GROUP 1

Content: Philippine Literature

I.​ History
Literature refers to creative, aesthetic, or intellectually significant written works. Typically,
literature is defined by how it uses language to express ideas, emotions, and experiences.
These enable the production of various forms of written expression, such as novels, poems,
essays, and other creative works. Although Philippine literature developed much later than
that of most countries, it existed even before the Spanish Colonization. Before Spanish
colonization, the literature of the Philippines reflected the native cultures of the land.
Filipinos and Philippine native groups had historically written on bamboo and
Arecaceae palm and used knives to carve Baybayin, the Tagalog script. The literature
thus preserved a limit to the seventeen basic symbols: 3 vowels a/e, i, o/u, and 14
consonants ba, ka, da/ra, ga, ha, la, ma, na, nga, pa, sa, la, wa, ya. According to
available evidence, a script known as "Baybayin" flourished in 1521. "Baybayin" was used
to document legends during the Spanish colonization of Luzon. The Tagalog
Language Script was limited to a diacritical character or “kudlit” that modified
pronunciation and writing. The dot, line, or arrowhead was placed either above or beneath
the symbol. Spanish colonization revitalized Filipino vernacular literature. The Philippines'
"awit" and "corridos" chivalric heroic poems reflected Spain's liberal values and
internationalism. During colonization religious literature, saint biographies, and folktales took
over vernacular literature during colonization.

Literary Period Themes Medium, Dominant Literary Forms

​Language
Everyday lives and Filipino Myths, Legends, Aporisms or
Pre-Colonial how other things Proverbs, Tanaga, Bugtong,
Period came to life or the Folk Songs, Epigram
origin of things,
usually magical
Religious, Filipino and Pasyon, Senakulo,
Spanish Colonial Revolutionary Spanish Komedya, Awit, Korido,
Period Propagandas, Oral Prose Narratives, Satires,
Tradition Editorials, News Articles
 Imitative (based on Filipino and Free Verse Poetry, Short
American the writing styles of English Story, Critical Essay, Drama,
Colonial Period American models), Remake Novels
Realism, Reason,
Moderation
Japanese Nature, nationalism, Filipino and Poetry (Haiku, Tanaga,
Colonial Period country, love, Japanese Tanka, Senryu, etc.), Short
friendship, and life in Story, Drama
the barrios, faith,
religion and the arts
Post-Colonial Romanticism, Mostly Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction,
Period Nationalism, Filipino and Drama
Independence, English
Nature, Expression of
Feelings

II.​ Main genre

There are four main categories of literature: poetry, melodrama, fiction, and nonfiction. In the
Philippines, there are numerous fictional novels. In general, fiction is based on the author's
imagination and not on actual people or events, whereas nonfiction is based on facts, actual
people, and actual events. Although it is said that fiction is based on the author's
imagination, some fiction is based on real-life experiences and events. The majority of
popular novels written in the Philippines are fictional and belong to the satire genre.

III.​ 1 Example of literary piece

One popular literary piece in the Philippines is the novel Noli Me Tangere, written by our
national hero, Jose Rizal. Noli Me Tangere is an important literature piece ever written as
it inspired the Filipino’s desire for freedom and independence. His efforts served as a
unifying force for the Filipino national identity and consciousness. The novel describes the
Spanish Colonization island and how the Filipinos were treated back then. The novel
contains events that awakened the Filipino people during Spanish colonization, allowing
them to initiate a revolution and overthrow the colonizers. The characters in the novel are
fictional, but they represent various roles in Philippine society that fought for the
country's independence. Crisostomo Ibarra, wealthy and rebellious, who fought against the
Spaniards and represented Jose Rizal. Elias, who was poor and oppressed, sacrificed his
life so Crisostomo Ibarra could exact revenge on the Spaniards. Doña Victorina refused to
be known as an Indio; Filipinos were called Indios. Sisa represents the Inang Bayan, or
Motherland, who became an outcast due to the mistreatment of Filipinos by the Spaniards.
In contrast, Maria Clara represents the Filipino women who experienced abuse by the
Spaniards. Noli Me Tangere is considered fiction satire because it discusses the
shortcomings of the Spaniards, and even though the sufferings and experiences
outlined were real, the characters in the novel are not real.

IV.​ 2 National artists (excluding GAMABA awardees)

1.​ Leona Florentino

Leona Florentino wrote in Spanish and Ilocano and was the first Filipina to have her work
published in Europe and the United States.

Florentino has been called the "Mother of Feminist Literature" in the Philippines. She
was considered as the "bridge" from oral tradition to written poetry due to her
outstanding delivery of her lines. Her poems were beautifully poetic, and she recites them
at birthday parties, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

One of her most famous poems is Nalpay A Namnama (“Blasted Hope”):

The poem's point of view is centered on the topic of love. It discusses how to be loved
and unloved, as well as how to love someone without expecting anything in return. The
poem captures the essence of love and the delight that comes from sharing all of life's joys,
laughter, and even difficult moments with someone special.​
​

2.​ Linda Ty Casper

Linda Ty-Casper, one of the country's foremost historical novelists, believes deeply in
the power of literature to help people understand their history, stating in 1993, "If a
country's history is its biography, its literature is its autobiography." Ty-Casper credits her
writing to her maternal grandmother, who filled her growing years with stories of the
Philippine revolution and the country's struggle for independence. The passion to remember
and to re-tell these stories of the country’s past has since fueled a long and distinguished
writing career

Her works include the historical novel Dream Eden and the political novels Awaiting
Trespass, Wings of Stone, A Small Party in a Garden, and Fortress in the Plaza. She
has also written three short story collections that portray a cross-section of Filipino society.

V. Importance of literature

1.​ It Helps Develop Language Skills

literature frequently contains sophisticated terminology that readers are unfamiliar with.
Readers can learn the meaning and correct usage of certain terms by encountering them in
context. Reading literature can help people enhance their skills in language.

2.​ It Teaches About Different Cultures and Worlds

Literature provides an opening into the life of others and may help us see the world through
new perspectives. It explores cultures, times, and places that we may not be familiar with.
Reading about these topics helps us comprehend the viewpoints of others, as well as our
own culture.

3.​ It Develops Critical Thinking Skills

Reading literature requires you to examine, evaluate, and understand the subject matter.
You develop critical thinking skills by asking questions such as, "What is the author
attempting to say?" or "What lesson should I take from this story?" You'll also learn to think
analytically by dissecting complex ideas and analysing them to reach a logical conclusion."

4.​ It promotes empathy

By enabling us to grasp the human situation, literature promotes empathy for others.
Literature helps us to put ourselves in the shoes of another person, view the world through
their eyes, and experience what they're feeling. We learn more about other people, their
lives, and how they manage the world around them through reading literature.
 5.​ Literature Encourages You to Learn Deeper

Literature allows you to explore ideas and concepts that aren't taught in school or in
everyday life; it frees your mind from everyday thoughts and constraints so that when you
read that text, your brain can open up and take in information differently than you would in
other media.

References:

A Quick Look at the Fascinating History of Philippine Literature.(n.d.) Penlighten.

https://penlighten.com/history-of-philippine-literature

Aliww. (n.d.). The Major Collection of Filipino Writers.

https://rizal.lib.admu.edu.ph/aliww/english_ltcasper.html

Clarisse, A. (2021, December 11). Noli Me Tangere: A Wake-Up Call Book of Revolution -
Amber Clarisse - Medium. Medium.
https://amberclarisse0928.medium.com/noli-me-tangere-a-wake-up-call-book-of-revolution-9
268a46b13d6

Enlightio. (2022, July 6). 34 reasons why literature is important.

https://enlightio.com/reasons-why-literature-is-important

Mabanglo, R. E. (2020, November 2). Leona Florentino: Mother of filipina poetry –

Philippines graphic. Philippines Graphic.
https://philippinesgraphic.com.ph/2020/11/02/leona-florentino-mother-of-filipina-poetry/

Weitzman, C. (2023, June 7). What Is Fiction Vs. Nonfiction? Speechify.

https://speechify.com/blog/what-is-fiction-vs-nonfiction/?landing_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffanyv88.com%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fspee
chify.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-is-fiction-vs-nonfiction%2F%23#