21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD

Philippine literature withstood time and periods and has evolved through
generations. For every period that passed, different genres appeared, and these
literary works rooted from all regions reflecting their culture, society and lifestyle.

The early stages of Filipino Literature consist of the Pre-Spanish period, the
Spanish period and the Propaganda and Revolutionary Periods. In the Pre-
Spanish period, literature was in oral form as technology of printing wasn’t
available yet. Works such as epics, legends, folklore, salawikain, bugtong,
sawikain, songs such as the Oyayi or Hele are passed on from generations to
generations and they are still well-known up to this day as they are being taught
in schools. Philippine Literature changed during the Spanish Period. It was
centered on Christian faith. Pre-Spanish literary types continued to develop;
however, there was a gradual shift of interest from nature and natural
phenomena to the lives of the saints, hymns, miracles and invocations based on
the teachings of the Catholic Church. The works during this time are imitative of
the Spanish theme, forms, and traditions. The corrido, awit, dalit, cenaculo, moro-
moro, duplo and karagatan, and zarzuela are reflective of the said
characteristics. Religious matters were in prose as novenas and prayer books,
biographies of the saints, tales and novels. The Filipinos were able to retain their
native traditions and poems in the field of poetry reflected as lyrical folksongs and
riddles. Some examples of songs are Bahay Kubo, kundiman, and
tapat. Francisco Baltazar also was popular during this time because of
his “Florante at Laura”. Events such as the exposure of the Filipinos to Europe’s
liberal idealism, the opening of the Suez Canal, the Spanish Revolution in 1868,
and the martyrdom of Gomburza led to Filipino nationalism. This gave birth to two
movements during this time – the Propaganda movement and the Revolutionary
movement. The Propaganda movement was reformatory in objective and its
members are college students mostly based in Spain. The primary propagandists
were Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, and Graciano Lopez-Jaena. The exposure of
the evils of the Spanish rule in the Philippines was because of Rizal’s Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo and has paved the way to a revolution against
Spain. Del Pilar’s essays and editorials in Diariong Tagalog which he founded with
Lopez-Jaena’s articles in La Solidaridad which he was an editor reflected
nationalism that was dominant at this time.

The Revolutionary movement took over as the propagandists failed to get

much reforms. This was of course more violent, and it demands complete
independence from Spain. The Katipunan was founded by Andres Bonifacio who
was inspired by Rizal’s novels. The articles written in tagalog (which was a form of
revolution) was published in the Kalayaan, the newspaper of the society. The

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literature at that time was more propagandistic than literary as the situation and
events at that time needed such purpose for liberation.

The three periods mentioned are the core of our history and literature.
History has a very important role in literature as literature not only reflects facts
with aesthetic language but more importantly, it displays the ideas and feelings
of the people living at that time. Not only does literature exhibit history but so as
the hope that people have. It shows what they hope for the nation, or for
themselves, may it be about nationalism, love, or other aspects going on in life.
As the Philippines underwent a lot of history, as well as changes, literature also
evolved. In the similar case as the first three periods, literary genres also evolve
depending on the influence, state and the condition that our country is in. From
epics to folksongs, to the cenaculo and Noli Me Tangere, to Tagalog and English
short stories, essays, poetry, to the Palanca Awards entries, drama and film, to
Wattpad and blogs – these are all reflective of the history, evolution, and
developments or mishaps of the Filipino nation. Each period has its own distinct
genre and unique artists that everyone remembers.

The Three Literary Periods:

The Pre-Colonial Period (BC-1564)

 Includes all literature produced before the Spanish colonization like chants,
proverbs, songs, and folk narratives. These were all passed down from
generation to generation by word of mouth. Philippine folk narratives are
varied and distinct. They depict the people’s livelihood, customs, and
traditions.
1. Folktale – This is a characteristically anonymous, timeless, and placeless tale
circulated orally among a people.

2. Fable – This features animal characters or inanimate objects that behave like
people.

3. Legend – This is presented as history but is unlikely to be true.

4. Myth – This is told to explain a belief, a practice, or a natural phenomenon.

5. Epic – This narrative poem celebrates the adventures and achievements of a

hero.

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Folktales

 Folktales about Juan are very popular. Some emphasize certain virtues, and
some serve as warning about behavior. Also, some are for the reader’s
amusement.

Example 1: Juan Gathers Guavas (A Tagalog Folktale)

One day several neighbors came to Juan’s home to visit. His father wanted to
give the guests something to eat, so he sent Juan to get some ripe guavas for
them. Full of mischief, Juan decided to play a joke on his father’s guests. He went
to get the guavas and ate all of them while thinking of a good joke. Then he saw
a wasp’s nest hung nearby. With some difficulty he managed to take it down and
put it into a tight basket. He hastened home and gave the basket to his father.
Quickly he left the room where the guests were and closed the door and fastened
it. As soon as Juan’s father opened the basket, the wasps flew over the room. With
the door locked, the people fought to get out of the windows. After a while Juan
opened the door. When he saw the swollen faces of the people, he cried. “What
fine, rich guavas you must have had! They have made you all so fat!”
Example 2: Juan Pusong and His Father’s Cows (A Visayan Folktale)

One day Juan Pusong's father put his cows out to pasture. Juan slipped away
from home and took the cows into the forest and tied them there. When his father
found out that the cows were missing, he looked around for them. While looking,
he ran into his son. “Where did you come from?” he asked. “I just came from
school, Father. How about you, where are you going?” “I am looking for our
cows.” “You don’t say!" said Juan. By that time, everybody knew about Juan’s
power as a seer. So, he took a little book from his pocket and looked into it. He
said, “Our cows are tied together in the forest.” So, his father went to the forest
and found the cows. Later on, people would discover that Juan could not read
even his own name. Consequently, his father beat him for the trick he had played
on him.

Fable
 The monkey is a common animal character in Philippine fables. It is often
depicted as a cunning animal.

Example: The Monkey and the Crocodile (A Tagalog Fable)

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One day, a monkey saw a tall macopa tree laden with ripe fruits, which stood by
a wide river. It was hungry, so it climbed the tree and ate all of the fruits. When it
climbed down, it could find no means by which to cross the river. Then it saw a
young crocodile who had just woken up from its siesta. It said to the crocodile in
a friendly way, “My dear crocodile, will you do me a favor?” The crocodile was
greatly surprised by the monkey’s amicable salutation. So, it answered humbly,
“Oh, yes! If there is anything I can do for you, I shall be glad to do it.” The monkey
then told the crocodile that it wanted to get to the other side of the river. Then
the crocodile said, “I’ll take you there with all my heart. Just sit on my back, and
we’ll go at once.” The monkey sat firmly on the crocodile’s back, and they began
to move. In a short while they reached the middle of the stream. Then the
crocodile began to laugh aloud. “You foolish monkey!” it said, “I’ll eat your liver
and kidneys, for I’m very hungry.” The monkey became nervous. Trying to conceal
its anxiety, it said, “I’m very glad that you mentioned the matter. I thought myself
that you might be hungry, so I have prepared my liver and kidneys for your dinner.
Unfortunately, in our haste to depart, I left them hanging on the macopa tree. Let
us return, and I’ll get them for you.” Convinced that the monkey was telling the
truth, the crocodile turned around and swam back to the direction of the
macopa tree. When they got near the riverbank, the monkey nimbly jumped up
onto the land and scampered up the tree. The crocodile came to realize what
happened and said, “I am a fool.”

Legend
 There are different Filipino legends of the great flood. The story of Bukidnon,
for instance, tells that a huge crab caused the water to rise by going into
the sea. On the other hand, the Igorot story tells that the sons of Lumawig
the Great Spirit caused the flood.
Example 1: The Flood Story (A Legend of Bukidnon)

A long time ago there was a very big crab which crawled into the sea. When it
went in, it crowded the water out so that it ran all over the earth and covered all
the land. Now about one moon before the flood happened, a wise man had told
the people that they must build a large raft. They did as he commanded and cut
many large trees until they had enough to make three layers. These they bound
tightly together; when it was done, they fastened the raft with a long rattan cord
to a big pole in the earth. Soon after the raft was done, the flood came. White
water poured out of the hills, and the sea rose and covered even the highest

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mountains. The people and animals on the raft were safe, but all the others
drowned. Soon the waters went down, and the raft was again on the ground. It
was near their old home, for the rattan cord had held. The people on the raft
together with the animals were the only ones left on the whole earth.
Example 2: The Flood Story (A Legend of the Igorot)

Once upon a time, the world was flat, and there were no mountains. There lived
two sons of Lumawig, the Great Spirit. The brothers were fond of hunting; since no
mountains had formed, there was no good place to catch wild pig and deer. The
older brother said, “Let us cause water to flow over all the world and cover it, and
then mountains will rise up.” So, the brothers caused water to flow over all the
earth. When it was covered, they took the headbasket of the town and set it for
a trap. They were very much pleased when they went to look at their trap, for
they had caught not only many wild pigs and deer but also many people.
Lumawig looked down from his place in the sky and saw that his sons had flooded
the earth. However, there was just one spot which was not covered. All the
people in the world had been drowned except a brother and a sister who lived
in Pokis. Then Lumawig descended, and he called to the boy and girl, saying,
“Oh, you are still alive.” “Yes,” answered the boy, “we are still alive, but we are
very cold.”
So, Lumawig commanded his dog and deer to get fire for the boy and girl. The
dog and the deer swam quickly away. Lumawig waited a long time, but the dog
and the deer did not return. All the time the boy and girl were growing colder.
Finally, Lumawig himself went after the dog and the deer. When he reached
them, he said, “Why are you so long in bringing the fire to Pokis? Get ready and
come quickly while I watch you, for the boy and girl are very cold.” Then the dog
and the deer took the fire and started to swim through the flood. When they had
gone only a little way, the fire was put out. Lumawig commanded the dog and
the deer to get more fire, and they did so. However, they swam only a little way
again when that of the deer went out. That of the dog would have been
extinguished also had not Lumawig gone quickly to him and taken it. As soon as
Lumawig reached Pokis, he built a big fire which warmed the brother and sister.
The water evaporated so that the world was as it was before, except that now
there were mountains. The brother and sister married and had children, and thus
there came to be many people on the earth.

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Myth

 There are Philippine versions of the creation myth. The Igorot’s story tells that
Lumawig the Great Spirit created people. On the other hand, the Tagalog
story tells that the first man and woman came from a bamboo.

Example 1: The Creation (An Igorot Myth)

In the beginning, there were no people on the earth. Lumawig, the Great Spirit,
came down from the sky and cut many reeds. He divided the reeds into pairs
which he placed in different parts of the world, and then he said to them, “You
must speak.” Immediately the reeds became people, and in each place was a
man and a woman who could talk. However, the language of each couple
differed from that of the others. Then Lumawig commanded each man and
woman to marry, which they did. By and by there were many children, all
speaking the same language as their parents. The children married and had
many children of their own. In this way, there came to be many people on the
earth. Now Lumawig saw that there were several things which the people on the
earth needed to use, so he set to work to supply them. He created salt and told
the inhabitants of one place to boil it down and sell it to their neighbors. However,
the people could not understand the directions. The next time he visited them,
they had not touched the salt. So, he took the salt away from them and gave it
to the people of a place called Mayinit. The people of Mayinit did as Lumawig
directed. Because of their obedience, he told them that they should always be
owners of the salt and that the other peoples must buy of them. Then Lumawig
went to the people of Bontoc and told them to get clay and make pots. They got
the clay, but they did not understand the molding; the jars were not well shaped.
Because of their failure, Lumawig told them that they would always have to buy
their jars, and he removed the pottery to Samoki. Lumawig told the people of
Samoki what to do, and they did just as he said. Their jars were well shaped and
beautiful. Then Lumawig saw that they were fit owners of the pottery, and he told
them that they should always make many jars to sell. In this way, Lumawig taught
the people and brought to them all the things which they now have.

Example 2: The Creation (A Tagalog Myth)

When the world first began there was no land. There were only the sea and the
sky, and between them was a kite. One day the bird which had nowhere to light

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grew tired of flying about, so she stirred up the sea until it threw its waters against
the sky. The sky, in order to restrain the sea, showered upon it many islands until it
could no longer rise, but ran back and forth. Then the sky ordered the kite to alight
on one of the islands to build its nest, and to leave the sea and the sky in peace.
Now at this time the land breeze and the sea breeze were married, and they had
a bamboo as their child. One day when the bamboo was floating about on the
water, it struck the feet of the kite which was on the beach. The bird, angry that
anything should strike it, pecked at the bamboo. Out of one section came a man
and from the other a woman. The earthquake called on all the birds and fish to
see what should be done with the man and the woman, and it was decided that
they should marry. Many children were born to the couple, and from them came
all the different races of people. After a while the parents grew very tired of
having so many idle and useless children around. They wished to be rid of them,
but they knew of no place to send them to. Time went on, and the children
became so numerous that the parents enjoyed no peace. One day, in
desperation, the father seized a stick and began beating them on all sides. The
beating frightened the children so much that they fled in different directions.
Some seek hidden rooms in the house. Some concealed themselves in the walls.
Some ran outside, while others hid in the fireplace. Several fled to the sea. Now it
happened that those who went into the hidden rooms of the house later became
the chiefs of the islands; and those who concealed themselves in the walls
became slaves. Those who ran outside were free men; and those who hid in the
fireplace became negroes; while those who fled to the sea were gone many
years, and when their children came back they were the white people.
Epic

 The Philippine epics are sung or chanted in episodes. They feature

supernatural characters and reflect the society where they originated. Also,
there are different versions of a story.

Examples: Biag ni Lam-ang

This Ilocano epic tells the adventures of Lam-ang, a man with supernatural
powers. He goes to war at nine-months-old and seeks the killers of his father. He
embarks on a quest with his animal friends and meets his future wife, Innes
Kanoyan. He is swallowed by a fish and resurrected from death by his animal
friends. Hinilawod This epic is of the Sulod, a group of people living in the
mountains of central Panay. It tells the story of three very strong men, namely,

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Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon, and Dumalapdap. They are the sons of Datu
Paubari, the ruler of Halawod, and the goddess Alunsina. The exploits of each son
concerns beautiful women that he wants to have as a wife. Darangan This
Maranao epic depicts the adventures of a brave warrior named Bantugan. He
owns a magical sword protected by a spirit. After a battle, he rests and
accidentally falls into the water. A crocodile finds him and brings him to the
enemies. He fights, regains his strength, and wins the war.

The Spanish Period (1521-1898)

Notes on the Spanish Colonial Period (1521–1898)

 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.
 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.
 Philippine Literature
 D
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. 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.

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 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.
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.

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.

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.

The American Period (1891-1940)

 The US established a civil government in 1901. Free public education was

introduced. Also, 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.

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
Marquez Benitez is considered as the first Filipino modern short story in English. A

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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.

The Japanese Occupation (1941-1945)

 On December 8, 1941, the Japanese attacked Manila.
 On January 2, 1942, 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 2, 1945

Literary Works Produced During the occupation, publications were censored by

the military. Also, Tagalog was declared an official language (together with
Nihonggo). In effect, Philippine 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
compiled by the Liwaywaymagazine 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 four stories were “Lupang
Tinubuan” by Narciso G. Reyes, “Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa” by Liwayway Arceo,
“Nayon at Dagat-dagatan” by N. V. M. Gonzalez, and “Suyuan sa Tubigan” by
Macario Pineda.

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Philippine Literature in the Postwar and Contemporary Period

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. It was also 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
 nationalism
 morality

Literary Works 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.
 Some works written in the postwar and contemporary period are:
 May Day Eve by Nick Joaquin, 1947
 Waywaya by F. Sionil Jose, 1983
 We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers by Alejandro Roces, 1948
 The Return by Edith L. Tiempo
 History and Philippine Culture by Horacio de la Costa, 1965
 Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana, 1947

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