems
of economic survival.