The National Teachers College

629 F. Nepomuceno St., Quiapo, Manila

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Master of Arts in Education major in English

ENG 304 – LITERRARY HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES

REFLECTION NO. 4

Topic : Colonial Philippines: Religion’s Role on Colonial

Philippines; Impact of religion in Philippine
Literature; and Ways by which Politics and
historical events formed/shaped the Literary
Works of Colonial Philippines
Submitted by : Mariecel T. Baculi
Time : 5:00pm– 7:00pm
Professor : Dr. Lorna C. Velasquez

Colonialism, particularly by European countries, was a popular

form of political and economic competition during the late fifteenth to

twentieth centuries. Several countries expanded their empires

significantly by establishing colonies in multiple continents to maximize

their economic potential and maintain trade routes to foreign trade

centers. After Miguel Lopez de Legaspi’s landing in Cebu in 1565, the

Philippines became a part of the Spanish empire for over three

hundred years. Multiple strategies were utilized by the Spanish in

order to fully colonize and claim the Philippines as their own.

As Philippines colonized by the Spaniards at the beginning,

Catholicism was then introduced and adopt by most of Filipinos. Before

Spaniards came, there is no such article about Christianity but Filipinos

already believe in “Bathala” as their Supreme God. In short, Filipinos

way of writings was influenced on what Catholic religion is teaching.

Like for an instance translation of the gospel, writing about life of a

saint, Christianity, Holiness and even performing dramas during Holy

Week celebration.

Through religion also our belief was changed just like for

example, before Catholicism was spread, our ancestor’s way of burial

was just burying the dead including burials beneath houses, within

houses, or inside caves and rock shelters. At the death of such

distinguished individuals, they acquire supernatural powers and can

act as intercessors on behalf of their living descendants. Rituals

associated with calling upon the “anitos” would have been easily

conducted due to the nearness of the burial but nowadays cemetery

was already introduced and only place to bury the dead except for

some Muslim people and other tribes authorized as part of their

culture. Sick descendants could call upon the anitos to help heal them

in times of need just but when Catholics was introduced people

nowadays would tend to ask help on some saints. Another, “Holy

Week” was also added to our cultures nowadays, we also learned to

make a sign of the cross, celebrate feast basing on the

acknowledgement date of the Saints.

To sum it up, religion plays a big role to Filipinos after we being

colonized specifically by Spaniards. Although some of our beliefs,

rituals, styles of writing from the past remains the same until now but

the reality is that because of Catholicism we were able also to changed

our belief, styles and practiced and adopt what was being introduced

to us Filipinos and passing it from generations to next generations.