Activity: Historical Background of Philippine Literature

I. Direction: Read in advance the history of Philippine Literature and tell us

how our literature evolves in the following periods.

1. Pre-colonial Period- The pre-colonial writing system used in the Philippines was called baybayin (to
spell).

In the Philippines, certain contemporary scripts are descended from Baybayin. There

are pre-colonial literary works such as Tigmo in Cebuano, Bugtong in Tagalog,

patototdon in Bicol, and paktakon in Ilonggo that have been incorporated into

traditional narratives, speeches, and songs. Indigenous peoples actively traded with

other regional cultures, economies, and foreign traders during the pre-colonial era of

the Philippines.

2. Spanish Colonization Period- In Spanish, Philippine literature first emerged. Before the Spanish
arrived, the islands

had a thriving literary culture, but it was the Spanish who began to print those tales

and stories. This process of blending cultures is evident in the writings of Rizal, the

most famous Filipino author and national hero. Epics that were originally passed down

orally are what can be considered pre-Hispanic Philippine literature. However,

wealthier families were able to preserve transcriptions of these epics as family

heirlooms, particularly in Mindanao. The Darangen, a Maranao epic, was one such

3.literary legacy. Nationalistic/Propaganda and Revolutionary Period

- The "Ilustrados" (intellectual indios) began agitating for reforms, equality, and
betterment during the Philippine history and literature's "propaganda period," which
roughly ran from 1868 to 1898 but most of their activities took place between 1880
and 1895. During this tour, Rizal penned Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo. These
two influential books, which were written in 1887 and 1891, respectively, kindled the
revolutionary spirit in the Philippines and laid the groundwork for the revolutionary
literary legacy.

4. American Colonial Period

- One of the turning points that gave our Philippine literary tradition its color and

intrigue was the American era. During this time, the English language was added and

became an essential tool for literature and communication. Poetry, sarswela, the

short story, and the novel were among the literary genres that flourished throughout

the American Period. The three languages—Filipino, Spanish, and English—as well as

the many dialects were used to write poetry. Maximo Kalaw, Carlos P., and other well-

known poets from the American era include Carlos P.

5. Japanese Occupation

- One of the worst periods in Philippine history and literature has been characterized

as the Japanese period. The events of the turbulent times and the experiences of the

conflict had a lasting impression on the lives of the Filipino people. However, despite

the most of these days being dark and dismal, there are still a few and surviving bright

spots. Philippine literature in English was abandoned under the Japanese occupation,

and authors switched to writing in Filipino. The Japanese government did everything

possible to shift the Filipinos' support away from them out of great hatred for the

Americans. The faithful Filipinos received huge rewards from them.

6. Contemporary/Modern Period

- According to the definition of contemporary literature, which is "belonging to or

occurring in the now," authors after 1940 are thought to have concentrated on their
subjects' feelings, emotions, and society as they were actually experiencing them. The
fundamental goal is to convey genuine characters and experiences, while writing
styles might differ. In addition to novels and poetry, a wide range of writing styles are
covered by the genres of this literary era. This genre might include anything from flash
fiction to short tales to slam poetry to plays to memoirs and autobiographies