Chapter 2: Development of Philippine Literature From Ancient Times To The Present

Chapter
II
DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

FROM
ANCIENT TIMES T
O THE
PRESENT
I. ANCIENT NATIVE LITERATURE

(Pre-Spanish Literature)
Literature in this period is significant for it is literature of a
formative past and of varying human interests shown by the
various groups of early Filipinos. Luckily, despite war and tropical
disasters, some of t his literary forms managed to survive because
they were etched in communal minds and were later reduced into
permanent forms. The ancient native literature of the Filipinos was
characterized by immaturity and by lack of sophistication a nd
modes of expression; the poetry and drama lacked
naturalness and simplicity. However, Filipino artistry was
conceived and executed with a special native skill and talent.
Ancient Literature is characterized as

24
spontaneous, instinctive literature embodied in folk tales
, epics, wise sayings, riddles, folk songs, ritualistic
verses, poetry and plays.
1. FOLK
TALES
Folk tales are stories or tales of the ancient times which
usually project. lessons which could be imbibed by the
young people. They may be about supernatural beings, or
inanimate, or animate objects reeling out a wholesome,
interesting story for children to savor on. These folk tales are
classified into three categories: myths, legends, and fables.
Myths. These are fictitious narratives presented as

historical but without basis of fact. They may be traditional
stories about supernatural beings or about supernatural
actions of animate beings or inanimate objects.
THE CREATION OF
THE WORLD
At a time, many years ago when man's imagination
can no longer reach it back-there was no land. All was an
immense sea: it could not be ascertained where it
commenced and where it led to.
Then the years and the ages

passed.
No one knew when the sky or the earth or the wind or
the clouds were.
There was it king w
ho guided t he destiny of space. This was
King Manaul. He was tir d and wanted to rest. There was no place where he
could rest. He decided that the earth and the sky should wage war
with each other.
The war wenion for a long, long time, and the years
dragged by. When the king blew his fury, he raised huge waves
which reached very, very far above.
Tired, the king of the air, M

anaul clawed from the depths of
the ocean, many rocks which were so big that people, like us
could neither raise nor move. Manaul lifted those rocks in the air
and cast them below. He did these in various places in order to put
an end to the war. Finally, he succeeded in separati ng the waves and
the winds.
The rocks he ad thrown below formed the islands of
Iraya, (Borneo and Java) one of which was the Island of Bugtas
now known as the Island of Negros.
There were neither trees nor plants, and all got

scorched in the heat of the sun. King Manau I wanted a place
where he could rest from the heat of the sun.
So, he called h 3 general, Maguayan, who took the name

of the plant, Kauayan, spiny bé nboo. (spiny means most high)
Maguayan afterw rds went faraway. He was away for a

long, long time. At length, he returi ed after many years. Upon
iece of the spiny bambo, which floated
his return, he threw a p
on the water. The winds blew and the seas carried it to the is and
of Bugtas.
The island was a beautiful place, so beautiful that King
Manaul felt its charm. One day, he heard some voices which came from
inside the bamboo. He went near the bamboo and opened it with his
beak, from the nodule came forth a man, and from another nodule, a
woman. King Manaul named the man Sikalak and the woman Sikakay. From
these two, came other peoples from whoin sprang mankind.
Legends. These are either authentic or improbable stories monularly
known as explanations of the origin of the local phenomena which not
necessarily verifiable but historically and traditionally believed.
THE LEGEND OF THE
MANGO
na village in Kalibu there once lived a man who had a violent temper.
i nown as Daeogdog, wiich means thunder. His wife on the other
m
7.
hand, was kind and gentle. They had a daughter, Agahon.

She was lovely as the dawn.
Years passed and Agahon grew lovelier. Suitors from

far and near came to ask her love. Among them was Maeopig,
who has an uncontrollable temper, but he was the choice of
Daeogdog.
“Don't make me marry that man," pleaded Agahon.

Even her mother, Mabuot, shed tears to soften her husband's
heart.
“Yes," her father said. “You must marry the manlhave
chosen for you."
Maeopig, the bridegroom-to-be, was
wild with joy.
Preparations for the weddingbegan. But the girl
locked herself inside her
room.
Abigcrowd attended the wedding feastand there was

merriment. But the bride was nowhere to be seen. She was not
in the house. They scoured the village for her in vain
.
Later, her lifeless body was found near a s pring, a

dagger thrust into her heart.
og tore his hair in

Daeogd
despair.
The next night Agahon appeared to her father in a

dream. “I'm the spirit of your daughter." "I have come to give you a
remembrance. Go down to the bank of the spring. There you
will find a tree growing on the spot where you buried me."
Then she disappeared.
The next morning, the sad parents visited their

daughter's grave. They found a huge tree laden with
heart-shaped fruits. The fruits were sweet and fragrant like
Agahon, the maiden. Since then, the fruit has been known as
mango.
Fables. These are brief stories or tales invented to
embody morals and acted by animals or inanimate things.
THE SNIFFING
DOGS
· When time was young, dogs had a king a nd his

kingdom was wide and l ong. The king of the dogs sent
messengers daily to m
any corners of the realm.
And it happened t hat a message of great importance
was to be sent by the king to the farthest and hardest to reach
place i n the kingdom. To get there, the messenger has to climb
many m ountains, pass through thick forests and cross countless
rivers. And no less than the most trusted of couriers was
entrusted with the precious message.
Now the messenger knew that a difficult journey was
ahead of him and before he set forth, he secreted the
message in his behind so that when he crossed streams and
lakes he would not get the message wet. And the messenger
set forth.
But days rolled into weeks, and weeks into months, and
months into years and n
ot a word was heard again of the
messenger or the message.
First the king grewanxious then he became impatient,

then he was angry and finally he sentoutan army of dogs
in search of the messenger. And when they came back to
say they could not find the messenger, the kingin wrath,
sent them out again and others after them until all the
dogs in the kingdom were searching for the lost courier.
To this day, the dogs are still searching that is why
when a dog meets. another dog on the field or on the road,
he sniffs at the other's behind in the hope that he may
dicover the king's message hidden there. 2. EPICS
Epics are long narrative poems which characters are
endowed with supernatural strength and involved in heroic battles.
Examples of the Philippine epics are -- Ifugao: Alim & Hudhud;
Ilocano: Biag ni Lam-ang; Bicolano: Ibalon; Hiligaynon: Maragtas and
Hinilawod; Maranao: Darangan; Maguindanao: I ndarapatra and
Sulayman. These epics were sung or chanted. 3. WISE
SAYINGS
Wise sayings are expressions of experience and
observation projecting advice in relation to the
philosophy of life. These include maxims and proverbs.
Magims are concisely expressed principles or rules of
conduct elucidating a g eneral truth while proverbs are established
principles, though not necessarily true, but are usually
universally received.
Maxims: Promptness gets off better, than an
industrious man
movinglater. Whatever is lifted, can surely be
carried.
(Englis
h)
(Tagalog
Proverb)
(Ilongo
Prov erb)
Proverbs: a. A liar is brother to the thief.
Ang sinungaling at hulaan,
kapatid
ng magnanakaw.
Angbutigon kaghuraan,
utod
sang kawatan. I ng
malawam kapatad ne
ning
mapanako An huwaon, tugang in
hugakan. b. It is easier to
close a river than to
stop gossip. Ganda
kawtumambul subah
tumambut
simud.
(Pampango Proverb) ( Bicol Proverb)
(Englis
h)
(Moro
Proverb)
c. It is better to go home
and weave
a net than to stay on the shore a
nd watch the
fish.
(English) Mapipia
na sumayat ka a
mayasaosaod susagap
as canu caviden mu du
calawangan mana lamad
su among.
(Ivatan Proverb) d.
The real hero doesn't t ell that he
is
one.
(English) Tinapud-pudnonga agbiag. (Ilocano) 4.
RIDDLES
Riddles are obscure sayings to be solved by

guessing covering practically all experiences in life.
Examples: a. Ang
magandang babae,
Abeautiful lady, K
inakain ang katawang
e) Is eating her body. b. Bahay
sarili. (Candl
ni Amada,
home bears, Paligid ay espada.
Amada's
(Pineapple) A
round it spears. C.
Kapirasongkarne,
A piece of meat,
Basang basa lagi. (tongue)
Is always wet. d.
Kapag nakaupo matangkad, Tall when sitting,
ut short when
Kungnakatayo pandak.(dog) B
sta
nding 5. FOLK SONGS
Folk Songs are spontaneous a nd informal

expressions of occurrences in daily life. They could be
love songs, war songs, mourning songs, planting songs,
etc.
1
0
ALOG FOLK SONG (Serenade with 2
TAG
stanzas only)
O ilaw sa gabing malamig Wangis mo'y bituin sa langit
O tanglaw sa gabing tahimik
Larawan mo, Neneng, nagbigay
pasakit, ay!
Tindig at magbangon sa p

agkagupiling Sa
pagkakatulog nalubhang
mahimbing Buksan ang bintana
at ako'y
dungawin
Nang mapagtanto mo ang tunay kong
ARONG BANGGUI (Bicol
pagdaing. S
Folk Song)
igdaan Nakadungog ako hinuni nin
Sarong Banggui sa h
sarong gamgam;
Sa luha ko katorogan Bako
kundi simong voces iyo
palan.
Dagos ako b
angon si sakuyang mata
iminuklat Kaidtong k adikloman ako
ay nangalagkalag; K
asu iniling ko si
sakuyang mata sa i taas
Simonglawog, nahiling ko
maliwanag.
Balik ako sa higdaan Kaidtong

bangguidai nanggad ako nalilingaw;
o sa daghan Ano man
Natatala k
guibohon, saen man paduman.
PAMULINAWEN (Ilokano
Folk Song)
Pamulinawen, pusok
indengan man, Toy
umas-asug, agrayo ta sadiam
Panunotem manti inka
pagintuingan Toy agayat,
agrayo, ta sadiam.
m, te diak kalipatan

Dengge
nay a nagan, Uray
Ta nasudi u
sadin't ayan, d
isso sadino
man,
Nomalagipka pusod ti
mabang-aran. 6. RITUALISTIC VERSE
Ritualistic verses are used in solemn or religious ceremonies

performed
hedor established manner mostly o f invocations which are supplica
Idressed to the good spirits w hile incantations are chantings of
magical
in prescribed or established
mannerm tions addressed to the
s t o evil
good spirits while word
spirits.
Invocation from a
priestess:
Mansalitan, come down, c ome d
own, B
adla w
ill
t he babaylanes
ealth Let
descent; give us h
dance, t he babaylanes go a round.
Incantation recited by the owner of
stolen rice;
Whoever took my rice,
Curse him with bulging
eyes, M ake h is b
ody
swell, After t hat, l et him
die.
7.
PLAYS
The Pre-Spanish Filipinos entertained themselves

with storytelling and the presentation of shadow plays: the
Wayang Orang and the Wayang Purwa, on moonlight nights.
? The high priest of the early Filipinos, the Babaylan, led
the people in the worship of the gods and their anitos, spirits
of their dead ancestors. The rituals led by the Babaylan
ranged from planting season to harvest time, from birth to
death, fishing, hunting, and tribal war. These rituals were a
composite of poetry, chanted music accompanied by
indigenous musical instruments and dance. The B abaylan was
the first actor, director and choreographer in the history of
Philippine Drama. II. LITERATURE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
The literature of this period by Filipinos is almost

purely imitative of Spanish themes and forms. It covered
wide variety of forms.
1.
POETR
Y
Filipino poetry during the early part of the Spanish
regime was written in a medium western in cast and pattern
and as such was a slow process. Five types of religious poetry
appeared. They are hymns and religious verses; awits
(religious songs) and buhays (lives of saints); versified
prayers; satiric and moral verses and pasion, a religious
narrative poem which tells the story of the life of Christ, chanted
during Lent. Filipino metrical poetry attained distinction in
"Florante at Laura" by Francisco Baltazar. Its importance
lies in its sharply drawn image of the victory of man over the
forces of evil in his own country, thus achieving a complete
realization of his dreams. The famous narrative poems
were: sung in the vernacular by traveling minstrels
accompanied by a guitar to make the storytelling even
livelier.
2.
12
PLAYS
When Christianity was introduced by the Spaniards,

performance of plays became an encouraging impetus. Moreover, plays
were still being performed in some out of the way places. The
plays conceived with Spanish dominance were: a. Shadow Play
(Carillo) was presented on dark nights especially after a
harvest, on moonlit nights, during fiesta and performed by
projecting cardboard figures held before a lamp against a wall.
Action was usually accompanied by dialogue spoken by the
manipulators.
b. Karagatan is a socio-religious play which is part of the
rites held in
connection w ith the death o f a person. C
haracters merely
parade on stage, speaking versified lines o f a fanciful nature
which may be held everyday throughout the novenario for
the dead.
c. Duplo is socio-religious p
lay introduced to relieve t he
monotony and
sadness of the prayers for the dead. It consisted largely of puns,
jokes, and riddles in character portrayal or in plot. Most
part deals with contemporary personalities and social
questions of the day..
d. Tibag is a dramatic performance for the purpose of
manifesting devotion
to t he Holy Cross, presented usually during t he Maytime
festivals. It has only one theme; the search for the Cross
on which Christ died by Queen Helena. The performance
which does not need any stage and players, are mixed
with the populace who are at the same time spectators. This
is t he forerunner of the present-day Santacruzan, a parade of
sagalas representing different characters in the Bible.
e. Comedia de Capa y Espada. The Spaniards, seeing the

parallelism
between t he situation in the Philippines and the attacks a
nd
conquest o f southern Spain by African moors, introduced t he
Comedia in the country with the hope that the play can help
in the conversion of t he Mi ndanao Muslims.
The recurring theme is the triumph of Christianity over

Mohammedanism either through victory in battles or in love or both.
antry of the Moro-m
The page oro, as the play is commonly called in Luzon,
is due to the beautiful costumes, sets and props and the wide stage and
the idea of the play serialized in nine nights.
In the Visayas, t he comedia was called the Linambay
because of the sideward m ovement of the fencers.
1
3
f. Zarzuela is a musical comedy or melodrama in three acts,
dealing with
the elemental passions of man, hatred, revenge, avarice,
cruelty or with
social or political problems of the day. 5 Cenaculo is a
dramatic performance of the passion and death of Jesus
Christ; it is pasion on t he stage, usually presented during
Lent.
There are two kinds of cenaculo: the hablada and the
cantada. The hablada requires that the lines be spoken and the
rhyming scheme of each stanza is emphasized for the
purpose of dignifying the theme. The cantada 'equires that the
lines be chanted in much the same way the pasion is
presented during the Lention season. h. Panunuluyan is a
religious play. This is played a day before
Christmas showing the pregnant Blessed Virgin Mary and
Joseph looking for a place to stay. They go from house to
house, ending up in a barn, where Jesus Christ is born,
and the last scene is
the offering of gifts of t he Three Kings. i. Salubong
is an Easter play that dramatizes the meeting of the
Risen
Christ and His Mother. It is still presented in many
Philippine towns.
Two processions leave the church at early dawn. One is
made up of men bearing on their shoulders the image of the
Risen Christ; the other, of w
omen carrying the heavily veiled
image of the Blessed Virgin. The. processions converge at an
appointed place, usually under a flower-like canopy
constructed at the church patio or town plaza. At a signal, the
petals of the “flower” open and a little girl dressed like an angel
is slowly lowered by a pulley, singing “Regina, coeli laetare.”
She removes the Virgin's mourning veil and showers her with
fresh flowers. The church bells ring at this point. Then
together the two images are carried back in procession
to the church.
j. Tertulla. This is a v

ariety show comprising of skits,
songs, dances
and poetry reading presented in the sala of rich
Spanish and Filipino homes by a wandering theater group.
3. FOLK SONGS
They were predominantly songs of a sentimental
and happy but fatalisitc people. Simple in subject matter
and in verse form but they h ave great lyrical quality. They
were inspired by the reaction of the people to their
environment, to the work, to the sorrows and joys of life.
BAHAY
KUBO
Bahay
Kubo
Kundol, patola, upo't kalabasa
Kahit munti
At saka mayro'n pa Ang
halaman doon
Labanos, mustasa Ay
sari-sari
Sibuyas, kamatis
Singkamas, at talong
Bawang at luya
Sigarilyas at mani
Sa paligid-ligid s itaw,
bataw, patani
Ay puro linga. III. P
ROPAGANDA MOVEMENT A
ND
REVOLUT
IONARY LITERATURE
In this period, the Filipinos entertained themselves with
pricking desire for freedom, for government that will ensure for
them civil liberty, h
uman ri ght, freedom of the press and speech,
and a growth for the human person as a participant in
nation-building. In the later part of the nineteenth century,
liberty output was greater although the works produced were
mostly satirical and critical in nature. This period saw an
outburst of strong national fervour. The bulk of Filipino writing
iariong T
was published in D agalog (1882), a Spanish-Tagalog
newspaper in Manila, the publication which signaled the
open campaign for reforms. The La Solidaridad (1889) was
the mouthpiece of t he Reform Movement.
The literature of the Reform Movement centered around
Jose Rizal's writings which shaped the course of the
Propaganda Movement, thus, paved the way for the
revolution of 1896. He wrote novels, poems, es says, and
critical works, and plays. Most notable were his novels which
emphasized the needs for a radical change in the social,
political and r eligious a
ffairs of the Philippines.
a. Noli Mi Tangere (T

he Social Cancer). It exposed the
hypocrisy of the
Spanish authorities and opened the eyes of the
Filipinos to the abuses to which they were subjected.
b. El Filibusterismo (The R
eign of Greed). This is dedicated
to the
memory of Fathers - Gomez, Burgos and Zamora and
through the princi pal character, Simuon, the jeweler,
who sowed greed with his precious jewels among the
people, in order to foment a rebellion. It incites the
people to rebellion. Here are some of the contributions of
the other writers during t his period:
a ANDRES BONIFACIO, the “Great Plebeian” and

“Father of the
Katipunan, "wrote some articles to disseminate the revolutionary
ideals of the Katipunan. He wrote “Love of Country”
(Pag-ibig sa Ti nubuang Bayan)
1
5
b. APOLINARIO MABINI is the “Sublime Paralytic” and
the “Brains
of the Philippine Revolution". His “True Decalogue”
enumerates the ten (10) duties of a nationalistic F
ilipino.
c. EMILIO JACINTO the “Brains of the Katipunan”
wrote most of
the Katipunan documents, including the famous Kartilla
(Primer) ng Katipunan.
d. JOSE PALMA wrote the poem “Filipinas (1889), which

became
the text of the Philippine National Anthem (Lupang
Hinirang), set to music by Julian Felipe.
The Literature of the Revolution had its
deficiencies, but it was a potent and a concrete
expression of the Filipinos experience. Filipino writing
during these periods helped promote national unity, a
driving force which moved the soul of the people. This
national literature is a significant part of the literary traditions
and intellectual heritage of the Filipino. IV.
CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE A. IN SPANISH
POETRY. The Philippine Literature in Spanish
reached its golden age in the early part of the American
occupation. It produces a formidable list of writers whose
surnames have become relatively famous and familiar. They
were: Fernando Ma. Guerrero (La Bandera); Cecilio Apostol
(El Terror de los M
ares Indices); Jesus Balmori (Rimas Malaya)
and many more.
Recent years, h owever, have witnessed the decline of
Filipino writing in Spanish despite the teaching of the
language in college.
PROSE. Filipino writing i n Spanish was the prose of
nd reason. It was prose dominated by public
nationalism a
officials, scholars, biogra phers, journalists, and the fiction
writers, and enriched with criticism of morals, manners,
and men. Major prose writers in Spanish were: Pedro
Paterno, Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Dr. Rafael Palma,
Teodoro Kalaw, Jaime de Veyra and many more. B. IN.
TAGALOG
POETRY. Tagalog as a poet's idiom has proved
to be a facil though florid language. It has filled the
masses a medium of poetic expressions. Thus, during
the Spanish regime, when Spanish was limited to those
who knew it, Tagalog poetry flourished. During the
de Jesus and Amado
contemporary period. Jo se Corazon
Hernandez made significant achievements.
Jose C orazon de J esus, popularly known as “Huseng
Batute", wa s noted for his impressive personality, his Byronesque
love for women, and his intelligence and versatility. Prolific de
Jesus wrote: “Mga Dahong Ginto," “ Gloria," “Itapon ng
Kapalaran" and "S
a Dakong Silangan.'
Amado H ernandez is t he C ultural Heritage Award winner of
Literature i n 1962 for h is b ook of poems “Isang Dipang
Langit.” He also won the first Commonwealth Literary Award
in 1940 for his “Kayumanggiat Iba Pangmga Tula."
Other notable poets in Tagalogand their works were: Lope

K. Santos (Ang Panginggera); Aurelio Tolentino (Dakilang
Asal at Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas); Juan Balmaseda (Anak ni
Eva); and Pedro Gatmaitan (Tungkos na Alaala).
NOVELS. The Tagalog novel i s the product o f over half a
century. It is written principally to entertain, teach, and portray the
Filipino way of life. Pioneer of Tagalog fiction and their works
were : Lope K. Santos ( Banaag at Sikat), Valeriano
Hernandez Pena (Nena at Neneng), Aurelio Tolentino (Ang
Buhay) and Iñigo R
egalado (Sampaguitang Walang Bango).
DRAMA. The zarzuela and moro-moro born of the Spanish
musical play became for a time popular. Moro-moro vanished
while zarzuela followed suit with the advent of motion pictures.
It became a potent vehicle of Filipino nationalism. Some of
the famous Tagalog play writers and their works were:
Severino Reyes a.k.a. Lola Basyang (Walang Sugat),
Hermogenes Ilagan (D alagang Bukid), and Aurelio Tolentino
(Luhang Tagalog).
BODABIL. The F
ilipino version of the vaudeville, comprising of
umbers and comical skits for t he entertainment of the
musical n
American soldiers lonely for home and family, marked the liberalization of
the Filipina. This stage presentation was the Filipina's introduction to her
daring image of wearing skimpy attire in public. Bored and disinterested
in the Moro-moro an d Zarzuela, which the American G.I.'s did not
understand, the Bodabil gave the necessary respite to the war-beaten
soldiers. But ultimately, the bodabil gave way to the influx of silent
movies introduced by the Americans from mainland U.S.A.
SHORT STORY. The short story in Tagalog came to be
written only after the first decade of the Americanrule; when books on
literature, containing short fiction, were read and assimilated by the
Filipinos.
Some of the well k nown short stories belonging to the early school
of writing include "Pa
gnanasa" by Arsenio Afan; "Panata ni Pilar" by
unga ng kasalanan" by Cirio Panganiban. C.
Amado Hernandez and "B
IN ENGLISH
In 1900. English became the official medium of instruction in the
ine schools. The teachers in schools introduced English and
American Literature to the Fupinos. The se hen became the models of
the early Filininn
writers in
English.
In 1908, when University of the Philippines was founded, it
became the center of literary effort and out of its classrooms
emerged our first promising writers in English. The first issue of the
U.P. Folio came o ff the press. This publication was recognized as an
embodiment of the early ttempts of Filipinos' self-expression in
a
English. The contributions were mostly ghost stories or folk
tales explaining natural phenomena.
The y ear 1927 was another landmark in Filipino

literature in E nglish. The Philippine Prose and Poetry was
published, which wa s prescribed as a high school
textbook and the Free Press publication of the first
anthology o f Philippine short s tories written in English.
POETRY. Poetry in English is one of the crowning
achievements of our people. Since the introduction of the
English language together with its literary treasure at the a dvent of
as able to gain bulk, range, form and
the American rule, it w
substance. It was dominated by native sentimental love lyrics
written in a loose rhetoric w
ithout much intellectual significance
and overblown to achieve intensity. Verbal exuberance made
the poems bombastic, artificial and insincere. "Sursum Surda” is
the first known Philippine poem in English. This poem led to the
imitation of Western models and gradually the writers became
technically more competent in using the English language, with
o less than three hundred Filipinos
growing ease and grace. N
have written poetry with varying sincerity and devotion.
Several poems written by Filipinos in English have been
well appreciated and finally anthologized not only in our
country but also in America and Europe.
SHORT STORIES. The short story in English is
doubtless one of the crowningachievements also in
Philippine literature. Sinceits introduction in 1900, the
Filipinos have produced several outstanding short stories -
original in conception, vigorious in appeal, universal in
application, and written in excellent prose. Some short story
writers were:
1. Jose Garcia Villa 2.

nuel Arguilla 3.
Ma
Arturo Rotor 4.
Loreto Paras-Sulit
5. Paz Latorena 6.
Carlos Bulosan 7.
Amador Daguio
8. N.V.M. Gonzales
9. Bienvenido
Santos
10 Maximo Ramos 11. Francisco Arcellana 1
2.
Teofilo Agcaoili 13.
Estrella Alfon 14. Nick
Joaquin 15. Edilberto
le
Tiempo 16. A jandro
Roces 17. Kerima
Polotan-Tuvera 18.
Gregorio Brillantes
ESSAYS. The first notable collection of Philippine
essays in English "Thinking fo Ourselves," compued and
edited by Vicente Hillarion
1
8
and Eliseo Quirino, appeared in 1924. The essays dealt with

Philippine traditions and history, religion, philosophy, ethics, literature and
the arts, politics and government, and other significant matters on
Philippine culture.
The essay took a form similar to that utilized by British
and American writers, but because the essay is a free form
of composition, it soon developed its special
characteristics. “Dear Devices," a book of familiar essays
in 1933, demonstrated a variety of subject matter and
individual style; it also showed originality and freshness hardly
discernible in Western essays. The Philippine essay in English is
less inhibited by requirements inherent in other literary genres
and has succesfully p rojected Philippine customs and traditions.
Prose of Men in Public affairs. In the struggle for freedom
and national identity, there developed prose in English
written by men in public life who made politics their primary
concern and defense of their country, as their personal
growing obsession. S ome of these writers were:
1. Manuel L. Quezon (Loyalty to my Party Ends) 2.
Elpidio Quirino (University and Present
Exigencies) 3. Claro M. Recto (Asia for the
Asians)
DRAMA. In the Philippines, drama in English has so far
played only a minor and limited role. This is attributed to the
istory of the country. However,
comparatively young political
h
since the close of the Second World War, interest in the
theater and playwriting has grown rapidly and, as such, it
augurs a bright future.
The 1930's might be said to be the bright beginning of the
Filipino drama in English. Dramas written by students and professors
became frequently the featured shows on college campuses.
Thus, a body of trained actors and playrights was born: The
Filipino drama had c ome to its own.
First Playwrights and their works: 1. Lino
Castillejos and Jesus Araullo (A Modern
Filipina) 2. J ose Bernardo (The Types of
Students) 3. Jose Reyes ( The Cry of the
Philippines) 4. S
everina and Sixto Orosa(
Almost Within the Grasp)
Playwrighting Professors and their
works: 1. Carlos P. Romulo
(Daughters for Sale) 2. Jorge
Bacobo (T
he Radiant Symbol) 3.
Vidal Tan (The Husband of Mrs. Cruz)
4. Jose M. Hernandez (Pandy
Pira)
19 NOVELS. This literary form in English is the least
cultivated in the Philippines. This is an extended narrative that requires
hard work and mastery of idioms. The time-consuming devotion that a
novelist should have in writing is sadly lacking in most of Filipino writers
who have been plagued with economic exigencies.
Lack of patronage is another discouraging f actor. The indifference of
Filipino audience to appreciate and patronize l ocally published novels,
coupled with lack of encouragement from the Philippine Government,
spells the diminution of the novelistic creativity.
Fortunately, however, s ome local publications,

notably the "Weekly Women's m
agazine" and the Weekly
Graphic" published some Filipino novels. The Philippine Chapter
of the International PEN, for a brief time (1960-61) offered
inducement to the novelists. As a result, two invaluable novels,
“The Woman Who Had Two Navels” by Nick Joaquin and “The
Hand of Enemy" by Kerima Polotan-Tuvera were written. In the
light of the foregoing facts, a novel can be written and
published under favorable circumstances.
The first novel in English was “A Child of Sorrow"
written in 1921 by Zoilo M. Galang. Other novelists in
English and their works:
1. Maximo Kalaw(The Filipino Rebel) 2. Juan
Laya (His Native Soil) 3. Carlos P.
Romulo (The United) 4. Stevan
Javellana (Without Seeing the
Dawn) 5 . Edilberto Tiempo (Watch in the
Night) 6. N.V.M. Gonzales (Bamboo
Dancers)
Analysis and Discussion Guide:
1. S
tate some c haracteristics o
fA
ncient Philippine
Literature.
2. W
hat l iterary t ypes did the P
re-Spanish F
ilipi nos te
ll a
s
embodiments of their culture?
3. Characterize A ncient F ilipino drama as impersonated

by the babaylan i n t he p
eople' s r eligious practices?
4. How did t he S

paniards i nfluence the development o
f
drama i n the Philippines.
5. What is the overiding theme o f t he w

ritings p
roduced
during t he P ropaganda a nd R
e
volutionary Movements?
Why?
6. Trace t he d
evelopment of t he m
ultilingual writer in the
Philippin e
Contemporary
Literary s cene.

Chapter 2: Development of Philippine Literature From Ancient Times To The Present

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Chapter 2: Development of Philippine Literature From Ancient Times To The Present

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Chapter

DEVELOPMENT ​OF ​PHILIPPINE ​LITERATUR​E

I​. ​ANCIENT NATIVE ​LITERATURE

​ ​Ancient Literature ​is ​characterized ​as

Myths​. ​These ​are ​fictitious ​narratives ​presented ​as

Then the ​years ​and ​the ages

Tired​, ​the ​king ​of ​the ​air​, M

There ​were ​neither ​trees ​nor ​plants​, ​and all got

So​, ​he ​called ​h ​3 ​general​, ​Mag​uayan​, ​who ​took ​the ​name

Maguayan ​afterw ​rds ​went faraway​. ​He ​was ​away ​f​or ​a

hand​, ​was ​kind ​and ​gentle​. ​They ​had ​a ​daughter​, ​Agahon​.

Years ​passed ​and ​Agahon ​grew ​lovelier​. ​Suitors ​from

“​Don​'​t ​make ​me ​marry ​that ​man​,​" ​pleaded ​Agahon​.

Abigcro​wd ​attended ​the ​wedding ​feastand ​there ​was

Later​, ​her ​lifeless ​body ​was ​found ​near ​a s​ pring​, a

​ og ​tore his ​hair in

The ​next ​n​ight ​Aga​hon ​appeared ​to her ​father ​in ​a

The ​next ​morning​, ​the ​sad ​parents ​visited ​their

· ​When ​time ​was ​young​, ​dogs ​had a ​king a ​ nd ​his

First ​the ​king ​grewanxious ​then ​he ​became impatient​,

Riddles ar​e obscure ​sayings ​to ​be ​solved ​by

Folk ​Songs ​a​r​e ​spontaneous a ​ nd informal

Tindig ​at ​magba​ngon ​sa p

Balik ako sa ​higdaan ​Kaidton​g

​ m​, ​te ​diak ​kalipatan

Ritualistic ​verses ​are ​used ​in ​solemn ​or r​eligious ​ceremonies

The ​Pre​-​Spanish Filipinos ​enterta​i​ned ​themselves

The ​literature ​of th​is ​period ​by ​Filipinos ​is ​almost

When ​Christianity ​was ​introduced ​by ​the ​Spaniards​,

e​. ​Comedia de ​Ca​p​a ​y ​Es​p​ada​. ​Th​e ​Spaniards​, ​seeing ​the

T​he ​recurring ​theme ​is ​the ​triumph ​of ​C​hristianity ​over

j​. ​Ter​tulla​. ​This ​is ​a v

a​. ​Noli ​Mi ​Ta​ng​ere ​(T

a ​ANDRES ​BONIF​ACI​O​, ​the ​“​Great ​Plebeian​” ​and

d​. ​JO​SE ​PALMA ​w​rote ​the ​poem ​“​Filipinas ​(​1889​)​, ​which

Other notable ​poet​s ​in ​Taga​logand ​their ​works ​were​: ​Lope

The y ​ ear ​1927 ​was ​another ​landmark ​in ​Filipino

1​. ​Jose ​Garcia ​Villa ​2​.

and ​Eliseo ​Quirino​, ​appeared in ​1924​. ​The ​essays ​dealt ​with

Fortunately​, ​however​, s​ ome ​local ​publications​,

Analysis ​and ​Discussion ​Guide​:

3.​ ​Characterize A​ ncient F ​ ilipino ​drama ​as ​impersonated

4.​ ​How ​did t​ he S

5​. ​W​hat ​is ​the ​overiding ​theme o​ f t​ he w

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DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

I. ANCIENT NATIVE LITERATURE

Ancient Literature is characterized as

Myths. These are fictitious narratives presented as

Then the years and the ages

Tired, the king of the air, M

There were neither trees nor plants, and all got

So, he called h 3 general, Maguayan, who took the name

Maguayan afterw rds went faraway. He was away for a

hand, was kind and gentle. They had a daughter, Agahon.

Years passed and Agahon grew lovelier. Suitors from

“Don't make me marry that man," pleaded Agahon.

Abigcrowd attended the wedding feastand there was

Later, her lifeless body was found near a s pring, a

og tore his hair in

The next night Agahon appeared to her father in a

The next morning, the sad parents visited their

· When time was young, dogs had a king a nd his

First the king grewanxious then he became impatient,

Riddles are obscure sayings to be solved by

Folk Songs are spontaneous a nd informal

Tindig at magbangon sa p

Balik ako sa higdaan Kaidtong

m, te diak kalipatan

Ritualistic verses are used in solemn or religious ceremonies

The Pre-Spanish Filipinos entertained themselves

The literature of this period by Filipinos is almost

When Christianity was introduced by the Spaniards,

e. Comedia de Capa y Espada. The Spaniards, seeing the

The recurring theme is the triumph of Christianity over

j. Tertulla. This is a v

a. Noli Mi Tangere (T

a ANDRES BONIFACIO, the “Great Plebeian” and

d. JOSE PALMA wrote the poem “Filipinas (1889), which

Other notable poets in Tagalogand their works were: Lope

The y ear 1927 was another landmark in Filipino

1. Jose Garcia Villa 2.

and Eliseo Quirino, appeared in 1924. The essays dealt with

Fortunately, however, s ome local publications,

Analysis and Discussion Guide:

3. Characterize A ncient F ilipino drama as impersonated

4. How did t he S

5. What is the overiding theme o f t he w