SYLLABUS

Literature 1 (Philippine Literature)

A. COURSE DETAILS
Course Code: PHILLIT
Course Title: Philippine Literature
Course Description: To provide a critical survey of literature produced by Filipino writers that is reflective
of the Filipinos and their shared consciousness.
Class Schedule: Saturday (12:30 to 4:30 for Section FMG-21; 8:00 to 8:30 for Section BSA-31)
Instructor: John Christen Moreno-Alfajora (jmalfajora@up.edu.ph)
Consultation: Saturdays (9AM to 12AM at Faculty Room); Weekdays (5PM to 8PM online)

B. COURSE OBJECTIVE
Philippine Literature (PhilLit) should develop in students an awareness of Filipino aesthetics, sense of identity, and
historical consciousness. Through a more contemporary and thematic framework, which stood in sharp contrast with
the commonplace rendering of Philippine Literature courseworks, students are expected to be capable in analyzing
various themes that have engendered Philippine Literature and explain the various factors that continuously shape
the production of national literature.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Examine literary texts using critical and cultural methods;
Analyze the politics of dominant styles and movements evident in various types of Philippine Literature;
Articulate the value of studying literature and humanities in general in developing a multidisciplinary
student; and,
Rethink notions of national, canonical, and representative in the context of Philippine literary
production by following the postmodernism classroom approach of Aguila, Arriola & Wigley (2008)
Philippine Literatures: texts, themes, approaches.

C. GRADING
Your grade will be determined by your preparedness for and participation in class discussion (15%), by your 7 paper
assignments and 5 seat works (25%), by your uploads in Scorp App (15%), by your midterm paper (20%), and by
your final paper (25%).

Attendance is crucial to the course. Should you need to miss a class, inform me in advance to avoid unexcused
absences.

The essays and papers in the class will be evaluated against the following learning outcomes:
Ability to read texts with discernment and comprehension (40%)
Perform critical, formal analyses of literary, cinematic, and other cultural texts (30%)
Apply the framework of analysis being discussed in the current module (20%)
Write focused, analytical essays in grammatical prose (10%)
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any form of academic dishonesty may result to a grade of 5.0 for the activity for
the entire course.

D. EXPECTATIONS, COMMUNCIATIONS
You are expected to conduct yourselves in a responsible manner. You are accountable to read the assigned readings
and submit assigned works. While we only meet once a week, you should plan to allocate at least 9 to 12 hours a
week on assigned readings, assignments, quizzes, and exams.

Throughout the course, be in close contact with me and your fellow students. You are expected to communicate via
email (jmalfajora@up.edu.ph) or through our discussion boards. Open, inclusive communication is encouraged in
the class.
 SYLLABUS
Literature 1 (Philippine Literature)

A. COURSE DETAILS
Course Code: PHILLIT
Course Title: Philippine Literature
Course Description: To provide a critical survey of literature produced by Filipino writers that is reflective
of the Filipinos and their shared consciousness.
Class Schedule: Saturday (12:30 to 4:30 for Section FMG-32; 4:30 to 8:30 for Section BSA-31)
Instructor: John Christen Moreno-Alfajora (jmalfajora@up.edu.ph)
Consultation: Saturdays (9AM to 12AM at Faculty Room); Weekdays (5PM to 8PM online)

B. COURSE OBJECTIVE
Philippine Literature (PhilLit) should develop in students an awareness of Filipino aesthetics, sense of identity, and
historical consciousness. Through a more contemporary and thematic framework, which stood in sharp contrast with
the commonplace rendering of Philippine Literature courseworks, students are expected to be capable in analyzing
various themes that have engendered Philippine Literature and explain the various factors that continuously shape
the production of national literature.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Examine literary texts using critical and cultural methods;
Analyze the politics of dominant styles and movements evident in various types of Philippine Literature;
Articulate the value of studying literature and humanities in general in developing a multidisciplinary
student; and,
Rethink notions of national, canonical, and representative in the context of Philippine literary
production by following the postmodernism classroom approach of Aguila, Arriola & Wigley (2008)
Philippine Literatures: texts, themes, approaches.

C. GRADING
Your grade will be determined by your preparedness for and participation in class discussion (15%), by your 7 paper
assignments and 5 seat works (40%), by your midterm paper (20%), and by your final paper (25%).

Attendance is crucial to the course. Should you need to miss a class, inform me in advance to avoid unexcused
absences.

The essays and papers in the class will be evaluated against the following learning outcomes:
Ability to read texts with discernment and comprehension (40%)
Perform critical, formal analyses of literary, cinematic, and other cultural texts (30%)
Apply the framework of analysis being discussed in the current module (20%)
Write focused, analytical essays in grammatical prose (10%)
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any form of academic dishonesty may result to a grade of 5.0 for the activity for
the entire course.

D. EXPECTATIONS, COMMUNCIATIONS
You are expected to conduct yourselves in a responsible manner. You are accountable to read the assigned readings
and submit assigned works. While we only meet once a week, you should plan to allocate at least 9 to 12 hours a
week on assigned readings, assignments, quizzes, and exams.

Throughout the course, be in close contact with me and your fellow students. You are expected to communicate via
email (jmalfajora@up.edu.ph) or through our discussion board (as agreed by both classes, well discuss and simulate
asynchronous classroom interactions on a Facebook Group). Open, inclusive communication is encouraged in the
class.
E. COURSE OUTLINE

Week Date Learning Topic/Objective Materials Graded Assessment

Get to know each other
1 Jan 14 Introduction to the study of Philippine - Sneaking into the Philippines (Epifanio San Juan) None
Literature
Define literature - What is Literature | Terry Eagleton Graded Recitation
2 Jan 21 Subjective ideologies and how they affect - Philippine Literature: A Twofold renaissance | Miguel Bernard Seatwork 1 (Timed-
reading and meaning-making - Film: Ang Nawawala essay)
- Mill of the Gods | Estrella Alfon
Imaging the Filipino Man
- Pagkat lalaki ka | Michael Coroza Paper 1
3 Jan 28 Male Myth in Mass Media
- To the man I married | Angela Gloria Group work 1
The Nature of Hermeneutics
- The Spouse | Louis Dato
- Alunsinda and Tungkung Langit | Panay-Visyan folktale by F.
Cascade of learning syllabus
Landa Jocano Seatwork 2
Imaging the Filipino Woman
4 Feb 4 - Ang babaeng nangangarap nang gising | Virgilio Armario) Paper 2
Mythic Reading
- Babae Ka | Inang Laya
Third World Feminism
- Woman with horns | Cecilia Maguerra
Representing the Filipino Family - Claudia and her mother | Rolando Tinio
Motherhood in Media - Representations of Motherhood in | JC Alfajora
5 Feb 11 Paper 3
The Family at the vortex of migration and - Film: Chopsuey
diaspora - The Flood in Tarlac | Gregorio C. Brillantes
Exploring Filipino traditions - The Godstealer | F. Sionil Jose
6 Feb 18 Paper 4
Fashioning Filipino identity - Ang Kamatayan ng Wika | Carlo Pacolor Garcia
Discovering Love and the Filipino - Dead Stars | Paz Marquez Benitez
7 Feb 25 Group work 2
The tragedy of Sublime Romantic Love - Para Kay B | Ricky Lee
Exploring Filipino Humor - My Own Theory of Devolution | Jessica Zafra Seatwork 3
8 March 4
The comedy of errors - Kikomachine Komix | Manx Abrera Paper 5
Interrogating Gender Relations and the - The other woman | Norma Miraflor
Seat work 4
9 March 11 Filipino - The conversion | J. Neil Garcia
Group Paper 1
CHECKPOINT: Review of Grades - Film: Zombadings
NO CLASSES Discussion and - Genre and the Literary Canon | Alastair Fowler
Workshop of Critical Paper
10 March 18 Mid Term Paper 1

11 March 25 Understanding Spirituality and the Filipino - Film: Himala Seat work 5
 Discovering Philippine Aesthetics
Supremacy of Beauty - Four values in Filipino Drama and Film | Nicanor Tiongson
12 April 1 Paper 6
- Poem 10: First a poem be magical | Jose Garcia Villa

Exploring Class Relations in the

Philippines - The Bread of Salt | NVM Gonzalez
13 April 8 Paper 7
- Film: M

NO CLASS
14 April 15 Final Paper 1
Consultation final paper/ Debriefing

F. RESOURCES

Main Resource:
Aguila, A.A., Arriola, J.L., & Wigley, J.J.G. (2008). Philippine literatures: texts, themes, approaches. Quezon City, Philippines: University of Santo tomas
Publishing House.

Other Additional Readings:

Alfajora, J.C. Representations of Motherhood in Philippine Contemporary Films of the 21st Century: Reputation, Revolution, and Redefinition
Bernad, Miguel A. Philippine Literature: A Twofold Renaissance
Fowler, Alastair. Genre and the Literary Canon.
San Juan, E., Jr. Sneaking into the Philippines, along the Rivers of Babylon: an Intervention into the Language Question
Sulit, Marie-Therese C. The Philippine Diaspora, Hunger and Re-Imagining Community: An Overview of Works by Filipina and Filipina American Writers