LAPU-LAPU CITY COLLEGE

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Don B. Benedicto Road,
Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City 6015

Lit 1 Literature of the

Philippines
Module for Students
Prepared by:

Princess Mae A. Mejia

Course Instructor
 Literature of the Philippines
Module Overview

Welcome to our Philippine Literature class!

“Literature makes us better thinkers. It moves us to see the multi-sidedness of

situations and therefore expands the breadth of our own visions, moving us towards
dreams and solutions we might not otherwise have imagined.”

– Judith Langer, Envisioning Literature.

In Literature, you read and respond to a wide array of literary texts from the
genres of prose, poetry and drama. The texts can range from classics such as the three
great novels of Dr. Jose Rizal, to modern works like “Sapay Koma” by Jhoanna Lynn
Cruz. The greatest value of Literature is that it promotes empathy as it develops in you
a greater understanding of the human condition. You consider multiple perspectives in
life and understand the complexity of human nature. Most of all, it is developing the
sense of love towards others and to its own country.

When you read literary pieces, you get to admire the power of words. We can
travel to places and realms at different times. This module in particular is a time-
machine; it makes us travel to the different eras around the world most especially to our
own heritage.

The Philippine history is a record of our identity as Filipinos written creatively. It is

imperative to study the Philippine literature to find our “National Identity”. How our
country changed throughout the history proved that literature is a representation of our
society and you being a Filipino citizen.

Literature of the Philippines enables you to analyze the growth and the development of
Philippine Literature in English from 1900 to the present along socio-historical events as
shown in representatives’ works. This seeks to study the enormity and richness of
literature in the Philippines. This course is a study of literary genres as exemplified by
selected literary pieces written/delivered at different periods in Philippine literary history.
This module is composed of 8 chapters with at least 3 lessons each:

Chapter 1- Overview of Philippine Literature

Chapter 2- Oral Lore from Pre-Colonial Times

Chapter 3- Literature under the Spanish Colonization

 Chapter 4- Literature under the US Colonialism

Chapter 5- Literature under the Republic

Chapter 6- Literature after EDSA

Chapter 7- Literature of the Regions

Chapter 8- 21st Century Philippine Literature

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

A. Prepare an annotated reading list of literary selections and genres appropriate for
children and adolescents and which will demonstrate your content knowledge;

B. Design literature/reading worksheets for teaching to enhance the literacy skills of

future students that begins early in school and continues through life; and

C. Perform an adaptation of a chosen literary text that suits learners’ gender, needs,
strengths, interests and experiences.

Your wondrous journey back to time begins here! Maligayang pagdating!

Princess Mae A. Mejia, MST-ELL

Course Instructor
Dear students,

Mabuhay!

Enjoy this journey going back to time as we unfold the colourful heritage of
our very own culture. May you have a great time in building nationalistic
pride and appreciation towards the literary collection of the Philippines.

Below are the following chapters included in our Midterm:

QUARTER 1:

A. Chapter 1- Overview of the Philippine Literature

B. Chapter 2- Oral Lore from Pre-Colonial Times

QUARTER 2:

C. Chapter 3- Literature under the Spanish Colonization

D. Chapter 4- Literature under the US Colonialism

Our time travel begins!

Princess Mae A. Mejia, MST-ELL

Course Instructor
 Survey of the Philippine Literature in English |1

Chapter 1: Overview of Literature

Salat Nguni’t Sapat painted by Paul Hilario

Literature encompasses the identity of a certain place. It is said to believe that along the
progress of the land lays also the progress of literature. From time to time, it also
embellished the colourful aspects of life by its people topping off with their bountiful
experiences which aids us now in studying them. This lesson will give you a general
insight of what literature is, including its genres and forms. This lesson will also give you
a glimpse of Philippine literary situation from the past to the present.

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

a. explain the role of literature in understanding the uniqueness of the Filipinos; and
b. differentiates the varied types of literary genres in the country.
 Survey of the Philippine Literature in English |2

Literary pieces such as stories, poetry, essays have always been enjoyed by
people of all ages. This must be because they reflect our own true experience in
life.

Based from the illustration below, how does literature gave art to our everyday
lives?

From your past learning, compose your own meaning about what literature is all about?
 Survey of the Philippine Literature in English |3

Figure 1.1 Painting of Literature

Literature refers to the compositions that deal with life experiences. It tells
stories, dramatizes situations, expresses emotions, analyses and advocates ideas.

In the past, literary works were recited or sung and were retained only as handed
down from generation to generation. In some societies, these oral traditions or literature
still exist with most poems, and stories being spoken rather than read from the pages of
a book. Even today parents delight their children with stories and poems; poets and
storywriters read their works to lift audiences; and place and scripts are interpreted on
stage before cameras.

Literature helps us grow both personally and intellectually. It links us the

broader society of which we are part. IT allows us to recognize human dreams and
struggles of different people and places. It helps us develop mature sensibility and
compassion for all creation sin the universe. It gives us the knowledge and perception to
appreciate the beauty of order and arrangement. It enables us to see the worthiness in
the aspirations of all people. It exercises our emotions through interests, concern,
attention, excitement, hope, fear, regret, laughter and sympathy.
 Survey of the Philippine Literature in English |4

Through our readings, literature shapes our goals and values by clarifying our
own identities – both positively, through acceptance of the admirable of human beings,
and negatively, through the rejections of the sinister. It enables us to develop our
perspectives on events occurring logically and globally. It encourages us to appreciate,
recognize talented and creative people.

Literature makes us human.

Definitions of the word “literature” tend to be “circular”. The 11th edition of

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary considers literature to be “writings having
excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal
interest.” The 19th-century critic Walter Pater referred to “the matter of imaginative or
artistic literature” as a “transcript, not of mere fact, but of fact in its infinitely varied
forms.” But such definitions assume that the reader already knows what literature is.
And indeed its central meaning, at least, is clear enough. Deriving from the Latin littera,
“a letter of the alphabet,” literature is first and foremost humankind’s entire body of
writing; after that it is the body of writing belonging to a given language or people; then it
is individual pieces of writing. (Quoted from: www.britannica.com)

“Philippine Literature is a diverse and rich group of works that has evolved side
by side with the country’s history. Literature has started with fables and legends made
by the ancient Filipinos long before the arrival of the Spanish influence. The main
themes of Philippine literature focus on the country’s pre-colonial cultural traditions and
the sociopolitical histories of its colonial and contemporary traditions.” (Quoted from:
http://www.wikipilipinas.org)

TYPES OF LITERARY GENRES

Literature is classified into four categories or genres:

 Survey of the Philippine Literature in English |5

1.) Prose fiction,

2.) Poetry,

3.) Drama, and

4.) Nonfiction prose.

The first three are classified as imaginative literature.

The genres of imaginative literature have distinguishing characteristics. Prose

fiction or narrative fiction, includes myths, parables, romances and novels, and
short stories. Fiction refers to prose stories based on the author’s imaginations. The
essence of fiction is not narration – whereby events or actions are recounted. Works of
fiction focus on one or a few major characters who change in attitude as they interact
with each other’s’ characters and deal with problem.

The main purpose of prose fiction is to interests, stimulate, instruct, and divert.

Poetry expresses a conversation or interchange of deeply felt experiences of

human beings. Poetry comes in many formal and informal shapes and lengths. It uses
few words, as compared to prose fiction. It relies heavily on imagery, figurative
language, and sound.

Drama is a literature designed to be performed by actors. Like fiction, drama may

focus on a single character or small number of characters, and enacts fictional events to
be witnessed by an audience.

Nonfiction prose, as a literary genre is represented by news reports, feature

articles, essays, editorials, historical and biographical works, and the like – all of which
describe or interpret facts and presents judgment and opinions. The major goals of
nonfiction prose are the truth in reporting and logic in reasoning.

CLASSIFICATION AND DEFINITION OF LITERARY TYPES

POETRY

I. Narrative Poetry tells a story in richly imaginative and rhythmical language.

A. Epic is a long, narrative poem which deals with the adventures and
exploits of the legendary heroes.

B. Metrical Romance is a long verse which deals about the ideals of

chivalry, romantic love, and religious elements and which have the
characteristics of the middle Ages when knighthood was popular.
 Survey of the Philippine Literature in English |6

C. Ballad is a short narrative intended to be sung. Types of folk or literary

as in the epic.

D. Metrical tale is a short in poetry form. It is told in a simple,

straightforward and realistic manner.

II. Lyric Poetry expresses personal thoughts and feeling.

A. Ode is a poem addressed to some person or thing.

B. Elegy is a poem about the dead. It contains the author’s personal grief
for a loved one and suggestions of sorrow hope to soothe his.

C. The song is a short lyric poem intended to be sung.

1. Secular song have non-religious themes.

2. Sacred songs are song of praise to G such as oratorios and

cantatas.

D. Simple lyric is a short poem with verses that are musical and with a
subjective or emotional tone.

E. Sonnet is a lyric open with fourteen iambic pentameter lines.

1. Italian sonnet contains an octave and a sestet. The theme,

problem, hope or desire is presented in the octave and the sestet
contains the resolution or conclusion. It has a rhyming scheme of
abba-abba-cde-cde.

2. Shakespearean sonnet (English) has a rhyming scheme of

abab-cdcd-efef-gg.

It has four quatrains and a couplet. The theme is developed in the

first three quatrains and the couplet contains the conclusion

III. Dramatic poetry portrays life and character put in to action.

A. Poetic plays

1. Comedy is a type of drama which aims to amuse and entertain.

The main character in the story overcomes the obstacles, thus it
ends happily.

2. Farce is an exaggerated comedy based on broadly humorous

situations.
 Survey of the Philippine Literature in English |7

3. Tragedy is a type of drama in which the main characters are

overthrown by obstacles. It usually ends with death.

4 Historical Play is a drama about the lives of outstanding figures

in history

5. Melodrama is a play with sensational actions, a sentimental love

story, extravagant emotions, and, generally, a happy ending

B. Masque is a form of court pageantry which was popular in

England in the 16th century. The actors were dresses in lavished
costumes against lavished scenery and music.

C. Dramatic monologue is drama characterized by a one sided

conversation. The character reveals his innermost character as she
or he speaks all throughout.

PROSE

Figure 1.2 Write up Photo

I. Essay is a short literary composition in prose dealing with a single matter

usually from a personal point of view.

A. Narrative or story essay makes use of an incident to illustrate and idea

or theme.

B. Descriptive essay deals with some aspect s of nature or animal life

with some human or architectural backdrop.
 Survey of the Philippine Literature in English |8

C. Biographical essay or character sketch presents a character analysis

-- not the entire life but one aspect of that life.

D. Critical essay is a criticism of any work of art, literature, music, drama,

motion picture painting, or sculpture. Reviews of new books, plays, art
exhibits and concerts are often primarily news reports and guides for
seekers art appreciation.

E. Editorial essay is a feature of newspapers and magazine. An editorial

writer may plead of cause or denounce a wrong. He may express
indignation or appreciation.

F. Reflective essay enforces a moral, or lesson and therefore adopts

more serious and dignified tone as the fundamental values and problems
of life are discussed.

II. Fiction

A. Prose Allegory is a prose from in which the characters, ideas, and

actions stand for ideas with implied meanings. Concrete characters are
personifications of abstract ideas.

1. Fable is a short allegorical tale that conveys a moral. The

characters are animals that talk and act like human.

2. Myths are traditional tales of a tribe, race or nation which involve

the supernatural to explain natural phenomena or suggests a
religious or moral truth.

3. Legends are the stories of wonderful events believed to have

historical basis and which are passed down through the ages.

B. Prose Romance are stories of supernatural or magical events –

fantastic and unrealistic.

1. Fairy tale- used folklore motifs, commonplace expression, and

typical themes which revolve around the characters like a cruel
king, cruel stepmother, naughty sister, substitute bride, magic and
supernatural changes and restorations.

2. Folktales which originally handed down orally, are stories which

consist of many folklore themes and motifs.

C. Prose Satires are stories of human vices and follies. The treatment is
humorous, but its intention is to ridicule some person(s) or institution(s).
 Survey of the Philippine Literature in English |9

D. Novels are prose narratives usually presented in chapters like a book.

They can be categorized into three types: fantasy, love and adventure
novels.

E. Shorts story is a prose narrative of limited length which must have

characterization, unity, cumulative interests, climax, and resolution.

F. Novelettes are prose narratives which are longer than a short story. It
can also be read at one sitting.

III. Prose Drama is a literary work written in dialogues and intended for presentation by
actors. Similar to poetic plays, prose drama is divided into categories such as comedy,
tragedy, melodrama, farce and historical play.

DIFFERENT PERIODS OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

1. Pre-Colonial Period (--Bc To 1564)

2. Spanish Colonization Period (1565
3. Nationalistic / Propaganda And Revolutionary Period (1864 – 1896)
4. American Colonial Period (1910 – 1945)
5. Japanese Occupation (1942 - 1960)
6. Contemporary/Modern Period (1960 – Present)

These periods will be discussed further in the later chapters of this module.

ARTICLE ANALYSIS

Read the following excerpt from the web article from www.sushidog.com. Then discover
the issues on the current literary situations in the Philippines. Complete the article
analysis using the table below.

“PHILIPPINE LITERATURE TODAY” by H.O. Santos

Philippine short stories tend to tell rather than show. Perhaps, this is a national
preference. Maybe Filipino readers want things explained to them because it is a
cultural predisposition. After all, I’ve seen Filipino comedians on TV—they also tend to
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 10

explain their jokes and repeat their punch lines as if to make sure their audience gets
them. Grandmothers traditionally told stories this way and the style must have gotten
embedded in the nation’s psyche.

This predilection might also explain why Philippine short stories have little or no
dialog. Philippine writers hesitate to use dialog as a tool for showing characterization or
for moving the plot along. Dialog is one area where Philippine writers are weak.

Having said that, I admit that there is intrinsically nothing that proves one method
is better than the other. The “tell” method uses fewer words and can’t be ambiguous.
The “show” method gets the reader involved but requires more effort on his part to
appreciate the story. A country’s preference for one or the other reflects its esthetic
sense and culture.

Those who live in North America, be they readers, editors or contest judges, and
who are used to being shown will tend to dismiss stories that are told as
unsophisticated. This makes it hard for such stories to get published in that market.

However, the biggest problem I see arising from this Philippine preference is that
readers who get used to the “tell” method will not appreciate a story written the other
way. Even worse, unsophisticated Philippine editors and contest judges will wrongly
conclude that stories written the “show” way are weak in characterization. I have
personal knowledge of this.

Another unique characteristic that was obvious to me is the sameness of voice in

Philippine stories. All characters speak the same way, by and large the same as the
narrator. Young girls, mature women, men, boys, small-town policemen, army privates,
English professors, and so on are presented with a dull uniformity—they all speak like
English professors. This is very obvious in first-person narratives where almost no
attempt is made to make the narrator’s voice match his character.

I am not advocating a return to the diction and use of dialect common during the
days of Mark Twain. Today, differentiation in characters is done subtly though choice of
key words and the assignment of a speaking style consistent with the character’s age,
gender, educational level, sophistication, etc.

NOW, to grammar, style, and the meaning of words.

Generally, they’re excellent. Some writers are better than others but this is mainly
due to more experience. Nothing helps one write better than experience.

However, there is one universal grammatical mistake Filipinos make. To start

with, Filipinos already tend to use the article “the” more often than necessary. This is the
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 11

opposite of how Eastern Europeans speak English—they drop “the” even with nouns
that need them. I tend to think this is a linguistic habit more than anything else.

But I don’t understand why Filipinos use “the” with “university” all the time. I’m not
talking about instances where “the” is required to limit or specify its scope as in “the
university at the corner of Quezon and Recto.” I’m talking about cases where the article
is improper.

Filipinos have no qualms about saying, “Juan, who grew up in Cebu, went to
school in Manila” or “Juan, who grew up in Cebu, went to college in Manila.” However,
they will inevitably say, “Juan, who grew up in Cebu, went to the university in Manila.”
Also they say, “He and I went to school together” or “He and I went to college together”
but change to “He and I went to the university together.” This is wrong. The correct
sentences are: “Juan, who grew up in Cebu, went to university in Manila,” and “He and I
went to university together.”

It is at this point that I usually get strong protests from people I correct. The right way
sounds funny to their ears after a lifetime of hearing it said the wrong way. Because of
this, I ask you not to take my word for it—read the works of authors you trust and see
for yourself how they do it.

One interesting sidelight in the use of “the” concerns recent developments in

English speech patterns. Purists complain about how television personalities use “in
studio” instead of “in the studio,” like when Peter Jennings says, “Joining us in studio
now is Lisa Stark.” Obviously, this was done in an attempt to elevate studio to the level
of church, college, and university, words that represent revered institutions and which
don’t require a “the” before them. Purist may moan, but “in studio” is now deeply
ingrained in the English language.

Another growing development is the pretentious dropping of “the” before “table”

as in, “Would you and your wife please join me at table?” Unfortunately, this usage may
become common by the next generation.

I found another Philippinism in the way numbers are presented. Philippine writers
and editors follow the suggestions of various style sheets when showing numbers: spell
it out to ten, use numerals above ten, or something similar (there are minor variations
among the many style guides in common use). So they write “26 years old” instead of
“twenty-six years old.”

Well and good, except those style sheets were meant for newspapers and
articles in general. They were never intended for literary works. Most fiction writers I’ve
read prefer “twenty-six years old” to “26 years old” and only use numerals for time,
dates, and addresses or when it makes the text clearer as in “He had 2,495 books in his
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 12

collection.” Again, don’t take my word for it—read the works of authors you trust and
see for yourself how they do it.

Stories that appear in BPSS are copy edited to conform to the two above rules.

My last observation is about the specific meaning of words as understood in the

Philippines. I’m not referring to terms like “comfort room” which a non-Philippine reader
will eventually understand from the context. I’m thinking about words like acacia, fire
tree, polo shirt, T-shirt, and such. These words evoke concrete images different from
their Philippine meanings.

The acacia has about 200 species but Westerners don’t normally associate the
word with the monkeypod tree. I can understand how fire tree came to be used (its
Spanish name is arbol del fuego) instead of flame tree for flamboyant or royal
Poinciana, but a fire tree has berry-like fruit and broad leaves. A polo shirt is what polo
players wear—the same as a knit golf shirt, not an informal or sport shirt. And a T-shirt
doesn’t mean knit shirt, only those that don’t have collars can be called T-shirts.

I don’t find this to be a problem except when someone writes about a character
tugging on the collar of his T-shirt. For BPSS, I leave them alone because they do not
change the story even though the readers may get images different from what the
author had in mind.

1. Article Analysis

Element of Literature What the author Evidences (May or What you think
mentioned by the said about it may not be about it
author mentioned in the
article)

2. Conclusion:
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 13

(Use a separate sheet of long bond paper. You may add rows or lines if you wish.)

The Philippine Literature has evolved through the different periods in history. Find out
how and check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPHc0KDtDVw

Read more on literature and its scope from https://www.britannica.com/art/literature

Patron, I. Y. (2002). Philippine Literature (1st ed.). Great Books Trading.

Literature | Definition, scope, types, & facts. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/art/literature

What literature can teach us. (n.d.). ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-

literature-740531

DIRECTIONS: Write from the sticky notes below on the following realizations you have
on the lesson you’ve taken. Be creative. (30 pts)

WHAT I LEARN:
WHAT I REALIZED:
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 14

WHAT WILL I IMPART?

Chapter 2: Oral Lore of Pre Colonial

Times

Reimagined Art of the Philippine Deities by Press Reader

 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 15

The Philippines is known to be the home of grandeur during its pre-colonial years. With
its vast collection of literature passed from generations to generations, an array of
colourful works existed inspired by the environment and their experiences to it.

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Gain content knowledge of the different forms of folk literature

 Read and analyze different samples of folk literary pieces from the pre-colonial
period; and identify common themes and characteristics among the folk literary
pieces from the Philippines which are unique to the pre-colonial period

Our culture encompasses a colourful glimpse of stories about mythical creatures from
various regions. Based on your knowledge about them, can you name them
accordingly?

1. I_ _ _ _G A_ _R_A

2. B_ _H _A
S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 16

3. M_ _I_N_ M_ _ _L _ _G

4. B_ R_ _ _D _ C_R_ O

Figure 2.1 The Moro Wedding Artistic Depiction

Folk Literature and Oral Literature

 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 17

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 rousing 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."

Folklore comprises a rich treasure of ideas, ideals, beliefs and sentiments

transmitted from generation to another by word of mouth. Folklore literally means “lore
or knowledge of the folk or people”. In original form, it referred chiefly to oral knowledge
preserved among the illiterate masses elsewhere or the oral literature of all people
whether they have written knowledge or not.

The early Filipinos had both oral and written literature. Fortunately, the oral
literature has been preserved through centuries as priceless heritage of the Filipino
people. These ethnic literatures may be classified into three groups: folk narratives, folk
speech and folk song.

THE PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD

 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 18

Figure 2.2 Legend of the Complexion Artistic Depiction

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:

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.
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 19

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 lullabies 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).

FORMS OF FOLKLORES
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FOLK NARRATIVES
Myth is a legendary or a
traditional story that
usually concerns an event
or a hero, with or without
using factual or real
explanations. These The First Man and Woman
particularly concern Origin of Fair Complexion
demigods or deities, and and Fair Hair
The Origin of Lanzones
Myths describes some rites,
How Ilang-Ilang Got Its
practices, and natural
Name
phenomenon. Typically, a
myth involves historical
events and supernatural
beings. There are many
types of myths, such as
classic myths, religious
myths, and modern myths.
A legend is a prose
narrative accounts of an
extraordinary happening
believed to have actually
occurred. It may tell of an The Great Flood
encounter with marvellous The Legend of the
creatures which the folks Mermaid
still believe in – fairies, The Legend of Maria
Legends
ghosts, water spirits, the Karamot
devil and the like. The Legend of Tagaytay

Fuego de San Anton

Religious legends narrate
the miraculous revelations
of God and the Christian
Saints.
Folktales (kuwentong Folktales is a story The Pauper and The
bayan) passed on by word of Princess
mouth, or a legend or myth The Adventures of Juan
shared among people of a Father-rat Looks for a
culture, primarily told for Midwife (Maranao)
amusement and individual The King and The Farmers
entertainment and Daughter (Bicol)
instructional value, dealing The Reward of Kindness
with events set in an (Tagalog)
indefinite time and place. Too Greedy (Tagalog)
Classification: The Golden Rule
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(Pangasinan)
animal tales or fables
magic tales
novelistic tales
religious and didactic tales Darangen (Maranao)
Alim and Hudhud (Ifugao)
Hinilawod (Sulod)
Folk Epics or Ethno
Ibalon (Bicol)
epics are long narrative Ulalim (Kalinga)
account of heroic exploits Indarapatra and Sulayman
or events or hero under (Maguindanao)
supernatural control
Lam-ang (Ilocos)
FOLK SPEECH
“He who rejects a blessing,
Brief prose statements that develops poor eyesight.”
embody general truths or
Proverbs (Salawikain) observations on human
nature, rules of conduct “He who desires great
and moral gains, must undergo
sufficient pains.”
My fish in Mariveles, has
Use one or more its scales inside. (small
metaphors to refer to an pepper)
Riddles object to be guessed.
Enrich the imagination and
sharpen the senses The hair of Adam cannot
be counted. (Rain)
A Tagalog Bulong –
addressed to duwende
living in an Earth mound
General quatrains
Tanaga – 4 lines,
consisting of 5-2 syllables
Short Poems (folk poetry) 7syllabes in every line
per line and which are
used to be chanted
Ambahan – 7 syllables per
line, with the end syllables
following a rhyme scheme
FOLK SONGS Songs that have been
handed down orally Oyayi- lullabyes by the
through generations, sung Tagalogs
to a repeated melody and Leron
committed to memory Leron Sinta
Bahay Kubo
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Pskitong Kitong (Visayas)

O Caca,O Caca
(Kapamapangan)
Ako ay May Lobo
Penpen
Lubi-Lubi
Magtanim ay Di Biro
Si Pelimon

SAMPLE WORKS FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS

SELECTION 1: SUMMARY OF HUDHUD NI ALIGUYON (Cordillera Administrative
Region)

Figure 2.3 Theatrical Rendition of the Hudhud ni Aliguyon by Shanna Losanes

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In the mountainous regions of Northern Luzon, a hudhud is a long tale sung during
special occasions. This particular long tale is sung during harvest. A favorite topic of the
hudhud is a folk hero named Aliguyon, a brave warrior.

Once upon a time, in a village called Hannanga, a boy was born to the couple named
Amtalao and Dumulao. He was called Aliguyon. He was an intelligent, eager young man
who wanted to learn many things, and indeed, he learned many useful things, from the
stories and teachings of his father. He learned how to fight well and chant a few magic
spells. Even as a child, he was a leader, for the other children of his village looked up to
him with awe.

Upon leaving childhood, Aliguyon betook himself to gather forces to fight against his
father’s enemy, who was Pangaiwan of the village of Daligdigan. But his challenge was
not answered personally by Pangaiwan. Instead, he faced Pangaiwan’s fierce son,
Pumbakhayon. Pumbakhayon was just as skilled in the arts of war and magic as
Aliguyon. The two of them battled each other for three years, and neither of them
showed signs of defeat.

Their battle was a tedious one, and it has been said that they both used only one spear!
Aliguyon had thrown a spear to his opponent at the start of their match, but the fair
Pumbakhayon had caught it deftly with one hand. And then Pumbakhayon threw the
spear back to Aliguyon, who picked it just as neatly from the air.

At length Aliguyon and Pumbakhayon came to respect each other, and then eventually
they came to admire each other’s talents. Their fighting stopped suddenly. Between the
two of them they drafted a peace treaty between Hannanga and Daligdigan, which their
peoples readily agreed to. It was fine to behold two majestic warriors finally side by side.

Aliguyon and Pumbakhayon became good friends, as peace between their villages
flourished. When the time came for Aliguyon to choose a mate, he chose
Pumbakhayon’s youngest sister, Bugan, who was little more than a baby. He took
Bugan into his household and cared for her until she grew to be most beautiful.
Pumbakhayon, in his turn, took for his wife Aliguyon’s younger sister, Aginaya. The two
couples became wealthy and respected in all of Ifugao.
SELECTION 2: SUMMARY OF “THE MAIDEN OF THE BUHONG SKY” (Region XI)

Tuwaang, the hero, is introduced as a craftsman adept at making leglets, engraving

finger rings, and moulding chains. He calls his sister who hurries out of her room with a
box of betel chew; she walks daintily to her brother, sits at his right side, offers him betel
chew, and hears what he has to say. Tuwaang tells her that the wind has delivered a
message informing him that a maiden has come to the country of Batooy, a minor hero,
but she would not talk to any of the gallants, and therefore one of them has sent the
wind to call for Tuwaang. The sister is fearful of the consequences if he makes the
journey.
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Figure 2.4 Maiden of the Buhong Sky by the Philippine Cultural Education Online

But Tuwaang gears and arms himself, takes his shield and spear. He calls on the
lightning to transport him to the land of Pinanggayungan; upon arriving there he
becomes the object of admiration of the girls. The he calls at the house of the Young
Man of Pangavukad where he is received. The two men start immediately on the
journey, arrive at, and are received in the house of Batooy. Tuwaang lies down near the
Maiden of the Buhong Sky and soon falls asleep and snores. The maiden talks and
shows herself meanwhile, and then pulls one hair from Tuwaang's cowlick. They
introduce themselves to each other. The maiden now tells her story, of how she is
running away from the Young Man of Pangumanon, a giant of a man whose headdress
reaches up to the clouds and who wants her hand in marriage. Because she has
refused him, the Young Man of Pangumanon has brought destruction to her country by
burning it; has tracked her everywhere she went and burned the country where she has
taken refuge. So she has come to take shelter in the earth world.

No sooner has she finished her story than the Young Man of Pangumanon arrives
enveloped in fire, wreaking death on the people of Batooy's country. He starts slaying
people in the house and the Young Man of Pangavukad himself is among the last men
to be slain. Next he slashes at Tuwaang who remains unscathed. The two warriors fight
in the yard with shields, spears, and blades, but neither gains an advantage. Their
shields get smashed, except for the handles which are thrown away; their spear-shafts
get broken and are cast away; their long blades get shattered and so too do their
daggers, except the handles which are thrown away -- all the fragments growing into
trees. After wrestling, the Young Man of Pangumanon calls on his "patung", a span-long
iron bar, knots it and throws it at Tuwaang, who is ringed by the bar. The "patung"
produces flame, but Tuwaang raises his right arm and the fire is put out. It is now
Tuwaang's turn to call on his "patung", a skein of gold. He calls on the wind to fan the
flame, which engulfs the Young Man of Pangumanon, who becomes helpless and dies.
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Tuwaang now revives the subjects of Batooy by his spittle. Then he carries the maiden
on his shoulder to his country in Kuaman, riding on the lightning. They are greeted by
Tuwaang's sister who offers betel chew. After resting for five days, Tuwaang has to fight
again. A stranger comes bringing death to his followers and challenging him. They fight
and Tuwaang defeats the invader. The hero revives his followers and rests for another
five days, after which he gathers his people to take them to the country of Katuusan,
one of the heavenly worlds. The people ride on the "sinalimba", an airboat. Tuwaang
places his sister and the maiden on his shoulders and follows the airboat to the land of
Katuusan where there is no death.

1. Based on the epics presented in both selection 1 and 2, what are the
commonalities in epics? How can they be similar? Cite further examples. (10
points)

2. What are the common motifs employed in myths that explain the origins of
plants and animals and their characteristics? (5 points)

SELECTION 3: SUMMARY ON THE LEGEND OF ALITAPTAP (Region III)

Figure 2.5 Alitaptap by Kenny E. Leoncito

Lovely little creatures, glittering, sparkling, throwing fragments of light in the dark night
skies. How did the fireflies or alitaptap come about?
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Once, a long time ago, in the valley of Pinak in Central Luzon, one of the islands in the
Philippines. There was a deep large lake rich with fish. There, the people of Pinak
fished for their food, and always, there was plenty for all. Then suddenly, the big river
dried up. In the shallow mud, there wasn’t a fish to catch. For months, there were no
rains. Out in the fields, the land turned dry. The rice-stalks slowly withered. Everywhere
in Pinak, there was hunger. Night after night, the people of Pinak prayed hard.

“Dear Bathala,” they would recite together in their small and poorly-built chapel, ” send
us rains, give us food to eat. For the people are starving, and there is want among us!”

Then one black and starless night, the good Bathala answered the prayers of the faithful
people of Pinak. For suddenly up in the dark skies appeared a blaze of gold! A beautiful
chariot of gold was zooming thru the sky. The people started to panic but a big booming
voice came from the chariot soothing them with words.

” I am Bula-hari, and I have come with my wife, Bitu-in. We are sent from the heavens to
rule Pinak from now on. We have come to give you good life!” As Bulan-hari spoke, the
black skies burst open. The rain fell in torrents. Soon the dry fields bloomed again. The
large lake rose and once again was filled with fish. The people were happy once more
under the rulership of Bulan-hari.

Soon Bulan-hari and Bitu-in had a daughter. She grew up to be a beautiful maiden.
Such long dark hair! Such lovely eyes under long curling lashes! Her nose was chiselled
fine. Her lips like rosebuds. Her skin was soft and fair like cream. They named her
Alitaptap for on her forehead was a bright sparkling star.

All the young, brave handsome men of Pinak fell in love with Alitaptap. They
worshipped her beauty. They sang songs of love beneath her windows. They all sought
to win her heart.

But alas! the heart of Alitaptap wasn’t human. She was the daughter of Bulan-hari and
Bitu-in, who burst from the sky and were not of the earth. She had a heart of stone, as
cold and as hard as the sparkling star on her forehead. Alitaptap would never know
love.

Then one day, an old woman arrived at the palace. Her hair long and dirty. her clothing
tattered and soiled. Before the king Bulan-hari, Balo-na, the old, wise woman whined in
her sharp voice… that she had come from her dwelling in the mountains to bear the
king sad news. The news being that she saw the future in a dream and it betold of their
fate… the warriors of La-ut are coming with their mighty swords to conquer the land, the
only solution is to have a marriage between Alitaptap and one of the young men, so as
to have an heir to win the war.

At once Bulan-hari pleaded with his daughter to choose one of the young men in their
village. But how could the beautiful maiden understand? Alitaptap’s heart of stone
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merely stood in silence. Bulan-hari gripped his sword in despair… “ Alitapatap!” he

bellowed in the quiet palace, “You will follow me, or you will lay dead this very minute!”

But nothing could stir the lovely young woman’s heart. Bulan-hari blind with anger and
fear of the dark future finally drew his sword. Clang! the steel of his sword’s blade rang
in the silence of the big palace. It hit the star on Alitaptap’s lovely forehead!

The star burst! Darkness was everywhere! Until a thousand chips of glitter and light flew
around the hall. Only the shattered pieces of the star on Alitaptap’s forehead lighted the
great hall, flickering as though they were stars with tiny wings.

Alitaptap, the lovely daughter from the heavens lay dead.

And soon, Balo-na’s prediction had come true. Riding in stamping wild horses, the
warriors of La-ut came like the rumble and clashes of lightning and thunder. They killed
the people of Pinak, ruined crops, poisoned the lake. They spread sorrow and
destruction everywhere.

When it all ended, the beautiful, peaceful valley of Pinak had turned into an empty and
shallow swamp. At night, there was nothing but darkness. But soon, tiny sparkles of
light would flicker and lend glimmers of brightness in the starless night.

And so, the fireflies came about. Once, a long time ago, they were fragments from the
star on the forehead of Bulan-hari’s daughter, the beautiful Alitaptap.
SELECTION 4: SUMMARY ON “HOW ILANG-ILANG GOT ITS NAME?” (Region IV)

Figure 2.6 Ylang-ylang flower

Ilang was the prettiest woman in the town of Tayabas, She was idolized by her suitors
who promised to give her all the comforts of life; but she gave her heart to a poor farmer
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 28

named Edo. Ilang’s parents did not like Edo. And so they forbade her to see Edo. They
ordered her to choose a husband among her rich suitors. However, Ilang and Edo
devised a way to see each other. They secretly met at the edge of the forest when
Ilang fetched water from the stream.

At these meetings, the lovers vowed to love each other come what may.At home, Ilang
remained silent whenever her parents talked about herothers suitors. Her silence made
her father suspicious that she still loved Edo. One day, her father followed her when she
went to fetch water. He saw Edowaiting near the streamThat was the last time Ilang
and Edo saw each other. Ilang’s parentsnever allowed her to leave the house. Ilang felt
sad and miserable. She refusedto eat. She would rather die than marry one of her rich
suitors. She became sick and got weaker and weaker. She thought only of Edo. Before
she died, she begged her parents to bury her at the edge of the forestnear the
stream.Edo tended her grave every day. He never married and always yearnedfor
Ilang. Then one day, he saw a little plant growing over her grave. Heconcluded that it
was Ilang’s spirit.Edo focused all his life and love tending the plant until it grew into a
tall,graceful tree. He spent all his time caressing and talking to it day and day out.

One morning, the people woke up to a lovely fragrance in the air. They went looking
where the scent came from and found the stage, leaf like blossoms of the tree from the
edge of the forest near the stream. There, they also found Edo lying at the foot of the
tree, crying, “Ilang… Ilang…Ilang ….”

Edo died that same morning. The people remembered his last words and from then
called that tree and its fragrant flowers Ilang-Ilang.
SELECTION 5: SUMMARY ON “THE STORY OF MARIA CACAO” (Region VII)

In the legend, Maria Cacao is a diwata or a mountain goddess who lived in a cave on
Mount Lantoy in Argao. She owns a cacao plantation where villagers from Argao source
their cacao from.  Each time Maria harvests the cacao, she and her husband, Mangao,
would bring their produce to other islands and countries on a large golden boat. They
would usually leave at dawn when the villagers were still sleeping. 
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 29

Figure 2.7 Maria Cacao with her boat

Each time they pass through the Argao River, they would destroy the bridge on the river
and cause it to overflow. Whenever this happened, the villagers would know that the
two have already set sail with a boatload of cacao. When they came back, they would
bring with them items from other places.
Maria would lend these items to the villagers, who would simply write whatever item
they want to borrow and leave the list at the entrance of the cave. When the villagers
return the next day, these items would be there. Maria lent different items, from clothes,
spoons, forks, plates and other utensils, all of which were made of gold. 

But, people started to return the items already broken or they would never return them
at all. Due to this, Maria Cacao did not let the villagers borrow from her anymore. She
also did not show herself to the villagers anymore, and the people stopped believing in
the existence of Maria Cacao. 

Riddles Time!
I. DIRECTION: Read carefully the riddles and guess the object being asked. Write and
illustrate the correct answer. (20 pts)
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 30

1. What is it that becomes larger when you take part of it?

2. When sitting it’s tall, when sitting, it’s short.

3. Opens, but no mouth. Smiles in Silence

4. Black when alive, colorful when dead.

5. Butterfly when young, snake when old.

Comprehension Test
II.DIRECTION: Read the following questions below and write a brief answer in each
number. (2 points each)

1. How does these stories/epics/ legends shaped off the literary progress of each
region?

2. Cite a unique characteristic on each sample work.

3. On what instances that these literary works inspired their local readers?

4. If given the chance to showcase a literary piece of your locality, how would you write
it in a literary form? Explain why.

5. How localization affects a literary work?

Choose any folklore from the Philippines and create its modern adaptation.
Present your creation through virtual comics. Be guided by the following scoring rubric:

SCORING:

Adaptation to Modern Setting - 40

Illustration- 30
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 31

Language Used -20

Neatness- 10

TOTAL -100

We also have the Philippine mythical creatures. Read

https://explore.traveloka.com/features/philippine-mythical-creatures

Just like the Greeks and Romans, we also have our gods and goddesses. Meet them at
https://remit.com.au/philippine-mythology-the-gods-and-goddesses/

Enriquez, D. C. (2011). Philippine Literature: A Regional Approach (3rd ed.). National

Bookstore.

The literary forms in Philippine literature. (n.d.). SEAsite - Southeast Asian Languages
and Cultures.
https://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Literature/literary_forms_in_philippine_lit.htm

Literature | Definition, scope, types, & facts. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica.

Write a reflective essay about all of your learnings from this lesson. Mention in your
essay your answers to the following questions:

1. What is the relevance of the pre-colonial literature to the present?

2. In what ways do folklores still reflect the lives of the Filipinos before to the lives of
Filipinos today?
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 32

3. What are the roles of the teachers in preserving these important parts of the Filipino
culture?

NOTE: Please take note of the upcoming examination regarding these following topics:

QUARTER 1:

a. Overview of Literature
b. Oral Lore of Pre Colonial Times

Teacher’s Note:

Success can be possible with a good preparation. So, prepare yourselves by

 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 33

GOOGLE EXAMINATION FOR QUARTER 1 (Sample)

DIRECTIONS: Read the statements carefully on each number. Select the best answer
of your choice. (30 pts)

1. It is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings
specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry.

a. Literature
b. Semantics
c. Pragmatics
d. Short stories

2. These are literary works which contains stories of heroes which has supernatural
powers.

a. Short stories
b. Myths
c. Ethno epics
d. Legends

Chapter 3: Literature Under the Spanish

Colonization
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 34

KC Malanog’s Literature During the Spanish Era (Artistic Rendition)

Long before the Spaniards and other foreigners landed or set foot on Philippine shores,
our forefathers already had their own literature stamped in the history of our race our
ancient literature shows our customs and traditions in everyday life as traced in our folk
stories, old plays and short stories. This lessons deal with the different notable Filipino
writers and Philippine literary works during the Spanish era in the Philippines. In this
lesson , the students will also analyse the common theme, symbolisms and styles used
by the authors.

At the end of this quarter, you should be able to:

a. Trace the historical context of the Philippines during the Spanish era and its
influences on the Philippine literature;
b. Gain knowledge about the notable Filipino writers and their works; and
c. Analyze common themes, symbolisms and styles used by the writers during the
Spanish era.
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 35

Recently, the Philippines commemorated its 500 th year of Christianity via Magellan’s
successful expedition until the giving of the Blessed Child to Raja Humabon and Reyna
Bulakna of Cebu. With this moment, create a graphic organizer on how do you think
literature has been transmitted during the Spanish colonization period. Be creative.

INTRODUCTION

The Philippines was under the Spanish conquest for 333 years, from 1521, during the
time of Magellan, and within those years, our culture became influenced by them
especially the religious, education, and government aspects. While it is true that our
forefathers experienced injustices during the Spanish era in our country, it was during
this time that our literature flourished. The Spaniards contributed much in the shaping
and recording of our literature. The Filipinos’ burning desires for independence became
their inspiration in writing. Not just that, love and adventures were common themes too.
Spain had three objectives in its policy toward the Philippines, its only colony in Asia: to
acquire a share in the spice trade, to develop contacts with China and Japan in order to
further Christian missionary efforts there, and to convert
the Filipinos to Christianity. Only the third objective was
eventually realized, and this not completely because of
the active resistance of both the Muslims in the south and
the Igorot, the upland tribal peoples in the north.
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 36

Figure 3.1 The Spread of Christianity

Before the colonization, Philippines have already its own colourful literary collection.
They developed their own poems, short stories and etc. Our ancestors also had their
own alphabet which was different from that brought by the Spaniards. The first alphabet
used by our ancestor was similar to that of the Malayo-Polynesian alphabet. It is called
as the baybayin or known by others as “alibata”. Whatever records our ancestors left
were either burned by the Spaniards friars in the belief that they were works of the devil
or were written on materials that easily perished, like the barks of trees, dried leaves
and bamboo cylinders which could not have remained undestroyed even if efforts were
made to preserve them. Other records that remained showed folk songs that proved the
existence of a native culture truly our own. Some of these were passed on by word of
mouth till they reached the hands of some publishers or printers who took interest in
printing the manuscripts of the ancient Filipinos. The Spaniards who came to the
Philippines tried to prove that our ancestors were really fond of poetry, songs, stories,
riddles and proverbs which we still enjoy today and which serve to show to generations
the true culture of our people.

Spanish Influences on Philippine Literature

Our native alphabet Baybayin was replaced with the Roman alphabet. The Abecedario
was introduced as replacement. The 32-letter "Abecedario Filipino" (or simply
"abecedario"), one of the longest alphabets in the world, is the only alphabet that we
Filipinos should use whenever we write in the vernacular (Tagálog, Capampañgan,
Cebuano, Hiligaynón, Bicolano, Ilocano, etc.). It was the same alphabet used by the
great Francisco Balagtás and all our Filipino forefathers before Trinidad Pardo de
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 37

Tavera (and to some extent, José Rizal) mangled it to suit their erroneous nativist
nationalism.

Figure 3.2 El Abecedario

The existing literature of the Philippine ethnic groups at the time of conquest and
conversion into Christianity was mainly oral, consisting of epics, legends, songs, riddles,
and proverbs. The conquistador, especially its ecclesiastical arm, destroyed whatever
written literature he could find, and hence rendered the system of writing (e.g., the
Tagalog syllabary) inoperable. Among the only native systems of writing that have
survived are the syllabaries of the Mindoro Mangyans and the Tagbanua of Palawan.

The Spanish colonial strategy was to undermine the native oral tradition by substituting
for it the story of the Passion of Christ (Lumbera, p. 14). 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, he democratized the power to rise above death. 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.
(www.ncca.gov.ph)
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 38

Figure 3.3 Doctrina Christian Lengua Espanola y Tagala

Religious themes became prominent during this Period. Most of the newspapers or
periodicals even literary works are merely based on the religious activities that the
community delves into. Siestas and fiestas has also been a flourishing activity of
Filipinos. Christian religious activities like pasyon, novenas and senakulos became
mainstream as display of influence on Christian beliefs and practices. Inclination to
festive dances became evident and known as a form of entertainment. Daily
conversational words were also taken from the Spanish terms like asul, kutsara and etc
is also been present till today.

Stages of the Spanish Literature in the Philippines

a. Pre Colonial Stage (On Works about the Philippines)

- The arrival of the Spaniards in 1565 brought Spanish culture and language editors.
Missionary leaders became frontliners with the mission of religious propagation. They
also provide relocation of certain tribes and natives. Since not all Spaniards can speak
the language on every area they went, ladinos or translators are present to translate
religious context towards the listeners. Filipinos were called as “indios” which means
“indigents of the Spanish crown” or “natives”.

Writers like Tomas Pinpin and Aquino de Belen were able to produce works which
entails the Spanish influence on religion and language. Belen created the Pasyon while
Pinpin was able to produce a book in Romanised phonetic script with the intention of
teaching early Filipinos the structure of the Spanish language and later on known as
Librong Pagaaralan nang mga Tagalog nang Uicang Castilla published in 1610.
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 39

Figure 3.4 Tomas Pinpin and his work Figure 3.5 De Belen and his work

b. Formative Stage (1800-1873)

-With the advent of education and development of nationalistic pride, Filipino writers
began to recognize the Philippines a separate entity from Spain and codified these in
different form of expressions. Luis Rodriguez-Varela was one of the first Filipino who
produced a work that aims social change in the Philippines. His work entitled “El Conde
Filipino” or The Philippine Count was published in 1768. With the merit being the first
book about the Philippines in Castilian language, Fernandez de Folgueras was able to
publish three books in 1810. “El Catolico Filipino” written by Fr. Pedro Pelaez was
successfully printed as defense towards Filipinos by the friar. Works by Fr. Jose
Apolonio Burgos, one of the three martyrs of GOMBURZA entitled "Manifesto que a la
noble Nación Española dirigen los leales filipinos" and “El Eco Filipino” graced
the journals of Madrid like La Verdad aiming with social change and heavy criticisms on
regularization of priests in the country.

Figure 3.6 (L-R) Luis Varela, Fr. Pelaez and Fr. Burgos

c. Nationalistic Stage (1883-1903)

- As commerce and trade were open through the inaugural Suez Canal, more affluent
families who benefited from the economic development of the Philippines during the late
19th century sent their children to Spain and Europe to take advantage of the
educational opportunities offered to them by the liberalized Spanish colonial policy at
that time. These educated young men, also called ilustrados, would later become the
spokesmen of the grievances and the aspirations of their people. The unified triad of
Rizal, Lopez Jaena and Del Pilar bring forth the notable “La Solidaridad” and became
its founder.
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 40

Figure 3.7 The

Propaganda Movement and the La Solidaridad

Graciano’s work entitled Fray Botod was featured in La Solidaridad as he was known
to be the best known editor of the modality. Pedro Paterno’s La Patria debuts on the
newspapers content. Novels of Rizal entitled “Noli Me Tangere” and “El
Filibusterismo” was born as response to the societal change needed for the country.
In the field of music and the arts, Juan Luna’s Spoliarium became famous due to its
depiction of rage on colonialism. Aside from Luna, Julian Felipe’s very own piece
became the national anthem of the Philippines and called as “Lupang Hinirang”.
Writers like Bonifacio, Palma, Mabini and etc. were also prominent on this period.

d. Golden Age up to the Present (1903- present)

- 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. Writers like Claro M. Recto, Fernando Ma.
Guerrero and the like rose up as they were able to publish their own write ups.
Newspapers were published in Spanish like the El Renacimiento, La Vanguardia and
etc. Magazines like the Independent and etc. were also published in English and
Spanish.

Notable Filipino Writers during the Spanish Era and their Notable
Works

These were some of the Notable Writers during the Spanish Era. Most of them are
Propagandistas and have pen names.
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 41

1. Dr. Jose Rizal – Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, Mi Ultimo Adios, A La Juventud

Filipina
2. Marcelo H. del Pilar – Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa, Dasalan at Tocsohan, Kaiingat
Kayo
3. Graciano Lopez Jaena – Fray Botod, La Hija Del Fraile
4. Antonio Luna- Noche Buena, Por Madrid
5. Mariano Ponce – Alamat ng Bulacan, Sobre Filipinos
6. Pedro Paterno – A Mi Madre, Ninay
7. Andres Bonifacio – Pag-Ibig Sa Tinubuang Lupa, Huling Paalam
8. Jose Maria Panganiban – Ang Lupang Tinubuan, Ang Aking Buhay
9. Jose Palma – Melancolias, De Mi Jardin
10. Emilo Jacinto – Kartilya Ng Katipunan, Liwanag At Dilim
11. Apolinario Mabini- Sa Baying Pilipino, El Verdadero Decalogo
12. Francisco Baltazar known as Balagtas – Florante at Laura

First Books

1. Doctrina Cristiana
2. Nuestra Senyora Del Rosario
3. Libro de los Cuatro Postrimerias del Hombre
4. Ang Barlaan at Josephat
5. The Pasion
6. Urbana at Felisa
7. Ang Dalit Kay Maria

Folk Songs

1. Leron-Leron Sinta
2. Pamulinawen
3. Dandansoy
4. Sarong Banggi
5. Atin Cu Pong Singsing

Literary Compositions

1. Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala (Art and Rules of the Tagalog language)
2. Compendio de la Lengua Tagala (Understanding the Tagalog language)
3. Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala (Tagalog vocabulary)
4. Vocabulario de la Lengua Pampanga (Pampango vocabulary)
5. Vocabulario de la Lengua Bisaya (Bisayan vocabulary)
6. Arte de la Lengua Ilokana (The Art of the Ilocano language)
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 42

7. Arte de la Lengua Bicolana (The Art of the Bicol Language)

Recreational Plays

Figure 3.8 Philippine Zarzuela at PICC

There were many recreational plays performed by Filipinos during the Spanish times.
Almost all of them were in poetic form. These recreational plays paved way to the
culture and tradition influenced by the Spaniards.

1. Cenakulo- this is a dramatic performance to commemorate the passion and death of

Jesus Christ. There are two kinds: the Cantada and Hablada . In the Hablada, he lines
are spoken in a more deliberate manner showing the rhythmic measure of each verse
and the rhyming in each stanza and is more dignified in theme; the Cantada is chanted
like the Pasion.

2. Zarzuela- considered the father of the drama; it is a musical comedy or melodrama

three acts which dealt with man’s passions and emotions like love, hate, revenge,
cruelty, avarice or some social or political problem.  

3. Lagaylay- this is a special occasion for the Pilareños of Sorsogon during Maytime to
get together. As early as April, the participating ladies are chosen and sometimes,
mothers volunteer their girls in order to fulfill a vow made during an illness or for a favor
received. In some parts of Bicol, a different presentation is made but the objective is the
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 43

same – praise, respect and offering of love to the Blessed Cross by St. Helen on the
mound she had dug in.

4. Tibag- the word ”tibag” means to excavate. This ritual was brought here by the
Spaniard to remind the people about the search of St. Helena for the Cross on which
Jesus died.

5. Panunuluyan- this is presented before 12:00 on Christmas Eve. This is a

presentation of the search of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph for an inn wherein to
deliver the baby Jesus.

6. Salubong- The Salubong is an Easter play that dramatizes the meeting of the Risen
Christ and his Mother. It is still presented in many Philippine towns.
7. Carillo- this is a form of dramatic entertainment performed on a moonless night
during a town fiesta or on dark nights after a harvest. This shadow play is made by
projecting cardboard figures before a lamp against a white sheet. The figures are
moved like marionettes whose dialogues are produced by some experts. The dialogues
are drawn from a Corrido or Awit or some religious play interspersed with songs.

8. Sainete- this was a short musical comedy popular during the 18 th century. They
were exaggerated comedies shown between acts of long plays and were mostly
performed by characters from the lower classes. Themes were taken from everyday life
scenarios.

9. The Moro-Moro- This is performed during town fiestas to entertain the people and to
remind them of their Christian religion. The plot is usually the same that of a Christian
princess or a nobleman’s daughter who is captured by the Mohammedans. The father
organizes a rescue party where fighting between the Moros and the Christians ensue.

10. Karagatan- This is a poetic vehicle of a socio-religious nature celebrated during the
death of a person. In this contest, more or less formal, a ritual is performed based on a
legend about a princess who dropped her ring into the middle of the sea and who
offered here hand in marriage to anyone who can retrieve it.

11. Duplo- The Duplo replace the Karagatan. This is a poetic joust in speaking and
reasoning. The roles are taken from the Bible and from proverbs and saying. It is
usually played during wakes for the dead.

12. Balagtasan- This is a poetic joust or a contest of skills in debate on a particular

topic or issue. This is replaced the DUPLO and is held to honor Francisco “Balagtas”
Baltazar.
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 44

13. Dung-aw - This is a chant in free verse by a bereaved person or his representative
beside the corpse of the dead.

14. Awit at Corrido- Some use these two interchangeably because distinction is not
clear.

Selected Readings

Selection 1: To the Filipino Youth by Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Hold high the brow serene, Thou, who now wouldst rise

O youth, where now you stand; On wings of rich emprise,

Let the bright sheen Seeking from Olympian skies

Of your grace be seen, Songs of sweetest strain,

Fair hope of my fatherland! Softer than ambrosial rain;

Come now, thou genius grand, Thou, whose voice divine

And bring down inspiration; Rivals Philomel's refrain

With thy mighty hand, And with varied line

Swifter than the wind's violation, Through the night benign

Raise the eager mind to higher station. Frees mortality from pain;

Come down with pleasing light Thou, who by sharp strife

Of art and science to the fight, Wakest thy mind to life ;

O youth, and there untie And the memory bright

The chains that heavy lie, Of thy genius' light

Your spirit free to blight.

See how in flaming zone

Amid the shadows thrown,

The Spaniard'a holy hand

A crown's resplendent band

Proffers to this Indian land.

 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 51

Makest immortal in its strength ;

And thou, in accents clear

Of Phoebus, to Apelles dear ;

Or by the brush's magic art

Takest from nature's store a part,

To fig it on the simple canvas' length ;

Go forth, and then the sacred fire

Of thy genius to the laurel may aspire ;

To spread around the fame,

And in victory acclaim,

Through wider spheres the human name.

Day, O happy day,

Fair Filipinas, for thy land!

So bless the Power to-day

That places in thy way

This favor and this fortune grand !

DIRECTIONS: Based from the first selection, answer this comprehension test below in
a brief way. (8+2=10 pts)

1. How does the message of the poem echoes to the youth of today?

2. What could be Rizal’s reason for writing this poem?

3. Select a line that struck you the most and explain its importance to you as a reader
and a youth?
 S u r v e y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e L i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h | 52

4. If you are about to write a piece for the youth, would it be the same like Rizal?
Explain why?
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 52

Selection 2: Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa by Andres Bonifacio (an excerpt)

Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya

sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila

gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa?

Alin pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga, wala.

Ulit-ulitin mang basahin ng isip

at isa-isahing talastasing pilit

ang salita’t buhay na limbag at titik

ng isang katauhan ito’y namamasid.

Banal na pag-ibig pag ikaw ang nukal

sa tapat na puso ng sino’t alinman,

imbit taong gubat, maralita’t mangmang

nagiging dakila at iginagalang.

Pagpupuring lubos ang nagiging hangad

sa bayan ng taong may dangal na ingat,

umawit, tumula, kumatha’t sumulat,

kalakhan din nila’y isinisiwalat.

Walang mahalagang hindi inihandog

ng pusong mahal sa Bayang nagkupkop,

dugo, yaman, dunong, katiisa’t pagod,

buhay ma’y abuting magkalagot-lagot.

Bakit? Ano itong sakdal nang laki

na hinahandugan ng buong pag kasi

na sa lalong mahal kapangyayari

at ginugugulan ng buhay na iwi.

 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 53

DIRECTIONS: Based from the second selection, answer this comprehension test below
in a brief way. (8+2=10 pts)

1. How can we develop love of country based from Bonifacio’s poem?

2. What is the difference between being nationalistic and patriotic?

3. Select a line that struck you the most and explain its importance to you as a reader.

4. How does the poem inspires you as a student of today?

Selection #3:Dasalan at Tocsohan by Marcelo H. Del Pilar (An Excerpt)

Ang Tanda ng Cara-i-Cruz (Parody ng “Sign of the Cross“)

               Ang tanda nang cara-i-cruz ang ipangadya mo sa amin Panginoon naming

Fraile sa manga bangkay naming, sa ngalan nang Salapi at nang Maputing binte, at
nang Espiritung Bugaw. Siya naua.

Panginoon Kong Fraile (Parody ng “The Act of Contrition”)

                Panginoon kong Fraile, Dios na hindi totoo at labis nang pagkatuo gumaga at
sumalacay sa akin: pinagsisihan kong masakit sa tanang loobang dilang pag-asa ko sa
iyo, ikaw nga ang berdugo ko. Panginoon ko at kaauay ko na inihihibic kong lalo sa
lahat, nagtitica akong matibay na matibay na dina muli-muling mabubuyo sa iyo: at
lalayuan ko na at pangingilagan ang balanang makababacla nang loob ko sa pag-asa
sa iyo, macalilibat nang dating sakit nang manga bulsa ko, at nagtitica naman acong
maglalathala nang dilang pagcadaya ko umaasa akong babambuhin ka rin, alang-alang
sa mahal na panyion at pangangalakal mo nang Cruz, sa pagulol sa akin. Siya naua.

Amain Namin (Parody ng “Our Father“)

                Amain naming sumasaconvento ka, sumpain ang ngalan mo, malayo sa amin
ang kasakiman mo, quitlin ang liig mo ditto sa lupa para nang sa langit. Saulan mo cami
ngayon nang aming kaning iyonh inaraoarao at patauanin mo kami sa iyong pagungal
para nang pag papataua mo kung kami nacucualtahan; at huag mo kaming ipahintulot
sa iyong manunukso at iadya mo kami sa masama mong dila.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 54

Aba Ginoong Barya (Parody ng “Hail Mary“)

                Aba ginoong Baria nakapupuno ka nang alcancia ang Fraile’I sumasainyo
bukod ka niyang pinagpala’t pina higuit sa lahat, pinagpala naman ang kaban mong
mapasok. Santa Baria Ina nand Deretsos, ipanalangin mo kaming huag anitan ngayon
at cami ipapatay. Siya naua.

DIRECTIONS: Based from the third selection, creatively illustrate your favourite scene
on the excerpt following the short rubric below.

RUBRIC FOR CHECKING:

Creativity-20%

Message- 5%

Relativity to the Piece- 25%

TOTAL= 50 points
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 55

Sample Multiple Choice Questions (Google Form)

1. This portrays a bloated, hypocritical priest as a metaphor for the abuses of the
Catholic Church as part of Spanish rule in the Philippines.

a.Fray Botod
b.Urbana At Felisa
c.A Mi Madre
d.Dasalan At Toksohan

2. The first published book in the Philippines during Spanish Colonization.

a.I love you since 1892

b.Nuestra Senora del Feliza
c.Urbana el Quenco
d.Doctrina Cristiana

3. A musical comedy or a melodrama which acts with men's passion and emotion like
love, hate, revenge, cruelty, avarice or some political problem.

a.Zarzuela
b.Awit
c.Theatro
d.Cenaculo

4. Dramatic performance for the purpose of manifesting devotion for the holy cross.

a.Panunuluyan
b.Cenaculo
c.Passion
d.Tibag

5. A short musical comedy popular during the 18th century.

a.Comedia de los Aires

b.Carillo
c.Sainete
d.Moro moro
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 56

https://bit.ly/3kw4oV6 - The Literary Forms in Philippine Literature

https://bit.ly/35Rm8WO - The Notable Works

https://bit.ly/3j0jqC0 - Background
https://bit.ly/2RJqEP0 - Philippine Literature during the Spanish Times
https://bit.ly/33NEANk - notable writers
https://bit.ly/3mBX24g - notable works
https://bit.ly/2ZSaW8C - Selected Readings
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 57

Create a timeline that showcases the literary progress of the Philippines during the
Spanish colonization period. (50 points)
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 58

Chapter 4: Literature during the US

Colonialism

Gen. McArthur’s landing at Leyte, Philippines

  Philippine literary production during the American Period in the Philippines was
spurred by two significant developments in education and culture. One is the
introduction of free public instruction for all children of school age and two, the use of
English as medium of instruction in all levels of education in public schools. This lesson
deals with the influences of the American and Japanese Colonization to the Philippine
Literature. It also surveys the notable writers and works during these periods. The
students analyse the literary elements and meaning present in those works. The
students also reflect from the selected literature read.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 59

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

a. trace the historical events and development of Philippine literature during the
American period;

b. identify the contributions of American period to the Philippine literary tradition; and

c. come with a timeline that presents the literary pieces during the American period.

The American Period is considered to be the era which cultural innovations took place
right after the Spanish occupation. Based on your own experience, what are the
possible influences of the Americans in terms of food, arts, culture and literature?
Illustrate it in a long bond paper and write an explanation to each illustration.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 60

Introduction
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 61

Figure 4.1 La Tranza Manila

The introduction of the English language in the 2 nd decade of the 20th century
turned literature trilingual, thus literature was written in Tagalog], Spanish and English.
The educational system instituted English as the medium of instruction.

Literary figures flourished and wrote free verse, plays, critical essays, and the
modern short stories. Among them were Lope K. Santos, Aurelio Tolentino, Benigno
Ramos, Deogracias Rosario and Jose Corazon de Jesus.

Also, Philippine literature became commercialized in the 1920s when the weekly
Liwayway and Bisaya published stories, novels and poems of varied subject matter.
Moreover, in the 1930s novels were made into movies. These include Zoilo Galang’s
Child of Sorrow, 1930s first novel in English, and Antonio Sempio’s Punyal na Guinto,
1933.

Philippine short story also showed American influence with the first real modern
story by Deogracios Rosario , acclaimed father of the Tagalog Short Story. In Tagalog
poetry, Pedro Gatmaitan and Benigno R. Ramos experimented on the use of rhyme and
meter with their “malaprosang tula” (prose poem). Jose Corazon de Jesus “Ang Sawa”,
1920 has the making of free verse although it has the traditional rhythm and meter when
read.

The members of the Kapisanang Panitikan, 1935, the Tagalog writers’

organization broke away from the editorial restrictions of commercial magazines which
were their publishing outlets and deliberately used American models. These attempts of
the vernacular writers, however failed since the mass readers showed distaste for
philosophical and psychological fiction. They upheld popular fiction which advocated
traditional morality.

A number of vernacular novels also appeared during the American rule,

especially with the emergence of many newspapers and magazines. In English
however, there were very few, and this is attributed to the writers’ struggle with the
languages.

In the essay, Zoilo Galang also wrote the first book of essay in English, Life and
Success 1921. Another collection of essays were Thinking of Ourselves 1924, many
of which were written by the leaders of the time and edited by Vincent M. Hilario.
Eliseo M. Quirino, Carlos P. Romulo and Jorge Bagobo were other essayists before
WWII.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 62

Historical Background

Figure 4.2 Women Education with the Thomasites

The rule of the United States over the Philippines had two phases.

The first phase was from 1898 to 1935, during which time Washington defined
its colonial mission as one of tutelage and preparing the Philippines for eventual
independence. Political organizations developed quickly, and the popularly elected
Philippine Assembly (lower house) and the U.S.-appointed Philippine Commission
(upper house) served as a bicameral legislature. The ilustrados formed the Federalista
Party, but their statehood platform had limited appeal. In 1905 the party was renamed
the National Progressive Party and took up a platform of independence. The
Nacionalista Party was formed in 1907 and dominated Filipino politics until after World
War II. Its leaders were not ilustrados. Despite their “immediate independence” platform,
the party leaders participated in a collaborative leadership with the United States. A
major development emerging in the post-World War I period was resistance to elite
control of the land by tenant farmers, who were supported by the Socialist Party and the
Communist Party of the Philippines. Tenant strikes and occasional violence occurred as
the Great Depression wore on and cash-crop prices collapsed.

The second period of United States rule—from 1936 to 1946—was

characterized by the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and
occupation by Japan during World War II. Legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in
1934 provided for a 10-year period of transition to independence. The country’s first
constitution was framed in 1934 and overwhelmingly approved by plebiscite in 1935,
and Manuel Quezon was elected president of the commonwealth. Quezon later died in
exile in 1944 and was succeeded by Vice President Sergio Osmeña.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 63

Japan attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941, and occupied Manila on

January 2, 1942. Tokyo set up an ostensibly independent republic, which was opposed
by underground and guerrilla activity that eventually reached large-scale proportions. A
major element of the resistance in the Central Luzon area was furnished by the Huks
(short for Hukbalahap, or People’s Anti-Japanese Army). Allied forces invaded the
Philippines in October 1944, and the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945.

World War II was demoralizing for the Philippines, and the islands suffered from
rampant inflation and shortages of food and other goods. Various trade and security
issues with the United States also remained to be settled before Independence Day.
The Allied leaders wanted to purge officials who collaborated with the Japanese during
the war and to deny them the right to vote in the first postwar elections. Commonwealth
President Osmeña, however, countered that each case should be tried on its own
merits. The successful Liberal Party presidential candidate, Manuel Roxas, was among
those collaborationists. Independence from the United States came on July 4, 1946,
and Roxas was sworn in as the first president. The economy remained highly
dependent on U.S. markets, and the United States also continued to maintain control of
23 military installations. A bilateral treaty was signed in March 1947 by which the United
States continued to provide military aid, training, and matériel.

American Influence on Philippine Literature

 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 64

Figure 4.3 Early Theatre Plays

Philippine literary production during the American Period in the Philippines was
spurred by two significant developments in education and culture. One is the
introduction of free public instruction for all children of school age and two, the use of
English as medium of instruction in all levels of education in public schools.

Free public education made knowledge and information accessible to a greater

number of Filipinos. Those who availed of this education through college were able to
improve their social status and joined a good number of educated masses who became
part of the country’s middle class.

The use of English as medium of instruction introduced Filipinos to Anglo-

American modes of thought, culture and life ways that would be embedded not only in
the literature produced but also in the psyche of the country’s educated class. It was this
educated class that would be the wellspring of a vibrant Philippine Literature in English.

Philippine literature in English, as a direct result of American colonization of the

country, could not escape being imitative of American models of writing especially
during its period of apprenticeship. The poetry written by early poets manifested studied
attempts at versification as in the following poem which is proof of the poet’s rather
elementary exercise in the English language:
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 65

Vacation days at last are here,

And we have time for fun so dear,
All boys and girls do gladly cheer,
This welcomed season of the year.
In early June in school we’ll meet;
A harder task shall we complete
And if we fail we must repeat
That self-same task without retreat.
We simply rest to come again
To school where boys and girls obtain
The Creator’s gift to men
Whose sanguine hopes in us remain.
Vacation means a time for play
For young and old in night and day
My wish for all is to be gay,
And evil none lead you astray

– Juan F. Salazar

Philippines Free Press, May 9, 1909

The poem was anthologized in the first collection of poetry in English, Filipino
Poetry, edited by Rodolfo Dato (1909 – 1924). Among the poets featured in this
anthology were Proceso Sebastian Maximo Kalaw, Fernando Maramag, Leopoldo
Uichanco, Jose Ledesma, Vicente Callao, Santiago Sevilla, Bernardo Garcia, Francisco
Africa, Pablo Anzures, Carlos P. Romulo, Francisco Tonogbanua, Juan Pastrana, Maria
Agoncillo, Paz Marquez Benitez, Luis Dato and many others. Another anthology, The
English German Anthology of Poetsedited by Pablo Laslo was published and
covered poets published from 1924-1934 among whom were Teofilo D. Agcaoili, Aurelio
Alvero, Horacio de la Costa, Amador T. Daguio, Salvador P. Lopez, Angela Manalang
Gloria, Trinidad Tarrosa, Abelardo Subido and Jose Garcia Villa, among others. A third
pre-war collection of poetry was edited by Carlos Bulosan, Chorus for America: Six
Philippine Poets. The six poets in this collection were Jose Garcia Villa, Rafael Zulueta
da Costa, Rodrigo T. Feria, C.B. Rigor, Cecilio Baroga and Carlos Bulosan.

In fiction, the period of apprenticeship in literary writing in English is marked by

imitation of the style of storytelling and strict adherence to the craft of the short story as
practiced by popular American fictionists. Early short story writers in English were often
dubbed as the Andersons or Saroyans or the Hemingways of Philippine letters.
Leopoldo Yabes in his study of the Philippine short story in English from 1925 to 1955
points to these models of American fiction exerting profound influence on the early
writings of story writers like Francisco Arcellana, A.E. Litiatco, Paz Latorena. .
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 66

When the University of the Philippines was founded in 1908, an elite group of
writers in English began to exert influence among the culturati. The U.P. Writers Club
founded in 1926, had stated that one of its aims was to enhance and propagate the
“language of Shakespeare.” In 1925, Paz Marquez Benitez short story, “Dead Stars”
was published and was made the landmark of the maturity of the Filipino writer in
English. Soon after Benitez, short story writers began publishing stories no longer
imitative of American models. Thus, story writers like Icasiano Calalang, A.E. Litiatco,
Arturo Rotor, Lydia Villanueva, Paz Latorena , Manuel Arguilla began publishing stories
manifesting both skilled use of the language and a keen Filipino sensibility.

This combination of writing in a borrowed tongue while dwelling on Filipino

customs and traditions earmarked the literary output of major Filipino fictionists in
English during the American period. Thus, the major novels of the period, such as the
Filipino Rebel, by Maximo Kalaw, and His Native Soil by Juan C. Laya, are discourses
on cultural identity, nationhood and being Filipino done in the English language. Stories
such as “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” by Manuel Arguilla scanned
the scenery as well as the folkways of Ilocandia while N.V. M. Gonzales’s novels and
stories such as “Children of the Ash Covered Loam,” present the panorama of
Mindoro, in all its customs and traditions while configuring its characters in the human
dilemma of nostalgia and poverty. Apart from Arguilla and Gonzales, noted fictionists
during the period included Francisco Arcellana, whom Jose Garcia Villa lauded as a
“genius” storyteller, Consorcio Borje, Aida Rivera, Conrado Pedroche, Amador Daguio,
Sinai Hamada, Hernando Ocampo, Fernando Maria Guerrero. Jose Garcia Villa himself
wrote several short stories but devoted most of his time to poetry.

In 1936, when the Philippine Writers League was organized, Filipino writers in
English began discussing the value of literature in society. Initiated and led by Salvador
P. Lopez, whose essays on Literature and Society provoked debates, the discussion
centered on proletarian literature, i.e., engaged or committed literature versus the art for
art’s sake literary orientation. But this discussion curiously left out the issue of
colonialism and colonial literature and the whole place of literary writing in English under
a colonial set-up that was the Philippines then.

With Salvador P. Lopez, the essay in English gained the upper hand in day to day
discourse on politics and governance. Polemicists who used to write in Spanish like
Claro M. Recto, slowly started using English in the discussion of current events even as
newspaper dailies moved away from Spanish reporting into English. Among the
essayists, Federico Mangahas had an easy facility with the language and the essay as
genre. Other noted essayists during the period were Fernando Maramag, Carlos P.
Romulo , Conrado Ramirez.

On the other hand, the flowering of a vibrant literary tradition due to historical
events did not altogether hamper literary production in the native or indigenous
languages. In fact, the early period of the 20th century was remarkable for the
significant literary output of all major languages in the various literary genre.
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It was during the early American period that seditious plays, using the form of the
zarsuwela, were mounted. Zarsuwelistas Juan Abad, Aurelio Tolentino ,Juan Matapang
Cruz. Juan Crisostomo Sotto mounted the classics like Tanikalang Ginto, Kahapon,
Ngayon at Bukas and Hindi Ako Patay, all directed against the American imperialists.
Patricio Mariano’s Anak ng Dagat and Severino Reyes’s Walang Sugat are equally
remarkable zarsuwelas staged during the period.

On the eve of World War II, Wilfredo Maria Guerrero would gain dominance in
theatre through his one-act plays which he toured through his “mobile theatre”. Thus,
Wanted a Chaperone and The Forsaken House became very popular in campuses
throughout the archipelago.

The novel in Tagalog, Iloko, Hiligaynon and Sugbuanon also developed during the
period aided largely by the steady publication of weekly magazines like the Liwayway,
Bannawag and Bisaya which serialized the novels.

Among the early Tagalog novelists of the 20 th century were Ishmael Amado,
Valeriano Hernandez Peña, Faustino Aguilar, Lope K. Santos and Lazaro Francisco.

Ishmael Amado’s Bulalakaw ng Pag-asa published in 1909 was one of the

earliest novels that dealt with the theme of American imperialism in the Philippines. The
novel, however, was not released from the printing press until 1916, at which time, the
author, by his own admission and after having been sent as a pensionado to the U.S.,
had other ideas apart from those he wrote in the novel.

Valeriano Hernandez Peña’s Nena at Neneng narrates the story of two women
who happened to be best of friends as they cope with their relationships with the men in
their lives. Nena succeeds in her married life while Neneng suffers from a stormy
marriage because of her jealous husband.

Faustino Aguilar published Pinaglahuan, a love triangle set in the early years of
the century when the worker’s movement was being formed. The novel’s hero, Luis
Gatbuhay, is a worker in a printery who is imprisoned for a false accusation and loses
his love, Danding, to his rival Rojalde, son of a wealthy capitalist. Lope K. Santos,
Banaag at Sikat has almost the same theme and motif as the hero of the novel, Delfin,
also falls in love with a rich woman, daughter of a wealthy landlord. The love story of
course is set also within the background of development of the worker’s trade union
movement and throughout the novel, Santos engages the readers in lengthy treatises
and discourses on socialism and capitalism. Many other Tagalog novelists wrote on
variations of the same theme, i.e., the interplay of fate, love and social justice. Among
these writers are Inigo Ed Regalado, Roman Reyes, Fausto J. Galauran, Susana de
Guzman, Rosario de Guzman-Lingat, Lazaro Francisco, Hilaria Labog, Rosalia
Aguinaldo, Amado V. Hernandez. Many of these writers were able to produce three or
more novels as Soledad Reyes would bear out in her book which is the result of her
dissertation, Ang Nobelang Tagalog (1979).
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Among the Iloko writers, noted novelists were Leon Pichay, who was also the
region’s poet laureate then, Hermogenes Belen, and Mena Pecson Crisologo whose
Mining wenno Ayat ti Kararwa is considered to be the Iloko version of a Noli me
Tangere.

In the Visayas, Magdalena Jalandoni and Ramon Muzones would lead most
writers in writing the novels that dwelt on the themes of love, courtship, life in the
farmlands, and other social upheavals of the period. Marcel Navarra wrote stories and
novels in Sugbuhanon.

Poetry in all languages continued to flourish in all regions of the country during the
American period. The Tagalogs, hailing Francisco F. Balagtas as the nation’s foremost
poet invented the balagtasan in his honor. Thebalagtasan is a debate in verse, a
poetical joust done almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the
pros and cons of an issue.

Figure 4.4 Jose Corazon De Jesus and Florentino Collantes

The first balagtasan was held in March 1924 at the Instituto de Mujeres, with Jose
Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes as rivals, bubuyog (bee) and paru-paro
(butterfly) aiming for the love of kampupot (jasmine). It was during this balagtasan that
Jose Corazon de Jesus, known as Huseng Batute, emerged triumphant to become the
first king of the Balagtasan. Jose Corazon de Jesus was the finest master of the genre.
He was later followed by balagtasistas, Emilio Mar Antonio and Crescenciano Marquez,
who also became King of the Balagtasan in their own time.

As Huseng Batute, de Jesus also produced the finest poems and lyrics during the
period. His debates with Amado V. Hernandez on the political issue of independence
from America and nationhood were mostly done in verse and are testament to the
vitality of Tagalog poetry during the era. Lope K. Santos, epic poem, Ang Panggingera
is also proof of how poets of the period have come to master the language to be able to
translate it into effective poetry.

The balagtasan would be echoed as a poetical fiesta and would be duplicated in

the Ilocos as thebukanegan, in honor of Pedro Bukaneg, the supposed transcriber of
the epic, Biag ni Lam-ang; and theCrissottan, in Pampanga, in honor of the esteemed
poet of the Pampango, Juan Crisostomo Sotto.

In 1932, Alejandro G. Abadilla , armed with new criticism and an orientation on

modernist poetry would taunt traditional Tagalog poetics with the publication of his
poem, “Ako ang Daigdig.” Abadilla’s poetry began the era of modernism in Tagalog
poetry, a departure from the traditional rhymed, measured and orally recited poems.
Modernist poetry which utilized free or blank verses was intended more for silent
reading than oral delivery.
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Noted poets in Tagalog during the American period were Julian Cruz Balmaceda,
Florentino Collantes, Pedro Gatmaitan, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Benigno Ramos, Inigo
Ed. Regalado, Ildefonso Santos, Lope K. Santos, Aniceto Silvestre, Emilio Mar.
Antonio , Alejandro Abadilla and Teodoro Agoncillo.

Like the writers in English who formed themselves into organizations, Tagalog
writers also formed the Ilaw at Panitik, and held discussions and workshops on the
value of literature in society. Benigno Ramos, was one of the most politicized poets of
the period as he aligned himself with the peasants of the Sakdal Movement.

Fiction in Tagalog as well as in the other languages of the regions developed

alongside the novel. Most fictionists are also novelists. Brigido Batungbakal , Macario
Pineda and other writers chose to dwell on the vicissitudes of life in a changing rural
landscape. Deogracias Del Rosario on the other hand, chose the city and the emerging
social elite as subjects of his stories. He is considered the father of the modern short
story in Tagalog

Among the more popular fictionists who emerged during the period are two women
writers, Liwayway Arceo and Genoveva Edroza Matute, considered forerunners in the
use of “light” fiction, a kind of story telling that uses language through poignant rendition.
Genoveva Edroza Matute’s “Ako’y Isang Tinig” and Liwayway Arceo’s “Uhaw ang
Tigang na Lupa” have been used as models of fine writing in Filipino by teachers of
composition throughout the school system.

Teodoro Agoncillo’s anthology 25 Pinakamahusay na Maiikling Kuwento (1945)

included the foremost writers of fiction in the pre-war era.

The separate, yet parallel developments of Philippine literature in English and

those in Tagalog and other languages of the archipelago during the American period
only prove that literature and writing in whatever language and in whatever climate are
able to survive mainly through the active imagination of writers. Apparently, what was
lacking during the period was for the writers in the various languages to come together,
share experiences and come to a conclusion on the elements that constitute good
writing in the Philippines.

Three Periods Emerged During American Period

In a way, we can say that we can trace the beginnings of Philippine literature in English
with the coming of the Americans. For this purpose, we can divide this period into three
time frames, namely:
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Figure 4.5 The University of the Philippines during the American times

(1) The Period of Re-orientation (1898-1910) The word of reorientation came into
existence during this period. English as a literary vehicle came with the American
occupation in August 13, 1898 and as they say, a choice bestow on us by history. By
1900, English came to be used as a medium of instruction in the public schools.

English as a literary vehicle came with the American occupation in August 13, 1898 and
as they say, a choice bestowed on us by history. By 1900, English came to be used as
a medium of instruction in the public schools. From the American forces were recruited
the first teachers of English. By 1908, the primary and intermediate grades were using
English. It was also about this time when UP, the forerunner in the use of English in
higher education, was founded.

Writers of this period were still adjusting to the new found freedom after the paralyzing
effect of repression of thought and speech under the Spanish regime. They were
adjusting the idea of democracy, to the new phraseology of the English language and to
the standards of the English literary style Writers had to learn direct expression as
conditioned by direct thinking. They had to learn that sentence constructions; sounds
and speech in English were not the same as in the vernacular. They had to discard
sentimentality and floridity of language for the more direct and precise English
language.

Not much was produced during this period and what literature was produced was not
much of literary worth. The first attempts in English were in two periodicals of this time:

(a) El Renacimiento: founded in Manila by Rafael Palma in 1901.

(b) Philippines Free Press : established in Manila in 1905 by R. McCullough Dick and
D. Theo Rogers.
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Figure 4.6 Paz Marquez-Benitez Opus Dei “Dead Stars”

(2) The Period of Imitation (1910-1924) by 1919, schools particularly the UP College
Folio published the literary compositions of the first Filipino writers in English. They were
the pioneers in short story writing. They were then examining their way into imitating
American and British models which resulted in a mannered, artificial and unnatural
style, lacking vigor and spontaneity. Their models included Longfellow and Hawthorne,
Emerson and Thoreau, Wordsworth and Tennyson, Thackeray and Macaulay,
Longfellow, Allan Poe, Irving and other American writers of the Romantic School.
Writers of this folio included Fernando Maramag (the best editorial writer of this period)
Juan F. Salazar, Jose M. Hernandez, Vicente del Fierro, and Francisco M. Africa and
Victoriano Yamzon. They pioneered in English poetry.

By 1919, the UP College Folio published the literary compositions of the first Filipino
writers in English. They were the pioneers in short story writing.

They were then groping their way into imitating American and British models which
resulted in a stilted, artificial and unnatural style, lacking vitality and spontaneity. Their
models included Longfellow and Hawthorne, Emerson and Thoreau, Wordsworth and
Tennyson, Thackeray and Macaulay, Longfellow, Allan Poe, Irving and other American
writers of the Romantic School. Writers of this folio included Fernando Maramag (the
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 72

best editorial writer of this period) Juan F. Salazar, Jose M. Hernandez, Vicente del
Fierro,and Francisco M. Africa and Victoriano Yamzon. They pioneered in English
poetry.

The noted essayists of this time were: Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge C. Bocobo, Mauro
Mendez, and Vicente Hilario. Their essays were truly scholarly characterized by
sobriety, substance and structure. They excelled in the serious essay, especially the
editorial type.

The next group of writers introduced the informal essay, criticism and the journalistic
column. They spiced their work with humor, wit and satire. These group included
Ignacio Manlapaz, Godefredo Rivera, Federico Mangahas, Francisco B. Icasiano,
Salvador P. Lopez, Jose Lansang and Amando G. Dayrit. SHORT STORIES In the
field of short stories, DEAD STARS by Paz Marquez Benitez written in the early 1920’s
stand out as a model of perfection in character delineation, local color, plot and
message. Other short stories published during this time were but poor imitations of their
foreign models.

The UP College Folio was later replaced by the Philippine Collegian. Newspapers and
periodicals also saw print during this time like the Bulletin, the Philippines Herald
(1920), the Philippine Review, the Independent, Rising Philippines and Citizens,
and the Philippine Education Magazine 1924.

(3) Period of Self-Discovery and Growth (1925-1941) By this time, Filipino writers had
acquired the mastery of English writing. They now confidently and competently wrote on
a lot of subjects although the old-time favourites of love and youth persisted. They went
into all forms of writing like the novel and the drama.

THE SHORT STORY (1925-1941) Probably because of the incentives provided by

publications like the Philippine Free Press, The Graphic, The Philippine Magazine and
college publications like the UP Literary Apprentice, poetry and the short story
flourished during these times.

Other writers during this time include Osmundo Sta. Romana, Arturo Rotor, Paz
Latorena’s Sunset, and Jose Garcia Villa’s Mir-in-isa. From 1930 to 1940, the Golden
Era of Filipino writing in English saw the short story writers “who have arrived,” like Jose
Lansang’s The Broken Parasol, Sinai C. Hamada’s Talanata’s Wife, Fausto Dugenio’s
Wanderlust, Amando G. Dayrit’s His Gift and Yesterday, Amador T. Daugio’s The
Woman Who Looked Out of the Window. Characteristics of the short stories during
these times: There were still remnants of Spanish influence in the use of expressions
that were florid, sentimental, exaggerated and bombastic. The influence of the Western
culture also was already evident.
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Figure 4.7 The Philippine Free Press Periodicals

Other writers during this time include Osmundo Sta. Romana, Arturo Rotor, Paz
Latorena’s Sunset, and Jose Garcia Villa’s Mir-in-isa. From 1930 to 1940, the Golden
Era of Filipino writing in English saw the short story writers “who have arrived,” like Jose
Lansang’s The Broken Parasol, Sinai C. Hamada’s Talanata’s Wife, Fausto Dugenio’s
Wanderlust, Amando G. Dayrit’s His Gift and Yesterday, Amador T. Daugio’s The
Woman Who Looked Out of the Window. Characteristics of the short stories during
these times: There were still remnants of Spanish influence in the use of expressions
that were florid, sentimental, exaggerated and bombastic. The influence of the Western
culture also was already evident.

ESSAYS Critical essays were espoused by Salvador P. Lopez, I.V. Mallari, Ignacio
Manlapaz, Jose Garcia Villa, Arturo B. Rotor, and Leopoldo Y. Yabes. An example of
this is Maximo V. Soliven’s THEY CALLED IT BROTHERHOOD.

Personal or Familiar essays were written by F.B. Icasiano (Mang Kiko), Alfredo E.
Litiatco, Solomon V. Arnaldo, Amando G. Dayrit and Consuelo Gar (Catuca).

Some of the notable works during this time were: 1940: Salvador P. Lopez’
LITERATURE AND SOCIETY which is a collection of critical reflections and serious
essays and which won first prize in the Commonwealth Literary Contest of 1940.

1940: Camilo Osias published THE FILIPINO WAY OF LIFE, a series of essays on the
Filipino way of life as drawn from history, folkways, philosophy and psychology of the
Philippines.

1941: F.B. Icasiano (Mang Kiko) was reprints of the best of Icasiano’s essays in the
Sunday Times Magazine under the column From My Nipa Hut. It is an essay of the
common “tao” and is written with humor and sympathy.
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August 16, 1941: Carlos P. Romulo had an editorial printed in the Philippines Herald .
Entitled I AM A FILIPINO, it was reprinted in his book MY BROTHER AMERICANS in
1945 in New York by Doubleday & Co. OTHER ESSAYISTS INCLUDE: Ignacio
Manlapaz, Vicente Albano Pacis, I.V. Mallari, Jose M. Fernandez, Leopoldo Y. Yabes,
Isidro L. Ritizos, Pura Santillan.

The Philippine Writer’s League put out a collection of essays called Literature Under the
Commonwealth. Amando G. Dayrit with his column Good Morning Judge led others like
Leon Ma. Guerrero, Salvador P. Lopez, Vicente Albano Pacis, Jose A. Lansang and
Federico Mangahas.

BIOGRAPHY 1925-1941 In 1935, I.P. Caballero and Marcelo de Gracia Concepcion

wrote about QUEZON. In 1938, THE GREAT MALAYAN won a prize in the national
contest sponsored by the Commonwealth of the Philippines. This was written by Carlos
Quirino, the most famous biographer of the period. He also wrote Quezon, the Man of
Destiny.
In 1940, I.V. Mallari’s The Birth of Discontent revealed the sensitive touch of a writer
who in simple language was able to reveal his profound thoughts and feelings.

HISTORY Not much about history has been written by Filipino writers. In 1937, with
regard to literary history, we can cite Teofilo del Castillo’s The Brief History of the
Philippine Islands.

PUBLICATIONS The Philippine Free Press provided the first incentives to Filipino
writers in English by offering prizes to worthwhile contributions. Other publications
followed suit.

THE DRAMA (1925-1941) Drama during this period did not reach the heights attained
by the novel or the short story. The UP provided the incentives when they introduced
playwriting as a course and established the UP Little Theater.

Selected Readings

Selection # 1: Summary of Paz M. Latorena’s The Small Key

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Figure 4.8 Artistic Rendition of The Small Key

It is about Soledad, a woman in her mid-twenties who is married to a man named Pedro
Buhay. They lived in a hut within a prosperous farm away from neighbours. Soledad
looked at the beginnings of an abundant harvest with familiarity and discontent. She
planned to mend some of her husband's shirts, which were in a locked trunk. Pedro took
out from his pocket a string which held two keys: one large and shiny, the other small
and rusty. He gave Soledad the large key to his trunk and put the small key back in his
jacket pocket. Soledad was pained at the look of his face as he held the small key.

It was hot that morning, and he absently removed his jacket before leaving to work in
the field. When he was gone, Soledad began to fold the jacket and the small key fell to
the floor. Soledad knew that the small key opened another trunk: a small one that lay
half-concealed and untouched, which contained the clothes of Pedro’s first wife who
passed away long ago.

She kept busy to distract herself from thoughts of how it threatens to destroy her
relationship with her husband but ended up opening it in the end. Pedro returned home
to find Soledad in bed supposedly with a fever. He watched over her all evening until
the doctor arrived and told him that she was not sick.

The next morning Pedro discovered a pile of ashes and half burnt clothing in the
backyard. He realized what Soledad had done and rushed to look in the trunk to confirm
it. Soledad has indeed burned his first wife's clothing. Pedro tried to not get angry. He
hoped that the incident can be recalled without bitterness. He knew that the time would
come that she would explain and apologize, and that he would forgive her because he
was young and he loved her. But he knew he would always resent her for it.

ILLUSTRATIVE ARTS

DIRECTIONS: Select some parts of the summary and illustrate it according to your
perception of the scene. Write an explanation below your illustration. (30 pts)

Selection # 2: I AM A FILIPINO by Pres. Carlos P. Romulo

I am a Filipino–inheritor of a glorious past, hostage to the uncertain future. As such I
must prove equal to a two-fold task–the task of meeting my responsibility to the past,
and the task of performing my obligation to the future.
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I sprung from a hardy race, child many generations removed of ancient Malayan
pioneers. Across the centuries the memory comes rushing back to me: of brown-
skinned men putting out to sea in ships that were as frail as their hearts were stout.
Over the sea I see them come, borne upon the billowing wave and the whistling wind,
carried upon the mighty swell of hope–hope in the free abundance of new land that was
to be their home and their children’s forever.

This is the land they sought and found. Every inch of shore that their eyes first set upon,
every hill and mountain that beckoned to them with a green-and-purple invitation, every
mile of rolling plain that their view encompassed, every river and lake that promised a
plentiful living and the fruitfulness of commerce, is a hallowed spot to me.

By the strength of their hearts and hands, by every right of law, human and divine, this
land and all the appurtenances thereof–the black and fertile soil, the seas and lakes and
rivers teeming with fish, the forests with their inexhaustible wealth in wild life and timber,
the mountains with their bowels swollen with minerals–the whole of this rich and happy
land has been, for centuries without number, the land of my fathers. This land I received
in trust from them and in trust will pass it to my children, and so on until the world is no
more.

Figure 4.9 Preludes to Contemporary Philippines

I am a Filipino. In my blood runs the immortal seed of heroes–seed that flowered down
the centuries in deeds of courage and defiance. In my veins yet pulses the same hot
blood that sent Lapulapu to battle against the first invader of this land, that nerved
Lakandula in the combat against the alien foe, that drove Diego Silang and Dagohoy
into rebellion against the foreign oppressor.

That seed is immortal. It is the self-same seed that flowered in the heart of Jose Rizal
that morning in Bagumbayan when a volley of shots put an end to all that was mortal of
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him and made his spirit deathless forever, the same that flowered in the hearts of
Bonifacio in Balintawak, of Gergorio del Pilar at Tirad Pass, of Antonio Luna at
Calumpit; that bloomed in flowers of frustration in the sad heart of Emilio Aguinaldo at
Palanan, and yet burst fourth royally again in the proud heart of Manuel L. Quezon
when he stood at last on the threshold of ancient Malacañan Palace, in the symbolic act
of possession and racial vindication.

The seed I bear within me is an immortal seed. It is the mark of my manhood, the
symbol of dignity as a human being. Like the seeds that were once buried in the tomb of
Tutankhamen many thousand years ago, it shall grow and flower and bear fruit again. It
is the insignia of my race, and my generation is but a stage in the unending search of
my people for freedom and happiness.

I am a Filipino, child of the marriage of the East and the West. The East, with its languor
and mysticism, its passivity and endurance, was my mother, and my sire was the West
that came thundering across the seas with the Cross and Sword and the Machine. I am
of the East, an eager participant in its spirit, and in its struggles for liberation from the
imperialist yoke. But I also know that the East must awake from its centuried sleep,
shake off the lethargy that has bound his limbs, and start moving where destiny awaits.

For I, too, am of the West, and the vigorous peoples of the West have destroyed forever
the peace and quiet that once were ours. I can no longer live, a being apart from those
whose world now trembles to the roar of bomb and cannon-shot. I cannot say of a
matter of universal life-and-death, of freedom and slavery for all mankind, that it
concerns me not. For no man and no nation is an island, but a part of the main, there is
no longer any East and West–only individuals and nations making those momentous
choices which are the hinges upon which history resolves.

At the vanguard of progress in this part of the world I stand–a forlorn figure in the eyes
of some, but not one defeated and lost. For, through the thick, interlacing branches of
habit and custom above me, I have seen the light of the sun, and I know that it is good. I
have seen the light of justice and equality and freedom, my heart has been lifted by the
vision of democracy, and I shall not rest until my land and my people shall have been
blessed by these, beyond the power of any man or nation to subvert or destroy.

I am a Filipino, and this is my inheritance. What pledge shall I give that I may prove
worthy of my inheritance? I shall give the pledge that has come ringing down the
corridors of the centuries, and it shall be compounded of the joyous cries of my Malayan
forebears when first they saw the contours of this land loom before their eyes, of the
battle cries that have resounded in every field of combat from Mactan to Tirad Pass, of
the voices of my people when they sing:

Land of the morning,

Child of the sun returning–

****
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 78

Ne’er shall invaders

Trample thy sacred shore.

Out of the lush green of these seven thousand isles, out of the heartstrings of sixteen
million people all vibrating to one song, I shall weave the mighty fabric of my pledge.
Out of the songs of the farmers at sunrise when they go to labor in the fields, out of the
sweat of the hard-bitten pioneers in Mal-lig and Koronadal, out of the silent endurance
of stevedores at the piers and the ominous grumbling of peasants in Pampanga, out of
the first cries of babies newly born and the lullabies that mothers sing, out of the
crashing of gears and the whine of turbines in the factories, out of the crunch of plough-
shares upturning the earth, out of the limitless patience of teachers in the classrooms
and doctors in the clinics, out of the tramp of soldiers marching, I shall make the pattern
of my pledge:

“I am a Filipino born to freedom, and I shall not rest until freedom shall have been
added unto my inheritance—for myself and my children and my children’s children—
forever.”

Selection #3: Footnote to Youth by Jose Garcia Villa

The sun was salmon and hazy in the west. Dodong thought to himself he would tell his
father about Teang when he got home, after he had unhitched the carabao from the
plow, and let it to its shed and fed it. He was hesitant about saying it, but he wanted his
father to know. What he had to say was of serious import as it would mark a climacteric
in his life. Dodong finally decided to tell it, at a thought came to him his father might
refuse to consider it. His father was silent hard-working farmer who chewed areca nut,
which he had learned to do from his mother, Dodong’s grandmother.

I will tell it to him. I will tell it to him.

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Figure 4.10 Jane Cuevas’ Deviant Art on Footnote to Youth

The ground was broken up into many fresh wounds and fragrant with a sweetish earthy
smell. Many slender soft worms emerged from the furrows and then burrowed again
deeper into the soil. A short colorless worm marched blindly to Dodong’s foot and
crawled calmly over it. Dodong go tickled and jerked his foot, flinging the worm into the
air. Dodong did not bother to look where it fell, but thought of his age, seventeen, and
he said to himself he was not young any more.

Dodong unhitched the carabao leisurely and gave it a healthy tap on the hip. The beast
turned its head to look at him with dumb faithful eyes. Dodong gave it a slight push and
the animal walked alongside him to its shed. He placed bundles of grass before it land
the carabao began to eat. Dodong looked at it without interests.

Dodong started homeward, thinking how he would break his news to his father. He
wanted to marry, Dodong did. He was seventeen, he had pimples on his face, the down
on his upper lip already was dark–these meant he was no longer a boy. He was growing
into a man–he was a man. Dodong felt insolent and big at the thought of it although he
was by nature low in statue. Thinking himself a man grown, Dodong felt he could do
anything.

He walked faster, prodded by the thought of his virility. A small angled stone bled his
foot, but he dismissed it cursorily. He lifted his leg and looked at the hurt toe and then
went on walking. In the cool sundown he thought wild you dreams of himself and Teang.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 80

Teang, his girl. She had a small brown face and small black eyes and straight glossy
hair. How desirable she was to him. She made him dream even during the day.

Dodong tensed with desire and looked at the muscles of his arms. Dirty. This field
work was healthy, invigorating but it begrimed you, smudged you terribly. He turned
back the way he had come, then he marched obliquely to a creek.

Dodong stripped himself and laid his clothes, a gray undershirt and red kundiman
shorts, on the grass. The he went into the water, wet his body over, and rubbed at it
vigorously. He was not long in bathing, then he marched homeward again. The bath
made him feel cool.

It was dusk when he reached home. The petroleum lamp on the ceiling already was
lighted and the low unvarnished square table was set for supper. His parents and he sat
down on the floor around the table to eat. They had fried fresh-water fish, rice, bananas,
and caked sugar.

Dodong ate fish and rice, but did not partake of the fruit. The bananas were overripe
and when one held them they felt more fluid than solid. Dodong broke off a piece of the
cakes sugar, dipped it in his glass of water and ate it. He got another piece and wanted
some more, but he thought of leaving the remainder for his parents.

Dodong’s mother removed the dishes when they were through and went out to the
batalan to wash them. She walked with slow careful steps and Dodong wanted to help
her carry the dishes out, but he was tired and now felt lazy. He wished as he looked at
her that he had a sister who could help his mother in the housework. He pitied her,
doing all the housework alone.

His father remained in the room, sucking a diseased tooth. It was paining him again,
Dodong knew. Dodong had told him often and again to let the town dentist pull it out,
but he was afraid, his father was. He did not tell that to Dodong, but Dodong guessed it.
Afterward Dodong himself thought that if he had a decayed tooth he would be afraid to
go to the dentist; he would not be any bolder than his father.

Dodong said while his mother was out that he was going to marry Teang. There it was
out, what he had to say, and over which he had done so much thinking. He had said it
without any effort at all and without self-consciousness. Dodong felt relieved and looked
at his father expectantly. A decrescent moon outside shed its feeble light into the
window, graying the still black temples of his father. His father looked old now.

“I am going to marry Teang,” Dodong said.

His father looked at him silently and stopped sucking the broken tooth. The silence
became intense and cruel, and Dodong wished his father would suck that troublous
tooth again. Dodong was uncomfortable and then became angry because his father
kept looking at him without uttering anything.
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“I will marry Teang,” Dodong repeated. “I will marry Teang.”

His father kept gazing at him in inflexible silence and Dodong fidgeted on his seat.

“I asked her last night to marry me and she said…yes. I want your permission. I…
want… it….” There was impatient clamor in his voice, an exacting protest at this
coldness, this indifference. Dodong looked at his father sourly. He cracked his knuckles
one by one, and the little sounds it made broke dully the night stillness.

“Must you marry, Dodong?”

Dodong resented his father’s questions; his father himself had married. Dodong made a
quick impassioned easy in his mind about selfishness, but later he got confused.

“You are very young, Dodong.”

“I’m… seventeen.”

“That’s very young to get married at.”

“I… I want to marry…Teang’s a good girl.”

“Tell your mother,” his father said.

“You tell her, tatay.”

“Dodong, you tell your inay.”

“You tell her.”

“All right, Dodong.”

“You will let me marry Teang?”

“Son, if that is your wish… of course…” There was a strange helpless light in his father’s
eyes. Dodong did not read it, so absorbed was he in himself.

Dodong was immensely glad he had asserted himself. He lost his resentment for his
father. For a while he even felt sorry for him about the diseased tooth. Then he confined
his mind to dreaming of Teang and himself. Sweet young dream….

——————————————-

Dodong stood in the sweltering noon heat, sweating profusely, so that his camiseta was
damp. He was still as a tree and his thoughts were confused. His mother had told him
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 82

not to leave the house, but he had left. He had wanted to get out of it without clear
reason at all. He was afraid, he felt. Afraid of the house. It had seemed to cage him, to
compares his thoughts with severe tyranny. Afraid also of Teang. Teang was giving
birth in the house; she gave screams that chilled his blood. He did not want her to
scream like that, he seemed to be rebuking him. He began to wonder madly if the
process of childbirth was really painful. Some women, when they gave birth, did not cry.

In a few moments he would be a father. “Father, father,” he whispered the word with
awe, with strangeness. He was young, he realized now, contradicting himself of nine
months comfortable… “Your son,” people would soon be telling him. “Your son,
Dodong.”

Dodong felt tired standing. He sat down on a saw-horse with his feet close together. He
looked at his callused toes. Suppose he had ten children… What made him think that?
What was the matter with him? God!

He heard his mother’s voice from the house:

“Come up, Dodong. It is over.”

Suddenly he felt terribly embarrassed as he looked at her. Somehow he was ashamed

to his mother of his youthful paternity. It made him feel guilty, as if he had taken
something no properly his. He dropped his eyes and pretended to dust dirt off his
kundiman shorts.

“Dodong,” his mother called again. “Dodong.”

He turned to look again and this time saw his father beside his mother.

“It is a boy,” his father said. He beckoned Dodong to come up.

Dodong felt more embarrassed and did not move. What a moment for him. His parents’
eyes seemed to pierce him through and he felt limp.

He wanted to hide from them, to run away.

“Dodong, you come up. You come up,” he mother said.

Dodong did not want to come up and stayed in the sun.

“Dodong. Dodong.”

“I’ll… come up.”

Dodong traced tremulous steps on the dry parched yard. He ascended the bamboo
steps slowly. His heart pounded mercilessly in him. Within, he avoided his parents eyes.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 83

He walked ahead of them so that they should not see his face. He felt guilty and untrue.
He felt like crying. His eyes smarted and his chest wanted to burst. He wanted to turn
back, to go back to the yard. He wanted somebody to punish him.

His father thrust his hand in his and gripped it gently.

“Son,” his father said.

And his mother: “Dodong…”

How kind were their voices. They flowed into him, making him strong.

“Teang?” Dodong said.

“She’s sleeping. But you go on…”

His father led him into the small sawali room. Dodong saw Teang, his girl-wife, asleep
on the papag with her black hair soft around her face. He did not want her to look that
pale.

Dodong wanted to touch her, to push away that stray wisp of hair that touched her lips,
but again that feeling of embarrassment came over him and before his parents he did
not want to be demonstrative.

The hilot was wrapping the child, Dodong heard it cry. The thin voice pierced him
queerly. He could not control the swelling of happiness in him.

“You give him to me. You give him to me,” Dodong said.

——————————————-

Blas was not Dodong’s only child. Many more children came. For six successive years a
new child came along. Dodong did not want any more children, but they came. It
seemed the coming of children could not be helped. Dodong got angry with himself
sometimes.

Teang did not complain, but the bearing of children told on her. She was shapeless and
thin now, even if she was young. There was interminable work to be done. Cooking.
Laundering. The house. The children. She cried sometimes, wishing she had not
married. She did not tell Dodong this, not wishing him to dislike her. Yet she wished she
had not married. Not even Dodong, whom she loved. There has been another suitor,
Lucio, older than Dodong by nine years, and that was why she had chosen Dodong.
Young Dodong. Seventeen. Lucio had married another after her marriage to Dodong,
but he was childless until now. She wondered if she had married Lucio, would she have
borne him children. Maybe not, either. That was a better lot. But she loved Dodong…
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 84

Dodong whom life had made ugly.

One night, as he lay beside his wife, he rose and went out of the house. He stood in the
moonlight, tired and querulous. He wanted to ask questions and somebody to answer
him. He w anted to be wise about many things.

One of them was why life did not fulfill all of Youth’s dreams. Why it must be so. Why
one was forsaken… after Love.

Dodong would not find the answer. Maybe the question was not to be answered. It must
be so to make youth Youth. Youth must be dreamfully sweet. Dreamfully sweet. Dodong
returned to the house humiliated by himself. He had wanted to know a little wisdom but
was denied it.

When Blas was eighteen he came home one night very flustered and happy. It was late
at night and Teang and the other children were asleep. Dodong heard Blas’s steps, for
he could not sleep well of nights. He watched Blas undress in the dark and lie down
softly. Blas was restless on his mat and could not sleep. Dodong called him name and
asked why he did not sleep. Blas said he could not sleep.

“You better go to sleep. It is late,” Dodong said.

Blas raised himself on his elbow and muttered something in a low fluttering voice.

Dodong did not answer and tried to sleep.

“Itay …,” Blas called softly.

Dodong stirred and asked him what it was.

“I am going to marry Tona. She accepted me tonight.”

Dodong lay on the red pillow without moving.

“Itay, you think it over.”

Dodong lay silent.

“I love Tona and… I want her.”

Dodong rose from his mat and told Blas to follow him. They descended to the yard,
where everything was still and quiet. The moonlight was cold and white.

“You want to marry Tona,” Dodong said. He did not want Blas to marry yet. Blas was
very young. The life that would follow marriage would be hard…
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 85

“Yes.”

“Must you marry?”

Blas’s voice stilled with resentment. “I will marry Tona.”

Dodong kept silent, hurt.

“You have objections, Itay?” Blas asked acridly.

“Son… n-none…” (But truly, God, I don’t want Blas to marry yet… not yet. I don’t want
Blas to marry yet….)

But he was helpless. He could not do anything. Youth must triumph… now. Love must
triumph… now. Afterwards… it will be life.

As long ago Youth and Love did triumph for Dodong… and then Life.

Dodong looked wistfully at his young son in the moonlight. He felt extremely sad and
sorry for him.

If you are on the shoes of Dodong, how would you be an example towards the
household before things get to worse? Cite examples. (10 pts)

Enriquez, D. C. (2006). Philippine Literature (2nd ed.). National Bookstore.

The American colonial period: History of the Philippines. (2020, August 12). TAGALOG
LANG. https://www.tagaloglang.com/summary-of-the-american-colonial-period/

Philippine literature during the American period. (2015, April 14). National Commission
for Culture and the Arts.
https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/
literary-arts/philippine-literature-during-the-american-period/
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 86

The American regime. (n.d.). Literature is Fun. https://literature-is-fun.weebly.com/the-

american-regime.html0

STORYBOARDING

The process of story boarding lies on a panel or series of panels on which a set of
sketches is arranged depicting consecutively the important changes of scene and action
in a series of shots (as for a film, television show, or commercial).

Select a story you prefer to make a storyboard from the choices below:

A. Paz Marquez Benitez’ Dead Stars

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B. Manuel Arguilla’s How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife

RUBRIC FOR STORYBOARDING

5
15 10
CRITERIA (Needs
(Excellent) (Satisfactory)
Improvement)
Content of the story
Content of the story There is a need to
were slightly
were excellently improve upon the
Content organized based
organized organization of
Organization from the sequence
according to the content within the
presented on the
sequence. storyboard.
story
There is an
alignment present A slight alignment is
Alignment must be
between the present yet the
Alignment taken as point of
storyboard and the details were
improvement.
short story that is presented clearly.
well executed.
Creativity is evident Creativity needs to
Creativity is present
on the actual be improved upon
Creativity yet few artistic
storyboard itself. making
details are present.
storyboards.

TOTAL:___________________________________________________________

REMARKS:________________________________________________________

VIRTUAL THEATER PLAY

Through the groups already been created, each will assigned with 3 stories from the Pre-
colonial down to the US Colonialism works.

Group 1- US Colonialism Period

Group 2- Spanish Colonialism Period
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 88

Group 3- Pre Colonial Period

Group 4- Pre Colonial Period

From the literary pieces, they are given the task to perform the highlighted scenes according to
their understanding of the text.

NOTE: A standard rubric will be used in rating students’ performance.

NOTE: Please take note of the upcoming examination regarding these following topics:

QUARTER 2:

a. Literature during the Spanish Times

b. Literature during the US Colonialism

Teacher’s Note:

The way we prepare ourselves to anything will seek to answer the percentage of
passing in bright colours or failing due to shortcomings. Yet, be positive always for
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 89

GOOGLE EXAMINATION FOR QUARTER 2 (Sample)

DIRECTIONS: Read the statements carefully on each number. Select the best answer
of your choice. (30 pts)

1. Alfredo fell in love with Julia upon his arrival. However, Julia didn’t know that Alfredo
has a fiancée. In this part, what literary theme is presented?

a. Betrayal
b. Infidelity
c. Romance
d. Suspense

2. This is considered to be the first novel written in English.

a. Zoilo Galang’s Child of Sorrow

b. Paz Marquez Benitez Dead Stars
c. Carlos P. Romulo’s I Am A Filipino
d. Lope K. Santos’ Parabola

Dear students,

Mabuhay!
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 90

Enjoy this journey going back to time as we unfold the colourful heritage of
our very own culture. May you have a great time in building nationalistic
pride and appreciation towards the literary collection of the Philippines.

Below are the following chapters included in our Midterm:

QUARTER 3:

A. Chapter 5- Literature during the 3rd Republic

B. Chapter 6- Literature during EDSA Revolution

QUARTER 4:

C. Chapter 7- Literature of the Regions

D. Chapter 8- 21st Century Philippine Literature

Our time travel begins once more!

Princess Mae A. Mejia, MST-ELL

Course Instructor

Chapter 5: Japanese Occupation on the

Philippine Literature
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 91

Discomfort of Japanese and Filipino community

The Philippines were occupied by Japan during WWII, which produced many long

lasting effects, both good and bad, on Filipino literature. Such entrance open gateways
to new outlets for Philippine Literature to fluster against the test of influence and war.
We’ll find out as we discovered the beauty of Philippine literature across time.

After a fruitful discussion, students must:

a. trace the historical events and development of Philippine literature during the
Japanese period;

b. identify the contributions of Japanese period to the Philippine literary tradition; and

c. come with a timeline that presents the literary pieces during the Japanese period.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 92

We have been influence hugely by the Japanese from the time that occupied the
country during the WWII until today with their flourishing culture in pop arts. What can
you remember with these anime titles?

Figure 5.1 Infamous front page of the newspaper “Tribune”

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The second period of United States rule—from 1936 to 1946—was characterized by

the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and occupation by Japan
during World War II. Legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in 1934 provided for a 10-
year period of transition to independence. The country’s first constitution was framed in
1934 and overwhelmingly approved by plebiscite in 1935, and Manuel Quezon was
elected president of the commonwealth. Quezon later died in exile in 1944 and was
succeeded by Vice President Sergio Osmeña.

Japan attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941, and occupied Manila on

January 2, 1942. Tokyo set up an ostensibly independent republic, which was opposed
by underground and guerrilla activity that eventually reached large-scale proportions. A
major element of the resistance in the Central Luzon area was furnished by the Huks
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 93

(short for Hukbalahap, or People’s Anti-Japanese Army). Allied forces invaded the
Philippines in October 1944, and the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945.

World War II was demoralizing for the Philippines, and the islands suffered from
rampant inflation and shortages of food and other goods. Various trade and security
issues with the United States also remained to be settled before Independence Day.
The Allied leaders wanted to purge officials who collaborated with the Japanese during
the war and to deny them the right to vote in the first postwar elections. Commonwealth
President Osmeña, however, countered that each case should be tried on its own
merits. The successful Liberal Party presidential candidate, Manuel Roxas, was among
those collaborationists. Independence from the United States came on July 4, 1946,
and Roxas was sworn in as the first president. The economy remained highly
dependent on U.S. markets, and the United States also continued to maintain control of
23 military installations. A bilateral treaty was signed in March 1947 by which the United
States continued to provide military aid, training, and matériel.

LITERATURE DURING THIS TIME

The Philippines were occupied by Japan during WWII, which produced many long
lasting effects, both good and bad, on Filipino literature. Writing in Tagalog, the native
Philippine language, was greatly encouraged, while writing in English was severely
limited and often forbidden altogether. Furthermore, there was no freedom of speech or
press, and censorship was widely practiced.

Japanese period has been called one of the darkest days in the history and literary
tradition of the Philippines. The wartime experiences and events of the troubled times
left indelible imprints to the lives of the Filipino nation. However, there are still few and
remaining bright spots in this generally dark and gloomy days. It is our duty, as students
of Philippine literature not to be selective and biased in our treatment of the various
literary pieces regardless of what period it was produced. Moreover, the richness of our
literary tradition incorporates all possible literatures and, like a solitary candle flickering
in the dead night, a certain piece might just be waiting for us to discover and appreciate
its exquisite beauty peculiar to the period in which it was written.

During WWII, Filipinos were forced to learn Japanese, so the Tagalog language began
to incorporate Japanese slang and idioms in its vocabulary and literature. The Japanese
form of poetry, Haiku, was also explored by Filipino writers during the occupation.
Additionally, short stories came more into fashion. Since writing in English was severely
limited by the Japanese regime, the vernacular Tagalog language became more widely
utilized in literature. This exploration lasted beyond WWII, and helped Filipino writers
embrace their native tongue. The Japanese occupation was fraught with fear and
suffering for the Filipinos, and this is reflected in the literature of the time. Wartime
Filipino literature is marked as being pessimistic and bitter. Owing to the extreme cruelty
and hardship endured during the Japanese occupation, much Japanese influence was
repudiated in the Philippines, leading many writers to embrace a more Western
sensibility following the end of WWII.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 94

The stride and growth of the Philippine literature in English language and the
development of Philippine literature in general was interrupted during the Japanese
period. The Japanese censured all publications except Tribune and Philippine Review.
During the Japanese period, Philippine Literature in English was stopped and writers
turned to writing in Filipino. The Japanese authorities, with extreme hate to the
Americans, did their best to turn the Filipinos’ sympathy away from them. They
rewarded handsomely the Filipinos who are faithful to them.

In prose literature, the weekly Liwayway Magazine was put into strict surveillance and
was managed by a Japanese named Ishiwara. The Japanese language, Nippongo was
introduced but not well-embraced by the Filipinos despite it is being forcefully taught by
the Japanese. With the prohibition of writing literary pieces in English language, Filipino
literature was given a break. Many Filipino writers wrote plays, poems, short stories, etc.
in the Tagalog and other vernacular language. Topics and themes were often about life
in the provinces to escape Japanese control and censorship.

INFLUENCES OF THE JAPANESE

Under the Japanese regime, the teaching of Tagalog, Philippine History, and
Character Education was reserved for Filipinos. Love for work and dignity of labour
was emphasized. The Japanese authorities, with extreme hate to the Americans, did
their best to turn the Filipinos' sympathy away from them. With the natural outlook of the
Japanese being patriotic to their own language and system, it was also adopted in the
country the moment that they censured all publications except Tribune and Philippine
Review. Through ODA, Japan has helped construct and improve infrastructure in the
Philippines. These include major arterial highways, bridges, airports, railways, and
ports. Nowadays, with the advent of mass media, their pop culture through arts which is
called anime is highly anticipated by Filipino households.

PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION

The Japanese Occupation has brought two stages in the field of literature:

. A. WAR YEARS (1942-1944)

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Figure 5.2 Return of McArthur at Palo, Leyte

POETRY

Japanese were able to introduce three types of poetry writing: 1. Haiku, 2. Tanka and
3. Karaniwang Anyo or free verse.

Haiku is a poem of free verse of Japanese origin. It has 17 syllables divided into 3 lines.
The first has 5 syllables, second has 7, and the third has 5 syllables. The famous haikus
that were penned by the early Japanese haiku masters such as Bashō, Issa, Buson and
Shiki. To know more about Haikus, click here.

Haiku normally features allegorical meaning. It is usually short but it covers a wide
scope. The favourite topics of haiku writers include nature, love, patriotism, nationalism,
friendship and the human emotions.

Tanka
Tanka poem is very similar to haiku but Tanka poems have more syllables and it uses
simile, metaphor and personification. Tanka poems are written about nature, seasons,
love, sadness and other strong emotions. This form of poetry dates back almost 1200
years ago.

The 31 syllables are divided into 5 lines with: first line with 5, second line with 7, third
line with 5, fourth line with 7,and the fifth line with 7 as illustrated by the example below:

Winter

Beautiful mountains, -5-

Rivers with cold, cold water, -7-

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White cold snow on rock, -5-

Trees over the place with frost, -7-

White sparkly snow everywhere. -7-

Karaniwang Anyo

This usually refers to the common form of poetry that doesn’t need to be following a
format, style or other modes in poetry formation.

DRAMA

Since cinemas are lulled during the Japanese Periods due to widespread viewing of
American films, the films were given life through stage plays. Many of the plays were
reproductions of the English plays to Tagalog. During this period, the existence of
famous translators like Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Alberto Concio, and NarcisoPimentel
became a popular name with this platform. The association named Dramatic Philippines
was also created during this period.

Here are the list of the few playwrights during this period:

1. Jose Ma. Hernandez

- wrote the play entitled PANDAY PIRA

2. Francisco Soc Rodrigo

- wrote the play entitled SA PULA, SA PUTI

3. Clodualdo del Mundo

- wrote the play entitled BULAGA

4. Julian Cruz Balmaceda

- wrote the play entitled SINO BA KAYO?, DAHIL SA ANAK and HIGANTE
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 97

Figure 5.3 Cartellino by Brenda Fajardo

SHORT STORY

The strict regulations of the Japanese government prevented Filipinos from publishing
books. During this period, the field of short stories widened and became prevalent
during the Japanese period.

The prominent short story writers of this period were:

1.Narciso Reyes (“Lupang Tinubuan”)

2.Liwayway Arceo (“Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa”)

3.NVM Gonzales (“Lunsod Nayon at Dagat-dagatan”)

Other writers:

1.Brigido Batungbakal

2.Macario Pineda

3.Serafin Guinigundo

4.Alicia Lopez Lim

5.Ligaya Perez

6.Gloria Guzman
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 98

b. Period of Maturity and Originality (1945-1960)

As the time goes by, huge Filipino crowd became overwhelmed due to the existence of
wide range literary forms that can be available nationwide. By this, bountiful harvest in
poetry, fiction, drama and essay has been celebrated due to series of publishing.
Filipino writers mastered English and familiarized themselves with diverse techniques
albeit of the rules upon not English as a language medium. In 1945, Filipinos was
inspired to choose the best writings driven with the inspiration from writing awards
outside the Philippines particularly Nobel Pulitzer’s Price which was notched by Carlos
P. Romulo for the first time by his work entitled “I Saw the Fall of the Philippines”. The
Palanca Awards became an avenue for more Filipino writers to hone their skills most
especially reaching the pedestal of fame by literature.

Writers like Jose Garcia Villa, Nick Joaquin and etc. became one of the celebrated
Palanca Awardees and later one named as one of the Philippines’ NATIONAL ARTIST
in the field of literature.

CELEBRATED WRITERS AND THEIR NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

The noteworthy contributors to Philippine literature during this period were:

1.Carlos P. Romulo – a Pulitzer Prize winning writer of the books entitled:

a. “I Saw the Fall Of The Philippines”

b.“I See the Philippines Rise”

c.“Mother America and My Brother Americans”

2.Nick Joaquin – a producer of the play entitled:

a.“The Woman who looked Like Lazarus”

3.Carlos Bulosan – a novelist

a.“The Laughter of My Father (1944)”

b.“The Voice of my Father (1943)”

c.“Six Filipino Poets (1942)”

4.Alfredo Litiatco – a novelist

a.“With Harp and Sling (1943)”

5.Pres. Jose P. Laurel – the president during the Japanese occupation

 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 99

a.“Forces that Make a Nation Great”

6.Rafael Zulueta da Costa – a poet

a.“Like the Molave”

7.Manuel E. Arguilla – wrote short stories

a.“How my Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife”

8.Salvador P. Lopez – an essayist

a.“Literature and Society”

9.Juan Laya – a novelist

a.“His Native Soil”

10. F.B. Icasiano – wrote essays in The Philippine Review

11. Fred Ruiz Castro – wrote several poems

Other contributors to Philippine literature during this period were:

1. Leon Ma. Guerrero

2. Raul Manglapuz

3. Juan Collas

4.Tomas Confesor

5.Roman A. de la Cruz

6.Elisa Tabuñar

SAMPLE SELECTIONS

SELECTION #1: LIKE A MOLAVE BY RAFAEL ZULUETA DA COSTA

 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 100

Figure 5.4 Book cover of Like the Molave

Not yet, Rizal, not yet. Sleep not in peace:

There are a thousand waters to be spanned;

there are a thousand mountains to be crossed;

there are a thousand crosses to be borne.

Our shoulders are not strong; our sinews are

grown flaccid with dependence, smug with ease

under another's wing. Rest not in peace;

Not yet, Rizal, not yet. The land has need

of young blood-and, what younger than your own,

Forever spilled in the great name of freedom,

Forever oblate on the altar of

the free? Not you alone, Rizal. O souls

And spirits of the martyred brave, arise!

Arise and scour the land! Shed once again

your willing blood! Infuse the vibrant red

 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 101

into our thin anemic veins; until

we pick up your Promethean tools and, strong,

Out of the depthless matrix of your faith

in us, and on the silent cliffs of freedom,

we carve for all time your marmoreal dream!

Until our people, seeing, are become

like the Molave, firm, resilient, staunch,

rising on the hillside, unafraid,

Strong in its own fiber, yes, like the Molave!

POETRY ANALYSIS. Analyze the given poem according to the following:

a. Theme

b. Poetry Style

c. Figurative Languages Used

d. Writer’s Interest

SELECTION #2: MAY DAY EVE BY NICK JOAQUIN

The old people had ordered that the dancing should stop at ten o’clock but it was almost
midnight before the carriages came filing up the departing guests, while the girls who
were staying were promptly herded upstairs to the bedrooms, the young men gathering
around to wish them a good night and lamenting their ascent with mock signs and
moaning, proclaiming themselves disconsolate but straightway going off to finish the
punch and the brandy though they were quite drunk already and simply bursting with
wild spirits, merriment, arrogance and audacity, for they were young bucks newly
arrived from Europe; the ball had been in their honor; and they had waltzed and polka-
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 102

ed and bragged and swaggered and flirted all night and where in no mood to sleep yet--
no, caramba, not on this moist tropic eve! not on this mystic May eve! --with the night
still young and so seductive that it was madness not to go out, not to go forth---and
serenade the neighbors! cried one; and swim in the Pasid! cried another; and gather
fireflies! cried a third—whereupon there arose a great clamor for coats and capes, for
hats and canes, and they were a couple of street-lamps flickered and a last carriage
rattled away upon the cobbles while the blind black houses muttered hush-hush, their
tile roofs looming like sinister chessboards against a wile sky murky with clouds, save
where an evil young moon prowled about in a corner or where a murderous wind
whirled, whistling and whining, smelling now of the sea and now of the summer
orchards and wafting unbearable childhood fragrances or ripe guavas to the young men
trooping so uproariously down the street that the girls who were desiring upstairs in the
bedrooms catered screaming to the windows, crowded giggling at the windows, but
were soon sighing amorously over those young men bawling below; over those wicked
young men and their handsome apparel, their proud flashing eyes, and their elegant
mustaches so black and vivid in the moonlight that the girls were quite ravished with
love, and began crying to one another how carefree were men but how awful to be a girl
and what a horrid, horrid world it was, till old Anastasia plucked them off by the ear or
the pigtail and chases them off to bed---while from up the street came the clackety-clack
of the watchman’s boots on the cobble and the clang-clang of his lantern against his
knee, and the mighty roll of his great voice booming through the night, "Guardia serno-
o-o! A las doce han dado-o-o.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 103

Figure 5.5 Theatre Poster of May Day Eve

And it was May again, said the old Anastasia. It was the first day of May and witches
were abroad in the night, she said--for it was a night of divination, and night of lovers,
and those who cared might peer into a mirror and would there behold the face of
whoever it was they were fated to marry, said the old Anastasia as she hobble about
picking up the piled crinolines and folding up shawls and raking slippers in corner while
the girls climbing into four great poster-beds that overwhelmed the room began
shrieking with terror, scrambling over each other and imploring the old woman not to
frighten them.

"Enough, enough, Anastasia! We want to sleep!"

"Go scare the boys instead, you old witch!"

"She is not a witch, she is a maga. She is a maga. She was born of Christmas Eve!"

"St. Anastasia, virgin and martyr."

"Huh? Impossible! She has conquered seven husbands! Are you a virgin, Anastasia?"
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 104

"No, but I am seven times a martyr because of you girls!"

"Let her prophesy, let her prophesy! Whom will I marry, old gypsy? Come, tell me."

"You may learn in a mirror if you are not afraid."

"I am not afraid, I will go," cried the young cousin Agueda, jumping up in bed.

"Girls, girls---we are making too much noise! My mother will hear and will come and
pinch us all. Agueda, lie down! And you Anastasia, I command you to shut your mouth
and go away!""Your mother told me to stay here all night, my grand lady!"

"And I will not lie down!" cried the rebellious Agueda, leaping to the floor. "Stay, old
woman. Tell me what I have to do."

"Tell her! Tell her!" chimed the other girls.

The old woman dropped the clothes she had gathered and approached and fixed her
eyes on the girl. "You must take a candle," she instructed, "and go into a room that is
dark and that has a mirror in it and you must be alone in the room. Go up to the mirror
and close your eyes and shy:

Mirror, mirror, show to me him whose woman I will be. If all goes right, just above your
left shoulder will appear the face of the man you will marry." A silence. Then: "And hat if
all does not go right?" asked Agueda. "Ah, then the Lord have mercy on you!" "Why."
"Because you may see--the Devil!"

The girls screamed and clutched one another, shivering. "But what nonsense!" cried
Agueda. "This is the year 1847. There are no devil anymore!" Nevertheless she had
turned pale. "But where could I go, hugh? Yes, I know! Down to the sala. It has that big
mirror and no one is there now." "No, Agueda, no! It is a mortal sin! You will see the
devil!" "I do not care! I am not afraid! I will go!" "Oh, you wicked girl! Oh, you mad girl!"
"If you do not come to bed, Agueda, I will call my mother." "And if you do I will tell her
who came to visit you at the convent last March. Come, old woman---give me that
candle. I go." "Oh girls---give me that candle, I go."

But Agueda had already slipped outside; was already tiptoeing across the hall; her feet
bare and her dark hair falling down her shoulders and streaming in the wind as she fled
down the stairs, the lighted candle sputtering in one hand while with the other she pulled
up her white gown from her ankles. She paused breathless in the doorway to the sala
and her heart failed her. She tried to imagine the room filled again with lights, laughter,
whirling couples, and the jolly jerky music of the fiddlers. But, oh, it was a dark den, a
weird cavern for the windows had been closed and the furniture stacked up against the
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walls. She crossed herself and stepped inside. The mirror hung on the wall before her; a
big antique mirror with a gold frame carved into leaves and flowers and mysterious
curlicues. She saw herself approaching fearfully in it: a small while ghost that the
darkness bodied forth---but not willingly, not completely, for her eyes and hair were so
dark that the face approaching in the mirror seemed only a mask that floated forward; a
bright mask with two holes gaping in it, blown forward by the white cloud of her gown.
But when she stood before the mirror she lifted the candle level with her chin and the
dead mask bloomed into her living face.

She closed her eyes and whispered the incantation. When she had finished such a
terror took hold of her that she felt unable to move, unable to open her eyes and thought
she would stand there forever, enchanted. But she heard a step behind her, and a
smothered giggle, and instantly opened her eyes.

"And what did you see, Mama? Oh, what was it?" But Dona Agueda had forgotten the
little girl on her lap: she was staring pass the curly head nestling at her breast and
seeing herself in the big mirror hanging in the room. It was the same room and the
same mirror out the face she now saw in it was an old face---a hard, bitter, vengeful
face, framed in graying hair, and so sadly altered, so sadly different from that other face
like a white mask, that fresh young face like a pure mask than she had brought before
this mirror one wild May Day midnight years and years ago.... "But what was it Mama?
Oh please go on! What did you see?" Dona Agueda looked down at her daughter but
her face did not soften though her eyes filled with tears. "I saw the devil." she said
bitterly. The child blanched. "The devil, Mama? Oh... Oh..." "Yes, my love. I opened my
eyes and there in the mirror, smiling at me over my left shoulder, was the face of the
devil." "Oh, my poor little Mama! And were you very frightened?" "You can imagine. And
that is why good little girls do not look into mirrors except when their mothers tell them.
You must stop this naughty habit, darling, of admiring yourself in every mirror you pass-
or you may see something frightful some day." "But the devil, Mama---what did he look
like?" "Well, let me see... he has curly hair and a scar on his cheek---" "Like the scar of
Papa?" "Well, yes. But this of the devil was a scar of sin, while that of your Papa is a
scar of honor. Or so he says." "Go on about the devil." "Well, he had mustaches." "Like
those of Papa?" "Oh, no. Those of your Papa are dirty and graying and smell horribly of
tobacco, while these of the devil were very black and elegant--oh, how elegant!" "And
did he speak to you, Mama?" "Yes… Yes, he spoke to me," said Dona Agueda. And
bowing her graying head; she wept.

"Charms like yours have no need for a candle, fair one," he had said, smiling at her in
the mirror and stepping back to give her a low mocking bow. She had whirled around
and glared at him and he had burst into laughter. "But I remember you!" he cried. "You
are Agueda, whom I left a mere infant and came home to find a tremendous beauty,
and I danced a waltz with you but you would not give me the polka." "Let me pass," she
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 106

muttered fiercely, for he was barring the way. "But I want to dance the polka with you,
fair one," he said. So they stood before the mirror; their panting breath the only sound in
the dark room; the candle shining between them and flinging their shadows to the wall.
And young Badoy Montiya (who had crept home very drunk to pass out quietly in bed)
suddenly found himself cold sober and very much awake and ready for anything. His
eyes sparkled and the scar on his face gleamed scarlet. "Let me pass!" she cried again,
in a voice of fury, but he grasped her by the wrist. "No," he smiled. "Not until we have
danced." "Go to the devil!" "What a temper has my serrana!" "I am not your serrana!"
"Whose, then? Someone I know? Someone I have offended grievously? Because you
treat me, you treat all my friends like your mortal enemies." "And why not?" she
demanded, jerking her wrist away and flashing her teeth in his face. "Oh, how I detest
you, you pompous young men! You go to Europe and you come back elegant lords and
we poor girls are too tame to please you. We have no grace like the Parisiennes, we
have no fire like the Sevillians, and we have no salt, no salt, no salt! Aie, how you weary
me, how you bore me, you fastidious men!" "Come, come---how do you know about
us?"

"I was not admiring myself, sir!" "You were admiring the moon perhaps?" "Oh!" she
gasped, and burst into tears. The candle dropped from her hand and she covered her
face and sobbed piteously. The candle had gone out and they stood in darkness, and
young Badoy was conscience-stricken. "Oh, do not cry, little one!" Oh, please forgive
me! Please do not cry! But what a brute I am! I was drunk, little one, I was drunk and
knew not what I said." He groped and found her hand and touched it to his lips. She
shuddered in her white gown. "Let me go," she moaned, and tugged feebly. "No. Say
you forgive me first. Say you forgive me, Agueda." But instead she pulled his hand to
her mouth and bit it - bit so sharply in the knuckles that he cried with pain and lashed
cut with his other hand--lashed out and hit the air, for she was gone, she had fled, and
he heard the rustling of her skirts up the stairs as he furiously sucked his bleeding
fingers. Cruel thoughts raced through his head: he would go and tell his mother and
make her turn the savage girl out of the house--or he would go himself to the girl’s room
and drag her out of bed and slap, slap, slap her silly face! But at the same time he was
thinking that they were all going to Antipolo in the morning and was already planning
how he would maneuver himself into the same boat with her. Oh, he would have his
revenge, he would make her pay, that little harlot! She should suffer for this, he thought
greedily, licking his bleeding knuckles. But---Judas! He remembered her bare
shoulders: gold in her candlelight and delicately furred. He saw the mobile insolence of
her neck, and her taut breasts steady in the fluid gown. Son of a Turk, but she was quite
enchanting! How could she think she had no fire or grace? And no salt? An arroba she
had of it!
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 107

"... No lack of salt in the chrism At the moment of thy baptism!" He sang aloud in the
dark room and suddenly realized that he had fallen madly in love with her. He ached
intensely to see her again---at once! ---to touch her hands and her hair; to hear her
harsh voice. He ran to the window and flung open the casements and the beauty of the
night struck him back like a blow. It was May, it was summer, and he was young---
young! ---and deliriously in love. Such a happiness welled up within him that the tears
spurted from his eyes. But he did not forgive her--no! He would still make her pay, he
would still have his revenge, he thought viciously, and kissed his wounded fingers. But
what a night it had been! "I will never forge this night! he thought aloud in an awed
voice, standing by the window in the dark room, the tears in his eyes and the wind in his
hair and his bleeding knuckles pressed to his mouth.

But, alas, the heart forgets; the heart is distracted; and May time passes; summer lends;
the storms break over the rot-tipe orchards and the heart grows old; while the hours, the
days, the months, and the years pile up and pile up, till the mind becomes too crowded,
too confused: dust gathers in it; cobwebs multiply; the walls darken and fall into ruin and
decay; the memory perished...and there came a time when Don Badoy Montiya walked
home through a May Day midnight without remembering, without even caring to
remember; being merely concerned in feeling his way across the street with his cane;
his eyes having grown quite dim and his legs uncertain--for he was old; he was over
sixty; he was a very stopped and shivered old man with white hair and mustaches
coming home from a secret meeting of conspirators; his mind still resounding with the
speeches and his patriot heart still exultant as he picked his way up the steps to the
front door and inside into the slumbering darkness of the house; wholly unconscious of
the May night, till on his way down the hall, chancing to glance into the sala, he
shuddered, he stopped, his blood ran cold-- for he had seen a face in the mirror there---
a ghostly candlelight face with the eyes closed and the lips moving, a face that he
suddenly felt he had been there before though it was a full minutes before the lost
memory came flowing, came tiding back, so overflooding the actual moment and so
swiftly washing away the piled hours and days and months and years that he was left
suddenly young again; he was a gay young buck again, lately came from Europe; he
had been dancing all night; he was very drunk; he s stepped in the doorway; he saw a
face in the dark; he called out...and the lad standing before the mirror (for it was a lad in
a night go jumped with fright and almost dropped his candle, but looking around and
seeing the old man, laughed out with relief and came running.

"Oh Grandpa, how you frightened me. Don Badoy had turned very pale. "So it was you,
you young bandit! And what is all this, hey? What are you doing down here at this
hour?" "Nothing, Grandpa. I was only... I am only ..." "Yes, you are the great Señor only
and how delighted I am to make your acquaintance, Señor Only! But if I break this cane
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 108

on your head you maga wish you were someone else, Sir!" "It was just foolishness,
Grandpa. They told me I would see my wife."

"Wife? What wife?" "Mine. The boys at school said I would see her if I looked in a mirror
tonight and said: Mirror, mirror show to me her whose lover I will be.

Don Badoy cackled ruefully. He took the boy by the hair, pulled him along into the room,
sat down on a chair, and drew the boy between his knees. "Now, put your cane down
the floor, son, and let us talk this over. So you want your wife already, hey? You want to
see her in advance, hey? But so you know that these are wicked games and that
wicked boys who play them are in danger of seeing horrors?"

"Well, the boys did warn me I might see a witch instead."

"Exactly! A witch so horrible you may die of fright. And she will be witch you, she will
torture you, she will eat your heart and drink your blood!"

"Oh, come now Grandpa. This is 1890. There are no witches anymore."

"Oh-ho, my young Voltaire! And what if I tell you that I myself have seen a witch.

"You? Where?

"Right in this room land right in that mirror," said the old man, and his playful voice had
turned savage.

"When, Grandpa?"

"Not so long ago. When I was a bit older than you. Oh, I was a vain fellow and though I
was feeling very sick that night and merely wanted to lie down somewhere and die I
could not pass that doorway of course without stopping to see in the mirror what I
looked like when dying. But when I poked my head in what should I see in the mirror
but...but..."

"The witch?"

"Exactly!"

"And then she bewitch you, Grandpa!"

"She bewitched me and she tortured me. l She ate my heart and drank my blood." said
the old man bitterly.

"Oh, my poor little Grandpa! Why have you never told me! And she very horrible?
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 109

"Horrible? God, no--- she was the most beautiful creature I have ever seen! Her eyes
were somewhat like yours but her hair was like black waters and her golden shoulders
were bare. My God, she was enchanting! But I should have known---I should have
known even then---the dark and fatal creature she was!"

A silence. Then: "What a horrid mirror this is, Grandpa," whispered the boy.

"What makes you slay that, hey?"

"Well, you saw this witch in it. And Mama once told me that Grandma once told her that
Grandma once saw the devil in this mirror. Was it of the scare that Grandma died?"

Don Badoy started. For a moment he had forgotten that she was dead, that she had
perished---the poor Agueda; that they were at peace at last, the two of them, her tired
body at rest; her broken body set free at last from the brutal pranks of the earth---from
the trap of a May night; from the snare of summer; from the terrible silver nets of the
moon. She had been a mere heap of white hair and bones in the end: a whimpering
withered consumptive, lashing out with her cruel tongue; her eye like live coals; her face
like ashes... Now, nothing--- nothing save a name on a stone; save a stone in a
graveyard---nothing! was left of the young girl who had flamed so vividly in a mirror one
wild May Day midnight, long, long ago.

And remembering how she had sobbed so piteously; remembering how she had bitten
his hand and fled and how he had sung aloud in the dark room and surprised his heart
in the instant of falling in love: such a grief tore up his throat and eyes that he felt
ashamed before the boy; pushed the boy away; stood up and looked out----looked out
upon the medieval shadows of the foul street where a couple of street-lamps flickered
and a last carriage was rattling away upon the cobbles, while the blind black houses
muttered hush-hush, their tiled roofs looming like sinister chessboards against a wild
sky murky with clouds, save where an evil old moon prowled about in a corner or where
a murderous wind whirled, whistling and whining, smelling now of the sea and now of
the summer orchards and wafting unbearable the window; the bowed old man sobbing
so bitterly at the window; the tears streaming down his cheeks and the wind in his hair
and one hand pressed to his mouth---while from up the street came the clackety-clack
of the watchman’s boots on the cobbles, and the clang-clang of his lantern against his
knee, and the mighty roll of his voice booming through the night:

"Guardia sereno-o-o! A las doce han dado-o-o!"

 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 110

SELECTION ANALYSIS

DIRECTIONS: Analyze the selection according to this guide questions (25 points)

1. How does vanity being describe in the selection?

2. On what ways did the character abused her resort of finding true love?

3. What could be an alternative ending regarding this short story?

SELECTION #3: MACARIO PINEDA’S SUYUAN SA TUBIGAN

Madaling-araw pa lamang ay papunta na sa tubigan sina Ka Albina, kasama ang anak

na dalagang si Nati at ang pamangking si Pilang. Sunung-sunong nila ang mga matong
ng kasangkapan at pagkain. Habang daan, nakasabay nila sina Ka Ipyong, Pakito at
Pastor na nakasakay sa kalabaw dala ang kani-kaniyang araro. Habang naglalakad,
nagkakatuwaan sila at nagkakatuksuhan. Si Ore na kasama rin nila ay nagpatihuli na
parang may malalim na iniisip.

Nang marating nila ang tubigang aararuhin, may nadatnan na silang nagtatrabaho. Ang
iba naman ay katatapos lamang sa pagtilad at habang nagpapahinga ay
nagkakasarapan sa pagkukuwentuhan. Habang abala sa pag-aayos ng mga
kasangkapang gagamitin sina Nati at Pilang, nandoon din si Pastor at nagpipilit na
tumulong kay Pilang. Si Ore naman ay mapapansing pinamumulhang pisngi. Inabutan
ni Pilang si Pastor ng kape ngunit sinamantala ito ng binatang sapupuhin ang kamay ng
dalaga. Walang kibong lumapit si Ore kay Nati at humingi ng kape at kamote. Walang
patlang ang sulyapan nina Nati at Ore habang nagkakainan. Si Pastor naman ay laging
nahuhuling nakatingin say Pilang. Makakain, inumpisahan nila ang suyuan. Sunud-
sunod silang parang may parada. Masasaya silang nag-aararo at maitatangi ang
kanilang pagkakaisa sa tulung-tulong na paggawa. Para silang nagpapaligsahan sa
ingay at hiyawan. Ganoon na nga ang nangyari. Lihim na nagkasubukan sa pag-aararo
sina Pastor at Ore. Pagpapakitang bilis sa pagbungkal ng lupa at gilas ng kalabaw.
Ipinanahimik lamang ito ng dalawang dalaga na alam na alam ang dahilan. Nauna si
Pastor, sumusunod lamang si Ore. Malaki na ang kanilang naaararo ngunit patuloy pa
rin sila. Mahina ang kalabaw ni Ore kaya nahuhuli, samantalang magaling ang kalabaw
ni Pastor kaya nangunguna. Hindi na makahabol si Ore sa layo ni Pastor nang huminto
na ang kalabaw niya sa sobrang pagod.
 L i t e r a t u r e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s | 111

Tinawag sila ni Ka Punso para kumain. Tumigil si Pastor. Kinalagan ang kalabaw niya
at sinabuyan ng tubig. Nakatawa itong lumapit sa mga kasama. Samantalang si Ore ay
hinimas-himas pa muna ang batok ng kanyang kalabaw na bumubula ang bibig at abut-
abot sa paghinga. Nilapitan siya ng isa sa mga kasamahan at ipinagpatuloy ang
ginagawa niya. Lumapit si Ore sa mga kasamahang mapulang-mapula ang mukha at
paulit-ulit na ikinukuskos ang mga palad na malinis na naman sa pantalon at walang
masabi kundi ang pag-aming talagang makisig ang kalabaw ni Pastor. Naupo si Ore
ilang hakbang ang layo kina Nati at Pilang. Si Pastor ay kumakain sa tabi ni Pilang.
Nilapitan ni Pilang si Ore at dinulutan ng pagkain. Naibsan ang pagod at hirap ni Ore.
Nagwakas ang kuwento sa pahiwatig na bagamat natalo ni Pastor si Ore sa pag-aararo
ay natalo naman ni Ore si Pastor sa pag-ibig ni Pilang.

STORYBOARDING

DIRECTIONS: Create a storyboard regarding Macario Pineda’s Suyuan sa Tubigan

and pin point the important details of the story. (30 points)
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Enriquez, D. C. (2006). Philippine Literature (2nd ed.). National Bookstore.

The American colonial period: History of the Philippines. (2020, August 12). TAGALOG
LANG. https://www.tagaloglang.com/summary-of-the-american-colonial-period/

Philippine literature during the American period. (2015, April 14). National Commission
for Culture and the Arts.
https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/
literary-arts/philippine-literature-during-the-american-period/

The American regime. (n.d.). Literature is Fun. https://literature-is-fun.weebly.com/the-

american-regime.html0
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DIRECTIONS: Based from the selections above, write an analysis using the reader’s
response criticism in an IMRAD format. (50 points)
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REFLECTIVE ESSAY

Among the selections presented on the chapter, what are your takeaways from them
and how does it affect you as an embodiment of literature and culture. Write an essay
regarding this matter. Be creative.(50 points)