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Transcript of The Development of Philippine Literature

The Development of Philippine Literature
Compared to other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines has very few artifacts that show
evidence of writing. However literacy, with a script called Baybayin, was widespread in Luzon
when the Spaniards came in 1521.
The Spaniards recorded that people in Manila and other places wrote on bamboo and specially
prepared palm leaves, using knives and styli. They were using the ancient Tagalog script which
had 17 basic symbols, three of which were the vowels a/e, i, and o/u. Each basic consonantal
symbol had the inherent a sound: ka, ga, nga, ta, da, na, pa, ba, ma, ya, la, wa, sa, and ha.
A diacritical mark, called "kudlit", modified the sound of the symbol. The kudlit could be a dot,
a short line, or even an arrowhead. When placed above the symbol, it changed the inherent sound
of the symbol from a/e to i; placed below, the sound became o/u. Thus a ba/be with a kudlit
placed above became a bi; if the kudlit was placed below, the symbol became a bo/bu.Ba Be Bi
Bo Bu
Classical Literature in Spanish (19th Century)
In 1863 a Spanish decree introduced universal education creating free public schooling in
Spanish.
This had an important role in the rise of an educated class called the "Ilustrados" such as
National Hero Jose Rizal, who wrote important literary works in Spanish, considered Philippine
Classical Literature.
Some members of this cultural elite include: José Rizal, Pedro Paterno, Jesús Balmori, Huerta,
Farolán, Licsi, Lumba, and Castillo. Major historical documents such as the national anthem, the
Malolos Constitution or Constitución Política de Malolos and revolutionary propaganda is also
considered classical literature.
Nationalism was first propagated in the Spanish language, especially in the writings of Marcelo
H. Del Pilar or "Plaridel" in the La Solidaridad publications. In Cebu, the first Spanish
newspaper, El Boletín de Cebú, was published in 1886.
Modern Literature (20th Century)
Ironically, the greatest portion of Spanish literature by native Filipinos was written during the
American commonwealth period, because the Spanish language was still predominant among the
Filipino intellectuals. One of the country's major writers, Claro Mayo Recto, continued writing in
Spanish until 1946.
Other well-known Spanish-language writers, especially during the American period were Isidro
Marfori, Cecilio Apostol (Pentelicas, 1941), Fernando Ma. Guerrero (Crisalidas, 1914), Flavio
Zaragoza Cano (Cantos a Espana and De Mactan a Tirad) and others.
Among the newspapers published in Spanish were El Renacimiento, La Democracia, La
Vanguardia, El Pueblo de Iloilo, El Tiempo and others. Three magazines, The Independent,
Philippine Free Press and Philippine Review were published in English and Spanish.
In 1915, the local newspapers began publishing sections in English. Cebu had its share of writers
in Spanish, most of whom flourished during the early decades of the century. Although their
output would diminish in later years, Jose del Mar won a Zobel Prize (Premio Zobel) for his
work Perfiles in 1965.
In Asian literature, Filipinos especially excel in short stories. Leon Comber, the former British
publisher of the Heinemann Writing in Asia Series and the head judge for the Asiaweek Short
Story Competition commended the Filipino writers in his introduction to the book Prize Winning
Asian Fiction, published in 1991 by Times Book International.
He wrote: "Many of the best short stories came from the Philippines... because Filipino writers
felt at ease using English as a medium of expression. In fact, their country is the third-largest
English-speaking nation in the world and they take to writing in the language as a form of
'artistic expression' and show just as much zest and natural talent for it as they do for painting,
music and the other arts."

2. Literature During Precolonial Times

Filipinos often lose sight of the fact that the first period of the Philippine literary history is the longest.
Certain events from the nation’s history had forced lowland Filipinos to begin counting the years of
history from 1521, the first time written records by Westerners referred to the archipelago later to be
called “Las islas Filipinas”. However, the discovery of the “Tabon Man” in a cave in Palawan in 1962,
has allowed us to stretch our prehistory as far as 50,000 years back. The stages of that prehistory show
how the early Filipinos grew in control over their environment. Through the researches and writings about
Philippine history, much can be reliably inferred about precolonial Philippine literature from an analysis
of collected oral lore of Filipinos whose ancestors were able to preserve their indigenous culture by living
beyond the reach of Spanish colonial administrators.
The oral literature of the precolonial Filipinos bore the marks of the community. The subject was
invariably the common experience of the people constituting the village-food-gathering, creature and
objects of nature, work in the home, field, forest or sea, caring for children, etc. This is evident in the
most common forms of oral literature like the riddle, the proverbs and the song, which always seem to
assume that the audience is familiar with the situations, activities and objects mentioned in the course of
expressing a thought or emotion. The language of oral literature, unless the piece was part of the cultural
heritage of the community like the epic, was the language of daily life. At this phase of literary
development, any member of the community was a potential poet, singer or storyteller as long as he knew
the language and had been attentive to the conventions f the forms.
In settlements along or near the seacoast, a native syllabary was in use before the Spaniards brought over
the Roman alphabet. The syllabary had three vowels (a, i-e, u-o) and 14 consonants (b, d, g, h, k, l, m, n,
ng, p, r, s, t, w, and y) but, curiously enough, had no way of indicating the consonantal ending words.
This lends credence to the belief that the syllabary could not have been used to produce original creative
works which would all but be undecipherable when read by one who had had no previous contact with the
text. When the syllabary fell into disuse among the Christianized Filipinos, much valuable information
about precolonial culture that could had been handed down to us was lost. Fewer and fewer Filipinos kept
records of their oral lore, and fewer and fewer could decipher what had been recorded in earlier times.
The perishable materials on which the Filipinos wrote were disintegrate and the missionaries who
believed that indigenous pagan culture was the handicraft of the devil himself destroyed those that
remained.
There are two ways by which the uniqueness of indigenous culture survived colonization. First, by
resistance to colonial rule. This was how the Maranaws, the Maguindanaws, and the Tausogs of
Mindanao and Igorots, Ifugao, Bontocs and Kalingas of the Mountain Province were able to preserve the
integrity of their ethnic heritage. The Tagbanwas, Tagabilis, Mangyans, Bagobos, Manuvus, Bilaan,
Bukidnons, and Isneg could cling on the traditional way of life because of the inaccessibility of
settlements. It is to these descendants of ancient Filipinos who did not come under the cultural sway of
Western colonizers that we turn when we look for examples of oral lore. Oral lore they have been
preserve like epics, tales, songs, riddles, and proverbs that are now windows to a past with no written
records which can be studied.
Ancient Filipinos possessed great wealth of lyric poetry. There were many songs of great variety in lyrics
and music as well as meter. Each mountain tribe and each group of lowland Filipinos had its own. Most
of the may be called folksongs in that there can be traced in them various aspects of the life and customs
of the people.
Precolonial poetry were composed of poems composed of different dialects of the islands. The first
Spanish settlers themselves found such poetry, reproduced them, and recorded in their reports and letters
to Spain. Although precolonial poems are distinct from the lyrics of the folksongs the said poems were
usually chanted when recited, as is still the custom of all Asiatic peoples and Pacific Ocean tribes. It is
true that many of the precolonial poetry is crude in ideology and phraseology as we look at it with our
present advanced knowledge of what poetry should be. Considering the fact that early Filipinos never
studied literature and never had a chance to study poetry and poetic technique, it is surprising that their
spontaneous poetic expression had some rhythmic pattern in the use of equal syllabic counts for the lines
of stanza, and have definitely uniform rhyming scheme. Spanish missionaries writing grammars and
vocabularies had made good use of these early beginnings of Filipino poetry to illustrate word usage
according to the dictionary and grammatical definitions they had cast.
Thousands of maxims, proverbs, epigrams, and the like have been listed by many different collectors and
researchers from many dialects. Majority of these reclaimed from oblivion com from the Tagalos,
Cebuano, and Ilocano dialects. And the bulk are rhyming couplets with verses of five, six seven, or eight
syllables, each line of the couplet having the same number of syllables. The rhyming practice is still the
same as today in the three dialects mentioned. A good number of the proverbs is conjectured as part of
longer poems with stanza divisions, but only the lines expressive of a philosophy have remained
remembered in the oral tradition. Classified with the maxims and proverbs are allegorical stanzas which
abounded in all local literatures. They contain homilies, didactic material, and expressions of homespun
philosophy, making them often quoted by elders and headmen in talking to inferiors. They are rich in
similes and metaphors. These one stanza poems were called Tanaga and consisted usually of four lines
with seven syllables, all lines rhyming.
The most appreciated riddles of ancient Philippines are those that are rhymed and having equal number of
syllables in each line, making them classifiable under the early poetry of this country. Riddles were
existent in all languages and dialects of the ancestors of the Filipinos and cover practically all of the
experiences of life in these times.
Almost all the important events in the life of the ancient peoples of this country were connected with
some religious observance and the rites and ceremonies always some poetry recited, chanted, or sung. The
lyrics of religious songs may of course be classified as poetry also, although the rhythm and the rhyme
may not be the same.
Drama as a literary from had not yet begun to evolve among the early Filipinos. Philippine theater at this
stage consisted largely in its simplest form, of mimetic dances imitating natural cycles and work
activities. At its most sophisticated, theater consisted of religious rituals presided over by a priest or
priestess and participated in by the community. The dances and ritual suggest that indigenous drama had
begun to evolve from attempts to control the environment. Philippine drama would have taken the form of
the dance-drama found in other Asian countries.
Prose narratives in prehistoric Philippines consisted largely or myths, hero tales, fables and legends. Their
function was to explain natural phenomena, past events, and contemporary beliefs in order to make the
environment less fearsome by making it more comprehensible and, in more instances, to make idle hours
less tedious by filling them with humor and fantasy. There is a great wealth of mythical and legendary
lore that belongs to this period, but preserved mostly by word of mouth, with few written down by
interested parties who happen upon them.
The most significant pieces of oral literature that may safely be presumed to have originated in prehistoric
times are folk epics. Epic poems of great proportions and lengths abounded in all regions of the islands,
each tribe usually having at least one and some tribes possessing traditionally around five or six popular
ones with minor epics of unknown number.
Filipinos had a culture that linked them with the Malays in the Southeast Asia, a culture with traces of
Indian, Arabic, and, possibly Chinese influences. Their epics, songs, short poems, tales, dances and rituals
gave them a native Asian perspective which served as a filtering device for the Western culture that the
colonizers brought over from Europe.
3. Literature During Middle Period. In Baguio, in 1958, an important national
writers conference was held to discuss the role of the Filipino writer in society. Also in
1958, a chapter of International Pen was inaugurated in the Philippines with Alfredo T.
Morales as its first president.

During the years 1930 to 1960 Philippine literature in English rapidly improved,
especially in the areas of the essay, the short story, and poetry.
Essays: During the middle period of the Philippine literature in English, the essayists
tried to capture Filipino life and culture. In the 1930s Salvador P. Lopez led the school of
writers who stressed social consciousness. Others, following the view of Jose Garcia
Villa wrote on art and literature. In 1940, Salvador P. Lopez expressed his
views Literature and Society.

Under the pseudonym "Mang Kiko," Francisco B. Icasiano wrote, in 1941, Horizons
from My Nipa Hut. This book included humorous essays which revealed a deep
sympathy for the common tao. During the war years the essays improved in literary style
but their content was severely limited by the Japanese censors. After 1945 the essayists
again turned to themes of nationalism, politics, and literary criticism. For the next ten
years or so these themes were treated with an ever growing proficiency. Among the
important essayists of the Middle Period might be included: F. M. Africa, Francisco
Arcellana, Solomon V. Arnaldo, Jorge Bocobo, Marcelo de Gracia Concepcion, Pura
Santillan-Castrence, E. Aguilar Cruz, A. T. Daguio, Amando G. Dayrit, Eugenio
Ealdama, Antonio Estrada, Ariston Estrada, Josefa Gonzalez-Estrada, Antonio S. Gabila,
Alfredo Q. Gonzalez, Leon Ma. Guerrero, Jr. , J. M. Hernandez, V. M. Hilario, F. B.
Icasinao, Maria Kalaw-Katigbak, J. A. Lansang, Jose P. Laurel, A. E. Litiatco, T. M.
Locsin, Salvador P. Lopez, Maria Luna-Lopez, A. J. Malay, I. V. Mallari, Federico
Mangahas, Ignacio Manlapaz, Camilo Osias, Vicente Albano Pacis, Carlos Quirino,
Godofredo Rivera, Eulogio B. Rodriguez, Carlos P. Romulo, A. B. Rotor, Leon O. Ty,
Jose Garcia Villa, Manuel A. Viray, and Leopoldo Y. Yabes.

Short Stories: The form of Philippine literature which showed the most rapid
development seemed to be the short story. The early didactic stories and romantic tales
quickly gave way to stories about farm life and city life, the problems of society, and
human hardships. Local color was well used. Jose Garcia Villa was among the first
Filipino writers to receive international recognition. In 1932 Villa's "Untitled Story" was
selected by Edward J. O'Brien in New York for inclusion in the Best Short Stories of
1932. In 1933, Scribner's published Villa's Footnote to Youth and Other Tales. "The
Fence," also by Villa, was included in O'Brien's Best Short Stories of 1933.

After Villa came several significant writers. Manuel E. Arguilla wrote excellent stories
about the people of Nagrebcan in How My Brother Leon Brought a Wife and Other
Stories. Delfin Fresnosa vividly depicted the hardships of the poor. In his short stories
Nick Joaquin included allegories of cultural and moral situations in Philippine history. He
frequently recreated the past to show its relevance and value for the present. Joaquin's
book Prose and Poems(1952) was voted by a panel of critics led by Leonard Casper as
the most distinguished book in fifty years of Philippine Literature in English.
In the 1950s another important writer was Nestor Vidali Mendoza Gonzalez. In Children
of the Ash-Covered Loam and Other Stories (1954) and A Season of Grace (1956),
Gonzalez dealt with such basic themes as loneliness, self-discovery, and hope amidst
suffering.

The quality and depth of short story writing developed rapidly during the Middle Period.
Among the writers who contributed to this growth are: T. D. Agcaoili, Manuel F.
Arguilla, Estrella D. Alfon, Francisco Arcellana, Amante E. Bigornia, Consorcio Borje,
Carlos Bulosan, Casiano T. Calalang, Fidel de Castro, Augusto C. Catanjal, Mario P.
Chanco, Amador T. Daguio, Amando G. Dayrit, Morli Dharam, Delfin Fresnosa, Ligaya
Victorio-Fruto, Antonio S. Gabila, Claro C. Gloria, N. V. M. Gonzalez, Sinai C. Hamada,
Jose M. Hernandez, Francisco B. Icasiano, Nick Joaquin, F. Sonil Jose, Jose A. Lansang,
Paz Latorena, A. E. Litiatco, Alvaro L. Martinez, A. G. Ner, Jose Villa Panganiban,
Benjamin M. Pascual, Mariano C. Pascual, C. V. Pedroche, Isidro L. Retizos, Narciso G.
Reyes, Vicente Rivera, Jr., Alejandro R. Roces, Arturo B. Rotor, Clemente M. Roxas,
Bienvenido N. Santos, G. D. Sicam, Loreto Paras-Sulit, Silvestre L. Tagarao, Edilberto
K. Tiempo, Edith L. Tiempo, Arturo M. Tolentino, J. Capiendo Tuvera, Kerima Polotan
Tuvera, Nita H. Umali, Jose Garcia Villa, and Manuel Viray.

Poems: The poetry of the Middle Period developed slowly. In the 1930s most poetry was
still romantic in character. Under the influence of Salvador P. Lopez, some poets like R.
Zulueta da Costa became more conscious of their environment and dealt with themes of
injustice and oppression. Jose Garcia Villa continued to lead the way for all poets with
his creative innovations. In the late 1930s Angela Manalang Gloria emerged as a
promising poet. She published her works in Poems just before World War II.

From 1942 to 1945, few poems were written because of the war conditions and
censorship. However, a few poets living in the mountains managed to write verses. These
poems were later published in 1946 by Juan L. Raso inGuerilla Flower.

4.. Writers During Middle Period. The experiences of war seemed to add wider vision
and greater depth to Filipino poetry in English. Several new poets published their works.
In 1951 Jose Del Castillo's Antiphonal Earth: Coins of Song was published in London.
Dominidor I. Ilio published in 1955. Ricaredo Demetillo published Diplomat and Other
PoemsNo Certain Weather in 1956 and La Viain 1959. Among the poets who contributed
to the Middle Period of Philippine Literature in English are: T. D. Agcaoili, Aurelio
Alvero, Carlos A. Angeles, R. Vinzons Asis, Jorge Bocobo, G. Burce Bunao, Reuben R.
Canoy, Guillermo Castillo, Jose del Castillo, Fidel de Castro, Rafael Zulueta da Costa,
Amador T. Daguio, Luis Dato, Ricaredo Demetillo, Ramon Echevarria, Gregorio
Estonanto, Cornelio C. Faigao, Rodrigo T. Feria, Virgilio Floresca, Vicente L. del Fiero,
Angela Manalang-Gloria, N. V. M. Gonzalez, J. M. Hernandez, Alejandrino G. Hufana,
Dominador I. Ilio, Nick Joaquin, A. E. Litiatco, Toribia Mano, Felizardo Martelino,
Hernando R. Ocampo, Conrado V. Pedroche, Maximo D. Ramos, N. G. Reyes, Conrado
B. Rigor, Alfonso P. Santos, Bienvenido N. Santos, Guillermo V. Sison, Abelardo
Subido, Trinidad L. Tarrosa, Edith L. Tiempo, Francisco G. Tonogbanua, Amado L.
Unite, Celestino M. Vega, H. C. Veloso, Jose Garcia Villa, Manuel L Viray, Amado
Yuson, and Oscar de Zuniga.