Ilocano Literature

ILOCANO
LITERATURE
ILOCOS REGION
 A region in the Philippines, encompassing the
northwestern coast of Luzon Island.
 Known for historic sites, beaches and well-

preserved spanish colonial city of vigan.
 It comprises four provinces:

 Ilocos Norte
 Ilocos Sur
 La Union
 Pangasinan
LITERATURES OF ILOCOS REGION
 Also known as Iloko Literature
 Pertains to the literary works of Ilocano writers

regardless of language used be it:
 Ilocano
 English
 Or other foreign and Philippine language.
 InIlocano language, Iloko and Ilocano are
different. Iloko is the language and
Ilocano refers to the people using the Iloko
language.
 Ilocanoliterature is one of the most active

tributaries to the general Philippine
literature, next to Tagalog and Philippine
literature in English.
HISTORY OF ILOCANO
LITERATURE
PRE-COLONIAL
 Composed of:
 Folk songs
 Riddles
 Proverbs
 Lamentations (dung-aw)
 Epic Stories
 Ancient Ilokano poets express themselves in folk

and war songs as well as the dallot or an
improvised, versified and at times impromptu
long poem delivered in a sing-song manner.
 Iloko poetry was generally patterned after
spanish models during the spanish regime.
 The earliest known written Iloko poems:

 Romances translated from spanish by Francisco
Lopez an Augustinian Friar.
 Doctrina Cristiana by Cardinal Bellarmine the first
book to be printed in Iloko.
 Study of Iloko poetry:

 Could be found in the Gramatica Ilokana
(1895), based on Lopez’s Arte de la Lengua Iloca
(1627).
 Pedro Bucaneg
 Collaborated with Lopez in the Translation of the
Doctrina into Iloko.
 First known Ilokano poet.
 Father of Ilokano Poetry and Literature.
 Wrote the popular Epic known as Biag ni Lam-ang
(Life of Lam-ang) in 17th century.
 The earliest form of the epic poem was given by

Fr. Gerardo Blanco to Isabelo de los Reyes, who
published it in El Ilocano from December 1889 to
February 1890, with spanish translatoin in prose,
and also reprinted it in his El Folklore Filipino,
under the title Vida de Lam-ang.
18TH CENTURY
 The missionaries used religious as well as secular
literatures among other means to advance their
mission of converting the Ilokanos to
Christianity.
 This century is also the publication of religious

works like:
 Fr. Jacinto Rivera’s Sumario de Las Indulgencias in
1719 and
 The Pasion, a translation of St. Vincent Ferrer’s
Sermons into Iloko by Fr. Antonio Mejia in 1845.
19TH CENTURY
 Appearance of Leona Florentino, who has been
considered by some as the National Poetess of the
Philippines.
 Her poems which have survived, however, appear

to the modern reader as being:
 Too sweet for comfort
 Too sentimental
 Utterly devoid of form.
 Fr. Justo Claudio Fojas, an Ilokano secular priest
and Florentino Leona’s contemporary who wrote:
 Novenas
 Prayerbooks
 Metrical romances
 Dramas
 Biographies
 Spanish Grammar
 Iloko-Spanish Dictionary
 Isabelo de los Reyes
 Leona Florentino’s Son.
 Wrote:
 Poems
 Stories
 Folklore
 Studies
 Seemingly interminable religious
 Political articles.
 The Comedia
 Otherwise known as the moro-moro, and zarzuela
were presented for the first time in Ilocos in 19th
century.
 A highly picturesque presentation of the wars

between Christians and Muslims.
 And the zarzuela, the equally pricturesque depiction

of what is at once melodrama, comic opera, and the
skit interminable pre-occupied with the eternal
theme of boy-meets-girl-who-always-live-happily-
ever-after-against-seemingly-impossible-odds are still
as popular today as they were when first staged in
the Ilocos.
 Scripted from the Corridors:
 Principe Don Juan
 Ari Esteban key Reyna Hipolita
 Doce Paris
 Bernardo Carpio
 Jaime del Prado
 Helpers to popularized the zarzuela:

 Marcelino Mena Crisologo
 Helped popularize the zarzuela based on the culture and
ta]radition of the Ilokanos particularly those in Vigan,
Ilocos Sur.
 Pascual Agcaoili y Guerrero (1880-1958)
 Wrote and staged the Daguiti Agpaspasukmon Basi.
 Isaias R. Lazo (1887-1983)

 Wrote Comedia and Zarzuela.
 1892
 Printing of the First Iloko Novel, written by Fr.
Rufino Redondo, an Augustinian Friar, titled Matilde
de Sinapangan.
 Another Iloko nove; which was written before the end

of the 19th century by Don Quintin Alcid was entitled
Ayat, Kaanonto Ngata? (Love, When Shall it Be?).
 Arturo Centeno (Vigan, Ilocos Sur)
 Wrote Three Novels Entitled:

 Apay a Di Mangasawa? (Why Doesn’t He Get
Married?).
 Dispensara
 Padi a Puraw Wenno Naamo a Kibin (A

White Priest or a Good Guide).
20TH CENTURY
 Was comparatively more intense in literacy
activity.
 Literatures in this period:

 Biag ti Maysa a Lakay, Wenno Nakaam-ames a Bales
(Life of an Old Man or A Dreadful Revenge) by
Mariano Gaerlan (1909)
 Uray Narigat no Paguimbagan ( Improvement

Despite Obstacles) by Facundo Madriga (1911).
 Mining Wenno Ayat ti Cararua (Mining or Spiritual
Love) by Marcelino Pena Crisologo (1914).
 Nasam-it ken Narucbos nga Sabong dagiti

Dardarepdep ti Agbaniaga ( Sweet and Fresh Flower
of a Traveler’s Dreams) by Marcos E. Million (1921).
 Sabsabong ken Lulua (Flowers and Tears) by R.

Respicio (1930).
 Apay a Pinatayda ni Naw Simon? (Why Did They Kill

Don Simon?)
 First Detective Novel in Iloko by Leon C Pichay (1935).
 Puso ti Ina (A Mother’s Heart) by Leon C. Pichay

(1936)
 Bannawag Magazine
 A sister publication of Liwayway, Bisaya and

Hiligaynon, hit the streets on November 3, 1934,
Iloko literature hit the headland.
 Early Bannawag short stories showed sustained

growth.
 Short stories written in the 1920s were poor

imitations of equally poor American Fiction.
 The growth of short story was not apparent until

Bannawag resumed publication in 1947.
 Themes of Short Stories when the Publication of
Bannawag was Resumed:
 War
 Guerilla activities
 Japanese atrocities
 Murder
 Pillage
 Death.
 Scholary Studies written by Scholars:

 Leopoldo Y. Yabes (UP) – Made a brief survey of Iloko
Literature (1934). His findings showed that Iloko literature
began with Pedro Bucaneg.
 Thomas B. Alcid (UST)
 Made a study on the Iloko prose fiction about and
discussed the Iloko short story and Iloko novel and
their Possibilities in the Philippine Literature.
 His study showed that the short stories and novels at

that time were still young and needed more
improvement.
 Mercedes F. Guerrero (MLQU)

 Made a materal thesis titled Critical Analysis of the
Outstanding Iloco Short Stories Published in the
Bannawag from 1948-1952.

Ilocano Literature

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What are the main literary works from the pre-colonial period of Ilocano literature?

What are the main literary works from the pre-colonial period of Ilocano literature?

What was one of the earliest known written Ilocano poems?

What was one of the earliest known written Ilocano poems?

ILOCANO

 Known for historic sites, beaches and well-

 It comprises four provinces:

 Pertains to the literary works of Ilocano writers

 Ilocanoliterature is one of the most active

 Ancient Ilokano poets express themselves in folk

 The earliest known written Iloko poems:

 Study of Iloko poetry:

 The earliest form of the epic poem was given by

 This century is also the publication of religious

 Her poems which have survived, however, appear

 Seemingly interminable religious

 A highly picturesque presentation of the wars

 And the zarzuela, the equally pricturesque depiction

 Helpers to popularized the zarzuela:

 Isaias R. Lazo (1887-1983)

 Another Iloko nove; which was written before the end

 Wrote Three Novels Entitled:

 Padi a Puraw Wenno Naamo a Kibin (A

 Literatures in this period:

 Uray Narigat no Paguimbagan ( Improvement

 Nasam-it ken Narucbos nga Sabong dagiti

 Sabsabong ken Lulua (Flowers and Tears) by R.

 Apay a Pinatayda ni Naw Simon? (Why Did They Kill

 Puso ti Ina (A Mother’s Heart) by Leon C. Pichay

 A sister publication of Liwayway, Bisaya and

 Early Bannawag short stories showed sustained

 Short stories written in the 1920s were poor

 The growth of short story was not apparent until

 Scholary Studies written by Scholars:

 His study showed that the short stories and novels at

 Mercedes F. Guerrero (MLQU)

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