INTRODUCTION: "Philippine Literature"

An Introduction...

Philippine Literature is a diverse and rich group of works that has evolved side-by-side with the country’s history. Literature had started with fables and legends made by the ancient Filipinos long before the arrival of Spanish influence. The main themes of Philippine literature focus on the country’s pre-colonial cultural traditions and the socio-political histories of its colonial and contemporary traditions. It is not a secret that many Filipinos are unfamiliar with much of the country's literary heritage, especially those that were written long before the Spaniards 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 during 1521 did the early Filipinos became acquainted with literature due to the influence of the Spaniards on us. But the literature that the Filipinos became acquainted with are not Philippine-made, rather, they were works of Spanish authors. So successful were the efforts of colonists to blot out the memory of the country's largely oral past that present-day Filipino writers, artists and journalists are trying to correct this inequity by recognizing the country's wealth of ethnic traditions and disseminating them in schools through mass media. 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." Philippine literature is written in Spanish,  English , Tagalog, and/or other native   Philippine Languages .

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.

LITERATURE BY LANGUAGES  Cebuano literature  Hiligaynon literature  Ilokano literature  Tagalog literature  Waray literature  Philippine Poetry  Philippine Literature in English  Philippine Literature in Filipino  Philippine Literature in Spanish

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  El Filibusterismo  Biag ni Lam-ang  Ibong Adarna Francisco baltazar  Florante at Laura  Doctrina Christiana

LITERARY GENRES

Genres of literature are important to learn about. The two main categories separating the different genres of literature are fiction and nonfiction. There are several genres of literature that fall under the nonfiction category. Nonfiction sits in direct opposition to fiction. Examples from both the fiction and nonfiction genres of literature are explained in detail below.

Types of Nonfiction:

Narrative Nonfiction is information based on fact that is presented in a format which tells a story. Essays are a short literary composition that reflects the author’s outlook or point. A short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. A Biography is a written account of another person’s life. An Autobiography gives the history of a person’s life, written or told by that person. Often written in Narrative form of their person’s life.

Speech is the faculty or power of speaking; oral communication; ability to express one’s thoughts and emotions by speech, sounds, and gesture. Generally delivered in the form of an address or discourse.Genres of Fiction:

Drama is the genre of literature that’s subject for compositions is dramatic art in the way it is represented. This genre is stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action. Poetry is verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that evokes an emotional response from the reader. The art of poetry is rhythmical in composition, written or spoken. This genre of literature is for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts. Fantasy is the forming of mental images with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality. Humor is the faculty of perceiving what is amusing or comical. Fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement which meant to entertain. This genre of literature can actually be seen and contained within all genres. A Fable is a story about supernatural or extraordinary people Usually in the form of narration that demonstrates a useful truth. In Fables, animals often speak as humans that are legendary and supernatural tales. Fairy Tales or wonder tales are a kind of folktale or fable. Sometimes the stories are about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children

Science Fiction is a story based on impact of potential science, either actual or imagined. Science fiction is one of the genres of literature that is set in the future or on other planets. Short Story is fiction of such briefness that is not able to support any subplots. Realistic Fiction is a story that can actually happen and is true to real life. Folklore are songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a person of “folk” that was handed down by word of mouth. Folklore is a genre of literature that is widely held, but false and based on unsubstantiated beliefs. Historical Fiction is a story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting. Horror is an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by literature that is frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting. Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader. A Tall Tale is a humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the impossible with an here of nonchalance. Legend is a story that sometimes of a national or folk hero. Legend is based on fact but also includes imaginative material. Mystery is a genre of fiction that deals with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets. Anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown. Mythology is a type of legend or traditional narrative. This is often based in part on historical events, that reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the actions of the gods. A body of myths, as that of a particular people or that relating to a particular person. Fiction in Verse is full-length novels with plot, subplots, themes, with major and minor characters. Fiction of verse is one of the genres of literature in which the narrative is usually presented in blank verse form.

Synopsis

At birth, Lam-Ang was already able to speak. He gave himself his own name, chose his own godparents and also asked for his

father. But Lam-ang's father, Don Juan, went away to fight an evil tribe ofIgorots nine months before Lam-ang's birth. Don Juan died

at the hands of the tribe and was beheaded. His head was set as a prize at the village's center. Due to Don Juan's absence at the

birth of his son, Lam-ang set out to find his father.

With the assistance of a different tribe of Igorots, Lam-ang was able to avenge his father's death. Using a single spear, he defeated

every one of the headhunters of the warring Igorot tribe.

When Lam-ang went to bathe in the Amburayan River on his way home, the water was immediately dirtied by his blood-stained

body. The water became so muddied with blood that all its living creatures crawled out of it and died.

The day after his return, Lam-ang told his mother, Ina Namongan, that he wished to take a wife. As Lam-ang was endowed with

supernatural powers, he was able to foretell that he would marry a woman called Ines Kannoyan who lived in a place called

Calanutian. And so Lam-ang set off on his journey to win his wife. With him were his pet rooster and dog. On the way, Lam-ang had

to fight a large-eyed man called Sumarang, whom he defeated in the encounter.

Ines Kannoyan was very beautiful. When Lam-ang arrived, Ines Kannoyan's house was so crowded by her suitors that Lam-ang

was able to enter her house only by walking over the suitors' heads and climbing through a window.

Ines Kannoyan was impressed by Lam-ang's strength and abilities. By flapping its wings, Lam-ang's rooster was able to bring down

Ines Kannoyan's long house. And with a bark, Lam-ang's dog was able to raise the long house again.

Despite having won Ines Kannoyan's favor, Lam-ang still could not marry her because her parents wanted a dowry from the hero. At

this, Lam-ang promised to come back in a week with his mother and the dowry.

Lam-ang went home to prepare a rich dowry. He had a house adorned with gold and filled it with gifts of fruit, jewels, and other

riches. When Lam-ang returned to Ines Kannoyan's family to present the dowry, they were so impressed that they had they held the

wedding immediately.

After this, Lam-ang was asked to catch fish from the Aburayan River. Diving into the water, the hero was swallowed by the great

river monster, Berkakan. Ines Kannoyan was in terrible grief over the death of her husband.

Lacay Marcos, an old diver from the village, was asked to retrieve Lam-ang's remains after Berkakan had expelled them. Lam-ang's

rooster and dog performed magical rites over his remains, and Lam-ang was brought back to life.

 

The Literary Forms in Philippine Literature

by: Christine F. Godinez-Ortega

       The diversity and richness of Philippine literature evolved side by side with the country's history. This can best be appreciated in the context of the country's pre-colonial cultural traditions and the socio-political histories of its colonial and contemporary traditions.         

       The average Filipino's unfamiliarity with his indigenous literature was largely due to what has been impressed upon him: that his country was "discovered" and, hence, Philippine "history" started only in 1521.

       So successful were the efforts of colonialists to blot out the memory of the country's largely oral past that present-day Filipino writers, artists and journalists are trying to correct this inequity by recognizing the country's wealth of ethnic traditions and disseminating them in schools and in the mass media.

       The rousings 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."

 

Pre-Colonial Times

       Owing to the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists, we are able to know more and better judge information about our pre-colonial times set against a bulk of material about early Filipinos as recorded by Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and other chroniclers of the past.

       Pre-colonial inhabitants of our islands showcase a rich past through their folk speeches, folk songs, folk narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances that affirm our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors.

       The most seminal of these folk speeches is the riddle which is tigmo in Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog, paktakon in Ilongo and patototdon in Bicol. Central to the riddle is the talinghaga or metaphor because it "reveals subtle resemblances between two unlike objects" and one's power of observation and wit are put to the test. While some riddles are ingenious, others verge on the obscene or are sex-related:

Gaddang:

        Gongonan nu usin y amam If you pull your daddy's penis

        Maggirawa pay sila y inam. Your mommy's vagina, too,

(Campana) screams. (Bell)

       The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community beliefs or they instill values by offering nuggets of wisdom in short, rhyming verse.

       The extended form, tanaga, a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessons on life is "more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with the folk lyric." Some examples are the basahanon or extended didactic sayings from Bukidnon and the daraida and daragilon from Panay.

       The folk song, a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people's lifestyles as well as their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naive as in the children's songs or Ida-ida(Maguindanao), tulang pambata (Tagalog) or cansiones para abbing (Ibanag).

       A few examples are the lullabyes or Ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like the panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or serenade (Cebuano); the bayok (Maranao); the seven-syllable per line poem, ambahan of the Mangyans that are about human relationships, social entertainment and also serve as a tool for

teaching the young; work songs that depict the livelihood of the people often sung to go with the movement of workers such as the kalusan (Ivatan), soliranin (Tagalog rowing song) or the mambayu, a Kalinga rice-pounding song; the verbal jousts/games like the duplo popular during wakes.

       Other folk songs are the drinking songs sung during carousals like the tagay (Cebuano and Waray); dirges and lamentations extolling the deeds of the dead like the kanogon (Cebuano) or the Annako (Bontoc).

       A type of narrative song or kissa among the Tausug of Mindanao, the parang sabil, uses for its subject matter the exploits of historical and legendary heroes. It tells of a Muslim hero who seeks death at the hands of non-Muslims.

       The folk narratives, i.e. epics and folk tales are varied, exotic and magical. They explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna and, in the case of legends, an explanation of the origins of things. Fables are about animals and these teach moral lessons.

       Our country's epics are considered ethno-epics because unlike, say, Germany's Niebelunginlied, our epics are not national for they are "histories" of varied groups that consider themselves "nations."

       The epics come in various names: Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud (Ifugao); and Ulahingan (Manobo). These epics revolve around supernatural events or heroic deeds and they embody or validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a community. These are sung or chanted to the accompaniment of indigenous musical instruments and dancing performed during harvests, weddings or funerals by chanters. The chanters who were taught by their ancestors are considered "treasures" and/or repositories of wisdom in their communities.

       Examples of these epics are the Lam-ang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen (Maranao); Ulahingan (Livunganen-Arumanen Manobo); Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (The Maiden of the Buhong Sky from Tuwaang--Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan (Subanon); and Tudbulol (T'boli).

 

The Spanish Colonial Tradition

       While it is true that Spain subjugated the Philippines for more mundane reasons, this former European power contributed much in the shaping and recording of our literature.   Religion and institutions that represented European civilization enriched the languages in the lowlands, introduced theater which we would come to know as komedya, the sinakulo, the sarswela, the playlets and the drama. Spain also brought to the country, though at a much later time, liberal  ideas and an internationalism that influenced our own Filipino intellectuals and writers for them to understand the meanings of "liberty and freedom."

       Literature in this period may be classified as religious prose and poetry and secular prose and poetry.

       Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and Tagalog were included in early catechism and were used to teach Filipinos the Spanish language. Fernando Bagonbanta's "Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias de sin sempiternas" (Unending thanks) is a fine example that is found in the Memorial de la vida cristiana en lengua tagala (Guidelines for the Christian life in the Tagalog language) published in 1605.

       Another form of religious lyrics are the meditative verses like the dalit appended to novenas and catechisms. It has no fixed meter nor rime scheme although a number are written in octosyllabic quatrains and have a solemn tone and spiritual subject matter.

       But among the religious poetry of the day, it is the pasyon in octosyllabic quintillas that became entrenched in the Filipino's commemoration of Christ's agony and resurrection at Calvary. Gaspar Aquino de Belen's "Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong Panginoon natin na tola" (Holy Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Verse) put out in 1704 is the country's earliest known pasyon.

       Other known pasyons chanted during the Lenten season are in Ilocano, Pangasinan, Ibanag, Cebuano, Bicol, Ilongo and Waray.

       Aside from religious poetry, there were various kinds of prose narratives written to prescribe proper decorum. Like the pasyon, these prose narratives were also used for proselitization. Some forms are: dialogo(dialogue), Manual de Urbanidad (conduct book); ejemplo (exemplum) and tratado (tratado). The most well-known are Modesto de Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza" (Correspondence between the Two Maidens Urbana and Feliza) in 1864 and Joaquin Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson) in 1879, an adaptation of Daniel Defoe's novel.

       Secular works appeared alongside historical and economic changes, the emergence of an opulent class and the middle class who could avail of a European education. This Filipino elite could now read printed works that used to be the exclusive domain of the missionaries.

       The most notable of the secular lyrics followed the conventions of a romantic tradition: the languishing but loyal lover, the elusive, often heartless beloved, the rival. The leading poets were Jose Corazon de Jesus (Huseng Sisiw) and Francisco Balagtas. Some secular poets who wrote in this same tradition were Leona Florentino, Jacinto Kawili, Isabelo de los Reyes and Rafael Gandioco.

       Another popular secular poetry is the metrical romance, the awit and korido in Tagalog. The awit is set in dodecasyllabic quatrains while the korido is in octosyllabic quatrains. These are colorful tales of chivalry from European sources made for singing and chanting such as Gonzalo de Cordoba (Gonzalo of Cordoba) and Ibong Adarna (Adarna Bird). There are numerous metrical romances in Tagalog, Bicol, Ilongo, Pampango, Ilocano and in Pangasinan. The awit as a popular poetic genre reached new heights in Balagtas' "Florante at Laura" (ca. 1838-1861), the most famous of the country's metrical romances.

       Again, the winds of change began to blow in 19th century Philippines. Filipino intellectuals educated in Europe called ilustrados began to write about the downside of colonization. This, coupled with the simmering calls for reforms by the masses gathered a formidable force of writers like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Emilio Jacinto and Andres Bonifacio.

       This led to the formation of the Propaganda Movement where prose works such as the political essays and Rizal's two political novels, Noli Me Tangere and the El filibusterismo helped usher in the Philippine revolution resulting in the downfall of the Spanish regime, and, at the same time planted the seeds of a national consciousness among Filipinos.

       But if Rizal's novels are political, the novel Ninay (1885) by Pedro Paterno is largely cultural and is considered the first Filipino novel. Although Paterno's Ninay gave impetus to other novelists like Jesus Balmori and Antonio M. Abad to continue writing in Spanish, this did not flourish.

       Other Filipino writers published the essay and short fiction in Spanish in La Vanguardia, El Debate, Renacimiento Filipino, and Nueva Era. The more notable essayists and fictionists were Claro M. Recto, Teodoro M. Kalaw, Epifanio de los Reyes, Vicente Sotto, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Rafael Palma, Enrique Laygo

(Caretas or Masks, 1925) and Balmori who mastered the prosa romantica or romantic prose.

       But the introduction of English as medium of instruction in the Philippines hastened the demise of Spanish so that by the 1930s, English writing had overtaken Spanish writing. During the language's death throes, however, writing in the romantic tradition, from the awit and korido, would continue in the novels of Magdalena Jalandoni. But patriotic writing continued under the new colonialists. These appeared in the vernacular poems and modern adaptations of works during the Spanish period and which further maintained the Spanish tradition.

 

The American Colonial Period

       A new set of colonizers brought about new changes in Philippine literature. New literary forms such as free verse [in poetry], the modern short story and the critical essay were introduced. American influence was deeply entrenched with the firm establishment of English as the medium of instruction in all schools and with literary modernism that highlighted the writer's individuality and cultivated consciousness of craft, sometimes at the expense of social consciousness.

       The poet, and later, National Artist for Literature, Jose Garcia Villa used free verse and espoused the dictum, "Art for art's sake" to the chagrin of other writers more concerned with the utilitarian aspect of literature. Another maverick in poetry who used free verse and talked about illicit love in her poetry was Angela Manalang Gloria, a woman poet described as ahead of her time. Despite the threat of censorship by the new dispensation, more writers turned up "seditious works" and popular writing in the native languages bloomed through the weekly outlets like Liwayway and Bisaya.

       The Balagtas tradition persisted until the poet Alejandro G. Abadilla advocated modernism in poetry. Abadilla later influenced young poets who wrote modern verses in the 1960s such as Virgilio S. Almario, Pedro I. Ricarte and Rolando S. Tinio.

       While the early Filipino poets grappled with the verities of the new language, Filipinos seemed to have taken easily to the modern short story as published in the Philippines Free Press, the College Folio andPhilippines Herald. Paz Marquez Benitez's "Dead Stars" published in 1925 was the first successful short story in English written by a Filipino. Later on, Arturo B. Rotor and Manuel E. Arguilla showed exceptional skills with the short story.

       Alongside this development, writers in the vernaculars continued to write in the provinces. Others like Lope K. Santos, Valeriano Hernandez Peña and Patricio Mariano were writing minimal narratives similar to the early Tagalog short fiction called dali or pasingaw (sketch).

       The romantic tradition was fused with American pop culture or European influences in the adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan by F. P. Boquecosa who also penned Ang Palad ni Pepe after Charles Dicken's David Copperfield even as the realist tradition was kept alive in the novels by Lope K. Santos and Faustino Aguilar, among others.

       It should be noted that if there was a dearth of the Filipino novel in English, the novel in the vernaculars continued to be written and serialized in weekly magazines like Liwayway, Bisaya, Hiligaynon and Bannawag.

       The essay in English became a potent medium from the 1920's to the present. Some leading essayists were journalists like Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge Bocobo, Pura Santillan Castrence, etc. who wrote formal to humorous to informal essays for the delectation by Filipinos.

       Among those who wrote criticism developed during the American period were Ignacio Manlapaz, Leopoldo Yabes and I.V. Mallari. But it was Salvador P. Lopez's criticism that grabbed attention when he won the Commonwealth Literay Award for the essay in 1940 with his "Literature and Society." This essay posited that art must have substance and that Villa's adherence to "Art for Art's Sake" is decadent.

       The last throes of American colonialism saw the flourishing of Philippine literature in English at the same time, with the introduction of the New Critical aesthetics, made writers pay close attention to craft and "indirectly engendered a disparaging attitude" towards vernacular writings -- a tension that would recur in the contemporary period.

 

The Contemporary Period

       The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue 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 literatures of the regions, the audience for Filipino writers is virtually assured. And, perhaps, a national literature finding its niche among the literatures of the world will not be far behind.

Philippine literature is the literature associated with the Philippines and includes the legends of prehistory, and the

colonial legacy of the Philippines. Pre-Hispanic Philippine literature were actually epics passed on from generation to

generation originally through oral tradition. However, wealthy families, especially in Mindanao were able to keep

transcribed copies of these epics as family heirloom. One such epic was the Darangen, epic of the Maranaos of Lake

Lanao.

Most of the notable literature of the Philippines was written during the Spanish period and the first half of the 20th

century in the Spanish language. Philippine literature is written in Spanish, English, Tagalog, or other

native Philippine languages.

Contents

1   Earliest works

2   Classical literature in Spanish during the 19th Century

o 2.1   Poetry and metrical romances

o 2.2   Prose

o 2.3   Dramas

o 2.4   Religious drama

o 2.5   Secular dramas

3   Modern literature (20th and 21st century)

4   Notable Philippine literary authors

5   See also

6   References

7   External links

Earliest works[edit]

Doctrina Christiana , Manila, 1593, is the first book printed in the Philippines.

Tomas Pinpin  wrote and printed in 1610 Librong Pagaaralan nang mga Tagalog nang Uicang Castilla, 119

pages long, designed to help fellow Filipinos to learn the Spanish language in a simple way. He is also with the

first news publication made in the Philippines, "Successos Felices".

Classical literature in Spanish during the 19th Century[edit]

Main article: Philippine literature in Spanish

On December 1, 1846, the first daily newspaper, La Esperanza, was published in the country. Other early

newspapers were La Estrella (1847), Diario de Manila (1848) and Boletin Oficial de Filipinas (1852). The first

provincial newspaper was El Eco de Vigan(1884), which was issued in Ilocos. In Cebu City, El Boletín de Cebú (The

Bulletin of Cebu) was published in 1890.

On 1863, the Spanish government introduced a system of free public education that increased the population's ability

to read Spanish and thereby furthered the rise of an educated class called the Ilustrado (meaning, well-informed).

Spanish became the social language of urban places and the truelingua franca of the archipelago. A good number of

Spanish newspapers were published until the end of the 1940s, the most influential of them being El Renacimiento,

printed in Manila by members of the Guerrero de Ermita family.

Some members of the ilustrado group, while in Spain, decided to start a Spanish publication with the aim of

promoting the autonomy and independence projects. Members of this group included Pedro Alejandro Paterno, who

wrote the novel Nínay (first novel written by a Filipino) ((cn)) and the Philippine national hero, José Rizal, who wrote

excellent poetry and his two famous novels in Spanish: Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me Not), and El Filibusterismo.

Especially potent was La Solidaridad, more fondly called La Sol by the members of the propaganda movement,

founded in 15 February 1885.[citation needed] With the help of this paper, Filipino national heroes like José Rizal, Graciano

Lopez Jaena, and Marcelo H. del Pilar were able to voice out their sentiments.

Poetry and metrical romances[edit]

Ladino Poems – Were natives of first Tagalog versifiers who saw print: highly literate in both Spanish and the

vernacular.

Corridos – Were widely read during the Spanish period that filled the populace's need for entertainment as well

as edifying reading matter in their leisure moments.

Awit – like corridos, these were also widely read during the Spanish period as entertaining, edifying, reading

manner in their leisure time. It is also a fabrication of the writers imagination although the characters and the

setting may be European. The structure is rendered dodecasyllabic quatrains.

Prose[edit]

This section

requires expansion.(August

2013)

The prose works of the Spanish Period consisted mostly of didactic pieces and translations of religious writings in

foreign languages.

Dramas[edit]

This section is empty. You

can help by adding to

it. (August 2013)

Religious drama[edit]

The Panunuluyan– Literally, seeking entrance, the Tagalog version of the Mexican Las Posadas. Held on the

eve of Christmas, it dramatizes Joseph's and Mary's search for Bethlehem.

Cenaculo – Was the dramatization of the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

Salubong – An Easter play that dramatizes the meeting of the Risen Christ and His Mother.

Moriones – Refers to the participants dressed roman soldiers, their identities hidden behind colorful, sometimes

grotesque, wooden masks.

The Santacruzan – Performed during the month of May which have the devotion for the Holy Cross. It depicts

St. Elena's search for the cross on which Christ died.

Pangangaluwa – An interesting socio-religious practice on All Saint's Day which literally means for The

Soul.These were generally held during the nine nights of vigil and prayers after someone's death, on the first

death anniversary when the family members put away their mourning clothes.

Secular dramas[edit]

The Karagatan – comes from the legendary practice of testing the mettle of young men vying for a maiden's

hand. The maiden's ring would be dropped into sea and whoever retrieves it would have the girl's hand in

marriage.

The Duplo – A forerunner of the balagtasan. The performances consist of two teams; One composed of young

women called Dupleras or Belyakas; and the other, of young men called Dupleros or Belyakos.

The Comedia – It is about a courtly love between, a prince and a princess of different religions. It is about a

Christian-Muslim relationship

Modern literature (20th and 21st century)[edit]

The greatest portion of Spanish literature was written during the American period, most often as an expression of pro-

Hispanic nationalism, by those who had been educated in Spanish or had lived in the Spanish-speaking society of the

big cities, and whose principles entered in conflict with the American cultural trends.[citation needed] Such period of Spanish

literary production—i.e., between the independence of Spain in 1898 and well ahead into the decade of the 1940s—is

known as Edad de Oro del Castellano en Filipinas. Some prominent writers of this era were Wenceslao

Retana and Claro Mayo Recto, both in drama and essay; Antonio M. Abad and Guillermo Gomez Wyndham, in the

narrative;Fernando María Guerrero and Manuel Bernabé, both in poetry. The predominant literary style was the so-

called "Modernismo", a mixture of elements from the French Parnassienand Symboliste schools, as promoted by

some Latin American and Peninsular Spanish writers (e.g. the Nicaraguan Rubén Darío, the Mexican Amado Nervo,

the SpaniardFrancisco Villaespesa, and the Peruvian José Santos Chocano as major models).

Notable Philippine literary authors[edit]

Nicanor Abelardo

Nicanor Abelardo was born in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan. His mother belonged to a family of artists in Guagua, the Hensons. He was introduced to music when he was five years old, when his father taught him the solfeggio and the banduria. At the age of 8, he was able to compose his estoryahe first work, a waltz entitled "Ang Unang Buko," which was dedicated to his grandmother. At the age of 13, he was already playing at saloons and cabarets in Manila. At age 15, he was already teaching in barrio schools in San Ildefonso and San Miguel Bulacan. All of these happened even before young Abelardo finally took up courses under Guy F. Harrison and Robert Schofield at the UP Conservatory of Music in 1916. By 1924, following a teacher’s certificate in science and composition received in 1921, he was appointed head of the composition department at the Conservatory. Years later, he ran a boarding school for young musicians, and among his students were National Artist Antonino Buenaventura, Alfredo Lozano and Lucino Sacramento. In the field of composition he is known for his redefinition of the kundiman, bringing the genre to art-song status. Among his works were "Nasaan Ka Irog," "Magbalik Ka Hirang," and "Himutok." He died in 1934 at the age of 41, leaving a collection of more than 140 works.[1]

Estrella Alfon

Estrella D. Alfon (July 18, 1917 – December 28, 1983) was a well-known prolific Filipina author who wrote in English. Because of continued poor health, she could manage only an A. A. degree from the University of the Philippines. She then became a member of the U. P. writers club and earned and was given the privileged post of National Fellowship in Fiction post at the U. P. Creative Writing Center. She died in the year 1983 at the age of 66.

1940: A collection of her early short stories, “Dear Esmeralda,” won Honorable Mention in the Commonwealth

Literary Award.

1961-1962: Four of her one-act plays won all the prizes in the Arena Theater Play Writing Contest: “Losers

Keepers” (first prize), “Strangers” (second prize), “Rice” (third prize), and “Beggar” (fourth prize).

1961-1962: Won top prize in the Palanca Contest for “With Patches of Many Hues.”

1974: Second place Palanca Award for her short story, "The White Dress".[6]

1979: National Fellowship in Fiction post at the U.P. Creative Writing Center.

Palanca Awards[edit]

Estrella Alfon has won the Palanca Awards a number of times:[7]

Forever Witches, One-act Play (Third place, 1960)

With Patches of Many Hues, One-act Play (First place, 1962)

Tubig, One-act Play (Second place, 1963)

The Knitting Straw, One-act Play, (Third place, 1968)

The White Dress, Short Story (Second place, 1974)

Francisco Arcellana

Francisco "Franz"[1] Arcellana (September 6, 1916 – August 1, 2002) was

a Filipino writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist and teacher. He was born on September 20, 1916. Arcellana

already had ambitions of becoming a writer during his years in the elementary. His actual writing, however,

started when he became a member of The Torres TorchOrganization during his high school years. Arcellana

continued writing in various school papers at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He later on received a

Rockfeller Grant and became a fellow in creative writing the University of Iowa and Breadloaf's writers

conference from 1956- 1957.[2][3]

He is considered an important progenitor of the modern Filipino short story in English. Arcellana pioneered

the development of the short story as a lyrical prose-poetic form within Filipino literature. His works are now

often taught in tertiary-level-syllabi in the Philippines. Many of his works were translated into Tagalog,

Malaysian, Russian, Italian, and German. Arcellana won 2nd place in 1951 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial

Awards for Literature, with his short story, "The Flowers of May." 14 of his short stories were also included

in Jose Garcia Villa's Honor Roll from 1928 to 1939. His major achievements included the first award in art

criticism from the Art Association of the Philippines in 1954, the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan award

from the city government of Manila in 1981, and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas for English

fiction from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipino (UMPIL) in 1988.

On April 2, 1989, the University of the Philippines conferred upon Arcellana a doctorate in humane letters,

honoris causa. Francisco Arcellana was proclaimed National Artist of the Philippines in Literature on 23,

1990 by then Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino.[4]

In 2009, or seven years after his death, his family came out with a book to pay tribute to National Artist for

Literature Arcellana. The book entitled, "Franz," is a collection of essays gathered by the Arcellana family

from colleagues, friends, students and family members, including fellow National Artist Nick Joaquin, Butch

Dalisay, Recah Trinidad, Jing Hidalgo,Gemino Abad, Romina Gonzalez, Edwin Cordevilla, Divina Aromin,

Doreen Yu, Danton Remoto, Jose Esteban Arcellana and others. [5]

Arcellana is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Arcellana died in 2002. As a National Artist, he received a state funeral at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

His grandson Liam Hertzsprung performed a piano concert in 2006 dedicated to him.

Liwayway A. Arceo

Liwayway A. Arceo (1920–1999) was a multi-awarded Tagalog fictionist, journalist, radio scriptwriter and

editor from the Philippines.

Arceo authored a number of well-received novels, such as Canal de la Reina (1985) and Titser (1995). She

also published collections of short stories such as Ina, Maybahay, Anak at iba pa, Mga Maria, Mga Eva, Ang

Mag-anak na Cruz (1990), and Mga Kuwento ng Pag-ibig (1997). Most of her books were published

by Ateneo de Manila UniversityPress and The University of the Philippines Press. Arceo's story, Uhaw ang

Vernon na Lupa was placed second in the Japanese Imperial Government-sanctioned Pinakamabuting

Maikling Katha ng 1943 (The Best Short Stories of 1943).

Arceo made her mark as a lead actress in Tatlong Maria, a Japanese/Philippine film produced during World

War II. The film was produced by two movie companies; X'Otic Picturesof the Philippines and Eiga

Hekusa of Japan, in 1944. She also acted in Ilaw ng Tahanan, a long-running radio serial. Ilaw ng

Tahanan became a television soap opera aired on RPN 9, during the late 1970s.

Arceo's short story Lumapit, Lumayo ang Umaga was later turned into an award-winning film by National

Artist Ishmael Bernal in 1975. Filipina thespian Elizabeth Oropesareceived a FAMAS Best Actress Award in

1976 for her role in the film.

Arceo received a Carlos Palanca Award for Short Story in Filipino (Filipino (Tagalog) Division) in 1962;

a Japan Foundation Visiting Fellowship in 1992; a Gawad CCP for Literature given by the Cultural Center of

the Philippines in 1993; a Doctorate on Humane Letters, an honoris causa, from the University of the

Philippines in 1991; the Catholic Authors Award from the Asian Catholic Publishers in 1990, and the Gawad

Balagtas Life Achievement Award for Fiction from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (Writers Union

of the Philippines, or UMPIL) in 1998. In 1999, Liwayway Arceo received a Philippine National Centennial

Commission award for her pioneering and exemplary contributions in the field of literature.

After her death, Filipino writers paid tribute to Liwayway A. Arceo during a memorial service held at the

Loyola Memorial Chapel in Guadalupe, Makati City, Philippines on December 6, 1999.

Kris Astudillo Francisco Balagtas

Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz (April 2, 1788 – February 20, 1862), also known as Francisco Baltazar,

was a prominent Filipinopoet, and is widely considered as one of the greatest Filipino literary laureate for his

impact on Filipino literature. The famous epic,Florante at Laura, is regarded as his defining work.

The name "Baltazar", sometimes misconstrued as a pen name, was a legal surname Balagtas adopted after

the 1849 edict of Governor-General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua, which mandated that the native population

adopt standard Spanish surnames instead of native ones.

Works[edit]

Florante at Laura , an awit (metrical narrative poem with dodecasyllabic quatrains [12 syllables per line, 4 lines

per stanza]); Balagtas' masterpiece

Orosmán at Zafira – a komedya (a Filipino theater form evolved from the Spanish comedia) in four parts

Don Nuño at Selinda – a komedya in three parts

Auredato at Astrome – a komedya in three parts

Clara Belmore – a komedya in three parts

Abdol at Misereanan – a komedya, staged in Abucay in 1857

Bayaceto at Dorslica – a komedya in three parts, staged at Udyong on September 27, 1857

Alamansor at Rosalinda – a komedya staged at Udyong during the town's feast

La India elegante y el negrito amante – a short play in one part

Nudo gordeano

Rodolfo at Rosemonda

Mahomet at Constanza

Claus (translated into Tagalog from Latin)

Lualhati Bautista

Lualhati Torres Bautista (born December 2, 1945) is one of the foremost Filipino female novelists in the history of

contemporaryPhilippine Literature. Her novels include Dekada '70, Bata, Bata, Pa'no Ka Ginawa?, and ‘GAPÔ.

Contents

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Biography[edit]

Bautista was born in Tondo, Manila, Philippines on December 2, 1945 to Esteban Bautista and Gloria Torres. She

graduated from Emilio Jacinto Elementary School in 1958, and from Torres High School in 1962. She was a

journalism student at the Lyceum of the Philippines, but dropped out even before she finished her freshman year.

Despite a lack of formal training, Bautista as the writer became known for her honest realism, courageous exploration

of Philippine women's issues, and her compelling female protagonists, who confront difficult situations at home and in

the workplace with uncommon grit and strength.

Works as novelist[edit]

Lualhati garnered several Palanca Awards (1980, 1983 and 1984) for her novels ‘GAPÔ, Dekada '70 and Bata,

Bata… Pa’no Ka Ginawa? exposing injustices and chronicling women activism during the Marcos era.

‘GAPÔ, published in 1980, is the story of a man coming to grips with life as an Amerasian. It is a multi-layered

scrutiny of the politics behind US bases in the Philippines, seen from ordinary citizens living in Olongapo City point of

view.

Dekada '70 is the story of a family caught in the middle of the tumultuous decade of the 1970s. It details how a middle

class family struggled and faced the changes that empowered Filipinos to rise against the Marcos government. These

series of events happened after the bombing of Plaza Miranda, the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, the

proclamation of martial law and the random arrests of political prisoners. The oppressive nature of the Marcos

regime, which made the people become more radical, and the shaping of the decade were all witnessed by the

female protagonist, Amanda Bartolome, a mother of five boys.

Bata, Bata… Pa'no Ka Ginawa?, literally, "Child, Child… How Were You Made?", narrates the life of Lea, a working

mother and a social activist, who has two children. The novel begun with an introductory chapter about the graduation

day from kindergarten of Maya, Lea’s daughter. A program and a celebration were held. In the beginning, everything

in Lea’s life were going smoothly – her life in connection with her children, with friends of the opposite gender, and

with her volunteer work for a human rights organization. But Lea’s children were both growing-up – and Lea could

see their gradual transformation. There were the changes in their ways and personalities: Maya’s curiosity was

becoming more obvious every day, while Ojie was crossing the boundaries from boyhood to teenage to adulthood. In

the end, all three, and especially Lea, have to confront Philippine society’s view of single motherhood; and the novel

itself brazens out to the questions of how it is to be a mother, and how a mother executes this role through modern-

day concepts of parenthood.

Short stories[edit]

Two of Bautista's short stories won the Palanca Awards, namely "Tatlong Kuwento ng Buhay ni Juan Candelabra"

(Three Stories in the Life of Juan Candelabra), first prize, 1982; and "Buwan, Buwan, Hulugan mo Ako ng Sundang"

(Moon, Moon, Drop Me a Sword), third prize, 1983.

As screenwriter[edit]

Lualhati Bautista's venture as screenwriter produced several critically acclaimed works. Her first screenplay

was Sakada (Seasonal Sugarcane Workers), 1976, which exposed the plight of Filipino peasants. Her second film

was Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap in 1984, which was nominated for awards in the Film Academy of the Philippines.

One of her best screenplays, also written during the same year was Bulaklak ng City Jail based on her novel about

imprisoned women, has won almost all awards for that year from various awards guilds including Star

Awards and Metro Manila Film Festival.

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Carlos Bulosan Linda Ty Casper Gilda Cordero-Fernando Servando de los Angeles Genoveva Edroza-Matute Zoilo Galang N. V. M. Gonzalez Nick Joaquin F. Sionil José Ambeth R. Ocampo José Rizal Alejandro R. Roces Bienvenido Santos Edilberto K. Tiempo Kerima Polotan Tuvera Gerald James A. Broquil Mark Arvin M. Encarnacion (Gay Writer) Jose Garcia Villa

See also[edit]

Philippines portal

Cebuano literature

Ilokano literature

Pangasinan literature

Philippine folk literature

Philippine literature in English

Philippine literature in Spanish

Philippine Literature in Filipino

Waray literature

Ninay , first Philippine novel

Languages of the Philippines