Aileen Joy L.

Dayo October 27, 2022

3B Mrs. Ma. Christina Beli

Learning Task 4

1. What was the purpose of the Spaniards in destroying written literature made by
early Filipino inhabitants?

The goal of the Spanish colonial approach was to replace the native oral
tradition with the Passion of Christ in order to destroy it. The dissemination and
spread of Christianity was a major topic in the prose writing of the Spanish period.
The conquistadors, particularly its religious arm, destroyed every written literature
they could uncover, rendering writing systems like the Tagalog syllabary inoperable .
The syllabaries of the Mindoro Mangyans and the Tagbanua of Palawan are two of
the few remaining native writing systems. They were written to promote Christian
morality and religion as well as to enrich Filipino daily existence. Our journals at this
time started to sound more religious. The religious orders owned and ran the printing
presses that were used to publish literary works up until the 19th century. As a result,
religious themes predominated at the time.

2. What is Doctrina Christiana and what were its contents?

In Doctrina Christiana, the first book ever written and printed in the
Philippines, the Latin alphabet was employed to first convey the core beliefs of
Christianity and Christian prayers in Spanish. Since the book's title directly translates
to the teachings of Christianity, its main objective was to spread Christian doctrine
throughout the Philippine archipelago. Not only is the Doctrina Christiana among the
first books printed in the Philippines. It includes fundamental passages from the Bible
including the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, and the Salve Regina, as well as the Ten
Commandments and the Holy Sacraments.
3. What it means to be an “unlettered Indio”?

For the sole use of the missionaries, who always read them out loud to the
unlettered Indio catechumens (Medina), that were to mostly rely on the memory.
However, the Spanish missionaries were forced to adopt a very practical action when
translating religious instruction materials, which was to hire native speakers as
translators. The native translator eventually mastered reading and writing in both the
mother tongue and Spanish. Due to this evolution, the first structured written native
work by a native was inspired and was the beginning of Indio literacy.

4. Who are the “ladinos”?

The advancement signaled the start of Indigenous literacy, which encouraged

the creation of the first written native literary work by the natives. The authors, known
as ladinos because of their proficiency in both Spanish and Tagalog, released their
work in the first ten years of the seventeenth century, focusing mostly on religious
poetry. Francisco de San Jose and Francisco Bagongbata were two notable early
ladino writers. Gaspar Aquino de Belen, however, was by far the most talented of
these native poet translators.

5. What marks the end of old mythological culture in the Philippines during pre
colonial era?

It is amusing because it signals the beginning of the death of the old

mythological culture and a transition to the new approach introduced by the colonial
power—possibly simply because of its great influence on the common imagination.

6. What is secular literature?

The indigenous poetic-drama form known as the komedya, later known as

moro-moro since it frequently dealt with the theme of Christians triumphing over
Muslims, was influenced by secular literature from Spain in the 18th century in the
form of medieval ballads. It is any written work that deals with materialistic issues as
opposed to spiritual or religious ones. It is not related to religious beliefs, ideas, rituals,
or culture and takes a more scientific and logical approach than religious literature.

Assessment 2

1. What it means to be a lettered minority and illiterate genuinely appreciative

majority during pre -colonial period?

It simply means that even if the author is illiterate, if their works are full of
knowledge and values for the readers, they may still be inspiring because being a
minority with a lettered origin does not prevent them from being valued by a wide
audience. It is always our hearts that express the genuine essence of our artistic
messages in our literary works.

2. How Francisco Balagtas became the first Indios to become a Filipino? Explain this
Claim?

One of the original Indios to emigrate to the Philippines was Balagtas. The
term "Filipino," which previously solely applied to a small group of Spaniards who
were born in the Philippines, has now come to apply to both acculturated Indio and
rich Chinese mestizo.

3. Who wrote the first Filipino novel Ninay? What was the novel all about?

The novel “Ninay” was written in Spanish by Pedro Paterno, it is is largely

cultural and is considered the first Filipino novel. In this scenario, the 1880s Filipinos
and their customs were depicted by Ninay as present human existence. The female
protagonist, Ninay, a devastated young woman who passed away from cholera, is
explored via her life and love story in the book. Her breakup with her lover Carlos
Mabagsic was the cause of her sadness. Ninay's loss was made more difficult to bear
by the death of her parents.
4. How literature became the weapon of early Filipino writers towards oppression?

I believe that by using their knowledge to advance our customs and ideologies,
early Filipino writers used literature as a weapon against oppression. This literature
embraced our identity as a national strength. The Filipinos gained a lot from literature
in terms of fostering relationships between various nations in order to influence both
them and us. It influences and reflects how other nations see and perceive our country.
It demonstrates to them the broad sentiment and what is relevant for us. So it shapes
our country by the usage of our own standard. The diversity and depth of Philippine
literature evolved side by side with our history.