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21st Century Literature from the

Philippines and the World
Q1- Week 1: The Philippine Literature
21st Literature –Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – The Philippine Literature
First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of
the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or office
wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such
agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
trademarks, etc.) included in this module are owned by their respective copyright holders. Every
effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from their
respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim ownership
over them.

Development Team of the

Worksheet

Revised: AYLENE E. BAGULAYA

Illustrated: HAREOL TERO

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 Lesson

1 The Philippine
Literature
Learning Competencies
Writing a close analysis and critical interpretation of literary texts and doing adaptation of these
require from the learners the ability to identify: (a) the geographic linguistic and ethnic dimensions
of Philippine literary history from pre-colonial to the contemporary.

Studying Philippine Literature allows people to learn that we have great and noble tradition which can serve
as the means to assimilate other cultures. It gives readers knowledge of the country and its culture and traditions,
allowing natives and foreigners the ability to understand Philippine history. It awakens our mind and hearts on how
Filipino before, try to dwell with different languages and try to learn it in order to express their thoughts and feeling.
This chapter will lead students to reflect on our history and to realize that works of art and literature are
intricately intertwined. It will give them a brief and fleeting landscape of the literary milieu and have a better
appreciation and understanding to our literary heritage.

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

- Identify the geographic linguistic and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary history from pre-colonial to
the contemporary specifically on;
a. Literary forms
b. Literary characteristics
- Compare and contrast the literary forms from pre-colonial to the contemporary.

EXPLORE
Direction: Answer directly using your intermediate paper.
1. A Latin term which means Letter?
2. TRUE or FALSE. Literature deals with ideas, thoughts and emotions of man, therefore literature can be said as the
story of man.
3. Are fictitious tales in which character are in-animated mostly things and animals?
4. A report of everyday events in society, government, science, industry, sports and even celebrities whether national
or global?
5. TRUE or FALSE. The Sacred Writings or the Bible has become the basis of Christianity in the Philippines which
originated from Palestine & Greece.
6. TRUE or FALSE. The Iliad & Odyssey was written by Confucius from China.
7. TRUE or FALSE. The Divine Comedy is written by Dante Alighieri of Italy. It shows the religion and customs of
the Spaniards.
8. is the first book printed in the Philippines
9. It is the oldest form of writing of the early Filipinos during the 15th century. It contains 13 vowels and 14
consonants. Some symbols may vary according to the “kudlit” placed either on the top or at the bottom of the
character
10. Are songs that have been handed down orally through generations. They embody the faith, joy, the varied hopes
and odds of life; they reflect the various aspects of life and activities of the people. They are spontaneous outbursts of
the lyric feeling from the soul of the people.

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 CONTENT

INTRODUCTION
What is literature?
 It is a body of written works.
 traditionally been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of
their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution.
 Literature may be classified according to a variety of systems, including language, national origin, historical
period, genre, and subject matter.
What is Philippine literature?
 is the literature associated with the Philippines and includes the legends of prehistory, and the colonial legacy
of the Philippines.
 Pre-Hispanic Philippine literature were actually epics passed on from generation to generation originally
through oral tradition.

A. Characteristics PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (--BC to 1564)

1. Based on oral traditions
2. Crude on ideology and phraseology
B. Literary Forms
1. Oral Literature
a. Riddles (bugtong) – battle of wits among participants
Tigmo – Cebu Paktakon – Ilonggo
Patotdon - Bicol
b. Proverbs (salawikain) – wise sayings that contain a metaphor used to teach as a food for thought
c. Tanaga - a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessons on life is "more
emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with the folk lyric."
2. Folk Songs - It is a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people's lifestyles as
well as their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naive
a. Hele or oyayi – lullaby
b. Ambahan (Mangyan) – 7-syllable per line poem that are about human relationships and social
entertainment
c. Kalusan (Ivatan) - work songs that depict the livelihood of the people
d. Tagay (Cebuano and Waray) – drinking song
e. Kanogan (Cebuano) – song of lamentation for the dead
3. Folk Tales
a. Myths – explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics, why some
places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna
b. Legends – explain the origin of things
Why the Pineapple Has Eyes
The Legend of Maria Makiling
c. Fables – used animal characters and allegory
d. Fantastic stories – deal with underworld characters such as “tiyanak”, “aswang”, “kapre” and others

e. Epics- These are “narratives of sustained length based on oral tradition revolving around supernatural events
or heroic deeds” (Arsenio Manuel)
Examples: Lam-ang (Ilocano), Hinilawod (Panay), Kudaman (Palawan) and Darangen (Maranao)

SPANISH OCCUPATION
a. Spanish Colonial Period (1521–1898)

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 expeditions to the Philippines were sent by Spain in the 16th century. In their conquest, the Spaniards brought
Christianity with them. The clergy made a great impact on faith, education, and government.
b. Through the Manila-Acapulco trade (1565–1815)
 liberal ideas entered the country. Also, the trade gave rise to a wealthier middle class. Children in middle class
families could then be sent to Europe to get an education. Upon their return, they brought European ideals of
liberty and freedom with them. Such ideals would then give rise to Filipino nationalism.
Philippine Literature during the Spanish Occupation
 The Spanish missionaries taught the gospel through the native language, so they hired natives to translate
Spanish religious instructional materials.
 Eventually, the natives became fluent in Spanish and became known as ladinos.
 Ladinos mainly wrote devotional poetry.
 Two of them were Fernando Bagongbanta and Gaspar Aquino de Belen.
 Bagongbanta wrote “Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias de sin sempiternas,” which appeared in Memorial
de la vida cristiana en lengua tagala(1605), a book containing basic Catholic doctrines.
 On the other hand, de Belen wrote “Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong Panginoon natin na tola” (1704),
the earliest version of pasyon.
 Also, the native drama called the komedya or moro-moro was popular. It depicted the war between
Christians and Muslims, wherein the former always wins.
 The poet Jose de la Cruz (1746–1829) was a master of such art form.
 Native literature continued. Though the Spaniards destroyed the written literature in their effort to replace it
with their own, the oral tradition survived and flourished in areas beyond the reach of the Spaniards.
FILIPINO WRITERS either wrote in Spanish or in their own tongue or both.
1. Francisco Baltazar (1788-1862), the master of traditional Tagalog poetry,
became well-known for his work Florante at Laura(1838–1861), the most famous metrical romance of the
country.
2. Pedro Paterno (1857–1911) wrote Sampaguitas y poesias varias (1880), the first poetry collection in Spanish by a
Filipino; and the novel in Spanish Ninay (1885), considered to be the first Filipino novel.
3. Jose Rizal (1861–1896), a prominent ilustrado and the country’s national hero, is famous for the novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo. These novels portray the corruption and abuse of the Spanish officials and the
clergy.
4. Andres Bonifacio (1863–1897), the founder of the Katipunan, wrote the poem “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa.” This
poem appeared in the Kalayaan, the official newspaper of the Katipunan, in March 1896.
5. Leona Florentino (1849–1884), known as the “mother of Philippine women’s literature,” was a poet in both
Ilocano and Spanish. Twenty of her poems were preserved and exhibited in Europe. The poems were included in the
Encyclopedia International des Oeuvres des Femme in 1889.

AMERICAN OCCUPATION (1898-1940)

 The US established a civil government in 1901.
 Free public education was introduced and English was the medium of instruction.
 In 1934, President Roosevelt signed a bill making the Philippines a commonwealth. On May 14, 1935
Manuel L. Quezon was elected president.
LITERARY WORKS PRODUCED
 The production of literary works in English is the direct result of the American colonization of the
Philippines.
 The first collection of poetry in English is Filipino Poetry (1924), edited by Rodolfo Dato.
 The short story “Dead Stars” (1925) by Paz Marquez Benitez is considered as the first Filipino modern
short story in English. 
 A Child of Sorrow (1921) by Zoilo M. Galang is the first Filipino novel in English. The novel His Native
Soil (1940) by Juan C. Laya won first prize in the First Commonwealth Literary Awards in 1940.
 Filipino writers in English during the apprenticeship period (1900–1930) imitated American writing.
 The poet Fernando Maramag writes in the Romantic tradition in his sonnet “Moonlight on Manila Bay”
(1912). Filipino fictionists copied Sherwood Anderson, William Saroyan, and Ernest Hemingway.

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  Jose Garcia Villa used the Anderson pattern. Manuel Arguilla and N. V. M. Gonzalez were influenced by
Anderson and Hemingway. Francisco Arcellana was influenced by Saroyan.

JAPANESE OCCUPATION (1941-1945)

 On December 8, 1941, the Japanese attacked Manila.
 On January 2, 1942, Japanese occupied Manila. They set up a Council of State in the country and started
propaganda to remold the Filipinos.
 In October 1943 the Japanese declared the Philippines “independent.”
 On September 20, Jose P. Laurel was elected president.
 MacArthur and his Allied forces returned to the country in 1944.
 They landed on Leyte on October 20, and the biggest naval battle in history ensued.
 The Japanese surrendered formally on September 2, 1945.
LITERARY WORKS PRODUCED
 During the occupation, publications were censored by the military.
 Also, Tagalog was declared an official language (together with Nihonggo).
 In effect, Philippine literature in English came to a halt. Some Filipino writers then turned to writing in
Filipino.
 The Tagalog short story reached its maturity during the period.
 The best works were compiled by the Liwayway magazine editors in Ang Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang
Pilipino ng 1943, which came out in 1944.
 It is a collection of stories that won a contest sponsored by the Japanese.
 The top four stories were
1. “Lupang Tinubuan” by Narciso G. Reyes,
2. “Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa” by Liwayway Arceo,
3. “Nayon at Dagat-dagatan” by N. V. M. Gonzalez, and
4. “Suyuan sa Tubigan” by Macario Pineda.

POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE

- include all literary works written and published in the Philippines from 1946.
 After World War II, the Philippines had to deal with the economy and the need for rehabilitation and
reconstruction of infrastructures.
- There was political, economic, and social confusion, as well as great poverty, and these issues found
their way into the short stories and novels during that time.
 During the postwar period, Filipino writers got their inspiration from American teachers and were able to
learn their techniques, which also helped in mastering the English language.
- Writers wrote fiction that focused on courageous deeds as well as the sacrifices and suffering in the lives
of Filipinos.
o common for writers to write about the experiences of the Filipino people under the Spanish and
American rule and the Japanese Occupation.
Literary Works
 Philippine literature flourished even more during the postwar and contemporary period.
o Writers were able to produce short stories, novels, essays, and poems that continue to be read by
Filipinos today.
Examples:
Some works written in the postwar and contemporary period are:
1. May Day Eve by Nick Joaquin, 1947
2. Waywaya by F. Sionil Jose, 1983
3. We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers by Alejandro Roces, 1948
4. The Return by Edith L. Tiempo
5. History and Philippine Culture by Horacio de la Costa, 1965
6. Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana, 1947

Explanation:

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1. Nick Joaquin, a National Artist for Literature awardee, wrote articles under the name of Quijano de Manila.
- His short story "May Day Eve," published in 1947, is about love in a patriarchal society.
- It also made use of magic realism.
2. F. Sionil Jose, one of the most widely read Filipino writers in English, wrote the short story "Waywaya," which
is about pre-Hispanic society and the people’s struggle for moral order.
3. Alejandro Roces, a Filipino author, essayist, and dramatist, wrote the short story "We Filipinos Are Mild
Drinkers." -focuses on the drinking habits and culture of Filipinos and Americans.
4. Edith L. Tiempo's poem "The Return" is a sentimental piece that talks about life in old age.
5. Horacio de la Costa wrote the essay "History and Philippine Culture," which emphasizes the importance of
understanding and presenting a nation’s culture.
6. Stevan Javellana wrote the first postwar Filipino novel in English, “Without Seeing the Dawn”.
-narrates what people experienced during World War II under the Japanese rule in the Philippines.

ENGAGE
Direction: Compare and contrast the different literary forms from pre-colonial to contemporary period.
Plot the exact schema in an A4 white paper. Write at least 2 characteristics for each circle.

Spanish period Pre-colonial

Contemporary

APPLICATION
Direction: Answer briefly and write it on your intermediate paper.
a. What do you understand with the phrase “literature is life”? How do you think literature works in response to
pandemic?
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References:

“Introduction to Philippine Literature.” 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World, 21st Century Literature from
the Philippines and the World, 25 May 2018, 21stcenturylitph.wordpress.com/introduction-to-philippine-literature/.
Rexroth, Kenneth. “Literature | Definition, Scope, Types, & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 28 June 2018,
www.britannica.com/art/literature.
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Answer Key

Activity 4.
1. e
2. k
3. h
4. j
5. a
6. b
7. l
8. g
9. m
10. d

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