THE THREE PROMINENT PERIODS IN THE PHILIPPINE LITERARY TIMELINE

Pre-Colonial Times (BC- 1564)

- During these times, the native Filipinos used to live in villages that were near food sources like coastal areas, river banks, and mountain sides.
- The areas where they lived were also usually accessible, especially by native transportation.
- Native Filipinos also gave value to the words of the elders.
- The indigenous culture of the pre-colonial Philippines survived for so long due to the following:

 By resistance to the colonial rule.

 By isolating themselves from the strongholds of the colonial powers.

Literary History
- It is considered as the longest period in the Philippine’s literary timeline.
- It is usually referred to as The Oral Lore of the Pre-Colonial Times, which technically describes the pre-colonial period as having the oral form of
literature.
- Oral literature was more than just stories to tell the young. They were the language of those that it came from. It was the language of life of the
community that it originates from, just lie the epics, because of the so-called communal authorship that represent the whole community; beliefs,
attitudes, and emotions.
- The oral nature of this period opened possibilities that some could have been altered.
- Content wise, the following are the usual ideas that prevail in pre-colonial oral literature:
 Life
 Blessings
 Consequences
 Birth
 The Grave
- According to William Henry Scott, “a considerable discrepancy between what is actually known about the prehispanic Philippines and what has
been written about it.”
- The Filipinos possessed a wealthy lyric poetry. Tagalogs had 16 species of songs, each one deriving its particular character from the occasion for
the performance.
- According to an early Spanish chronicler: tradition is “preserved in songs they have memorized and which they learned as children, hearing them
sung when folks rowed, worked and made merry and feasted, and mounted their dead. In these barbaric songs were told the fabled genealogies and
vainglorious deeds of their gods.”

Forms
1. Riddles (Mga Bugtong)- These are statements that contain superficial words, but they function figuratively and as metaphors, and are
in the form of questions. These are questions that demand deeper answers and deals with everyday life.

It usually has mundane things as answers and was used in the past as a form of game in small or large gatherings.
Examples:
Bisaya Meranaw Chabacano

Tagia que tagia, (You keep on slashing it,)

Baboy sa lasang, (A wild pig of the forest,) Sominub lawiyan, (It dived,)
Hende ta penetra. (But it does not penetrate)
Ang tunok puro lansang. (Is covered with spikes.) Mbowat lawitan. (It rose.)

Answer: Nangka (Jackfruit) Answer: Ragum (Needle)

Answer: Agua (Water)

1. Proverbs (Mga Salawikain)- These are statements that are considered as wise and are usually given by parents or elders of the
community, because it is believed that they are more experienced.

Mandaya on Viriginity Tausug on Secret Affairs Ilocano on Guilt

Yang ataog aw madugdug, (An egg once
In lasa iban ubo, (Love and cough,) Ti agutak, (He who cackles
broken,)
Di hikatapuk. (Cannot be hidden.) Isut nagitlog. (Laid the egg.)
Di da mamauli. (Will never be the same.)

Examples:

1. Folk Songs - These are folk lyrics that are usually chanted. - These usually contain ideas on aspirations, hopes, everyday life and expressions
of love for loved ones. - It is bounded by the learning of good morals. - It is easy to understand because it is straightforward and not figurative in nature.

Forms of Folk Songs

a. Lullabies- these are locally known as the Hele. These are sung to put to sleep babies. The content varies, but usually, parents sing these with ideas on
how hard life is and how they hope that their child will not experience the hardships of lif.

Example: Ilocano Maturog, duduayya Go to sleep, dear little one Maturog kad tay bunga,
Will my child please sleep, Tay lalaki nga napigsa This strong boy Ta inton dumakkel tay
bunga, So when the child grows big Isunto aya tay mammati He will obey Tay amon a ibaga
me. Everything that we say.

b. Drinking Songs- these are locally known as Tagay and are sung during drinking sessions.

Example:
Waray
Igduholduhol ngan palakta na it nga tagay Pass now that glass of tuba,
Ayaw pagatrasar kay mabutlaw na ug mauhaw For we are tired and thirsty.
Ayaw palalapos didimdim hahadki namanla anay Don’t let it pass without taking a sip;
Ayaw man pagibigla, ayaw man pagbigla Don’t take too big a gulp because you
bangin ka lumnunay might drown.
Sugod man it aton sumsuman sahid gud

mamorot kay basi pa dugngan

Kanugon hadton inagonon konkabuwasan Everyone eat, for the fish will be wasted
pa di na daw makakaon. If we do not consume it.

c. Love Songs- to many Filipinos, these are known as the Harana. It can also be called Courtship Songs and are used by young men to capture the heart of the girl that
they love.

Example:

Ivatan
Nangayan mo kakuyab? Pinangalichavus
ko na imo su dumibu a panahehsan ko nimo,
am dichu mo a dali. Madali mo yaken but in vain.
du chinulung da yaken da ama kani luyna koy’
du vitas nu dahurapen, as sineseng da yaken
mu yunut nu maunged a niuy, as valivaliwangen
aku ava nu dima, as valivaliwangen
aku nu addaw ko nimoy’mo nadinchad ko a lipus.
by love for you, my beloved.
Where did you go yesterday? I have asked all
the passersby about you,
How could you find me?
I was hidden by my father and my mother
in the hollow of a bamboo; they stopped it
with the husk of a young coconut;
and I may not be opened
with the hands, but I may be opened

d. Religious Songs- are songs or chants that are usually given during exorcisms and thanksgiving during good harvest.

Example

Ch’along – of the Ifugaw is part of the wedding rite, involving the propitiation of evil spirits who might bring harm upon the
couple.
e. Songs of Death- are lamentations that contain the roll of good deeds that the dead has usually done to immortalize his or
her good image.
2. Folk Tales (Mga Kwentong Bayan) These are stories of native Filipinos. These deal with the power of nature-
personified, their submission to a deity- usually Bathala- and how this deity is responsible for the blessings and calamities.
These also tackle about irresponsibility, lust, stupidity, deception, and fallibility that eventually leads to the instilling of
good morals.
Usual Themes:
• Ceremonies needed to appease the deities.
• Pre and Post apocalypse
• Life and Death
• Gods and Goddesses
• Heroes and Heroines
• Supernatural beings
• Animals

d. Religious Songs- are songs or chants that are usually given during exorcisms and thanksgiving during good harvest.
Example
Ch’along – of the Ifugaw is part of the wedding rite, involving the propitiation of evil spirits who might bring harm upon the
couple.
e. Songs of Death- are lamentations that contain the roll of good deeds that the dead has usually done to immortalize his or
her good image.
1. Folk Tales (Mga Kwentong Bayan) These are stories of native Filipinos. These deal with the power of nature-
personified, their submission to a deity- usually Bathala- and how this deity is responsible for the blessings and calamities.
These also tackle about irresponsibility, lust, stupidity, deception, and fallibility that eventually leads to the instilling of
good morals.
Usual Themes:
• Ceremonies needed to appease the deities.
• Pre and Post apocalypse
• Life and Death
• Gods and Goddesses
• Heroes and Heroines
• Supernatural beings
• Animals
Other forms
1. Myths- these tackle the natural to strange occurrences of the earth and how things were created with an aim to give an
explanation to things. -There is Bathala for the Tagalogs and the Gueurang for the Bikolanos. - Paradise is known as Maca,
while Hell is Kasanaaan
Example: The Story of Bathala Ang Pag-aaway ng Dagat at Langit
2. Legends- through legends, the natives understood mysteries around them. These stories usually come with a moral
lesson that gives credit to supernatural powers, supernatural occurrences, and other out-of-this-world native imagination.
Example: The Legend of Maria Makiling The Legend of the Sampaguita
3. Fables- are short or brief stories that cater the children of the native Filipinos and are usually bounded by good manners
and right conduct. These stories use animals as characters that represent a particular value or characteristic.
Example: Ang Kuneho at and Pagong Si Juan Tamad
4. Epics- are very lengthy narratives that are based on oral traditions. These contain encounters of fighters, stereotypical
princes or heroes that save a damsel in distress.

Example

Lam-ang – it relates the adventures of the hero Lam-ang, who was born already endowed with the power of speech and supernatural strength.
Tuwaang – a pagan epic discovered by Manuel in 1956 among the Manuvus of Central Mindanao.
Hinilawod – also a pagan epic, recorded only in recent times among the Sulud of Panay, this epic consisted of two parts.
Bantugan – a Meranaw epic is about Bantugan a prince who excels not only as a valiant warrior but also as a fabulous lover.
***Arsenio Manuel – surveyed “ethnoepics,” in his 1962 study, he was able to describe 13 epics found among pagan Filipinos, 2
among Christians and 4 among Muslim-Filipinos. Common features of the folk epics as described by Manuel are:

- (a) narratives of sustained length

- (b) based on oral tradition
- (c) revolving around supernatural events or heroic deeds
- (d) in the form of verse
- (e) which is either chanted or sung
- (f) with a certain seriousness of purpose, embodying or validating the beliefs, customs, ideals, or life-values of the people

A Special Reminder:

On the basis of this brief account of precolonial literature, it might be concluded that prior to the Spanish conquest, Filipinos
had a culture that linked them with the Malays of Southeast Asia, a culture with traces of Indian, Arabic, and possibly, Chinese influences.

Colonial Times

The Spanish Occupation (1521- 1898)

The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan on the shores of Homonhon in March 6, 1521 spelled a new era for the Philippines. It has then become a
Spanish colony. Imposition of the Spanish monarchy and the Roman Catholic Religion, along with the arrival of the Spanish power was to spread
Christianity. In this era, folklore and other oral traditions were falsified as religion was used as reason to justify what has been the long belief system of
the Filipino natives. During this time, conversion was their main purpose, but reading the Bible was not allowed, and only the priest was allowed to read
from it. The priests were the representatives of power.
Even though this was the situation, the Spanish occupation sparked many brilliant minds to come up with their own written literature that was
now written. Spanish was also introduced as the mode of communication. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught in catechetical schools.

Ladinos – “Latinized” is anyone who could read and write in any of the Latin languages.

- Pedro Bukaneg (the Ilokano poet to whom the published version of Lam-ang is often attributed)
- Tomas Pinpin (the printer, author of the manual titled Ang Librong Pag-aaralan ng mga Tagalog ng Wikang Castilla)
- Fernando Bagongbanta (a contributer to the Memorial de la vida Cristiana)

Two Classifications of Filipinos during the Spanish Period

Taga-bayan – Filipinos who were within easy reach of the power of the Church and State
- urbane and civilized
Taga-bukid or Taga-bundok – Filipinos who kept their distance from the colonial administrators
- Brutos salvages (savage brutes)
- Indio
Two Classifications of Literature during the Spanish Period

Oral literature was “Christianized” where it could not be suppressed or eradicated, but very little of it saw print.

1. Religious Literature
a. Pasyon- It is a narrative poem about passion and the death of Jesus Christ.
Example:
Gaspar Aquino de Belen – first Filipino literary artist, whose work bore the signs of conscious design and careful composition. His
prominent wor is the Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong Panginoon Natin (1704) and was a treasured Christian narrative
poem intended to replace the epic poems of the pagan past and sung to a fixed melody
b. Senakulo- It is the re-enactment or the dramatization of the passion of Christ.
c. Komedya – drew its plot from medieval Spanish ballads about highborn warriors and their colorful adventures of love and fame,
providing Filipinos with a glimpse of an idealized European society.
2. Secular or Non- Religious Literature
a. Awit- Tales of Chivalry (high respect of men for women). Usually portrays a knight saving a princess or the like.
Example:
Florante at Laura – in the form of awit, is a poem that relates the story of two lovers who are parted by the political intrigues
fomented by an evil member of the royal household of Albania.
b. Korido- a metrical (a piece of literature that has a measurement for aesthetic purposes) tale.
c. Prose Narratives- written to instruct readers on proper decorum.

Nationalistic Propaganda and Revolutionary Literature (1864-1896)

These works of literature planted the seed of nationalism in the hearts of every Filipino. During this period, the language was slowly shifting
from Spanish to Tagalog and the works of literature were addressed to the masses instead of addressing only the elite.
1. Propaganda Literature- its objective is to reform.
a. Political Essays and Political Novels- are composed of satires, editorials, and news articles that aim to attack and expose the corrupt
Spanish rule.
2. Revolutionary Literature
a. Political Essays- these entries were exposes that fired up the Philippine revolutionary movement into a time bomb waiting to explode.

Prominent Produce during the Spanish Period

 1. Doctrina Christiana (1593) – first book ever published in the Philippines by the Dominicans. Other religious congregation put up their
respective presses early in the 17th century.
2. May Bagyo Ma’t May Rilim
- written by an anonymous author
- produced by the friar-lexicographer Francisco Blancas de San Jose
- published in Memorial de la vida Cristiana (1605)
- uses turbulent nature imagery to affirm Christian heroism

Prominent Authors during the Spanish Period

1. Modesto de Castro – was a native priest who lived in the first half of the 19 th century, notable for his sermons in Tagalog.

2. Example:

Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at Feliza (1864) – a popular book of manners is de Castro’s lasting contribution
to the history of literature.

3. Francisco Baltazar (1788-1862) popularly known as Balagtas:

 A short farce (La India Elegante el Negrito Amante, n.d.)
 A full length komedya (Orosman at Zafira, ca,1857-60)
 And a well-known awit (Pinagdaaanang Buhay ni Florante at ni Laura sa Cahariang Albania, ca. 1838)

Example:

Orosman at Zafira – is a three-part play about the assassination of Mahamud, sultan of Marruecos and father of Zafira, and the
consequent moral and civil disruptions that culminate in the disintegration of the family of the family of the usurper Bousalem, grand
pasha of Tendenst and father of Abdalap and Orosman.

The Growth of a Nationalist Consciousness

 A royal decree in 1863 opened new horizons to the emergent middle class when it provided for a complete educational system consisting of
elementary, secondary and collegiate level.\
 Pedro Paterno (1857-1911) – put up a collection of his Spanish poems under the title Sampaguitas.

Examples:

 Sampaguitas marked the beginning of national consciousness among the Filipino intelligentsia
 Ninay (1885) which insisted on “nationality,” is the first Filipino novel ever, it tells of the young woman Ninay who dies of
heartbreak brought on by separation from his sweetheart Carlos and aggravated by the loss of her parents.

 Jose Rizal (1861-1896) – was sensitive to the forces that were building up in the Philippine society as the clamor for reforms was met with
repression that in turn generated a more insistent clamor for change.

Examples:

 Noli Me Tangere (1887) – tells about the young man Ibarra who, having obtained a university education in Europe, comes
home to the Philippines full of the zeal and idealism of a dedicated reformist. It marks the first time realism as a literary
concept entered Philippines writing.
 El Filibusterismo (1891) is a sequel to the Noli Me Tangere where a mysterious stranger is bent on hastening the downfall of
the colonial regime, employing the double tactic of abetting the corruption of friars and civil officials through money on one
hand, and on the other instigating an armed rebellion among the masses.
 A las Flores de Heidelberg and Ultimo Adios – represent two different modes―conversational and sonorous.
 The Propaganda Movement (1872-1896) – issues had to be clarified, abuses and injustices denounced, accusations refuted, future actions laid
out.

Examples:

 La Solidaridad (1889-1895) a newspaper that served as the organ that would project the views of the movement founded.
 ,Marcelo H. del Pilar (1850-1896) – was well-versed in the art of poetic jousting called duplo before he assumed the post of
editor of La Solidaridad. He is especially effective as a parodist.
 Andres Bonifacio (1863-1896) and Emilio Jacinto (1875-1899) – used Tagalog to advantage as a tool for organizing the
masses.
 Under the less constricting socio-political atmosphere in the latter half of the 19 th century, early literary pieces by women surfaced, all of them
poems. Some of the women authors were:

 Leona Florentino, whose opinions and married life departed from the moral and social expectations of the period.
 Gregoria de Jesus who addresses her deceased husband Andres Bonifacio, poignant in its recollection of details of her
married past that are now reminders of her bereavement.
 The writings of the intelligentsia involved in the Propaganda Movement and, later, of the leaders of the Revolution of 1896 trace the emergence of
the Filipino people. The self-conscious literature that this emergence brought fourth marks the beginning of a truly Filipino literature.

The American Occupation (1900-1942)

 The taga-bayan-taga-bukid polarization in Philippine society occasioned by the advent Spanish colonization took on a decidedly political color
during the Revolution of 1996.
 In 1900, even as the President of the Republic was still eluding American troops in the Cordillera Mountains, prominent members of Aguinaldo’s
cabinet were already gone over to the side of the Americans.
 U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt - proclaimed that the “insurrection” has officially ended on July 4, 1902.
Several laws enforced during the period:
 Sedition Law (1901)
 Brigandage Act (1902)
 Reconcentration Act (1903)
 Against the background of war and efforts by the colonial government to subdue resistance to U.S. rule, Philippine literature burst forth with
vitality and variety indicative of creative energy unleashed by the Revolution and propelled by the vernacular languages proliferated in spite of
threatening provisions of the Sedition Law.
Among the newspapers that provided space for literary pieces were:
 Muling Pagsilang (1903, Tagalog)
 Ang Kaluwasan (1902, Cebuano)
 Makinaugalingun (1913, Ilongo)
 Nueva Era (1908, Iloko)

 The best-known magazines that capitalized on short stories and poems for patronage were:
 Liwayway (1922, Tagalog)
 Bisaya (1930, Cebuano)

 Hiligaynon (1934, Ilongo)

 Bannawag (1934, Iloko)

The Euro-Hispanic Tradition

 The “Euro-Hispanic” refers to the literary part of the cultural heritage of Spanish colonialism which brought over into Philippine West European
literatures, particularly French.

 Severino Reyes (1861-1942) – spearheaded a movement to supplant the komedya with a new type of drama, the sarsuwela, a Filipino adaptation
of the Spanish zarzuela.

Example:

 Walang Sugat (1902) a sarsuwela drawn from the period of Revolution, depicting the cruelty and corruption of friars and the
heroism of the soldiers of the Katipunan.
Other successful sarsuwelas:

 Hindi Aco Patay (1903) by Juan Matapang Cruz

 Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas (1903) by Aurelio Tolentino, an allegorical presentation of the history of the nationalist struggle
and how the U,S. frustrated the Philippine revolution.
 Tanikalang Guinto (1902) – by Juan Abad (1872-1932) is about Liwanag and K’Ulayaw, lovers who stand for freedom
and the Filipino.
- Aurelio Tolentino (1868-1915) – he used the stage to remind the Filipinos the glorious Revolution and campaign for support for the guerillas in
the countryside. A he was a sophisticated thinker and a clever theater artist at the same time, Tolentino had, by his achievement in Kahapon,
Ngayon at Bukas, set high standards for Filipino political that the best of his contemporaries found difficult to approach.
- Towards the end of the 19 th century, many of the poets were enthusiastic in coming with new techniques in writing. Some of the poets of this
period were:
- Benigno Ramos
- Pedro Gatmaitan (1889-1965) he had a long career as a poet, but unfortunately his later works have never been collected.
Example:

Tungkos ng Alaala (1913)

- Jose Corazon de Jesus (1896-1832) popularly known as “Batute,” created his own generation with his first book of poems.
 Mge Gintong Dahon (1920) here were poems pre-occupied with such non-traditional themes as passion-slaying, grief-
induced, insanity, and lover’s suicide.
 Sa Dakong Silangan (1928) returned to the awit form, retelling the history of Philippines under Spain, the coming of the
U.S under the guise of friendship to take over from Spain.

Novelists who took up Rizal’s portrayal of social conditions by colonial repression were:

 Gabriel Beato Francisco (1850-1935)

 Best known for his trilogy of Fulgencia Galbillo (1907), Capitan Bensio (1907), Alfaro (1909), depicting the 30 years of
colonial repression by the Spanish rule.
 Inigo Ed. Regalado (1888-1976)
 Madaling Araw (1909) was his first novel showing the complex interrelations of issues and people in contemporary
Philippine society.
 Juan Lauro Arsciwals (1889-1928)
 Lalaking Uliran o Tulisan (1914), allusion to the colonial law that branded Filipino patriots as bandits.
- The latter part of the 19th century gush an abundance of techniques inspired of komedya and the metrical romances (awit and korido).
 The magazine Liwayway (1922) devoted to variations on the poor-boy-rich-girl plot.
 Anak ng Dagat (1922) by Patricio Mariano (1877-1935), a representative of sarsuwela that tells the story of a foundling
who grew up and fell in love with a fisherman, later did she find out that she’s the missing daughter of a rich man.
- In 1924, a balagtasan was held in the Instituto de Mujeres in Tondo,Maynila. The balagtasan poems included:
 Jose Corazon de Jesus’ “butterfly” (paruparo) and a “bee” (bubuyog) battled over “jasmine flower” (kampupot).
 Benigno R. Ramos introduced his two balagtasan poems portraying social content entitled “Dalagang Bayan Laban sa
Dalagang Bukid” (1930) and “Balagtasan ng Kalayaan”.
- Valeriano Hernandez Pena (1858-1922) have been dubbed as the “Father of the Tagalog Novel”. He was best remembered for the novel Nena
at Neneng (1903).
- Pedro Paterno’s “Ninay” was translated in tagalog by Roman Reyes (1853-1926).
- Roman Reyes’ works involved woven love-plot including Pusong Walang Pag-Ibig (1910) and its sequel Bagong Dalaga (1910).
- Regalado was also fascinated by the figure of a fallen woman represented in his work May Pagsinta’y Walang Puso (1911). In 1918, Regalado’s
concern with fallen woman followed up in his work Sampagitang Walang Bango.

American Imposition, Filipino Response

- Learning from the mistake of the Spanish colonizer, the Americans did not deny their language to the Filipinos.
- English opened the floodgates of colonial values through the conduits of textbooks originally intended for American children; books and
magazines beamed at an American audience that familiarized Filipinos with the blessing of economic affluence in a capitalist country.
- A broader sector of the populace was given the opportunity to educated as higher education was made more accessible to the Filipinos, thus,
begun the Philippines writing in English.
- Footnote to Youth and Other Stories (1913) – heralded the arrival of Filipino author steeped in Anglo-American literary tradition.
- The sarsuwela started to decline along with other Tagalog plays as they cannot compete with the range of detail in story-telling that Tagalog
movies can provide.

Three Filipino poetry anthologies:

 Rodolfo’s Dato’s Filipino poetry ( 1924) exhibited 53 poets serving their apprenticeship to various English and American
poets included perhaps in textbooks they had in college.
 Pablo Laslo’s English-German Anthology of Filipino Poets (1934) revealed a better command of the English language
and of English versification.
 Carlo Bulosan’s Chorus for America: Six Philippine Poets (1942)

- Arturo B. Rotor (1907-1988) and Manuel E. Arguilla (1910-1944) – were the finest short story writers of their time, and between the of them,
they covered a broad range of subject matter and themes drawn for the experiences of Filipinos living in 1930s
 Rotor’s The Wound and the Scar (1937)
 Arguilla’s How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife and Other Stories (1941)
- Deogracias A. Rosario (1894-1936) – “Father of Tagalog Short Story,” a recognition of his skill as a craftsman who modernized the genre.

Intensification of Social Consciousness

- The only change that occurred with the coming of the Americans was a change of occupancy of the tip of the pyramid.
- The Great Crash of 1929 had wrecked the economy of the U.S., and the economic depression that followed had disastrous repercussions on
business in the Philippine colony. It resulted to mass lay-offs.
- Lope K. Santos (1879-1963) always linked to the discussion of social consciousness in Philippine literature by virtue of the celebrated novel
Banaag at Sikat (1904), written with the intent of introducing Filipino laborers to socialism.
- Faustino Aguilar (1882-1955) he demonstrated a firm grasp of the concept of class struggle and a broad understanding of the historical forces that
determine social change in his novel Pinaglahuan (1907)
- Benigno R. Ramos (1892-1945) was the founder and publisher of Sakdal which opened a forum for anti-colonial ideas that was to rally Filipinos
seeking an alternative to the colonial administration, although his reputation was stained due to his participation in the Japanese occupation.
- Philippine literature, at the end of the U.S. colonialism, had attained identity as national literature, largely was a result of the patriotic and
resistance literature produced during the early years of American rule.

The Japanese Occupation (1941-1945), the Commonwealth and the Republic (1946-1985)

Between 1941-1945, Philippine Literature was interrupted in its development when the Philippines was again conquered by another foreign
country, Japan. Philippine literature in English came to a halt. Except for the TRIBUNE and the PHILIPPINE REVIEW, almost all newspapers in
English were stopped by the Japanese. This had an advantageous effect on Filipino Literature, which experienced renewed attention because writers in
English turned to writing in Filipino. Juan Laya, who use to write in English turned to Filipino because of the strict prohibitions of the Japanese
regarding any writing in English. The weekly LIWAYWAY was placed under strict surveillance until it was managed by Japanese named Ishiwara.
  In other words, Filipino literature was given a break during this period. Many wrote plays, poems, short stories, etc. Topics and themes were
often about life in the provinces.
Because of the strict prohibitions imposed by the Japanese in the writing and publishing of works in English, Philippine literature in English
experienced a dark period. The few who dared to write did so for their bread and butter or for propaganda.
Writings that came out during this period were journalistic in nature. Writers felt suppressed but slowly, the spirit of nationalism started to seep
into their consciousness. While some continued to write, the majority waited for a better climate to publish their works. Noteworthy writer of the period
was Carlos P. Romulo who won the Pulitzer Prize for his bestsellers I SAW THE FALL OF THE PHILIPPINES, I SEE THE PHILIPPINES RISE and
his MOTHER AMERICA AND MY BROTHER AMERICANS.

Between 1941-1945, Philippine Literature was interrupted in its development when the Philippines was again conquered by another foreign
country, Japan. Philippine literature in English came to a halt. Except for the TRIBUNE and the PHILIPPINE REVIEW, almost all newspapers in
English were stopped by the Japanese.

  This had an advantageous effect on Filipino Literature, which experienced renewed attention because writers in English turned to writing in
Filipino. Juan Laya, who use to write in English turned to Filipino because of the strict prohibitions of the Japanese regarding any writing in English.
The weekly LIWAYWAY was placed under strict surveillance until it was managed by Japanese named Ishiwara.

  In other words, Filipino literature was given a break during this period. Many wrote plays, poems, short stories, etc. Topics and themes were
often about life in the provinces.
 
- Journalists include Salvador P. Lopez, Leon Ma. Geurrero, Raul Manglapuz and Carlos Bulosan.
 
- Nick Joaquin produced THE WOMAN WHO LOOKED LIKE LAZARUS. Fred Ruiz Castro wrote a few poems.
 
- F.B. Icasino wrote essays in The Philippine Review. Carlos Bulosan’s works included THE LAUGHTER OF MY FATHER (1944), THE VOICE
OF BATAAN, 1943, SIX FILIPINO POETS, 1942, among others. Alfredo Litiatco published With Harp and Sling and in 1943, Jose P. Laurel
published Forces that Make a Nation Great. 
The Commonwealth Literary Awards gave prizes to meritorious writers. Those who won were:

 LIKE THE MOLAVE –by Rafael Zulueta da Costa (Poetry)

 HOW MY BROTHER LEON BROUGTH HOME A WIFE –by Manuel E. Arguilla (Short Story)
 LITERATURE AND SOCIETY –by Salvador P. Lopez (Essay)
 HIS NATIVE SOIL –by Juan Laya (Novel)
- President Manuel L. Quezon’s autobiography THE GOOD FIGHT was published posthumously. 
- Radio broadcasts echoed the mingled fear and doubts in the hearts of the people.
Other writers of this period:

 Juan Collas (19440)

 Tomas Confesor (1945)
 Roman A. de la Cruz
 Elisa Tabuñar. 
Status of Fiction
The field of the short story widened during the Japanese Occupation. Many wrote short stories. Among them were: Brigido Batungbakal, Macario
Pineda, Serafin Guinigindo, Liwayway Arceo, Narciso Ramos, NVM Gonzales, Alicia Lopez Lim, Ligaya Perez, and Gloria Guzman. 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: Narciso Reyes with his LUPANG TINUBUAN

Second Prize: Liwayway Arceo’s UHAW ANG TIGANG NA LUPA
Third Prize: NVM Gonzales’LUNSOD NAYON AT DAGAT-DAGATAN

Status of Poetry
The common theme of most poems during the Japanese occupation was nationalism, country, love, and life in the barrios, faith, religion and the arts.
Three types of poems emerged during this period. They were:
1. Haiku –a poem of free verse that the Japanese like. It was made up of 17 syllables divided into three lines. The first line had 5 syllables, the second, 7
syllables, and the third, five. The Haiku is allegorical in meaning, is short and covers a wide scope in meaning.
2. Tanaga –like the Haiku, is short but it had measure and rhyme. Each line had 17 syllables and it’s also allegorical in meaning.
3. Karaniwang Anyo (Usual Form) –like those mentioned earlier in the beginning chapters of this book.
Status of Drama
The drama experienced a lull during the Japanese period because movie houses showing American films were closed. The big movie houses were just
made to show stage shows. Many of the plays were reproductions of English plays to Tagalog. 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 play writers 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.

Canonical Philippine National Artist

EDITH L. TIEMPO(1999)- National Artist for literature – april 22,1919- august 21, 2011- she is a poet, fictionist,
teacher and literary critic.
BIENVENIDO LUMBERA-

Major forms of literature

a. Prose- this form does not have any measurement scheme for it is known to have a free-flow of sentences.
b. Poetry- is a form of literature characterized by its highly controlled manner of choosing and arranging
language with the use of regulating devices such as sound and rhythm.
Genres of Literature
a. Poetry- ascribed as the most economical means of expression since it only uses limited number of words.
b. Prose Fiction- this is mainly characterized by scholars as any literary work that is an imaginative recreation
and reconstruction of life.
c. Drama- this involves stories involving significant human encounters which are intended to be performed
on stage.
d. Non- Fiction Prose- this genre mainly attempts to presents, to interpret, or to describe facts.
Fiction- generally includes works which are purely products of the writer’s imagination. It pertains to any
account involving people and events that are perceived to be unreal for they are just invented by a writer’s
creative mind.
Major Forms of Fiction
 Short Story- It is a work of fiction that can just be read in one setting.
 Novella- this is a shorter version of a novel
 Novel- is generally perceived to be a long prose narrative that deals with human
experiences through a relative sequence of events.
Elements of fiction
1. Setting-
2. Character
 Protagonist- principal or lead character, commonly referred to as the “hero”
 Antagonist- known as the villain; the role is mainly to oppose or to challenge the
main character.
 Static/Flat character- a character that does not change the course of the story.
 Dynamic Character- this character undergoes significant changes in personality,
behaviour, perspective etc.

Other Important Concepts in fiction 6. Satire

1. Allusion 7. Sci-Fi or Science Fiction
2. Dialogue 8. Stream of Consciousness
3. Genre Genres of Drama
4. Irony a. Tragedy
5. Local Color b. Comedy
c. Tragicomedy
d. Closet drama
e. Farce
f. Melodrama
g. Morality/mystery play
h. Miracle plays
Elements of Drama
1. Setting
2. Characters
3. Plot
4. Dialogue
5. Movements
6. Music
7. Theme