21st CENTURY LITERATURE
past through their folk speeches, folk songs, folk
FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND
THE WORLD CM1
INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE LITERATURE HISTORY
Literature and history are closely interrelated. In
studying the literature of a particular region or nation,
you get to discover their history; particularly their
customs and traditions which often is the subject of their
literature. Literature, therefore, is part of history, vice
versa.
Literature and history, however, also have differences.
Literature may be figments of the imagination or events
devoid of truth that have been written down, while
history is made up of events that really happened.
This CM will discuss the literature in the Philippines
which according to Fernandez (2010) evolved with and
through the country’s history—from riddles around a
tribal fire and chanting during a village celebration in
earlier times, to the singing of the pasyon in barrio
chapels during Holy Week in Spanish colonial days, to the
novels and poems that fanned the flames of revolution
against Spain in the late 19th century, to the voices of the
present-day Filipino in grief or in exaltation—in the
native languages and in English, in verse and in prose,
recited or sung.
Pre-Colonial Period
key point: The indigenous literature was born in the
ethnic community, growing out of the people’s needs
and customs.
Our forefathers already had their own literature which
was reflected in their customs and traditions. Owing to
the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and
anthropologists, we are able to know more and better
judge information about our literature in the pre-
colonial period.
Pre-colonial inhabitants of our islands showcase a rich
narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances
that affirm our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors.
The most influential of these folk speeches is the riddle
which is tigmo in Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog,
paktakon in Ilongo and patototdon in Bicol. Central to
the riddle is the talinghaga or metaphor because it
“reveals subtle resemblances between two unlike
objects” and one’s power of observation and wit are put
to the test.
Bumbong kung liwanag Bamboo tube at
daytime kung gabi ay dagat. At night, a sea
(Banig) (sleeping mat)
The proverbs or salawikain express norms or codes of
behavior, community beliefs. They instill values by
offering a nugget of wisdom enveloped in short, apt,
rhyming verse: Ang maralang bayani nagaasawa ng
huli. The man who goes about with more fish baskets is
the one who brings home a lot of Fish.
Translation by B. Lumbera (Lumbera and Lumbera:
1982)
The extended form of riddle and proverbs, a tanaga,
which is also defined as a “more emotionally charged
than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with the
folk lyric” is also a literature under the pre-colonial
period.
The folk song, a form of folk lyric which expresses the
hopes and aspirations, the people’s lifestyles as well as
their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous,
didactic and naive as in the children’s songs or Ida-ida
(Maguindanao), tulang pambata (Tagalog) or canciones
para abbing (Ibanag). A few examples of folk songs are
the lullabyes or Ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like the
panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or serenade
(Cebuano);
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The folk narratives, like epics and folk tales are varied,
exotic and magical. They explain how the world was
created, how certain animals possess certain
characteristics, why some places have waterfalls,
volcanoes, mountains and, in the case of legends, an
explanation of the origins of things. Fables on the other
hand are about animals and these teach moral lessons.
The epics in the Philippines come in various names:
Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud
(Ifugao); and Ulahingan (Manobo). These epics revolve
around supernatural events or heroic deeds and they
embody the beliefs and customs and ideals of a
community.
Examples of these epics are the Lam-ang (Ilocano);
Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen
(Maranao); Ulahingan (Livunganen-Arumanen Manobo);
Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (The Maiden of the Buhong
Sky from Tuwaang–Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan
(Subanon); and Tudbulol (T’boli).
Spanish Colonial Period Spaniards occupied the
Philippines in the early 15th century. This occupation
brought to bear upon literature the influences of
Spanish/European culture and the Roman Catholic
religion. Hence, the literature in this period are mostly
classified as religious prose and poetry and secular prose
and poetry.
Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed
in both Spanish and Tagalog were included in early
catechism and were used to teach Filipinos the Spanish
language. “May Bagyo Ma’t May Rilim” (Though It Is
Stormy and Dark), which literary historian Bienvenido
Lumbera identifies as the first printed literary work in
Tagalog, appeared in the book Memorial de la vida
cristiana en la lengua tagala (Guidelines of Christian
Life in the Tagalog Language), 1605, by the Dominican
friar Francisco Blancas de San Jose.
The Memorial de la vida cristiana also contains poems
by San Jose and by the bilingual (ladino) poet Fernando
Bagongbanta. The ladino poems interwoven lines in
Spanish and the vernacular showing the confluence of
the native and colonizing cultures.
Another form of religious lyrics are the meditative
verses like the dalit appended to novenas and
catechisms. But among the religious lyrics that emerged
in this period, it is the pasyon that became entrenched
in the Filipino’s commemoration of Christ’s agony and
resurrection at Calvary.
The pasyon was traditionally sung and chanted in
homes and chapels throughout Lent. It replaced the
epic poems of the past and came to be a social epic, “a
mirror of the collective consciousness,” as lleto (1979)
explains. Later, modern pasyon texts and adaptations
took up themes of protest and liberation. Marcelo H.
del Pilar’s Pasyon Dapat lpag-alab ng Puso (Passion
that Should Inflame the Heart), warns the Filipino to
avoid the convent and banish the friar.
Aside from religious poetry, there were various kinds of
prose narratives written to prescribe proper decorum.
Like the pasyon, these prose narratives were also used
for proselitization. Some forms are: dialogo(dialogue),
Manual de Urbanidad (conduct book); ejemplo
(exemplum) and tratado (tratado). The most well
known is Modesto de Castro’s “Pagsusulatan ng
Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza”
(Correspondence between the Two Maidens Urbana
and Feliza) in 1864.
Secular works appeared alongside historical and
economic changes, the emergence of an opulent class
and the middle class who could avail of a European
education. This Filipino elite could now read printed
works that used to be the exclusive domain of the
missionaries.
The most notable of the secular lyrics followed the
conventions of a romantic tradition: the languishing but
loyal lover, the elusive, often heartless beloved, the rival.
The leading poets were Jose Corazon de Jesus (Huseng
Sisiw) and Francisco Balagtas. Some secular poets who
wrote in this same tradition were Leona Florentino,
Jacinto Kawili, Isabelo de los Reyes and Rafael Gandioco.
Another popular secular poetry is the metrical romance,
the awit and korido in Tagalog. The awit is set in
dodecasyllabic quatrains while the korido is in
octosyllabic quatrains. These are colorful tales of chivalry
from European sources made for singing and chanting
such as Gonzalo de Cordoba (Gonzalo of Cordoba) and
Ibong Adarna (Adarna Bird). There are numerous
metrical romances in Tagalog, Bicol, Ilongo, Pampango,
Ilocano and in Pangasinan. The awit as a popular poetic
genre reached new heights in Balagtas’ “Florante at
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Laura” (ca. 1838-1861), the most famous of the country’s
metrical romances.
Period of Enlightenment (1972- 1898) In the 19th
Century, Filipino intellectuals educated in Europe called
ilustrados began to write about the hitch of colonization.
The 300 years with Spaniards marked the longest colonial
period in Philippine history. Due to the need to see new
hope in the midst of multitude, the Filipino spirit
reawakened when the 3 priests Gomez, Burgos and
Zamora were guillotined without sufficient evidence of
guilt.
The Propaganda Movement (1872-1896.) This
movement was spearheaded mostly by the intellectual
middle-class like Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar; Graciano
Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna, Mariano Ponce, Jose Ma.
Panganiban, and Pedro Paterno.
MARCELO H. DEL PILAR
1. Pagibig Sa Tinubuang Lupa (Love of Coun- try).
Translated from the Spanish Amor Patria of Rizal,
published on August 20, 1882, in Diariong Tagalog.
2. Kaiingat Kayo (Be Careful). A humorous and sarcastic
dig in answer to Fr. Jose Rodriquez in the novel Noli of
Rizal, published in Barcelona in 1883.
3. Dasalan At Tocsohan (Prayers and Jokes). Similar to a
catechism but sarcastically done against the parish
priests, published in Barcelona in 1888.
JOSE P. RIZAL 1. Noli Me Tangere- This was the novel
that gave spirit to the propaganda movement and
paved the way to the revolution against Spain.
2. El Filibusterismo- This is a sequel which exposed
those in the government and in the church.
3. Mi Ultimo Adios- This was a poem by Rizal while he
was incarcerated at Fort Santiago.
4. Sobre La Indolencia De Los Filipinos (On the
Indolence of the Filipinos)- An essay on the so-called
Filipino indolence and an evaluation of the reasons for
such allegations.
5. Filipinas Dentro De Cien Años- An essay predicting
the increasing influence of the US in the Philippines and
the decreasing interest of Europe
GRACIANO LOPEZ JAENA 1.Ang Fray Botod (Friar
Botod). One of his works written in Jaro, Iloilo in 1876,
six years after the Cavite Revolt attacking the friars in
the Philippines. He exposed how some of the friars were
greedy, ambitious and immoral.
2. La Hija Del Fraile (The Child of the Friar) and
Everyting Is Hambug (Everything is mere show). Here
Jaena explains the tragedy of marrying a Spaniard.
3. Sa Mga Pilipino...1891) A speech which aimed to
improve the condition of the Filipinos to become free
and progressive.
4. Talumpating Pagunita Kay Kolumbus (An Oration to
Commemorate Columbus). A speech he delivered in
Madrid on the 39th anniversary of the discovery of
America.
American Colonial Period
key point: The combination of the foreign language and
the culture of Filipinos during this period enabled
fictionists to produce great literary works. The public can
now relate to the story because the public also
experiences what the story has to say and they can now
understand the language being used by the writer. With
the coming of the American forces in the Philippines,
changes in the Philippine Literature were evident. One of
these notable changes was the establishment of English
as the medium of instruction. During this era, new
literary forms, such as free verse [in poetry], the modern
short story, and the critical essay were also introduced
Writers during the American Period drew ideas from the
Propaganda Movement and the Revolutionary
Movement to encourage the Filipinos to continue to fight
against the U.S. Colonialism. The demand for
independence was supported by a campaign to make the
Americans aware of Filipino culture. Some writers who
use the Spanish language began to shift to the American
language for the fact that a larger population can now
comprehend the said language.
The literary genres that flourished during the American
Period were poetry, sarswela, short story, and the
novel. Poetry was written in the three languages -
Filipino, Spanish, English, and in the different dialects.
Some of the known poets during the American period
were Maximo Kalaw, Carlos P. Romulo, Maria Agoncillo,
Paz Marquez Benitez, Salvador P. Lopez, Jose Garcia
Villa, Carlos Bulosan, and many others. There were three
collections of poems printed namely Filipino Poetry
edited by Rodolfo Dato, The English German Anthology
of Poets edited by Pablo Laslo, and a pre-war collection
by Carlos Bulosan.
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The balagtasan, named after Francisco F. Balagtas, is a
debate in verse, a poetical joust done almost
spontaneously between protagonists who debate over
the pros and the cons of a certain issue. The first ever
balagtasan was held in March 1924 at the Instituto de
Mujeres, with Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes
as rivals.
Short stories in English of early Filipino fictionists are
marked with American style. This all changed with the
founding of the U. P. Writers Club in 1926 whose aim was
to enhance and propagate the "language of
Shakespeare." With the publication of Paz Marquez
Benitez' "Dead Stars," it was made the landmark of the
maturity of the Filipino writer in English. Many writers
followed Benitez like Icasiano Calalang, Arturo Rotor, A.
E. Litiatco, Paz Latorena, and Manuel Arguilla started
publishing stories manifesting skills in the use of the
foreign language and a keen Filipino sensibility.
Novels also flourished during this period. Works like "His
Native Soil" by Juan C. Laya, "How My Brother Leon
Brought Home a Wife" by Manuel Arguilla, and many
others depicted the Filipino life in English. The other
novelists of this period are Jose Garcia Villa, Francisco
Arellana, Fernando Maria Guerrero, Amador Daguio, and
Sinai Hamada.
Finally, it was during the early American period that the
sarswela gained popularity. Most of the sarwelas if not
all are directed against the American imperialists. The
works of Severino Reyes ("Walang Sugat") and Patricio
Mariano ("Anak ng Dagat") are equally remarkable
sarwelas during the period. Here are the other noted
sarswelistas: Aurelio Tolentino, Juan Abad, Juan
Matapang Cruz, and Juan Crisostomo Sotto.
Among the Ilokano writers, noted novelists were Leon
Pichay, Hermogenes Belen, and Mena Pecson Crisologo
whose Mining wenno Ayat ti Kararwa is considered to be
the Ilokano version of Noli Me Tangere. Magdalena
Jalandoni and Ramon Muzones are the most prominent
writers in the Visayas region. Their works depicted love,
farm life, and the social life the region is having.
The latter stages of the American period continued to
produce great writers like Liwayway Arceo and Genoveva
Edroza Matute whose works "Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa"
and "Ako'y Isang Tinig" respectively are used as models
for fine writing; and Teodoro Agoncillo, who was
included the foremost writers of fiction before World
War II.
Jose Corazon de Jesus, known also as Huseng Batute,
became the first ever King of the Balagtasan
Contemporary Period - With the end of the American
colonial period, Philippine literature continued to grow
in diverse ways—cradling its influences, and trying to
assert a certain sense of national literature that
incorporated all the foreign contributions that came
before it, as well as the growing voices of native
literatures from the regions.
Filipino writers have become more sensible with their
art. Postwar poetry and fiction was dominated by the
writers in English educated and trained in writers’
workshops in the United States or England. Among these
were Edilberto and Edith Tiempo, Francisco Arcellana,
Ricaredo Demetillo, Amador Daguio, Carlos Angeles,
N.V.M. Gonzales, and Bienvenido N. Santos. With their
credentials and solid reputations, they influenced the
form and direction of the next generation mainly in
accordance with the dominant tenets of the formalist
New Criticism.
The poets trained in American workshops continue to
write in the lyrical-realist mode characteristic of
American writing, spawned by imagism and neo-
Aristotelianism. Among these writers are the poet-critics
Gemino Abad, Ophelia A. Dimalanta, and Emmanuel
Torres. Their influence can be felt in the short lyric and
the medium-length meditative poem that are still the
Filipino poet’s preferred medium. Some contemporary
poets in English such as Marjorie Evasco and Merlie
Alunan, derive their best effects from their reverence for
the ineluctable image. Ricardo de Ungria’s and Luisa
Aguilar Cariño’s poems, on the other hand, are a rich
confluence of imagism, surrealism and confessionalism.
Philippine literature today continues in English and even
in Spanish, but especially in the country’s own languages.
Oral forms of literature continue their social function in
cultural communities. Poetry and fiction are being
written in Cebuano, Tagalog, llocano, llonggo,
Pampango, Waray, Bicolano and the other vernaculars—
very actively in some, in a waning mode in others where
there are no publication venues. Writing is most lively in
Tagalog, Cebuano and the evolving Filipino. Philippine
literature, in all its languages, is in constant and cogent
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contemporary use: in classrooms; in handwritten,
passed-on drafts and in print; on radio, television and
film; in song, dance and theater; in written and oral
expression; in many forms and languages; in various
settings and for myriad purposes—its past, present and
future coexisting in the national context.
21st CENTURY LITERATURE
FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND
THE WORLD CM2
CANONICAL AUTHORS AND WORKS OF PHILIPPINE
NATIONAL ARTISTS IN LITERATURE
National Artist - Previously, we talked about what is
literature and how it has shaped our culture, identity,
and history. As Ai-jen Poo, an author, quoted,
―Movements of people create change – not just any
person or organization, but when lots of people are in
motion around a shared vision.‖ It is a ripple effect of one
influencing the others to create an impact that leads to
changes. Take for example the change that happens to
us when we read. We are being opened to new
experiences with moral that change how we see things.
May it be a fiction or based on true story, they all show
significant human experiences. Thus, it is important to
meet the people behind who worked out for that change
of culture, identity, and history through literature which
is our lesson in this course material. From a pool of
authors out there, there are these people who truly
stood out in that crowd that were announced as national
artists for literature here in the Philippines. However,
what is the standard to be considered a national artist?
According to the Official Gazette, official publication of
the Philippines, a national artist is a Filipino citizen who
has been given the rank and title of National Artist in
recognition of his or her significant contributions to the
development of Philippine arts and letters. The rank and
title of National Artist is conferred by means of a
Presidential Proclamation. It recognizes excellence in the
fields of Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature,
Film and Broadcast Arts, and Architecture or Allied Arts.
Those who have been proclaimed National Artists are
given a Grand Collar symbolizing their status. Recipients
of this Grand Collar make up the Order of National
Artists. The Order of National Artists (Orden ng Gawad
Pambansang Alagad ng Sining) is thus a rank, a title, and
a wearable award that represents the highest national
recognition given to Filipinos who have made distinct
contributions in the field of arts and letters. It is jointly
administered by the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the
Philippines (CCP), and is conferred by the President of the
Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.
The insignia of the Order of the National Artists is
composed of a Grand Collar featuring circular links
portraying the arts, and an eight pointed
conventionalized sunburst suspended from a sampaguita
wreath in green and white enamel. The central badge is
a medallion divided into three equal portions, red,
Source: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/the-order-
of-national-artists/ white, and blue, recalling the
Philippine flag, with three stylized letter Ks—the ―KKK‖
stands for the CCP’s motto: ―katotohanan, kabutihan, at
kagandahan‖ (―the true, the good, and the beautiful‖),
as coined by then first lady Mrs. Imelda Romualdez
Marcos, the CCP’s founder. The composition of the
Grand Collar is silver gilt bronze. In place of a rosette
there is an enameled pin in the form of the insignia of the
order.
CRITERIA FOR THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS
1. Living artists who are Filipino citizens at the time of
nomination, as well as those who died after the
establishment of the award in 1972 but were Filipino
citizens at the time of their death;
2. Artists who, through the content and form of their
works, have contributed in building a Filipino sense of
nationhood;
3. Artists who have pioneered in a mode of creative
expression or style, thus earning distinction and making
an impact on succeeding generations of artists;
4. Artists who have created a substantial and significant
body of work and/or consistently displayed excellence
in the practice of their art form thus enriching artistic
expression or style; and
5. Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through:
• prestigious national and/or international recognition,
such as the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, CCP Thirteen
Artists Award and NCCA Alab ng Haraya;
• critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works;
• respect and esteem from peers.
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 National Artists for Literature The Order of National
Artists aims to recognize: Filipino artists who have made
significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the
country. Filipino artistic accomplishment at its highest
level and to promote creative expression as significant to
the development of a national cultural identity.
AMADO V. HERNANDEZ (1973)
“Makata ng Manggagawa” A poet, playwright, and
novelist who practiced “committed art”. In his view, the
function of the writer is to act as the conscience of
society and to affirm the greatness of the human spirit
in the face of inequity and oppression. Hernandez's
contribution to the development of Tagalog prose is
considerable -- he stripped Tagalog of its ornate
character and wrote in prose closer to the colloquial
than the "official" style permitted. His novel Mga Ibong
Mandaragit, first written by Hernandez while in prison,
is the first Filipino socio political novel that exposed the
ills of the society as evident in the agrarian problems of
the 50s. Hernandez's other works include:
Bayang Malaya, Isang Dipang Langit, Luha ng Buwaya,
Amado V. Hernandez: Tudla at Tudling: Katipunan ng
mga Nalathalang Tula 1921-1970, Langaw sa Isang
Basong Gatas at Iba Pang Kuwento ni Amado V.
Hernandez, Magkabilang Mukha ng Isang Bagol at Iba
Pang Akda ni Amado V. Hernandez.
JOSE GARCIA VILLA (1973) He is considered as one of
the finest contemporary poets regardless of race or
language. Villa, who lived in Singalong, Manila,
introduced the reversed consonance rime scheme,
including the comma poems that made full use of the
punctuation mark in an innovative, poetic way.
The first of his poems "Have Come, Am Here" received
critical recognition when it appeared in New York in
1942 that, soon enough, honors and fellowships were
heaped on him: Guggenheim, Bollingen, the American
Academy of Arts and Letters Awards. He used Doveglion
(Dove, Eagle, Lion) as pen name, the very characters he
attributed to himself, and the same ones explored by
e.e. cummings in the poem he wrote for Villa
(Doveglion, Adventures in Value). Villa is also known for
the tartness of his tongue.
Villa's works have been collected into the following
books: Footnote to Youth, Many Voices, Poems by
Doveglion, Poems 55, Poems in Praise of Love: The Best
Love Poems of Jose Garcia Villa as Chosen By Himself,
Selected Stories, The Portable Villa, The Essential Villa,
Mir-i-nisa, Storymasters 3: Selected Stories from
Footnote to Youth, 55 Poems: Selected and Translated
into Tagalog by Hilario S. Francia.
NICK JOAQUIN (1976) He enriched the English language
with critics coining "Joaquinesque" to describe his
baroque Spanish-flavored English or his reinventions of
English based on Filipinisms. He explored the Philippine
colonial past under Spain and probed into the
psychology of social changes as seen by the youth, as
exemplified in stories such as Doña Jeronima, Candido's
Apocalypse and The Order of Melchizedek.
Among his voluminous works are: The Woman Who Had
Two Navels, A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, Manila,
My Manila: A History for the Young, The Ballad of the
Five Battles, Rizal in Saga, Almanac for Manileños, Cave
and Shadows
CARLOS P. ROMULO (1982) His multifaceted career
spanned 50 years of public service as educator, soldier,
university president, journalist and diplomat. He was the
only Asian to win America's coveted Pulitzer Prize in
Journalism for a series of articles predicting the outbreak
of World War II. Romulo, in all, wrote and published 18
books, a range of literary works which included The
United(novel), I Walked with Heroes (autobiography), I
Saw the Fall of the Philippines, Mother America, I See the
Philippines Rise (war-time memoirs).
FRANCISCO ARCELLANA (1989) He is a writer, poet,
essayist, critic, journalist and teacher, is one of the most
important progenitors of the modern Filipino short story
in English. He pioneered the development of the short
story as a lyrical prose-poetic form. For Arcellana, the
pride of fiction is "that it is able to render truth, that is
able to present reality". Arcellana has kept alive the
experimental tradition in fiction, and has been most
daring in exploring new literary forms to express the
sensibility of the Filipino people. A brilliant craftsman, his
works are now an indispensable part of a tertiary-level-
syllabi all over the country Arcellana's
published books are: Selected Stories (1962) Poetry and
Politics: The State of Original Writing in English in the
Philippines Today (1977) The Francisco Arcellana
Sampler (1990) N.V. M.
Gonzales (1997) Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez is a
fictionist, essayist, poet, and teacher, articulated the
Filipino spirit in rural, urban landscapes. Among the
many recognitions, he won the First Commonwealth
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Literary Contest in 1940, received the Republic Cultural Doktrinang Anakpawis, Mga Retrato at Rekwerdo and
Heritage Award in 1960 and the Gawad CCP Para sa Muli, Sa Kandungan ng Lupa.
Sining in 1990. The awards attest to his triumph in
In these works, his poetic voice soared from the lyrical to
appropriating the English language to express, reflect
the satirical to the epic, from the dramatic to the
and shape Philippine culture and Philippine sensibility.
incantatory, in his often-severe examination of the self,
Major works of N.V.M Gonzalez include the following:
and the society. He has also redefined how the Filipino
Mindoro and Beyond: Twenty -One Stories The Bread of
poetry is viewed and paved the way for the discussion of
Salt and Other Stories Work on the Mountain, The Novel
the same in his 10 books of criticisms and anthologies,
of Justice: Selected Essays 1968-1994
among which are Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina,
EDITH L. TIEMPO (1989) She is a poet, fictionist, teacher Balagtasismo versus Modernismo, Walong Dekada ng
and literary critic is one of the finest Filipino writers in Makabagong Tula Pilipino, Mutyang Dilim and Barlaan at
English whose works are characterized by a remarkable Josaphat.
fusion of style and substance, of craftsmanship and
Alejandro R. Roces (2003) He is a short story writer and
insight. Her poems are intricate verbal transfigurations of
essayist, and considered as the country’s best writer of
significant experiences as revealed, in two of her much
comic short stories. He is known for his widely
anthologized pieces, "The Little Marmoset" and
anthologized "My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken." In his
"Bonsai". As a fictionist, Tiempo is as morally profound.
innumerable newspaper columns, he has always focused
Her language has been marked as "descriptive but
on the neglected aspects of the Filipino cultural heritage.
unburdened by scrupulous detailing." She is an
His works have been published in various international
influential tradition in Philippine literature in English.
magazines and has received national and international
Tiempo’s published works include the following: A
awards. Ever the champion of Filipino cultures, Roces
Blade of Fern (1978) The Native Coast (1979) The Alien
brought to public attention the aesthetics of the
Corn (1992) The Tracks of Babylon and Other Poems
country’s fiestas. He was instrumental in popularizing
(1966) The Charmer’s Box and Other Poems (1993)
several local fiestas, notably, Moriones and Ati-atihan.
Abide, Joshua, and Other Stories (1964)
Bienvenido Lumbera (2003) He is a poet, librettist, and
F. Sionil Jose (2001) He’s writings since the late 60s,
scholar. *As a poet, he introduced to Tagalog literature
when taken collectively can best be described as epic. Its
what is now known as Bagay poetry, a landmark
sheer volume puts him on the forefront of Philippine
aesthetic tendency that has helped to change the
writing in English. But ultimately, it is the consistent
vernacular poetic tradition. He is the author of the
espousal of the aspirations of the Filipino--for national
following works: Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa (poems in
sovereignty and social justice--that guarantees the value
Filipino and English), 1993; Balaybay, Mga Tulang Lunot
of his oeuvre. In the five-novel masterpiece, the Rosales
at Manibalang, 2002; Sa Sariling Bayan, Apat na Dulang
saga, consisting of The Pretenders, Tree, My Brother, My
May Musika, 2004; "Agunyas sa Hacienda Luisita,"
Executioner, Mass, and Po-on, he captures the sweep of
Pakikiramay, 2004. As a librettist for theTales of the
Philippine history while simultaneously narrating the
Manuvu and Rama Hari, he pioneered the creative fusion
lives of generations of the Samsons whose personal lives
of fine arts and popular imagination. As a scholar, his
intertwine with the social struggles of the nation.
major books include the following:Tagalog Poetry, 1570-
Because of their international appeal, his works,
1898: Tradition and Influences in its Development;
including his many short stories, have been published
Philippine Literature: A History and Anthology,
and translated into various languages.
Revaluation: Essays on Philippine Literature, Writing the
Virgilio S. Almario (2003) Also known as Rio Alma, is a Nation/Pag-akda ng Bansa.
poet, literary historian and critic, who has revived and
Lazaro Francisco (2009) ―Master of the Tagalog Novel
reinvented traditional Filipino poetic forms, even as he
He developed the social realist tradition in Philippine
championed modernist poetics. In 34 years, he has
fiction. His eleven novels, now acknowledged classics of
published 12 books of poetry, which include the seminal
Philippine literature, embody the author’s commitment
Makinasyon and Peregrinasyon, and the landmark trilogy
to nationalism. His pen dignifies the Filipino and accents
THE BOOK LOUNGE PH I 7
all the positives about the Filipino way of life. His
writings have contributed much to the formation of a
Filipino nationalism. His masterpiece novels are: Ama
Bayang Nagpatiwakal Maganda Pa Ang Daigdig
Daluyong
Cirilo F. Bautista (2014) He is a poet, fictionist, and
essayist with exceptional achievements and significant
contributions to the development of the country’s
literary arts. He is acknowledged by peers and critics, and
the nation at large as the foremost writer of his
generation. He has established a reputation for fine and
profound artistry; his books, lectures, poetry readings,
and creative writing workshops continue to influence his
peers and generation young writers. His major works are:
Summer Suns (1963) Words and Battlefields (1998) The
Trilogy of Saint Lazarus (2001) Galaw ng Asoge (2003)
21st CENTURY LITERATURE
FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND
THE WORLD CM3
REPRESENTATION AND THE PHILIPPINE CANON
“Third World Geography” by Cirilo F. Bautista
Previously, we discussed our national artists who played
a great role in contributing to our national identity
through their art. In this course material, we will have
one representative text from one of our national artists,
Cirilo F. Bautista. This poem was written to emphasize
the oppression experienced by the Filipinos with our
own history of colonization. After the independence
with our foreign colonizers, the idea of oppression
remained, but in the form of President Ferdinand
Marcos with his declaration of Martial Law. During his
regime, he commanded the arrest and imprisonment of
many writers in the country. This resulted to the
limitation of how our writers shape people’s thinking
through their literary pieces.
National Artist for Literature Cirilo F. Bautista is one of
the Philippines’ most awarded and most respected
writers and critics. Born in 1941, he achieved honors in
every level of his education, finishing an AB Literature
degree from the University of Sto. Tomas (magna cum
laude) in 1963. He would then proceed to get an MA
Literature degree (magna cum laude) from St. Louis
University in Baguio in 1968 and a Doctor of Arts in
Language and Literature from De La Salle University in
1990. He received a fellowship to attend the
International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.
Bautista has won numerous awards, including the Carlos
Palanca Memorial Awards for the essay, poetry, and
fiction in both English and Filipino. Other than these, he
won the Philippines Free Press Awards for fiction, the
Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Award, the Gawad
Nalagtas from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat ng Pilipinas,
and the Pablo Roman Prize for the Novel. He was hailed
as the Makata ng Taon in 1993 by the Komisyon sa
Wikang Filipino. He has been widely anthologized and
published not only in the country, but internationally as
well.
*He is also a great literary advocate, being a member of
literary organizations such as the Philippine Literary Arts
Council, the Manila Critics Circle, the Philippine Center of
International PEN, and the Philippine Writers Academy.
Vocabulary:
Commandeered ∙
officially take possession or control of;
∙ take possession of (something) without authority
(something), especially for military purposes;
∙ enlist (someone) to help in a task, typically against the
person's will
Tyrant ∙ a cruel and oppressive ruler, e.g. dictator
∙ an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution
Parched ∙ to make extremely, excessively, or completely
dry, as heat, sun, and wind do. to make dry, hot, or
thirsty
Bautista’s poem is rich with figures of imagery, speech,
and allegory, all aimed at creating a solid impression
on the reader.
This poem is an example of a descriptive poem. A
descriptive poem is a poem that contains a large amount
of descriptive detail. They might take as their subject
something visual, for instance, and describe its
characteristics in depth. Oppression has been evident in
our history that literature reflects these situations in
letters. This subject creates dramatic situations that lead
us to better understand the issues and how these affect
humanity. Poems deliver dramatic situations through
using a persona, the speaker of the poem. This poem
showed us with a situation that is allegorical, or not
literal but rather representative of other ideas or
personalities.
THE BOOK LOUNGE PH I 8
Persona is the speaker, or teller of the poem; rarely the
poet himself of herself.
Personification is a figure of speech where a nonhuman
object is given human qualities.
Dramatic Situation is the combination of setting,
characters, and action in a poem which is supposed to
engage the reader.
Allegorical/Allegory refers to symbolic representations
of truths or generalizations about human existence.
Introduction to a Marxist Reading of Texts
key point: In using the Marxist theory, it is important to
identify the author’s weltanshauung, or world view,
which helps in understanding the government
established at the time the writer lived and wrote—and
whether or not people (or just the author) really
supported it.
Marxism is a cultural theory that embodies a set of
social, economic, and political ideas that its followers
believe will enable them to interpret and change their
world.
Tenets ∙ One’s value is based on labor exerted (or
potential labor) ∙ Economics determines all social
actions and institutions ∙ Class struggle is the basic
pattern in history ∙ Power will inevitably be seized
through the revolution of the proletariat ∙ Ultimately
there will be an establishment of a classless society
Marxism hopes to create some sort of balance that
makes the world a better, more secure place for those
who have been oppressed and controlled.
The beginning of Marxist thought came about through
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ The Communist
Manifesto during the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, the “Russian Revolution
Architects” headed by Leon Trotsky applied Marx’s
ideas to literary texts. Trotsky was exiled by Stalin,
however, and Theodor Adorno helped form the core of
early Marxist critics.
The Frankfurt School then attempted to reconstruct the
theory to enable it to withstand totalitarian corruption.
The criticism reached its peak during times of economic
tragedy and, consequently, following the Great
Depression, faded away. Marxism then resurfaced again
years later in the 1960s during the time of politically
tumultuous events such as the Vietnam War and the
Cuban Missile Crisis. Today the criticism is extremely
varied; there is no set definition of a Marxist critic.
Strengths
-It has the ability to adapt to a changing intellectual
climate.
- It approaches the reality of life (not idealistic), and
values circumstances (how events influence society).
- It has a varied and versatile approach, thus an all
encompassing critical method.
-It seeks to identify disguised political and social means
of oppression by means of pulling out textual clues and
symbols (uncover hidden textual elements).
Weaknesses
♣ Its intensity of views are often confused with moral
issues.
♣ It also deals excessively with economic systems,
which leads to the possibility of missing other important
elements.
♣ It can at times be contradictory with values that
only exist in the material world.
♣ Like other theories, it can be formulaic at times,
sometimes going to extremes to make things fit.
The reference point for all texts was Marx’s Historical
Theory, encompassing four distinct historical epochs: (1)
Feudalism, (2) Capitalism, (3) Socialism, and (4)
Communism.
Third World Geography
Cirilo F. Bautista, Manila
A country without miracles sits heavy on the map,
thinking of banana trees rotting in the sunlight. The man
who watches over it has commandeered all hopes,
placed them in a sack, and tied its loose end. He goes
around carrying it on his back. When asked what is
inside, he says, “Just a handful of feathers, just a
handful feathers.” That’s how light the burden of
government is in peace time – any tyrant can turn it into
a metaphor. You kneel on the parched earth and pray
for rice. Only the wind hears your useless words. The
country without miracles tries to get up from the page,
but the bold ink and sharp colors hold it down.
THE BOOK LOUNGE PH I 9
 21st CENTURY LITERATURE kinabukasan para sa mga anak natin... Matatapos din
ang kontrata ko…”
FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND
Flashback
THE WORLD CM4
Study and appreciation of literary texts from Foreshadowing
Luzon written in different genre Summary: Voice Tape by Ariel S. Tabag, responds to the
context of the OFW stories we have heard around,
relating an experience of them. Through this short
“Voice Tape” by Ariel S. Tabag, Cagayan – short story story, with the use of literary techniques in writing, we
National Literature - Fiction is a form of written stories were able to be part of a reality of most of the Filipinos.
about people and events that are not real or literature
that tells stories which are imagined by the writer. This
does not prevent a writer, however, from using a real
context, or what is currently happening in the
surroundings of the writer.
National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera considered
national literature as those that confront or provoke the
Filipino reader “with ideas, subject matter, and social
and political issues that serve to provoke an emotional
or intellectual response, if not necessarily positive
action.”

Author - Ariel S. Tabag

-He is a bilingual Ilocano fictionist, poet, editor,
translator, and musician. He has received the Palanca
Awards for his Ilokano short stories.
-He is the poetry editor for the Ilokano literary magazine
Bannawag.
-He sees Ilokano not as a dialect but a separate
language, representing a unique culture.

Vocabulary Words
ápo, kalupí, kuríbot, dúng-aw, nánang, tátang

Literary Text

Characters: Dante, Angkel Ato, Magdalena, Nanang,

Tatang, Angkel Mulong, Angkel Ceferino

Setting: - Year 1990’s Sta. Teresita, Cagayan

Conflict: Voice Tape

“Patawarin mo ako, Mahal. Di ko ginusto. Papatayin ako
kapag lumaban ako. Isipin mo na lang na makakamtan
na rin natin ang hinahangad mong magandang

THE BOOK LOUNGE PH I 10