Lecture Notes 3.
Novel - is a long fictional prose narrative
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
IN ENGLISH
What is Literature?
“Litera” – A Latin word which literally means an
acquaintance with letters
 Webster defines literature as anything that is
printed, as long as it is related to the ideas
and feelings of people, whether it is true or
just a product of one’s imagination
 It is a body of work, either written, oral, or
visual containing imaginative language that
realistically portrays thoughts, emotions, and
experiences of the human condition.
 Is a product of a particular culture that
concretizes man’s array of values, emotions,
actions and ideas. It is therefore a creation of
human experiences that tells about people
and their world.
 Literature is a group of works of art made up
of words. Most are written, but some are
passed on by word of mouth. Literature
usually means works of poetry and prose that
are especially well written. There are many
different kinds of literature, such as poetry,
plays, or novel.
“Literature raises life to a new level of meaning
and understanding, and in the process restores
sanity and justice in an insane and unjust world.”
- Cirilo F. Bautista
“LITERATURE IS LIFE”
Literature and History Together
• Literature and history are closely interrelated
• In discovering history of a race, a country, we
basically understand their own culture and
traditions, hence the written customs and
traditions of a country, the dreams and
aspirations of its people is called literature
• History can also be written down and this too,
is literature. History therefore is an integral
part of literature.
2 General Types of Literature
1. Poetry – written in stanzas and verse form
2. Prose – written in paragraph form
Genres of Literature
1. Poetry
2. Short Story – revolves in a single main
incident whose aim is to produce a single
dominant impression. Economy, compassion,
brevity, & emphasis are the qualities of a
short story.
divided into chapters. Oftentimes, it includes
the psychological development of the main
characters & of their relationship with a
complex world. Classified according to genres
such as historical, detective fiction, fantasy &
science fiction.
4. Play – literary piece intended to be presented
on stage & is divided into acts.
5. Essay – a short composition dealing on a
single subject that reflects a personal point of
view.
6. Legend – a collection of traditional stories
about famous religions, people or wonderful
events handed down from one generation to
another. It is believed to have historical basis
though it is documented.
7. Anecdotes – are a product of a writer’s
imagination that aims to bring out lessons to
readers.
8. Biography – is an account of a person’s life or
a life story.
9. News – information about anything that
could be recent happenings broadcasted over
the radio or printed in a newspaper.
10. Oration – is a formal public speech given in
connection with the ceremony that aims to
arose the interest & emotions of the
listeners.
11. Fable – a fictitious story which gives moral
lessons wherein the characters are usually
animals.
How did Philippine Literature Start?
What is Philippine Literature?
Philippine literature is literature associated with the
Philippines from prehistory, through its colonial
legacies, and on to the present. Pre-Hispanic
Philippine Literature was actually epics passed on
from generation to generation, originally through an
oral tradition.
Why Do We Need To Study Philippine Literature?
 To trace our rich heritage of ideas that was
handed down to us by our forefathers
 Appreciation of our heritage
 To understand that we have noble traditions
which can serve as the means to assimilate
other cultures
 It preserves national opinion and thought
within its text, and can transport the reader
back in time and enable them to experience
that works.
What is the Importance of Literature?
 We understand not only the past life of a
nation but also its present.
  We become familiar not only with the culture
of neighboring towns but also with that of
others living very far from us.
 Through the years, Philippine literature was
developed and more valued by many because
it inspires people. Studying literature involves
reading, discussing, thinking and writing
helping students to improve in those areas. It
explores different human beliefs, ideas and
societies.
Benefits of studying literature?
To give you the motivation to lose yourself in a
beautiful story:
• Amplifies your creativity
• Discover your hero
• Helps you emphatize
• Helps you find yourself
• Learn how to approach new obstacles
• Learn to have a superior focus
• Gives you inner peace
• Studying literature helps you understand story
(and the importance in the human
experience)
• Helps you give peer criticism and accept peer
criticism
• Helps build writing, critical thinking, and
communication skills
The Development of Philippine Literature
25,000 B.C.
 A group of people migrated in the Phils. Using
land bridges w/c then connect the archipelago
to the mainland Asia
 Ancient Negroid people, who came from
South were the 1st inhabitants of the country
(short, black w/ kinky hair, flat noses & thick
lips)
 Knew nothing about science, arts, writing &
government they only knew about planting &
hunting (food gatherers, hunters)
 Skilled in the use of bow & arrow, stayed &
lived in the mountainous cave areas & later,
they moved out of the caves & settled in a
scattered manner along coasts & rivers
 Another migration of the Negritos occurred,
reached Luzon & practiced agriculture. They
built houses made of indigenous materials like
branches & leaves & used stone tools.
New Stone Age (5000 B.C. – 3000 B.C.)
 Seafaring Malays (Indonesian of today) came
to the Phils. The 1st wave of Indonesians had
fair skin, tall, slender bodies & deep-set eyes.
They came by boat, brought polished stone
tools & lived by fishing & planting.
3000 B.C. – 1000 B.C.
• 2nd wave of Indonesians came, their looks
were different from the first because they
have lived w/ the black men for a long time.
They 1st settled in Papua New Guinea, married
black men before they migrated in the Phils.
(dark skin, sturdy bodies). They were superior
than the 1st wave, introduced boat building,
bark and animal skin cloth making, pottery
making, planting, cooking & fire making
techniques.
Malays
 First wave (200 B.C), came from Borneo &
settled in the mountainous area of Luzon.
They practiced pagan beliefs and brought with
them religious songs. They became the
ancestors of the Igorots, Bontocs and
Tingguians.
 Second wave (200 B.C. – 1000 A.D), came by
sea. Each of their ships was loaded with 1
small clan. It was called barangay. They
brought with them their language, alphabets,
folktales & origin myths. They introduced the
animist religion and jar burial. The Iron Age
began artistry in the Philippines. Beads,
pendants, bangles, stones, & shells were
developed in this period. Body tattooing,
filling & blackening of teeth which were, then
wrapped with gold were observed.
 During the Porcelain Age (1000 A.D – 1200
A.D), Chinese migrated in the Philippines.
Most of them settled in the coasts of
Batangas, Quezon, Sorsogon, Samar,
Marinduque, Mindoro & Eastern Mindanao.
At this period, trading with Arabia, India,
Annam, China and later with Europe started.
 Aside from porcelains, w/c came from
different Chinese dynasties, Chinese people
had great contributions to our culture (close
family ties, respect for the elders, Chinese
vocabulary, trading & religious beliefs)
 Indies migrants from Borneo brought
Buddhism and spread in the southern part of
the country from 1200 to 1500 A.D. The 2 nd
wave of Indies came from Java and Borneo.
 The Hindu Empire of the Madjapahit on Java
(1300 – 1400 A.D) became influential in some
parts of the archipelago. They passed onto us
their religion, epics, folk songs and lyric
poems.
Philippine literature reflects a diverse group of works
which are mostly grounded on traditional folktales,
socio-political histories, and real-life experiences. Such
books have since promoted Filipino cultural values,
told daily struggles of locals, and have instilled a
remarkable lesson or two. Here are the books worth
your time:
REGION 1
ILOCOS
(Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union & Pangasinan)
Ilocos Region. Its literature is known as one of the most
colorful regional Filipino literatures. Prior to Spanish
colonial period, the Ilocano literature is purely alive in form
of written & oral literature. Ancient poets expressed
themselves through folk and war songs.
Iloko – the 3rd most spoken native language of the
Philippines
Iluko writing – considered as part of national
literature by critics & literature experts that has to be
rendered in English and/or Filipino, the national
language.
Famous Ilocano Writers & Their Works
1. Pedro Bucaneg – A Filipino poet. Blind since birth,
he is acknowledged author of the Ilokano epic
Biag ni Lam-ang in 1640.
2. Leona Florentino – Filipino poet in Spanish &
Ilocano languages. Considered the “mother of
Philippine women’s literature” & the “bridge
from oral to literary tradition”. Her written
poems includes, Rucrunoy (Dedication),
Naangaway a Cablaw (Good Greetings), Nalpay a
Namnama (Vanishing Hope), Benigna, Para ken
Carmen, Panay Pacada (Farewell).
3. Isabelo de los Reyes – also known as Don Belong,
was a prominent Filipino writer, politician & labor
activist in the 19th & 20th centuries. He is also the
son of the Leona Florentino. His works are: El
Folk-lore Filipino, La Religion del Katipunan
4. Carlos Bulosan – was a prolific English_language
Filipino novelist & poet who migrated to America
on July 1, 1930 & best remembered as the
author of “America Is in the Heart”, a landmark
semi-autobiographical story about the Filipino
immigrant experience. He never returned to the
Philippines & spent most of his life in the United
States.
Literature
 Burtia or burburtia (riddle) – a mystifying,
misleading, or puzzling question posed as a
problem to be solved or guessed
 Pagsasao (proverbs/sayings) – distills philosophical
insight & reflection about human life rooted to the
unique historical & cultural experience of the
Ilokanos.
 Dallot – a chant performed during weddings &
birthdays
 Dung-aw – a chant narrating the pain & joy & the
life story of both the living & the dead
 Bucanegan – literary verbal jousts, named after the
known poet during the Spanish colonial era, Pedro
Bucaneg (Father of Ilokano Poetry & Literature).
 Arikenken – a song & dance ritual during weddings
of the Ilokanos precursor of the bukanegan.
CAR: CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION
Provinces: Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga,
Mountain Province. Baguio is the regional center
(HUC).
Established: July 15, 1987. Covers most of the
Cordillera Central mountains of Luzon & is home to
numerous ethnic peoples.
Culture: Known for its unique musical instruments
including the gangsa kalinga, nose flute, bamboo flute,
buzzer, bangibang, tongatong, diwdiw-as, saggeypo, &
bamboo zither.
Languages: In the Cordillera, people are far more
likely to understand Ilocano or English than the
national language, Filipino. In the lowlands, the
principal languages are Tagalog & Ilocano, which is the
predominant language not only in Ilocos but also in
Cagayan, Isabela & La Union.