Various Dimensions of

Philippine Literary History from

Pre-colonial to Contemporary
 Philippine Literature during the Pre-
colonial Period

• The pre-colonial literature 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 Literature during the Pre-
colonial Period

• 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.
 Philippine Literature during the Pre-
colonial Period
• 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!”
Spanish Colonial Period
(1521–1898)
• What literary works were published
during the Spanish occupation of
the Philippines?
What do those works reflect about
the life of Filipinos during this
period in history?
• 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 during the Spanish
Occupation

• The Spanish missionaries taught the 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.
• 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.
Famous Writers during the Spanish Period
• 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.
Famous Writers during the Spanish Period
• 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.
• Philippine Literature during the Spanish occupation was
mostly influenced by Christianity as well as the European
ideals of liberty and freedom through trade. Filipino writers
either wrote in Spanish or in their own tongue or both.
The American Occupation
• Who wrote during the American and
Japanese Periods?
What kind of literary forms did they
produce?
What were the usual themes in their
works?
• (1898–1940)
• 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 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 Liwayway magazine 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.
 Postwar
and
Contemporary Literature
• Postwar and contemporary literature include all literary
works written and published in the Philippines from 1946.
• 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.
• Examples:
• 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
• Nick Joaquin, a National Artist for Literature awardee,
wrote articles under the name of Quijano de Manila. His
short story "May Day Eve," published in 1947, is about love
in a patriarchal society. It also made use of magic realism.
• F. Sionil Jose, one of the most widely read Filipino writers
in English, wrote the short story "Waywaya," which is about
pre-Hispanic society and the people’s struggle for moral
order.
• Alejandro Roces, a Filipino author, essayist, and
dramatist, wrote the short story "We Filipinos Are Mild
Drinkers." This story focuses on the drinking habits and
culture of Filipinos and Americans.
• Edith L. Tiempo's poem "The Return" is a sentimental
piece that talks about life in old age.
• Horacio de la Costa wrote the essay "History and
Philippine Culture," which emphasizes the importance of
understanding and presenting a nation’s culture.
• Stevan Javellana wrote the first postwar Filipino novel in
English, Without Seeing the Dawn. This novel narrates what
people experienced during World War II under the Japanese
rule in the Philippines.
To be able to fully appreciate
literature in the Philippines, as
a reader and a critic, you must
also be aware of the country’s
history, culture, society, and
psyche (human spirit).