Name: Danica Louise O.

Manzano
Philippine Literature

Course & Block: BSIE-GFD 2A

Subject:

Philippine literature had evolved much before colonization. It is full of legends and tales of
colonial legacy. Mexican and Spanish dominance over the land and the people, over varying periods of
time, witnessed the incorporation of English, Spanish, Filipino and native languages, to express ideology
and opinion. Literature in the Philippines developed much later than in most other countries. Evidence
reveals the use of a script called "Baybayin" that flourished in 1521. "Baybayin" was used to write about
legends, in Luzon, during Spaniard domination.The literature of the Philippines before the advent of the
Spaniards was predominantly a reflection of the indigenous culture and traditions of the land. The people
of Manila and native groups within the Philippines used to write on bamboo and the arecaceae palm. They
used knives for inscribing the ancient Tagalog script.
The literature thus preserved was limited to the seventeen basic symbols of the language. With just
three vowels and consonantal symbols that had predetermined, inherent sound, the literature handed
down was in a 'raw' state and needed to be developed. The Tagalog language script that was used initially
to preserve and hand down literature, was limited to a diacritical mark or "kudlit" that further modified
pronunciation and writing. The dot, line or arrow head was either placed above or below the symbol. The
literature thus preserved has played a very important role in the public schooling arena and the rise of the
educated class.The colonization by Spain breathed a different kind of life into vernacular and Filipino
literature. Spain brought about liberal ideas and a sense of internationalism to the people of Philippines,
which was reflected in the popularity of chivalric heroic poems called "awit" and religious poems called
'"corridos"'. Religious literature, biography of saints and folktales became the mainstay of vernacular
literature during the early period of colonization.
Philippine literature in Spanish can be broadly categorized into three stages or phases. The first
phase was the time period when religious works as instructed by the colonial masters were spread
throughout the land. In the early 17th century Tomas Pinpin published a book that attempted to translate
Spanish to local Tagalog language. Thus paving the way for Filipinos to learn and understand the ways of
the colonialists. This small event marked the beginning of increased learning and use of Spanish by local
writers and authors. By the early 1800s many writers began to recognize the Philippines a separate entity
from Spain and subsequently expressed their views and ideas through their works. Some prominent works
of the time were, "El Paranaso Filipino", "Mare Magnum". Literature in the Philippines was developed and
preserved by native Filipino intellectuals. Isidro Marfori, Enrique Fernandez Lumba, Cecilio Apostol,
Fernando Ma. Guerrero, Jess Balmori, Flavio Zaragoza Cano and Francisco Zaragoza played a major role in
the preservation of the stories handed down in time. Writers such as Castrillo, Fernandez, Rivera, Licsi and
Estrada also spent a major part of their lives in the documentation of 'by-word-of-mouth' hand-downs.
Columns and articles in newspapers such as "El Renacimiento", "La Vanguardia", "El Pueblo de Iloilo", "La
Democracia" and "El Tiempo" kept the legacies alive in Spanish. In the latter half of the 19th century,
strong nationalistic and patriotic ideas began to flow around all of Philippines and an idea of a free
Philippines, distinct from Spain was expressed by many writers and publications of that time. It was ironic
that nationalism was propagated more through Spanish language instead of the local vernacular tongue.
This era (1870 to 1903) saw the rise of national heroes like Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marcelo H. Del
Pilar and Pedro Paterno who contributed to important Spanish literary work in the Philippines by the way of
various historical documents, revolutionary propaganda and nationalist articles. Philippine literature in
Spanish was preserved well through private publications like '"Plaridel"' and the first Spanish newspaper
'"El Boletn de Ceb"' and '"Flora Sentino"', by Orlando Agnes.
At the start of the 20th century the American control introduced English to the islands that brought
about a significant change in the use of Spanish in Philippine literature. Furthermore, Japanese occupation
during World War II and Commonwealth membership brought about a slow demise of Spanish and an
emergence of English in the country's literature.
The emergence of Philippine literature in English can be traced back to the early 1900s after
the Philippine-American War as English became the medium of teaching in educational institutions across
the Philippines. The advent of missionaries and English educators led to the establishing of English
newspapers and magazines which were short-lived. But the real impetus to English literature was provided
by the founding of the magazines "Philippines Herald" and "Manila Tribune". These publications helped
introduce authors like "Loreto Paras", "Jose Garcia Villa", "Casiano Calalang" to the reading public. The first
quarter of the twentieth century proved to be the most favorable period for English literature in the
Philippines and some of the famous publications of those times were: "A Child's Sorrow", "Many Voices",
"The Wound and the Scar", "Literature and Society". The advent of the Second World War and the

subsequent Japanese occupation led most writers and authors to either go underground or write in
Tagalog. Writing in English regained its earlier fervor and enthusiasm once the war was over and produced
some famous writers like "Carlos Bulosan", "Alejandro Roces", "Francisco Arcellana", "Nick Joaquin". Later
on in the 1960s the Philippine government also recognized writers in the form of awards and felicitations
which still continue today.
Literary work now available includes articles on Spanish conquest, native cultural heritage, precolonial literature and traditional narratives. Another very interesting segment of Philippine literature
includes inspiring speeches and songs. This segment has effectively maintained the mystifying
characteristic of Philippine epics and folk tales. The narratives and descriptions of various magical
characters, mythical objects and supernatural are surreal, distinctly adhering to the ideologies and
customs of the natives.
Ethno-epics such as "Biag ni Lam-ang" or the Life of Lam-ang, "Agyu" or "Olahing", "Sandayo of
Subanon", "Aliguyon, the Hudhud" and "Labaw Donggon" are great examples of assimilated styles and
language variations. Today, Philippine literature reflects national issues through political prose, essay
writing and novels. Novels by Jose Rizal, El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere patronize the revival of the
rich folk traditions. Philippine literature is a uniting element among its people that encompasses a way of
life and values cherished by the locals and will continue to evolve as enriched by modern changes.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/history-of-philippine-literature.html
Why do we need to study Philippine Literature?

Whatever nationality you are it is always very important to study the literature of your country. In
doing so you are not only learning about the historical aspects of your land, but you are also
keeping alive the thoughts, beliefs and cultural variations of your ancestors that differentiate
your country from the rest of the world.

A country's literature also tells us about its civilization in a form other than straight fact. Literature
is usually one person's description of a situation told through their own personal feelings;
eyewitness testimony to historical events that we were not present at. Writers have a talent for
bringing the past back to life with emotive language and metaphor, helping us to imagine scenarios
that may have happened decades, or even centuries, ago.

Historical Background of Philippine Literature During the Modern Period

Literature and history are closely related. In discovering the history of a race, the feelings, aspirations,
customs and traditions of a people are sure to be included. These mans feelings, aspirations, customs and
traditions that are written is literature . History that records mans life- his experiences, feelings, thoughts.
It is also literature. Then we can say that literature is history and history is literature.

Martial Law repressed and curtailed human rights, including freedom of the press
Writers used symbolism and allegories to drive home their message, at the face of heavy
censorship. Theater was used as a vehicle for protest, such as the PETA (Phil.
Educational Theater Association) and UP Theater.4.From the eighties onwards, writers continue
to show dynamism and innovation
The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continues especially with the
appearance of new publications after the Martial Law years and the resurgence of committed
literature in the 1960s and the 1970s.
Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels and essays
whether these are socially committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in intention or not.
Of course the Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the proliferation
of writers workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature available to him via the mass
media including the internet. The various literary awards such as the Don Carlos Palanca
Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Home Life and
Panorama literary awards encourage him to compete with his peers and hope that his creative
efforts will be rewarded in the long run. With the new requirement by the Commission on Higher
Education of teaching of Philippine Literature in all tertiary schools in the country emphasizing

the teaching of the vernacular literature or literature of the regions, the audience for Filipino
writers is virtually assured. And, perhaps, a national literature finding its niche among the
literature of the world will not be far behind.
With the requirement by the Commission on Higher Education to teach Philippine Literature in
all tertiary schools in the country, the teaching of the vernacular literature or literature of the
regions was emphasized.
Filipino writers started to use their writings to explore socio-political realities. The tradition of
protest has always been a potent force in the production of socially committed writings, as a
number of critics such as Bienvenido Lumbera, and Epifanio San Juan Jr. have argued. The
1970s, for example, witnessed the proliferation of poems, short stories, and novels which
grappled with the burning issues of the times. In a large number of magazines and journals,
writers in both English and Pilipino faced the problems of exploitation and injustice, and
appropriated these realities as the only relevant materials for their fiction.
Literature has started with fables and legends made by the ancient Filipinos long before the
arrival of the Spanish influence. The main themes of Philippine literature focus on the countrys
pre-colonial cultural traditions and the socio-political histories of its colonial and contemporary
traditions.
Is not a secret that many Filipinos are unfamiliar with Philippine literature especially those
written long before the Spanish arrived in our country. This is due to the fact that the stories of
ancient time were not written, but rather passed on from generation to generation through word
of mouth. Only in 1521 did the Filipinos become to be acquainted with literature due to the
influence of the Spaniards on us. But the literature that the Filipinos became acquainted with
are not Filipino maid, rather, they were works of Spanish authors.
The rise of nationalistic pride in the 1960s and 1970s also helped bring about this change of
attitude among a new breed of Filipinos concerned about the Filipino identity.
The 1960s were, summarily, a period when writers seriously grappled with problems of art. The
early 1970s saw a proliferation of politically motivated or committed writing and protest
literature. Short-story writers became more conscious of the political milieu and of social issues
in the wake of the increased activism all over the world and right in their country, especially
during the troubled days of a dictatorial government. Some of the more recent fiction writers
include Paulino Lim, Alfred Yuson, Jose Dalisay, Mario Eric Gamalinda, and Cristina P. Hidalgo.
In the meantime, what about the novelists? The war provided postwar novelists with a subject.
Stevan Javellanas Without Seeing the Dawn focuses on an antiheroic protagonist hardened and
embittered by the war, but ultimately vindicating himself and becoming almost heroic in the
process. Edilberto Tiempo, the fiction writer and critic, wrote with an awareness of social history
but remained strictly formalistic in his firm grasp of craft and his handling of history. Bienvenido
Santos worked with a sense of pathos, irony, and realism, and took up the theme of personal
and sociocultural alienation, especially among Filipinos stranded in America during the war,
suffering from intense homesickness but somehow managing to endure with strength and
fortitude and loveliness of spirit.
Francisco Sionil Joses monumental Rosales saga, which is made up of five novels, has, more
than any other series of works, touched on this Filipino search for roots, as well as on struggle,
social corruption, and the fight for social justice in post-colonial times. No other writer has been
more widely translated on his own country and other countries. N.V.M. Gonzalezs novels also
reflect discipline, control, and irony, best reflected in his portrayal of the harsh world of the
fisher folk and peasants who endured and prevailed with dignity and grace in the face of
pressure and want. His novels are manifestations of reality turned art.
Recent novelists have ventured into the murky terra incognita of postmodernism, rejecting the
traditional concepts of fiction, portraying a world devoid of value and meaning, interweaving
literature with journalism, history, biography, and even criticism. The objective is merely
pleasure of the text through verbal or psychological constructs, a totality of vision. Examples
of such avant-garde Filipino fictionists are Mario Eric Gamalinda, Jessica Hagedorn, and Alfred
Yuson, to name but three of the more prominent figures.
Meanwhile, the influence of literature in the country is imperiled by the impact of modern
technology on life and culture, and the Filipino writer feels it his responsibility to put literature
back on track and in the center of life, aware of the perpetual need to upgrade and transform it
into a meaningful social yet artistically forward-moving activity, opening up to a large
interdependent world, listening to the polyphony of voices which could add to their own
largeness of spirit and understanding, aware that they cannot continue to write in isolation, that

each of the writings of all writers of the world is but a mere episode within that one general
experience of the universal person forever in the process of unfolding and evolving.
NOTABLE PEOPLE

Jose Rizal
Marcelo H. Del Pilar
Carlos P. Romulo
Francisco Balagtas
Amado V. Hernandez
Carlos Bulosan
Teodoro M. Locsin
Claro M. Recto

NOTABLE WORKS
Noli Me Tangere (The Social Cancer as the alternative English title) is a Spanish-language novel written
by Jos Rizal that is credited with the awakening of nationalism among the Filipinos of Rizal's time. It was
published in 1887 in Berlin. The novel is commonly referred to by its shortened name Noli. The English
translation of Charles Derbyshire was titled The Social Cancer, although some other translations retain the
original Latin.
El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed as the alternative English title of the translation by Charles
Derbyshire) is the second novel written by Jos Rizal as the sequel to Noli Me Tangere. Like Noli Me
Tangere, it was written in Spanish. The novel is frequently nicknamed "El Fili" or simply "Fili.". Rizal began
writing El Filibusterismo in October 1887 while he was in Calamba. In London (1888), he revised the plot
and some chapters. Rizal continued to work on his manuscript in Paris. He later moved to Brussels where
the cost of living was cheaper and he would be less likely to be distracted by social events so he could
focus on finsihing the book. He finally completed the book on March 29, 1891 in Biarritz. It was published
in September of that year in Ghent, partially funded by Rizal's friend Valentin Ventura.
Biag ni Lam-ang
Ibong Adarna
Florante at Laura (or Florante and Laura) is a masterpiece of Francisco Baltazar (also known as
Balagtas). It is one of the most influential Philippine poems ever written. The title Florante at Laura is an
abbreviation of the poem's actual title which is Pinagdaanang Buhay Nina Florante at Laura sa Kahariang
Albanya: Kinuha sa Madlang Cuadro historico o pinturang nagsasabi sa mga nangyari nang unang panahon
sa imperyo ng Gresya, at tinula ng isang matuwain sa bersong Tagalog. (The Life Story of Florante and
Laura in the Kingdom of Albania: Culled from historical accounts and paintings which describe what
happened in ancient Greece, and written by one who enjoys Tagalog verse.)
Florante at Laura was said to be a result of the heartache that Baltazar received after losing the woman
that he loved the most, Maria Asuncion Rivera, to a rich and powerful man named Mariano Capule.. Rivera
was said to be the woman to whom Baltazar referred to as Celia and MAR in his poem. Florante at Laura
was also written as a depiction of the country's situation during the rule of the Spaniards. The poem shows
that religious difference should not be used to discriminate against one another.
Florante and Laura is considered an Awit or a song in English. It has 399 stanzas and is written in
poetic form with the following characteristics:

There are 4 lines per stanza;

There are 12 syllables per line;
It has an AAAA rhyme scheme;
It has a slight pause on the sixth syllable;
Each stanza is usually a complete grammatically-correct sentence;
Each stanza is full of figures of speech

Doctrina Christiana is prestigious among numerous religious literary works for having been the first
published book in the Philippines in 1593. It has a distinct Dominican design at the front, a woodcut

frontispiece that is an ancient signature of its publisher, Imprenta de los Dominicanos de Manila, now
popularly known as the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. Although it was not mentioned in the
printed book, historians agreed that Plasencia was the author of the text that appears in this Doctrina. It
was the same catechetical guide approved during the Manila Synod in 1782, presided by Bishop Salazar.
FILIPINO WRITER AND THEIR WORKS
This list was based on the popularity and number of bestselling works and whose works became influential
to the lives of the Filipinos.this greatest Filipino writers blog was made by jecmendiola and onesounddrum.
10. CARLO J. CAPARAS
Carlo J. Caparas is a comic strip creator, writer, director and producer who became sensational known for
his created local superheroes and comic book characters that are still popular to Filipinos until now. Some
of his creations turned Filipino icons such as Panday (a Blacksmith hero) and many others. As a producer
and director, Carlo J. Caparas produced box-office movies based on comics and true-to-life stories and
crimes. In 2009 he received National Artist Award granted by the President of the Philippines.
9. MARS RAVELO
Mars Ravelo is also a comic strip creator and writer who became phenomenal in the Philippines for his
created superheroes such as Darna (a Filipino version of Wonder Woman), Dyesabel (name of the Filipino
mermaid/heroine), and many others. During his time, the Golden Age of Comics flourished. Like Carlo J.
Caparas, Mars Ravelos creations and writings were turned into films and became box-office hit during
1960s to 1980s. Ravelo was also the highest paid comic writer during his time. Until now, his creations is
still influential to Philippine contemporary literature.
8. LOUIE MAR GANGCUANCO
The youngest among the list, Louie Mar Gangcuanco published his debut novel entitled Orosa-Nakpil,
Malate at the age of 18. The novel illustrates the pink culture in the streets of Orosa and Nakpil, which is
known as the haven of gay Filipino culture. The novel became an instant hit, becoming a bestseller months
after it was released. His work was featured in the top-rating TV show, Sharon, in June of the same year. In
August 2006, Louie Mar was awarded the Y Idol Award (Youth Idol Award) by Studio 23s Y Speak. Later that
month, the Sentro ng Wikang Filipino conferred a Sertipiko ng Pagpapahalaga for Orosa-Nakpil, Malate. His
phenomenal novel is endorsed by prominent people and institutions including the multi-awarded director,
Jose Javier Joey Reyes, Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan (former DOH secretary) and Dr. Raul Destura of the National
Institutes of Health Philippines.
After one year of circulation, Orosa-Nakpil, Malate made it to the Best Sellers List released by National
Book Store in April 2007. With him in the list are authors Mitch Albom of One More Day, James Patterson
and Maxine Paetro of The Fifth Horseman, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez of Memories of My Melancholy
Whores. The book landed on the Top 8 spot, overtaking international authors Steve Berry and Kiran Desai.
7. GILDA OLVIDADO
Gilda Olvidado is a popular Filipino novelist and writer, known for her extraordinary love stories. She
became famous during the 1970s with her remarkable novels Sinasamba Kita (I Worship You),
Babangon akot Dudurugin Kita (Sweet Revenge). She also wrote screenplays that later turned into
blockbuster such as Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig? (Where is Love Hiding?) who made her rise into
popularity after the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences recognized it as the best story. Today,
Gilda Olvidados fans are still counting, waiting the release for her next novel.
6. NICK JOAQUIN
Nick Joaqun was born in Paco, Manila, one of the ten children of Leocadio, a colonel under General Emilio
Aguinaldo in the 1896 Revolution, and Salome Marquez, a teacher of English and Spanish. Being read
poems and stories by his mother, Joaquin taught himself by reading widely at the National Library of the
Philippines and the library of his father, who by that time was a successful lawyer after the revolution. This
developed further his interest in writing.
At age 17, Joaqun was first published in the literary section of the Pre-World War II Tribune under writer
and editor Serafn Lanot. Before publishing in the Tribune, Joaquin worked as a proofreader of the paper.

After winning a Dominican Order-sponsored nationwide essay competition for La Naval de Manila, the
University of Santo Tomas awarded Joaqun an honorary Associate in Arts (A.A.) and a scholarship to St.
Alberts Convent, the Dominican monastery in Hong Kong. Upon his return to the Philippines, he joined the
Philippines Free Press, starting as a proofreader. Soon, he was noticed for his poems, stories and plays, as
well as his journalism under the pen name Quijano de Manila. His journalism was markedly both
intellectual and provocative, an unknown genre in the Philippines at that time, raising the level of
reportage in the country.
Joaqun deeply admired Jos Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Joaqun paid tribute to Rizal by way
of books such as The Storytellers New Medium Rizal in Saga, The Complete Poems and Plays of Jose
Rizal, and A Question of Heroes: Essays in Criticism on Ten Key Figures of Philippine History. He also
translated the heros valedictory poem, in the original Spanish Mi Ultimo Adios, as Land That I Love,
Farewell!
Joaqun served as a member of Motion Pictures under President Diosdado Macapagal and President
Ferdinand E. Marcos. Joaquins first move as National Artist was to secure the release of imprisoned writer
Jos F. Lacaba. Later, at a ceremony on Mount Makiling attended by First Lady Imelda Marcos, Joaqun
delivered an invocation to Mariang Makiling, the mountains mythical maiden. Joaqun touched on the
importance of freedom and the artist. As a result, for the remainder of the Marcos regime, Joaqun no
longer received invitations to address important cultural events.
5. LUALHATI BAUTISTA
Lualhati Bautista is one of the foremost Filipino female novelists in the history of contemporary Philippine
Literature. Her novels include, Dekada 70 (Decade 70), Bata, Bata, Pano Ka Ginawa? (Child, Child
How were you made?, and GAP (short name for Olongapo, Philippines).
In addition to being a novelist, Lualhati Bautista is also a movie and television screenwriter and a short
story writer. Her first screenplay was Sakada (Seasonal Sugarcane Workers), a story written in 1975 that
exposed the plight of Filipino peasants. Bautista has received recognition from the Philippines Don Carlos
Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa in 1987. Her award-winning
screenplays include Bulaklak sa City Jail (A Flower in City Jail) (1984), Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap (If The
Clouds are Parted) (1984), Sex Object (1985). For screenplay writing, she has received recognition from the
Metro Manila Film Festival (best story-best screenplay), Film Academy Awards (best story-best screenplay),
Star Awards (best screenplay), FAMAS (finalist for best screenplay), and URIAN awards. Two of her short
stories have also won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, Tatlong Kuwento ng Buhay ni
Julian Candelabra (Three Stories in the Life of Julian Candelabra), first prize, 1982; and Buwan, Buwan,
Hulugan mo Ako ng Sundang (Moon, Moon, Drop Me a Sword), third prize, 1983. Bautista also authored the
television dramas Daga sa Timba ng Tubig (The Mouse in the Bucket of Water) (1975) and Isang Kabanata
sa Libro ng Buhay ni Leilani Cruzaldo (A Chapter in the Book of Life of Leilani Cruzaldo) (1987). The latter
won best drama story for television from the Catholic Mass Media Awards.
Bautista was honored by the Ateneo Library of Womens Writings on March 10, 2004 during the 8th Annual
Lecture on Vernacular Literature by Women. In 2005, the Feminist Centennial Film Festival presented her
with a recognition award for her outstanding achievement in screenplay writing. In 2006, she was recipient
of the Diwata Award for best writer by the 16th International Womens Film Festival of the UP Film Center.
She is also the only Filipino included in a book on foremost International Women Writers published in Japan,
1991.
4. F. SIONIL JOSE
F. Sionil Jose is one of the most widely-read Filipino writers in the English language. His novels and short
stories depict the social underpinnings of class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society. Joss works
written in English have been translated into 22 languages, including Korean, Indonesian, Russian,
Latvian, Ukrainian and Dutch.
Jose Rizals life and writings profoundly influenced Joss work. The five volume Rosales Saga, in particular,
employs and interrogates themes and characters from Rizals work.
Throughout his career, Sionil Joss writings espouse social justice and change to better the lives of
average Filipino families. He is one of the most critically acclaimed Filipino authors internationally, although

much underrated in his own country because of his authentic Filipino English and his anti-elite views.
In 1980, Sionil Jose received Ramon Magsaysay Award (Asias Nobel Prize) for Literature.
3. FRANCISCO BALAGTAS
Francisco Baltazar, known much more widely through his nom-de-plume Francisco Balagtas, was a
prominent Filipino poet, and is widely considered as the Tagalog equivalent of William Shakespeare for his
impact on Filipino literature. The famous epic, Florante at Laura, is regarded as his defining work.
Balagtas learned to write poetry from Jos de la Cruz (Huseng Sisiw), one of the most famous poets of
Tondo. It was de la Cruz himself who personally challenged Balagtas to improve his writing. (source:
Talambuhay ng mga Bayani, for Grade 5 textbook).In 1835, Balagtas moved to Pandacan, where he met
Mara Asuncin Rivera, who would effectively serve as the muse for his future works. She is referenced in
Florante at Laura as Celia and MAR.
Balagtas affections for Celia were challenged by the influential Mariano Capule. Capule won the battle for
Celia when he used his wealth to get Balagtas imprisoned under the accusation that he ordered a servant
girls head be shaved. It was here that he wrote Florante at LauraIn fact, the events of this poem were
meant to parallel his own situation.
He wrote his poems in Tagalog, during an age when Filipino writing was predominantly written in Spanish.
Balagtas published Florante at Laura upon his release in 1838. He moved to Balanga, Bataan in 1840
where he served as the assistant to the Justice of peace and later, in 1856, as the Major Lieutenant. He
was also appointed as the translator of the court.
Balagtas is so greatly revered in the Philippines that the term for Filipino debate in extemporaneous verse
is named for him: balagtasan.
2. BOB ONG
Bob Ong, is the pseudonym of an anonymous Filipino contemporary author known for using conversational
Filipino to create humorous and reflective depictions of life as a Filipino.
A Filipino Literary critic once commented:
Filipinos really patronize Bob Ongs works because, while most of his books may have an element of
comedy in them, this is presented in a manner that replicates Filipino culture and traditions. This is likely
the reason why his first book and those that followed it, can be considered true Pinoy classics.
The six books he has published thus far have surpassed a quarter of a million copies. His words of wisdom
were applied by some of the Filipinos to their daily lives.
1. JOSE RIZAL
For obvious reasons, he is the most influential and the most bestselling author/writer until now.
Jose Rizal was a prolific poet, essayist, diarist, correspondent, and novelist whose most famous works were
his two novels, Noli me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El filibusterismo The Filibuster). These are social
commentaries on the Philippines that formed the nucleus of literature that inspired dissent among peaceful
reformists and spurred the militancy of armed revolutionaries against the Spanish colonial authorities.
His books are still cracking the bestselling list.
http://greatestfilipino.wikidot.com/filipino-writers