21ST CENTURY

LITERATURE FROM THE

PHILIPPINES AND THE
WORLD
 LESSON OBJECTIVES:

1. identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic

dimensions of Philippine literary history from
precolonial to the contemporary (EN12Lit-Ia-21)
BABOY KO SA PULO, ANG
BALAHIBO’Y PAKO.
Sagot: LANGKA
 ISANG BUTIL NG PALAY,
SAKOP ANG BUONG BAHAY.
Sagot: ILAW
SA ARAW AY BUNGBONG, SA
GABI AY DAHON.
Sagot: BANIG
HETO NA ANG MAGKAPATID,
NAG-UUNAHANG PUMANHIK.
Sagot: Mga paa
KAY LAPIT-LAPIT NA SA MATA,
DI MO PA RIN MAKITA.
Sagot: TENGA
MUNTING TAMPIPI, PUNO NG
SALAPI.
Sagot: SILI
SA MALING KALABIT, MAY
BUHAY NA KAPALIT.
Sagot: BARIL
BUMILI AKO NG ALIPIN,
MATAAS PA SA AKIN.
Sagot: SUMBRERO
ISA ANG PASUKAN, TATLO
ANG LABASAN.
Sagot: KAMISETA
KUNG KAILAN MO PINATAY,
SAKA PA HUMABA ANG
BUHAY.
Sagot: KANDILA\
MALAMBOT NA PARANG ULAP,
KASAMA KO SA PANGARAP.
Sagot: UNAN
NAGBIBIHIS ARAW-ARAW,
NAG-IIBA NG PANGALAN.
Sagot: KALENDARYO
 ISANG BUTIL NG PALAY,
SAKOP ANG BUONG BAHAY.
Sagot: BUMBILYA
ANG ULO’Y NALALAGA, ANG
KATAWA’Y PAGALA-GALA.
Sagot: SANDOK
HINILA KO ANG TADYANG,
LUMAPAD ANG TIYAN.
Sagot: PAYONG
NAKAKALUTO’Y WALANG INIT,
UMUUSOK KAHIT NA
MALAMIG.
Sagot: YELO
 ANALYZE EACH STATEMENTS
BELOW AND EXPRESS WHETHER
YOU AGREE OR NOT. (YES OR NO)
• Ancient settlers in the islands of the Philippines had their own
form of literature even before the coming of the Spaniards.
• Ancient Philippine literature was generally in oral tradition.
• Most of the ancient literary forms were in oral tradition since
there was no system of writing that existed during the pre-
colonial period.
• Literature contains historical and cultural pieces of information
that were used to reveal the way of life of our forebears.
 PRE - COLONIAL

The early literary forms of the

Philippines were songs, epics,
myths, folktales, legends, riddles
and proverbs which were told
and retold by the natives.
 PRE-COLONIAL
• The literature of the pre – colonial Filipinos
bore the marks of the community.
• Most of these primitive forms of the literature
revealed our ancestor’s way of life, belief system,
traditions, norms, and mores.
• Legends and myths provided temporary answers
to man’s curiosity as to the existence of things
around him.
• These were also taught not just for amusement
but also to teach positive behaviour among the
young.
 PRE-COLONIAL

• Literature during such period was passed through the word of

the mouth or the oral tradition.
• In a community, the elders or the parents served as the
teachers of a certain ethnic group’s literature.
 BELOW ARE SOME IMPORTANT
MOTIFS AND FEATURES OF PRE-
COLONIAL LITERATURE:

• The beginning of life and of earth

• Accounts about great people or supernatural heroes
• The inclusion of gods and goddesses
• The inclusion of mythical creatures like duwende,
aswang, tikbalang and the like.
• Themes on morality; good and bad practices in life
• Daily encounters and activities in life
• Other Forms of Pre-colonial Literature:
Short lyrics, wise sayings, verses for
rituals, chants, riddles
Filipinos managed to preserved
laws, legends, songs and epics by
inscribing them on barks of trees,
palm leaves and bamboos.
Some of the literary forms have
managed to survived war and
tropical disasters because they
retained in the common minds and
were later reduced to permanent
forms.
 LITERARY FORMS

RIDDLE (bugtong)
EPIGRAMS (KASABIHAN) / PROVERBS
SALAWIKAIN & SAWIKAIN )
SAYINGS
BULONG
MYTHS
EPICS/TALES
FOLKSONGS
Made up of one or more measured lines with rhymes
and may consist of 4 to 12 syllables
Showcase the Filipino wit, literary talent, and keen
observation of the surroundings
Involves reference to one or two images that symbolize
the characteristics of an unknown object that is to be
guessed
• To entertain. Living in remote areas, before the advent
of electricity, families would sit around the fire and the
elders would quiz the younger generation with riddles.

• To educate. Riddles serve the function of passing down

knowledge from one generation to the next. They
require thinking in order to solve them.

• To titillate. Many old Filipino riddles contain double

entendres that were intended to amuse the men and
shock the women.

• To curse, without expressly cursing. A riddle could

be made up against an enemy, rival town, or suitor.
• To preserve the culture. Riddles communicate the
old ways from one generation to the next.
 ATE MO, ATE KO, ATE NG
LAHAT NG TAO.(MY SISTER,
YOUR SISTER, EVERYONE'S
SISTER)

ATIS (SUGAR APPLE)

Proverbs

Short poems that have been customarily been used

and served as laws or rules on good behavior by our
ancestors

Allegories or parables that impart lessons for the

young
Often expressing a single idea, and had a witty
ending
 EX OF SALAWIKAIN
ANG MATAPAT NA KAIBIGAN, TUNAY NA
MAAASAHAN. - - -YOU WILL KNOW A TRUE
FRIEND IN TIME OF NEED.
 KUNG ANO ANG PUNO, SIYA ANG
BUNGA.
WHATEVER THE TREE, SO WILL ITS
FRUIT BE.

KUNG MAY TINANIM, MAY AANIHIN.

IF YOU PLANTED SOMETHING, YOU’LL
HARVEST SOMETHING.

AANHIN PA ANG DAMO, KUNG PATAY

NA ANG KABAYO.
WHAT GOOD IS THE GRASS IF THE
HORSE IS ALREADY DEAD.
 SAWIKAIN (IDIOMATIC
EXPRESSION)
Mababaw ang luha
“tears are shallow” = someone who easily cries

kumukulo ang dugo

"blood is boiling" = is veryangry

isulat sa tubig
"write on water" = forget about it
 Used in witchcraft or enchantments

Hele hele
Bago kyeme
HALIMBAWA
(FOR
EXAMPLE):

Tabi, tabi po, Ingkong

Makikiraan po lamang.
Bulong ng mga Bagobo ng Mindanao
"Nagnakaw ka ng bigas ko,
Umulwa sana mata mo,
mamaga ang katawan mo,
patayin ka ng mga anito"

Bulong sa Ilocos
"Huwag magalit, kaibigan,
aming pinuputol lamang
ang sa amiy napagutusan"

Bulong sa Bicol
"Dagang malaki, dagang maliit,
ayto ang ngipin kong sira na't pangit.
sana ay bigyan mo ng kapalit"
 USED IN TEASING OR TO
COMMENT ON A
PERSONS’ ACUTATIONS
“Catitibay ca tolos
Sacaling datnang agos
Aco’ I momonting lomot
Sa iyo’ I popolopot”
Nag-almusal mag-isa
Kaning lamig, tinapa;
Nahulog ang kutsara
Ikaw na sana, sinta
• May tainga ang lupa may pakpak ang balita
---------- Mag-ingat sa lahat ng bibitawang salita dahil
maraming mga nakikinig at nagbabalita ng tsismis sa kung
saan saan lang.
• Pagkahaba-haba man ng prusisyon sa simbahan din ng
tuloy
-------Kahit anong unos pa ang danasin ng mga
magkasintahan kapag itutulot ng Diyos , sa kasalan din
mauuwi ang matagal na samahan
• Kung ano ang itinanim, siya ring aanihin
---------- Kung gumawa ka ng kabutihan ay gagawan ka rin
ng kabutihan ng iyong kapwa ganundin kapag masama ang
iyong ginawa sa kapwa.
 A QUATRAIN WITH SEVEN
SYLLABLES EACH WITH THE
SAME RHYME AT THE END OF
EACH LINE
No title
7-7-7-7
AABB
Ex. “Tahak ng tingin, tulak
ng sulyap, yakap, lapat
ng titig sa balikat.
hatak pa, kindat, hakat”
Traditional poetry of the Hanunoo Mangyans
of Oriental Mindoro which is normally
inscribed on bamboo using a pre-Colonial
syllabic writing system called the Surat
Mangyan .
seven-syllable metric lines
can be composed of more than four lines
usually chanted
teaches lessons about life
recited by parents to educate their children, by
the youth to express their love, by the old to
impart experiences, or by the community in tribal
ceremonies
ON SOME OCCASIONS LIKE
BURIAL RITES, THE
AMBAHAN IS USED FOR
ENTERTAINMENT
Sugot nga maaw kunman
Tangdayan no ma-amban
Sabungan no manuywan
Impad las yami daywan
Hanggan buhok timbangan
Hanggan sa balod pangdan
Bugkat di way yamungan
Bilang dayi bunlagan
No kang tinaginduman
Kang magpahalimbaw-an
Ga bugtong ti bilugan
(Isn't this the truth with all:
If the wife is good and kind,
the husband reasonable,
you have always friends around,
like long hair drooping so nice.
Till the final burial mount,
you'll be sleeping on one mat.
You don't want to separate
Putting down my thoughts like this:
An example very clear,
being TWO, you're only ONE.)
 DERIVED FROM PHILIPPINE FOLK
LITERATURE, WHICH IS THE
TRADITIONAL ORAL LITERATURE OF THE
FILIPINO PEOPLE. THIS REFERS TO A WIDE
RANGE OF MATERIAL DUE TO THE ETHNIC
MIX OF THE PHILIPPINES
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT CREATION
MYTHS IN PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGY,
ORIGINATING FROM VARIOUS ETHNIC
GROUPS.
Story of Bathala
Visayan version
The legend of Maria Makiling
PRESENCE OF
DIFFERENT
DEITIES
Ex. Bathala
Lakambakod
Mythical creatures
Aswang
Dila
Diwata
Dwende
Tikbalang
Mankukulam
Ifugao – Hudhud hiAliguyon
Ilocos – Biagni Lam-ang
Bicol - Ibalon
Mindanao – Darangan
Panay – Hinilawod
Bagobo - Tuwaang
Kalinga – Ulaliim
Manobo – Agyu or Olahing
Subanon - Sandayo
ALIGU
YON
• the exploits of Aliguyon as he battles his arch-enemy,
Pambukhayon
Biagni Lam-Ang
tells of the adventuresvof Lam-Ang who exhibits
extraordinary powers at a very early age.
Ibalon
the story of three Bicol heroes: Baltog, Handiong, Bantiong
Hinilawod
oldest and longest epic poem in Panay
the exploits of three Sulodnon demigod
• brothers, LabawDonggon, Humadapnon and
Dumalapdap of ancient Panay
 IBALON FESTIVAL

Hinilawod
a form of folk lyric which expresses the people’s
hopes, aspirations, and lifestyles
repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naive
traditional songs and melodies
inspired by the reaction of the people to their
environment
uyayi – lullaby
komintang – war song
kundiman – melancholiclove song
harana – serenade
tagay – drinking song
mambayu – Kalinga rice-pounding song
subli – dance-ritual song of courtship /marriage
Tagulaylay- songs of the dead