21 Century Literature from

st

the Philippines and the

World
 PHILIPPINE PRECOLONIAL
LITERATURE
SPANISH COLONIAL PHIL.
LITERATURE

Topics AMERICAN COLONIAL

LITERATURE

MODULE 1 : PRE-COLONIAL TO
CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE JAPANESE COLONIAL
LITERATURE LITERATURE
CONTEMPORARY
LITERATURE
What is Literature?
Literature
It is a beautiful expression of man’s personal interpretations of some aspect of human
life, or a wording in a unique, beautiful, and personal manner of saying what an author
thinks is a passionate meaning of life.

This is saying that “Literature not only becomes but is life itself”
- Amado Daguio
 PRE-COLONIAL
PERIOD
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 Pre-Colonial Period
- It came into existence before the Spanish colonization in
1500s.

- Stories were shared ORALLY to young people about life

lessons,
blessings and consequences.

- Ancient Filipinos lived near food sources such as coastal

areas, mountain sides, and others.

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 FORMS OF PRE-COLONIAL
1
LITERATURE
Folk Speech RIDDLES

2
Proverbs
LULLABIES
3 SONGS OF DEATH

Folk Songs DRINKING SONGS

LOVE SONGS
RELIGIOUS SONGS

MYTH
4 LEGEND
Folk Narratives FABLE

EPIC
 Folk Speech

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 RIDDLES /
Bugtong
"Ako ay may kaibigan, kasama ko kahit saan"
It contains superficial words but it functions
metamorphically and it is said in the form of question.
ANINO
Riddles are like proverbs with one main difference: they
demand an answer and are used to test the wits of those
who are listening to them.
”Heto na si Kaka, bubuka-bukaka"
Riddles use one or more images to refer to an object to be
guessed.
GUNTIN
G
"Kung kailan mo pinatay, saka pa humaba ang buhay"

KANDIL
A
 Proverbs

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 Proverbs (Salawikain)
•Proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community beliefs or they instill values by offering nuggets of wisdom in short,
rhyming verse.

•Are practical observations and philosophy of everyday life that are written usually in a rhyming scheme.
•Filipino proverbs or Tagalog proverbs or salawikain, echo the values of the Philippines. Though they have been retold and passed down from
one generation to another, and the values and lessons they impart to us still hold true to this day.

Example: If you plant, you harvest.

(Kung may tinanim, may aanihin.)
> It means that your future will be the result of your actions today. Plan ahead.
Other Samples:
“Kung ano ang puno, siya rin ang bunga”
“Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga”
“Ang pag-aasawa ay ‘di biro, hindi tulad ng kanin, iluluwa kung mapaso”

Written riddle and proverb were written for several purposes:

•a.) written around an idea or insight
•b.) to teach a lesson
•c.) to express a value or a view of the world

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 FOLK SONGS
A form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and
aspirations, the people's lifestyles as well as their loves.

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 LULLABIES
- Locally known as “HELE” or “ili-ili” in Ilonggo.

- These are the songs sung by the parents to put babies into
sleep.

- Song contents tells the life is hard and parents are hoping that
the child will not experience hardships in life.

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 DRINKING
SONGS

- Locally known as “tagay” and sung during drinking LOVE SONGS

session.

- Known as “harana”, used by young men to win the heart

of the girl they love.
 SONGS OF DEATH

- It’s a lamentation that contain the roll of good deeds done RELIGIOUS SONGS
by the dead and can make him/her memorable.

- Songs or chant given during exorcism or thanksgiving

during good harvest.
 FOLK
NARRATIVES
- consist of myths, legends and folktales.

Folktale is a tale originating and traditional among people or folk,

especially one forming part of the oral tradition of the common
people.

Folktales in general include legends, fables, jokes, tall stories and

fairy tales.
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 MYTH
- Myths are prose narratives explaining how the world and people
came to be in their form.

- The origin of the surrounding world has always been the object of
interest of prehistoric Filipinos.

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 LEGEND
- Legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived
both by teller and listeners to take place within human history.

- This also explains the supernatural events, mysteries and

cultural tradition.

Examples:

- The Legend of Pineapple (Alamat ng Pinya)

- The Legend of Mango (Alamat ng Mangga)
- The Legend of Lanzones (Alamat gn Lansones)

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 FABLE
- Is a short fictional story that has a moral or teaches a lesson.

- Fables use humanized animals, objects, or parts of nature as

main characters, and are therefore considered to be a sub-genre of
fantasy.

Examples:

- The Ant and the Grasshopper

- The Monkey and the Turtle

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 EPIC
- Epics in the Philippines during the pre-colonization are considered ethno-epics
because they are histories of various ethnic groups.

- The epics 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
or validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a community.

- The epic is considered as the most important form of pre-colonial literature among
the pre-colonial inhabitants of the Philippines

- These are sung or chanted to the accompaniment of indigenous musical instruments

and dancing performed during harvests, weddings or funerals by chanters.

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 EPIC
- Folk epics are long heroic narratives in verse which recount the
adventures of tribal heroes and in the process express the
customs, beliefs, and ideals of the people who sing them.

Example:

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).

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 SPANISH
COLONIAL
PERIOD
(1521-1898)
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 Spanish Colonial
Period
- expeditions to the Philippines were sent by Spain in the 16th
century. In their conquest, the Spaniards brought Christianity
with them. The clergy made a great impact on faith,
education, and government.

- b. Through the Manila-Acapulco trade (1565–1815)

 liberal ideas entered the country. Also, the trade gave rise to
a wealthier middle class. Children in middle class families
could then be sent to Europe to get an education. Upon their
return, they brought European ideals of liberty and freedom
with them. Such ideals would then give rise to Filipino
nationalism.

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Spanish Colonial Period

Philippine Literature during the Spanish Occupation

 The Spanish missionaries taught the gospel through the

native language, so they hired natives to translate Spanish
religious instructional materials.

 Eventually, the natives became fluent in Spanish and became

known as ladinos.

 Ladinos mainly wrote devotional poetry.

 Two of them were Fernando Bagongbanta and Gaspar

Aquino de Belen.

 Bagongbanta wrote “Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias de

sin sempiternas,” which appeared in Memorial de la vida
cristiana en lengua tagala(1605), a book containing basic
Catholic doctrines.

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Spanish Colonial Period

 On the other hand, de Belen wrote “Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu

Christong Panginoon natin na tola” (1704), the earliest version
of pasyon.

 Also, the native drama called the komedya or moro-moro was

popular. It depicted the war between Christians and Muslims, wherein
the former always wins.

 The poet Jose de la Cruz (1746–1829) was a master of such art

form.

 Native literature continued. Though the Spaniards destroyed the

written literature in their effort to replace it with their own, the oral
tradition survived and flourished in areas beyond the reach of the
Spaniards.

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Spanish Colonial Period

 Slowly, Philippine Literature started to emulate the traditional Spanish ways of themes
and forms in writing. Including the repetitive plots and obvious shadowy characters.
Despite these changes, Filipinos still found a way to make Spanish literature their own,
as shown through these common kinds:

a) Corrido
b) Awit
c) Pasyon
d) Cenaculo
e) Moro-moro
f) Tibag
g) Duplo or Karagatan
h) Zarzuela

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Spanish Colonial Period

a) Corrido
is a legendary religious narrative form
b) Awit that usually details the lives of saints or
the history of a tradition.
c) Pasyon

d) Cenaculo

e) Moro-moro

f) Tibag

g) Duplo
or Karagatan

h) Zarzuela

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Spanish Colonial Period

a) Corrido

b) Awit is a chivalric poem about a hero, usually

about a saint. It is also usually sung in
c) Pasyon religious processions.

d) Cenaculo

e) Moro-moro

f) Tibag

g) Duplo
or Karagatan

h) Zarzuela

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Spanish Colonial Period

a) Corrido

b) Awit

is a narrative poem about the life of Jesus

c) Pasyon Christ, beginning from his birth to death.

d) Cenaculo

e) Moro-moro

f) Tibag

g) Duplo
or Karagatan

h) Zarzuela

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Spanish Colonial Period

a) Corrido

b) Awit

c) Pasyon
is a dramatization of the passion of
Christ. It highlights the sufferings and death
d) Cenaculo of Jesus Christ, and it is also done during the
Lenten season.
e) Moro-moro

f) Tibag

g) Duplo
or Karagatan

h) Zarzuela

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Spanish Colonial Period

a) Corrido

b) Awit

c) Pasyon

d) Cenaculo or Comedia de Capa y Espada is a blood-

and-thunder melodrama depicting the
conflict of Christians and Muslims. It is
e) Moro-moro
usually about battles to the death and the
proofs of faith.
f) Tibag

g) Duplo
or Karagatan

h) Zarzuela

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Spanish Colonial Period

a) Corrido

b) Awit

c) Pasyon

d) Cenaculo

e) Moro-moro

is the dramatic reenactment of St.

f) Tibag
Helena’s search for the Holy Cross.

g) Duplo
or Karagatan

h) Zarzuela

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Spanish Colonial Period

a) Corrido

b) Awit

c) Pasyon

d) Cenaculo

e) Moro-moro

f) Tibag

g) Duplo are native dramas that are connected to

or Karagatan
Catholic mourning rituals and harvest
celebrations.
h) Zarzuela

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Spanish Colonial Period

a) Corrido

b) Awit

c) Pasyon

d) Cenaculo

e) Moro-moro

f) Tibag

g) Duplo
or Karagatan
are musical comedies or melodramas that
deal with the elemental passions of human
h) Zarzuela
beings. A Zarzuela follows a certain plot.
Which shows either satirical look at society
or a begrudged life.
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 FILIPINO
WRITERS
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 Francisco Baltazar
(1788-1862)
- the master of traditional Tagalog poetry, became well-known for
his work Florante at Laura(1838–1861), the most famous
metrical romance of the country.

Pedro Paterno (1857-1911)

- wrote Sampaguitas y poesias varias (1880), the first poetry
collection in Spanish by a Filipino; and the novel in
Spanish Ninay (1885), considered to be the first Filipino novel.

Dr. Jose Rizal (1861-1896)

- a prominent ilustrado and the country’s national hero, is famous for the novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo. These novels portray the corruption and abuse of the Spanish
officials and the clergy.

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 Andres Bonifacio
(1863-1897)
- the founder of the Katipunan, wrote the poem “Pag-ibig sa
Tinubuang Lupa.” This poem appeared in the Kalayaan, the
official newspaper of the Katipunan, in March 1896.

Leona Florentino (1849-1884)

- known as the “mother of Philippine women’s literature,”
was a poet in both Ilocano and Spanish.

- Twenty of her poems were preserved and exhibited in Europe.

The poems were included in the Encyclopedia International
des Oeuvres des Femme in 1889.

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 AMERICAN
COLONIAL PERIOD
(1898-1940)

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 American
Colonial Period
- The US established a civil government in 1901.

- Free public education was introduced and English was the

medium of instruction.
- In 1934, President Roosevelt signed a bill making the
Philippines a commonwealth. On May 14, 1935 Manuel L.
Quezon was elected President.

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American Colonial Period

LITERARY WORKS PRODUCED

• The production of literary works in English is the direct result of the

American colonization of the Philippines.
• The first collection of poetry in English is Filipino Poetry (1924),
edited by Rodolfo Dato.
• The short story “Dead Stars”(1925) by Paz Marques Benitez is
considered as the First Filipino modern short story in English.
• “A Child of Sorrow” (1921) by Zoilo M. Galang is the First Filipino
Novel in English.
• The novel “His Native Soil” (1940) by Juan C. Laya won first prize
in the First Commonwealth Literary Awards in 1940.
• Filipino writers in English during the apprenticeship period (1900-
1930) imitated American writing.
• The poet Fernando Maramag writes in the Romantic tradition in his
sonnet “Moonlight on Manila Bay” (1912), Filipino fictionists
copied Sherwood Anderson, William Saroyan, and Ernest
Hemingway.
• Jose Garcia Villa used the Anderson pattern. Manuel Arguilla and
N.V.M. Gonzalez were influenced by Anderson and Hemingway.
Francisco Arcellana was influenced by Saroyan.

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 JAPANESE
COLONIAL PERIOD
(1941-1945)

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 Japanese
Colonial Period
- On December 08, 1941, the Japanese attacked Manila.
- On January 02, 1942, the Japanese occupied Manila. They set up a
Council of State in the country and started propaganda to remold the
Filipinos.
- In October 1943 the Japanese declared the Philippines
“independent” .
- On September 20, Jose P. Laurel was elected President.
- MacArthur and his Allied forces returned to the country in 1944.
- They landed on Leyte on October 20, and the biggest naval battle in
history ensued.
- The Japanese surrendered formally on September 02, 1945.

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Japanese Colonial Period

LITERARY WORKS PRODUCED

• During the occupation, publications were censored by the military.

• Also, Tagalog was declared an official Language (together with Nihonggo).
• In effect, Philippines literature in English came to a halt. Some Filipino
writers then turned to writing in Filipino.
• The Tagalog short story reached its maturity during the period.
• The best works were complied by the Liwayway magazine editors in “Ang
pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang Pilipino” ng 1943, which came out in
1944.
• It is a collection of stories that won a contest sponsored by the Japanese.
• The Top 4 stories were:
1. “Lupang Tinubuan” by Narciso G. Reyes
2. “Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa” by Liwayway Arceo
3. “Nayon at Dagat-dagatan” by N. V. M. Gonzalez
4. “Suyuan sa Tubigan” by Macario Pineda

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 CONTEMPORARY
PERIOD
(Post war)

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Contemporary Period
(Post-war)
• Include all literary works written and published in the Philippines from 1946.
• After World war II, the Philippines had to deal with the economy and the
need for rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructures.
- There was political, economic, and social confusion, as well as
great poverty, and these issues found their way into the short stories
and novels during that time.

• During the postwar period, Filipino writers got their inspiration from
American teachers and were able to learn their techniques, which also helped
in mastering the English language.
• Writers wrote fiction that focused on courageous deeds as well as the sacrifices
and suffering in the lives of Filipinos.
- common for writers to write about the experiences of the Filipino people
under the
Spanish and American rule and the Japanese Occupation.
- Other subjects and themes include:
- religious faith, superstitions, fantasy, social problems, poverty,
politics, immorality

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ContemporaryPeriod

LITERARY WORKS PRODUCED

• Philippine Literature flourished even more during the postwar and contemporary
period.
- Writers were able to produce short stories, novels, essays, and poems that continue
to be read by Filipinos today.

• Examples: Some works written in the postwar and contemporary period are:

1. May Day Eve by Nick Joaquin, 1947

2. Waywaya by F. Sionil Jose, 1983
3. We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers by Alejandro Roces, 1948
4. The Return by Edith L. Tiempo
5. History and Philippine Culture by Horacio de la Costa, 1965
6. Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana, 1947

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Contemporary Period
NICK JOAQUIN
o a National Artist for
Literature awardee, wrote
articles under the name of
Quijano de Manila.
o - His short story "May Day
Eve," published in 1947, is
about love in a patriarchal
society.
o - It also made use of magic
realism.
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F. SIONIL JOSE
o a Filipino author, essayist, and
o One of the most widely read
Filipino writers in English,
wrote the short story
"Waywaya," which is about
pre-Hispanic society and the
people’s struggle for moral
order.
presentation title
ALEJANDRO ROCES
dramatist, wrote the short
story "We Filipinos Are
Mild Drinkers."
- focuses on the drinking
habits and culture of Filipinos
and Americans.
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Contemporary Period
EDITH L. TIEMPO
o Her poem "The Return" is a
sentimental piece that talks
about life in old age.
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HORACIO DE LA COSTA
o wrote the first postwar
o wrote the essay "History and
Philippine Culture," which
emphasizes the importance of
understanding and presenting
a nation’s culture.
presentation title
STEVAN JAVELLANA
Filipino novel in
English, “Without Seeing the
Dawn”.
-narrates what people
experienced during World
War II under the Japanese
rule in the Philippines.
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Thank you for Listening !