EN7 1st Quarter

Philippine Literature Timeline (from Pre-Colonial to

Propagandist/Revolutionary period)
PRE-COLONIAL (BC to 1564)

 Historical Events
Filipinos often lose sight of the fact that the first period of the Philippine literary history
is the longest. However, 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. 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 of the
forms.
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.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.

 Literary Works
Riddle- Made up of one or more measured lines with rhymes and may consist of 4 to 12
syllables and it showcases the Filipino wit, literary talent, and keen observation of the
surroundings.
Epigrams/Proverbs (Salawikain&Sawikain)- Short poems that have been customarily
 been used and served as laws or rules on good behavior by ancestors. Usually the work
imparts lessons for the young ones.
Chants (Bulong)- Used in witchcrafts and enchantments.
Myths- derived from Philippine folk literature, which is the traditional oral literature of
the Filipino people. This refers to a wide range of material due to the ethnic mix of the
Philippines.
Folk Songs- a form of folk lyric which expresses the people’s hopes, aspirations, and
lifestyles.
Epic- a series of heroic achievements, usually a hero, is dealt with at length.

 Famous Authors
Literature was passed down through storytelling from one person to another. The
author of these works remains unknown until present time.

 Literary Styles and Themes

Most of the content of the literature in the said era revolves around the creation of the
world, community, the Philippines and life.

 Literary Samples
Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud (Ifugao); Lam-
ang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen (Maranao); Ulahingan (
Livunganen-Arumanen Manobo); MangovaytBuhongnaLangit(The Maiden of the
Buhong Sky from Tuwaang-Manobo); Ag TobignegKeboklagan (Subanon);
and Tudbulol (T'boli).

COLONIAL PERIOD (Spanish)

 Historical Events
The Spanish colonial strategy was to undermine the native oral tradition by substituting
for it the story of the Passion of Christ. Although Christ was by no means war-like or
sexually attractive as many of the heroes of the oral epic tradition, the appeal of the
Jesus myth inhered in the protagonist’s superior magic: by promising eternal life for
everyone. It is to be emphasized, however, that the native tradition survived and even
flourished in areas inaccessible to the colonial power. Moreover, the tardiness and the
lack of assiduity of the colonial administration in making a public educational system
work meant the survival of oral tradition, or what was left of it, among the conquered
tribes.The church authorities adopted a policy of spreading the Church doctrines by
communicating to the native (pejoratively called Indio) in his own language.
 This development marked the beginning of Indio literacy and thus spurred the creation
of the first written literary native text by the native. These writers,
called ladinos because of their fluency in both Spanish and Tagalog, published their
work, mainly devotional poetry, in the first decade of the 17th century. Ironically — and
perhaps just because of its profound influence on the popular imagination — as artifact
it marks the beginning of the end of the old mythological culture and a conversion to
the new paradigm introduced by the colonial power.

 Literary Works
Christian Doctrine (Religious literature)- a prayerbook written in Spanish with an
accompanying Tagalog translation. It was, however, for the exclusive use of the
missionaries who invariably read them aloud to the unlettered Indio catechumens.
Senakulo (Religious literature)- a dramatization of the pasyon.
Pasyon (Religious literature)- long narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ.
Awit- colorful tales of chivalry made for singing and chanting.
Komedya (moro-moro)-secular literature from Spain in the form of medieval ballads
inspired the native poetic-drama.
Prose Narratives- written to prescribe proper decorum.

 Famous Authors
Gaspar Aquino de Belen - was a Filipino poet and translator of the 17th century, known
for authoring a 1704 rendition of the Pasyon: a famous poetic narrative of the passion,
death and resurrection of Jesus, which has circulated in many versions.
Jose de la Cruz (1746 – 1829) - was the foremost exponent of the komedya during his
time. A poet of prodigious output and urbane style, de la Cruz marks a turning point in
that his elevated diction distinguishes his work from folk idiom.
Francisco Baltazar (1788 – 1862) - popularly called Balagtas, is the acknowledged
master of traditional Tagalog poetry. But the crucial element in Balagtas’ unique genius
is that, being caught between two cultures (the native and the colonial/classical), he
could switch codes (or was perceived by his compatriot audience to be switching codes),
provide insight and information to his oppressed compatriots in the very style and guise
of a tradition provided him by a foreign (and oppressive) culture. His narrative
poem Florante at Laura written in sublime Tagalog, is about tyranny in Albanya, but it is
also perceived to be about tyranny in his Filipino homeland (Lumbera).
Jose Rizal (1861 – 1896)- He chose the realistic novel as his medium. Choosing Spanish
over Tagalog meant challenging the oppressors on the latter’s own turf. By writing in
 prose, Rizal also cut his ties with the Balagtas tradition of the figurative indirection
which veiled the supposed subversiveness of many writings at that time.

 Literary Styles and Themes

The topics covered by the literary works include religion, specifically Christianity, and
European traditions. Grammar books in Tagalog were also published at that time period.
Some were sung, like The Passion while some were prayers that believers chant in
church.
 Literary Examples
Doctrina Christiana (1593); Mahal Na Pasion ni Jesu Christo by Gaspar Aquino de Belen;
Angmga Dalit kay Maria (Psalms for Mary); AngBarlaan at Josaphat by Fray Antonio de
Borja; Florante at Laura by Francisco Balagtas; MiUltimoadios by Jose Rizal.

REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD

 Historical Events
It began in August 1896, when the Spanish authorities discovered Katipunan, an anti-
colonial secret organization.During a great revolution, literature nearly disappears and
there is silence for, swept up in the tide of revolution, all turn from shouting to action
and are so busy making revolution that there is no time to talk of literature. However,
Filipinos who aren’t into making revolution in action revived the Philippine literature
with their own writings and inflaming Filipinos’ emotions with the said
content. Revolutionary period likewise saw various literary masterpieces written as
ammunition and shield in the ever-changing tide of war to independence. Periodicals
and magazines were likewise continued to flourish as both avenue for idea propagation
and vehicle for literary initiatives.
 Literary Works
Political Essays (Propaganda Literature) - satires, editorials and news articles
were written to attackand expose the evils of Spanish rule; helped inflame the spirit of
revolution
Political Novels (Propaganda Literature) - the content directly criticizes an existing
society or present an alternative, even fantastic, reality.
Revolutionary Literature - more propagandistic than literary as it is moreviolent in
nature and demanded complete independence for the country.

 Famous Authors
Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and M. H. del Pilar - In a sense, Rizal’s novels and
patriotic poems were the inevitable conclusion to the campaign for liberal reforms
known as the Propaganda Movement, waged by Graciano Lopez Jaena, and M.H. del
 Pilar. The two novels so vividly portrayed corruption and oppression that despite the
lack of any clear advocacy, they served to instill the conviction that there could be no
solution to the social ills but a violent one.
Emilio Jacinto - Jacinto wrote political essays expressed in the language of the folk.
Significantly, although either writer could have written in Spanish (Bonifacio, for
instance, wrote a Tagalog translation of Rizal’s Ultimo Adios), both chose to
communicate to their fellowmen in their own native language.
Andres Bonifacio– was an admirer of Rizal, and like Rizal, he wasa writer and social critic
profoundly influenced by the liberal ideas of the French enlightenment, about human
dignity. Bonifacio’s most important work are his poems, the most well-known
being Pag-IbigSaTinubuangLupa.
Jose Palma - was a Filipino poet and soldier. He was on the staff of La Independencia at
the time he wrote Filipinas, a patriotic poem in Spanish. He also wrote the Himno
Nacional Filipino (The Philippine National Anthem) composed by Julian Felipe which was
originally entitled, MarchaMagdalo. He joined the fight against the Americans together
with Gen. del Pilar with his works and as a soldier.

 Literary Styles and Themes

During this period, Filipinos began to write novels and poems about love for their
country. The revolutionary literature journey marked a drastic period of inflamed
emotions and fiery rhetoric on the account of achieving freedom from the shackles of
tyranny.

 Literary Examples
Kalayaan edited by Emilio Jacinto; True Decalogue by ApolinarioMabini;
KatapusangHibik ng Pilipinas and Pag-ibigsaTinubuangLupaby Andres Bonifacio; Liwanag
at Dilim by Emilio Jacinto; Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo by Jose Rizal.