PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING THE PRE-SPANISH PERIOD
Characteristics

of
the

The literature thus preserved was limited to the seventeen
basic symbols of the language. With just three vowels and
consonantal symbols that had predetermined.

The people of Manila and native groups within the
Philippines used to write on bamboo and the arecaceae
palm.
period
Pre-colonial natives of our islands display an amusing past
through:
a. their folk speeches (refers to the dialect, or style of
speaking, unique to people living within a geographic area)
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING THE HISPANIC PERIOD
Examples: bugtong (riddle)

salawikain (proverbs)
b. folk songs
Examples

Ang Gatas At Ang Itlog (The Milk and The Eggs)

Aking Bituin (My Star)

Magtanim Ay Di Biro (Planting Rice)

Atin Ku Pung Sinsing (Once I had a Ring - Lyrics in
Panpango)

Leron, Leron Sinta (My Dear Little Leron)
c. folk narratives (stories handed down from the remote past by
words of mouth from one generation to another, reflecting the
people’s tradition, feelings, beliefs and judgments)
Examples:
d. indigenous rituals (ritual traditions of Filipinos are best
understood in terms of their intentions. At the core of any ritual is
the fundamental belief that there exists a delicate balance between
man and nature, and the spirit world)
Examples:
Healing Practices
Entering a Newly Built House (Segep di Baey)
Festival (Begnas And Pacde)
The Agricultural Cycle Practices in Tadian Festival (Obaya)
Wedding Celebration (Dawak) Child Birth in Tadian
e. mimetic dances (type of dance thatimitates nature; it mimics
the behaviors of animals and natural phenomena)
Examples:
Itik-Itik
Mananagat (Cebuano for “fisherman”) The monkey dance (Aeta
dance)
The bee dance The lover's dance The battle dance

Predominantly a reflection of the indigenous culture and
traditions of the land. They used knives for inscribing the
ancient Tagalog script
1. Awit or song. Awit (and korido) are “long verse
narratives on chivalric-heroic, religious, legendary and
folkloric uyayi – lullaby themes
Examples of Awit

komintang – war song

kundiman – melancholic love song

harana – serenade

tagay – drinking song

mambayu – Kalinga rice-pounding song

subli – dance-ritual song of courtship/marriage

Tagulaylay- songs of the dead
2. Riddle or bugtong. Riddle uses “talinhaga”, or a metaphor
that actually helps convey the answer to the riddle.
3. Sawikain (or salawikain). These are proverbs that are used
to express pieces of wisdom or beliefs that are important to
Filipino society. These forms are all done in verse, or metrical
writing.
4. Epic or epiko. This is the major pre-Hispanic poetic form.
These are long, episodic, chanted poems which told a story,
normally about a legendary hero and his adventures, often
contending with, and also being aided by, supernatural
creatures and spirits. Often chanted at feasts and rituals.
5. BULONG (CHANTS)

Used in witchcraft or enchantments
Examples:
o
Hele hele Bago kyeme
o
Tabi, tabi po, Ingkong Makikiraan po lamang.
6. Kasabihan or sayings. It is used in teasing or to comment on
a persons’ actuations
. Example:
“Nag-almusal mag-isa Kaning lamig, tinapa; Nahulog ang
kutsara Ikaw na sana, sinta
Sa hinaba-haba ng prusisyon sa simbahan din ang tulo
7. Tanaga is a quatrain with seven syllables each with the same
rhyme at the end of each line
⚫
No title
⚫
7-7-7-7
⚫
AABB
Example: “Tahak ng tingin, tulak
ng sulyap, yakap, lapat ng titig sa balikat. hatak pa, kindat, hakat”
8. Ambahan is a 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. It is
seven- syllable metric lines that can be composed of more than four
lines, is usually chanted and teaches lessons about life.
SPANISH PERIOD
1. Pasyon. Pasyon involves the chanting of a narrative aboutJesus’
death and resurrection.
2. Senakulo. Senakulo, also known as Passion plays depict the
passion and death of Jesus Christ. These are staged in various parts
of the country in the week leading to Easter. The most famous
sanakulo is Marinduque’s Moriones Festival
3. Komedya. Secular Komedya is performed at the local fiestas.
Moro-moro is a type of Secular Komedya which portrays the clash
between the Muslims and the Christians where the forbidden
romance between the prince and the princess is settled by having
non-Christian be converted to Christianity or by his or her death
followed by a resurrection through divine intervention.
4.Carillo. It is a play that uses shadows as its main spectacle. This is
created by animating figures made from cardboard Which are
projected onto a white screen
5. Religious Drama (Panunuluyan) (Tagalog for "asking for
lodgings") is a Philippine Christmas dramatic ritual narrating the Holy
Family's search for a place to stay in Bethlehem for Jesus Christ's
birth through song
Philippine Literature in English
In a way, we can say that we can trace the beginnings of Philippine
literature in English with the coming of the Americans. For this
purpose, we can divide this period into three time frames, namely:
THE RE-ORIENTATION PERIOD [1898-1910]
Writers set out to create a national literature: one that reflects
the Filipino way of life, the traditional values of the people as
Filipinos and utilize the tropical vegetation of the islands.

The Bureau of Education published
Philippine Prose
and Poetry, prescribed as
a high school textbook.

The period shifted from romantic idealism
to romantic realism.
JAPANESE
1941 – 1945
The apprenticeship or the period of imitation (1910-1925)

Filipino student writers learned the language and tried to
produce their pieces patterned after the foreign models.

Literary pieces of study were made by foreign authors.

Filipino writers imitated American and English writers.

More essays, short stories, and poems in English
appeared.

Tales of romance and adventures

Short story anthologies

Essays matured earlier in the milieu of social, economic,
and political
developments and projected Philippine
customs and traditions.

Plays were highly emotional rather than
intellectual experiences.
Poetic styles - Americanm regime
1. Free Verse – it is a literary device that can be defined as
poetry that is free from limitations of regular meteor rhythm
and does not rhyme with fixed forms.
2. New Criticism – it was a formalist movements in literary
theory that dominated American literary criticism in the middle
decades of the 20th century. It emphasized close reading,
particularly of poetry, to discover how a work of literature
functioned as a self-contained, self- referential aesthetic
object.
The emergence Period or the period of self-discovery and
growth (1925-1941)
PERIOD
Between 1941-1945, Philippine Literature was interrupted in its
development when we were again conquered by another
foreign country, Japan.
Philippine literature in English came to a halt.
Except for the Tribune and the Philippine Review, Pillars, Free
Philippines, and Filipina, almost all newspapers in English were
stopped
by
the
Japanese.
During this time, there was no freedom of speech and of the
press.
Victoria Abelardo has described Filipino writing during the
Japanese occupation as being pessimistic and bitter.
There were some efforts at escapist literature, but in general, the
literary output was minor and insignificant. Because of strict
censorship, few literary works were printed during the war
years.
The weekly Liwayway was placed under strict surveillance until
it was managed by a Japanese named Ishiwara.
The only contact with the outside world was done with utmost
secrecy through the underground radio program called
“Voice of Freedom”.
Tagalog was favored by the Japanese military authority and
writing in English was consigned to a limbo.
Japanese were able to influence and encourage the Filipino in
developing the vernacular literature.
The only Filipino writers who could write freely were those who were
living in the United States.

Time of self-discovery and rapid growth

Period of original works with more control of the language
Most writers and authors were lead to either go underground or write
in Tagalog.

Writer’s experimentation with forms and techniques
So, Filipino literature was given a break during this period.
By this time, Filipino writers had acquired the mastery of
English writing. They now confidently and competently wrote
on a lot of subjects although the old-time favorites of love and
youth persisted. They went into all forms of writing like the
novel and the drama.
Filipino literature also experienced renewed attention because
writers in English turned to writing in Filipino
Filipino Poetry
Three types of poems emerged during this period.
Haiku
– a poem of free verse that the Japanese liked.
Narciso Reyes with his LUPANG TINUBUAN
It is made up of seventeen (17) syllables divided into three
(3) lines. The first line has five, the second – seven and the third – five.
It is allegorical in meaning, short and covers a wide scope in meaning.
Second Prize:
Liwayway Arceo’s
UHAW ANG TIGANG NA LUPA
Tanaga
- like the haiku, it is short, but has measure and rhyme. Each line has
seventeen syllables and is also allegorical in meaning.
Third Prize:
NVM Gonzales’
Karaniwang Anyo
LUNSOD NAYON AT DAGAT-DAGATAN
(Usual Form)
Noteworthy writer of the period
– the usual and common form of poetry
was Carlos P. Romulo who won the Pulitzer Prize for his bestsellers
Filipino Short Stories
I SAW THE FALL OF THE PHILIPPINES,
-The field of the short story widened during the Japanese Occupation.
I SEE THE PHILIPPINES RISE and his MOTHER AMERICA AND MY
BROTHER AMERICANS.
Many wrote short stories. Among them were:
Brigido Batungbakal
Serafin Guinigindo
Journalists include Salvador P. Lopez, Leon Ma. Geurrero, Raul
Manglapuz and Carlos Bulosan.
Macario Pineda
Liwayway Arceo,
Narciso Ramos
NVM Gonzales,
Ligaya Perez Gloria Guzman
Alicia Lopez Lim
Nick Joaquin produced THE WOMAN WHO LOOKED LIKE LAZARUS.
Fred Ruiz Castro wrote a few poems.
LITERATURE AND SOCIETY
Filipino
Drama
The drama experienced a lull during the Japanese period because
movie houses showing American films were closed.
by Salvador P. Lopez (Essay)
- The big movie houses were just made to show stage shows. Many
of the plays were reproductions of English plays to Tagalog.
President Manuel L. Quezon’s autobiography
-The translators were Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Alberto Concio, and
Narciso Pimentel.
-They also founded the organization of Filipino players named
Dramatic Philippines.
A few of the playwriters were:
1. Jose Ma. Hernandez – wrote PANDAY PIRA
2.Francisco Soc Rodrigo – wrote sa PULA, SA PUTI
3.Clodualdo del Mundo – wrote BULAGA (an expression in the game
Hide and Seek).
4. Julian Cruz Balmaceda
– wrote SINO BA KAYO?, DAHIL SA ANAK, and HIGANTE NG PATAY.
The best writings in 1945 were selected by a group of judges
composed of
Francisco Icasiano, Jose Esperanza Cruz, Antonio Rosales, Clodualdo
del Mundo and Teodoro Santos.
As a result of this selection,
the following got the first three prizes:
First Prize:
HIS
NATIVE SOIL – by Juan Laya (Novel)
THE GOOD FIGHT was published posthumously.
Other writers of this period were Juan Collas (19440, Tomas
Confesor (1945), Roman A. de la Cruz and Elisa Tabuñar.
The Post-war Period – First Decade – The Rebirth of Freedom
(1946-1970)
THE STATE OF LITERATURE DURING THIS PERIOD
The early post-liberation period was marked by a kind of “struggle of
mind and spirit” posed by the sudden emancipation from the enemy,
and the wild desire to see print
There was a proliferation of newspapers like the FREE PRESS,
MORNING SUN, of Sergio Osmeña Sr., DAILY MIRROR of Joaquin
Roces, EVENING NEWS of Ramon Lopezes and the BULLETIN of
Menzi. This only proved that there were more readers in English than
in any other vernaculars like Tagalog, Ilocano or Hiligaynon.
Journalists had their day. They indulged in more militant attitude in
their reporting which bordered on the libelous. Gradually, as
normality was restored, the tones and themes of the writings turned
to the less pressing problems of economic survival.
Some Filipino writers who had gone abroad and had written during
the interims came back to publish their works. Not all the books
published during the period reflected the war year; some were
compilations or second editions of what have been written before.
POETRY IN ENGLISH DURING THIS PERIOD
Period of the Third Republic (1981-1986)
For the first twenty years, many books were published…both in
Filipino and in English. Among the writers during this time were: Fred
Ruiz Castro, Dominador I. Ilio, and C.B. Rigor.
After ten years of military rule and some changes in the life of the
Filipino which started under the New Society, Martial Rule was at last
lifted on January 2, 1981.
NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES IN ENGLISH
During this period, Senator Benigno S. Aquno Jr., the idol of the
Filipino masses, whom they hoped to be the next president, was
brutally murdered on August 21, 1983.
Longer and longer pieces were being written by writers of the period.
Stevan Javellana’s WITHOUT SEEING THE DAWN tells of the grim
experiences of war during the Japanese Occupation.
In 1946, the Barangay Writer’s Project whose aim was to publish
works in English by Filipinos was established.
THE NEW FILIPINO LITERATURE DURING THIS PERIOD
Philippines literature in Tagalog was revived during this period. Most
themes in the writings dealt with Japanese brutalities, of the poverty
of life under the Japanese government and the brave guerilla exploits.
The Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for literature which was
launched in 1950, continued its recognition of the best in the literary
fields – poetry, short story, essays, and the one and three-act plays.
Poems during this period of the Third Republic were romantic and
revolutionary. Writers wrote openly of their criticism against the
government. The supplications of the people were coached in fiery,
colorful, violent, profane and insulting language.
Newspapers and magazine publications were re-opened like the
Bulaklak, Liwayway, Ilang Ilang and Sinag Tala.
Many Filipino songs dealt with themes that were really true-to-life
like those of grief, poverty, aspirations for freedom, love of God, of
country and of fellowmen.
Period of Activism (1970-1972)
The people’s love for sex films was unabated.
According to Pociano Pineda, youth activism in 1970-72 was due to
domestic and worldwide causes. Activism is connected with the
history of our Filipino youth.
Opposition tabloids flourished and was called as “mosquito press”.
News – “political pornography”
Activists were imprisoned in military camps together with rebel
writers. The seeds of activism resulted in the declaration of Martial
Law in 1972. Period of Bloody Placards.
Literature showed reverence for the poor at its peak. The literature
of the activists reached a point where they started boldly what should
be done to effect changes.
Period of the New Society (1972-1981)
The period of the New Society started on September 21, 1972. The
Carlos Palanca Awards continued to give annual awards.
Almost all themes in most writings dealt with the development or
progress of the country – like the Green Revolution, family planning,
proper nutrition, environment, drug addiction and pollution.
The New Society tried to stop pornography or those writings giving
bad influences on the morals of the people. All school newspapers
were temporarily stopped and so with school organizations.
Themes of most poems dealt with patience, regard for native culture,
customs and the beauties of nature and surroundings.
Radio continued to be patronized during this period. The play series
like SI MATAR, DAHLIA, ITO ANG PALAD KO, and MR. LONELY were
the forms of recreation of those without television. Even the new
songs were first heard over the airwaves
Newspapers donned new forms: news on economic progress,
discipline, culture, tourism were favored rather than sensationalized
reporting of killings, rapes, robberies, and others.
The forms of literature that led during this period were the essays,
debates and poetry. The short stories, like the novels and plays were
no different in style from those written before
There was a merging of the separate streams of oral and written
literature.
The Contemporary Period (1986 – present)
The Martial Law Regime of F. E. Marcos fell on February 25, 1986 in a
popular non-violent uprising called EDSA REVOLUTION.
The Post-Martial Law Society was restored with President Corazon C.
Aquino at the helm.
Award-giving bodies, annual competitions, and publications provide
incentives for writers to keep producing literary pieces.
Post-EDSA centers for creative writing were grouped into two:
1. The Academic Institutions where Creative Writing is part of the
curricular offering
2. Writer’s organization that sponsor symposia on writing and/ or set
up workshops for its members and other interested parties
This period was the entry of marginalized authors, genres, and
themes into the main-stream of Philippine critical discourse.
There was developing thrust towards the retrieval and the
recuperation of writing in Philippine languages other than Tagalog.
The non-fiction published pieces consist of collections of essays
originally published as newspaper columns.