Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Submitted by:
J.C. P. Olavides
Student
Submitted to:
Mr. Rolando A. Montecillo Jr.
Instructor
The Japanese Period (1941 – 1945)
I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Japanese ruled most of our archipelago for three years. Eventually, the US
Military forces led by General Douglas MacArthur and the Filipino guerrilla
resistance liberated the Philippine Islands from the Japanese.
The Filipino language flourished during the Japanese because Pres. Manuel L.
Quezon, before his untimely death in year 1944, declared Filipino as the national
language of the Philippines. Filipino literature experienced renewed attention
because writers in English turned to writing in Filipino. Many Fillipino writers
wrote plays, poems and short stories.
While the Japanese occupation
decimated the Filipino population,
destroyed the economy and
wrecked our infrastructure, one
can say that there are still a few
silver linings to this tribulation. As
said by writer Marcus Vaflor, the
country experienced a cultural
renaissance when artists and
writers rediscovered the beauty of
indigenous arts and literature. The
presence of a foreign invader
strengthened our national identity. General Douglas MacArthur, President Osmeña, and
Conclusively, the hardships of war staff land at Palo, Leyte on October 20, 1944.
strengthened the Filipinos’ indomitable will to survive.
POETRY
The Japanese occupation influenced Filipino poets and writers to adopt the
structure of Japanese poetry in writing Filipino poems. Among these types of
poetry are:
Haiku – a poem of free verse that is made up of 17 syllables divided
into three lines (5-7-5). The Haiku, although short, is meaningful and
allegorical.
Tanaga – a short poem similar to the Haiku with measure and rhyme
Karaniwang Anyo (Usual Form)
3. Rodolfo S. Rosales
a. “Love” (Haiku)
Pill in the evening
Black coffee in the morning
And headaches at noon
A recurring theme of the poetry written during the Japanese occupation was
nationalism, country, love, life in the barrios, faith, religion and the arts.
DRAMA
Many movie houses showing American films were closed during the Japanese
period. As a result, the Filipino playwrights began showing stage shows. The plays
were Tagalog adaptations of English plays.
SHORT STORY
The front page of The Tribune, one of the two Filipino newspapers that weren’t stopped by
the Japanese (1942)
During World War II, my great-grandfather was captured by the Japanese
troops and was imprisoned in Ozamis, Misamis Oriental. Following the defeat of
the Japanese, he escaped prison and returned to his family. He and his family rode
a Bangka across the bay in secret and stayed in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, where he
and his clan would settle down over the years that followed.
The written works of the Filipinos during the Japanese occupation reflects
heavily on the state of the post-war society. Since Filipino writers retreated to the
far-flung provinces to escape the wrath of the Japanese, their poems were about
the serenity of the provincial life. The ones who stayed on the cities began writing
in Filipino and singing songs about the freedom and independence that has
eluded them for many years.
Literature, to me, captures the depth of the human experience. There is
nothing else in this world that allows me see what others see and feel what others
feel. It provides insights to the thoughts of other people. “Grow and be Like a
Molave” has shown me that Manuel L. Quezon truly believes that a nation is
nothing less than its citizenry. “A La Juventud Filipina” has shown me that Rizal
believes that the Filipino youth is the hope of the motherland. The written works
of the Filipinos long gone has made me aware of the beliefs they have held.
The literature from this time period is not always written since they can be
shared orally. They are the war stories of your great-grandfathers and the
childhood memoirs of your lolas and lolos. Literature is more than just ink on
paper. Literature is within you. Literature is you.