21st Century Literature from the Philippines
imagination and creative thinking where the characters react to
and the World
Introduction to Philippine Literature
LESSON 1. EXPLORING PHILIPPINE LITERARY
FORMS, GENRES, ELEMENTS, AND TRADITIONS
The term literature is derived from the Latin word "littera"
which means "a letter of the alphabet". According to the website
Britannica, literature is traditionally defined as body of written
works associated to imaginative and creative works of poetry
and prose and can be classified according to variety of systems
such as language, national origin, historical period, genre and
subject matter.
Literature can either be in oral or written form. The oral
literature handed down from one generation to another, then
later transformed into written form. The products of written
literature are called literary text. A text can be considered
literary if it has the elements of psychological characterization
and chronology. Also, literature uses literary devices such as
metaphor and symbolism. Reading for entertainment and
learning is the most common reason why people read literature.
The best way to describe the characteristics of literary text is
that
(1) it narrates a story;
(2) it expresses feelings, thoughts, and ideas which can
either be based from the imagination or real life experiences of
the author or other people; and
(3) it delivers significant information and crosses
boundaries of time, places, cultures and languages.
Literature contains specific structure.
Literary structure - refers to the organizational method used in
literature in which the most common type is the narrative. Parts
of the narrative structure (or plot) are the exposition, rising
action, climax, falling action, and resolution (denouement).
In a much broader context, literary structure is not only
limited to content and form, but this may also refer to "the
general features or characteristic of genre, style, a specific
literary trend, literature as an art form, and finally, art as a
whole" (The Great Soviet Encyclopedia). For Murphy (n.d.),
literary structure may involve arrangement of various elements
according to purpose, style, and genre to effectively convey the
intended meaning for the audience.
Two Major Forms of Literature
1. Poetry
This literary type is usually written in lines and is
characterized by having the element of rhythm, sound, imagery,
and form. Its main purpose is to express feelings, thoughts, and
ideas.
It can be divided into three types: narrative, dramatic,
and lyrical poetry.
a. Narrative Poetry. This poetry tells a story and has the
elements of a narrative such as characters, setting, conflict, etc.
b. Dramatic Poetry. This is an emotionally appealing
drama written in verse that tells a story and is intended to be
recited or sung in front of the audience by a character speaking
in poetry.
c. Lyric Poetry. It is the most common type of poetry
that focuses on expressing feelings rather than telling a story.
2. Prose
In contrast to poetry, this literary piece applies a natural flow of
speech and grammatical structures which are mainly consisting
of complete sentences arranged logically and sequentially in a
paragraph form.
Fiction.
This serves as a product of the writer's wild
the conflict and various issues central to the main idea of a
literary work. Its three types are: short story, novel, and novella.
The main genres are crime, fantasy, romance, science fiction,
western, inspirational, historical fiction and horror.
Non-fiction.
These are stories inspired by real events where the
writers aim to present, interpret, or describe experiences based
on facts. The judgments, opinions, and commentaries of the
writers may be presented in the form of essays, journals, diaries,
feature articles, editorials, and the like.
Some Examples of Major Forms of Literature
Genre refers to the forms of literature. The general
ones are oral and written.
The main types are prose and poetry. There are many
other forms that have sprung through the years. Specifically, it
is defined in the curriculum guide as something that may be
determined by literary technique, tone, content, or even (as in
the case of fiction) length. The distinctions between genres and
categories are flexible and loosely defined, often with
subgroups. The most general genres in literature are (in loose
chronological order) epic, tragedy, comedy, and creative
nonfiction. They can all be in the form of prose or poetry.
Additionally, a genre such as satire, allegory or
pastoral might appear in any of the above, not only as a sub-
genre, but as a mixture of genres. Finally, they are defined by
the general cultural movement of the historical period in which
they were composed. Genre should not be confused with age
categories, by which literature may be classified as either adult,
young-adult, or children. They also must not be confused with
format, such as graphic novel or picture book.(Glossary,
Curriculum Guide)
Literary elements refer to “particular identifiable
characteristics” of a whole text. They are not used per se, by
authors; they represent the elements of storytelling which are
common to all literary and narrative forms. For example, every
story has a theme, a setting, a conflict, and has a particular
point-of-view, etc. To be discussed legitimately as part of a
textual analysis, literary elements must be specifically identified
for that particular text. (Glossary, Curriculum Guide). The
common elements of a story are setting, character, conflict,
theme, point of view, and plot. Plot also has its own elements
such as exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and
resolution or denouement /ˌdeɪˈnuːmɒ̃/.
In poetry, there are four essential elements:
 Form
 Imagery
 Rhythm
 Sound
Poetry comes in different forms such as whether it is
free verse, couplet, limerick, etc.
 Imagery on the other hand is the reason why we see
pictures in words, and it adds color in any types of literature
especially in poetry.
Rhythms and sounds are somehow similar. In fact,
rhythm falls under the broad category sound. While sound deals
with the common use of rhymes and other literary devices such
as repetition (repeating of words, phrases, or lines), alliteration
(repeating same consonant sounds), assonance (repeating same
vowel sounds), and onomatopoeia (the use of the actual sound to
represent someone or something), rhythm is more concerned
with the flow of the beat such as whether it is fast or slow. In
general, both sounds and rhythms are the key ingredients that
give poetry a musical effect (Encyclopedia Britannica).
The term "Traditions" refers to the specific traits of literary
works that define a generation or period in history.
Literary tradition - is a collection of works that have
an underlying interconnectedness and coherence that makes
them more than simply a group of works sharing geography or
group. Irish poetry and drama, for example, extend over several
centuries, involving writers with a range of voices and
preoccupations; and yet it is often thought that they are
distinctively "Irish."
This means that you can have someone who doesn't
come from Ireland, perhaps doesn't even have Irish ancestors,
but they can write in the Irish Literary Tradition because they
will draw on the same references, structure, mythology, focal
points for cultural meanings and historical moments. (Glossary,
Curriculum Guide)
An Overview of Philippine Literature
Historically speaking, Philippine literature can be
divided into three most important periods:
 Pre-colonial
 Colonial
 Post-colonial.
All literary works produced before the Spanish
colonization such as chants, proverbs, songs, and folk
narratives are considered under pre-colonial period which are
mostly of oral traditions. This is not because early Filipinos did
not have system of writing yet but due to the unavailability of
printing materials. Life was simple and so is literature during
this period. If we have phones and other forms of technology to
entertain us, our ancestors had literature for recreation who were
noted for being music lover as more than 10 types of songs in
various Philippine languages were discovered. Our forefathers
also valued words of wisdom for teaching values as evidenced
by numerous proverbs or salawikain.
Story telling was used to explain phenomenon and to
teach lessons as well. Having bugtong or riddles was also a
favorite past time and listening to narratives of bravery, magic,
and heroism in epics was a box office hit.
The focus of literature suddenly changed upon the
arrival of Spaniards. An emphasis on morality and religion was
common in literary forms such as Corrido, Pasyon, and
Cenaculo. The production of printed materials started but it was
mostly of religious purposes and themes. It was made to instill
traditional Spanish ways and cultures among the native
Filipinos. Despite this indoctrination, native tradition still
survived and flourished especially for areas where the colonial
power was less popular. Literacy paved the way to develop
sense of nationalism among Filipinos during the latter part of
Spanish colonization. Filipinos started to write about
oppression, corruption, and other social ills such as in the works
of Dr. Jose P. Rizal entitled Noli Me Tangere and its sequel El
Filibusterismo.
American Period
The literary production during the American Period
was inspired by the developments in education and culture.
Knowledge and information became accessible to all Filipinos
because of the free public education. During the apprenticeship
period, the Filipino writers imitated English and American
models.
All forms of literature were explored by Filipino
writers. During this period, short stories were the most
prevalent literary form. With the new knowledge of English
language, many writers started to gain recognition both locally
and internationally like Jose Garcia Villa who earned the
international title, Poet of the Century" as an example.
Japanese Period
Philippine Literature was interrupted in its
development when we were conquered by Japan between 1941-
1945 since freedom of expression was uncommon back then.
Filipino writers in the Philippines were forbidden to write
anything against the government and only those who were in
exile had the privilege to do so. As a result of banning the
English language, short stories written in the vernaculars
flourished in the country.
The three most influential foreign invaders to the types
of literature produced during colonial periods are Spanish,
American, and Japanese wherein the common themes and
subject mostly tackle about oppression, religion, freedom, or
anything that reflects the experiences of Filipino people under
the colonizers.
The influences brought to us by colonial periods are
said to have been extended up to the post-colonial periods
especially in social and cultural dimensions.
Post-colonial is the period after the rebirth of freedom
in the Philippines up to the present. One of the most unforgotten
and controversial periods during this era is having Martial Law
during the Marcos regime. All the periods mentioned are
essential towards understanding the types of literature being
produced in the Philippines.
LESSON 2. LITERARY CONTEXT
Below are some discussions that can help you enhance your
understanding of a literary text specifically by examining its
biographical, linguistic and sociocultural context.
Biographical context requires the readers to analyze the life
and experience of the author
to understand the literary text. It is essential for readers to
understand the author’s background. Understanding the author’s
life can help you understand his or her work thoroughly. This
can happen by reading the author’s biography or autobiography.
Here are biographical strategies that you may use:
 Research on what the author believes in and also what
he or she does not.
 Analyze how the author’s belief system is reflected in
his or her work.
 Look at the author’s other works and analyze if
there is a pattern with regard to the theme that is
indicative of his or her life and beliefs.
Sociocultural context requires the reader to analyze the
social, economic, political, and cultural standpoint of the
literary text. It is also important to note the year or period a
literary text was written for readers can be able to identify of this adventure, let us discover first how it all began. Our first
the historical or significant events that took place in that stop is the Philippine literary history and its dimensions.
year which add to the readers’ understanding of the text. In
reading using sociocultural context, you will examine the
factors that affect the writing of the literary text and how
the work was received by the readers during the time it was
written.

Here are some guide questions that you may answer when
you are reading literature through the sociocultural context:

 What is the relationship between the characters or

speakers in the text and their society?
 How does this story reflect the nation? What does this
say about the country and its inhabitants?

In explaining your analysis of a literary piece such as

poem, you may use a simple poem analysis essay by
Liza Erpelo, 2009:

 Introduction – provide the necessary

background in 3-5 sentences: title of poem,
poet’s name/ any relevant biographical facts,
and summary of poem’s subject or topic. In
your thesis sentence, identify the literary
element(s) to be analyzed and the approach or
direction of the analysis.

 Body Paragraphs- the number of paragraphs

will be based on the number of elements you
analyze and the number of claims that you
make.

 Conclusion- your concluding paragraph

should begin by echoing your major thesis Philippine Representative Texts and Authors
without repeating the words literally. It should
Main Islands in the Philippines
broaden from the thesis statement to answer
the “so what?” question your reader may have 1. Luzon
after reading your essay. Reflect on how your
essay topic relates to the poem as a whole. 2. Visayas
Evaluate how successful the author is in
achieving his or her goal or message. Give a 3. Mindanao
personal statement about the topic. Connect
back to your creative opening. Give your Literature of the Pre-Christian Tribes from the main islands in
opinion of the poem’s value or significance. the Philippines

Fay-Cooper Cole was the author of Traditions of the Tinguian:

Dimensions of Philippine Literary History and Representative
Texts and Authors from Each Region in the Philippines
In this lesson, you will be able to:
 identify the geographic, linguistic and ethnic dimensions of
Philippine literary history from pre-colonial to the contemporary
 identify representative texts and authors from each region in
the Philippines
Specifically, you are expected to:
 discover the features of the dimensions of the periods of
Philippine literature
 recognize representative texts and authors from different
regions
A Study of Philippine Folk-Lore. He also worked as Assistant
Curator of Malayan Ethnology of the Field Museum of natural
History in Chicago. He collected the Tinguian stories from
1907-1908 when he stayed with the Tinguian in Abra for a year
and four months. He credited the help of Dumagat, a Tinguian
tribesmen. Cole also noted that his translation “follow closely
the language of storytellers rather than to offer a polished
transaltion.”
Mabel Cook Cole was the compiler and annotator of Philippine
Folk Tales published by A.C. McClurg & Co. in 1916. She was
the wife of Fay- Cooper Cole and he contributed his
photographs of the communities to her book. She spent four
years with the different tribes of the Philippines.

 value the importance of knowing the Philippine literary

history, our local authors and their works

Literature plays a vital role in our lives. It mirrors human

experiences, and it lets you go around the world and learn and
experience different cultures. It comes in various forms like
poetry, riddles, stories, legends etc. Before we land to the center
 Representative Texts and Authors from each Region in the
Philippines
Dimensions of Philippine Literary History
Geography- the study of places and the relationships between
people and their environment.
Language- a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed),
or written symbols by which individuals express themselves
Ethnicity- a notion that refers to social entities sharing real or
putative ascriptive features like a common origin or cultural-
linguistic legacy which assumedly command special collective
commitment, as well as their retention and transmission.
(See the story Indarapatra at Sulayman)
The Canonical Authors from the Regions
The 21st century literature has its own advantage and that is the
use of technology. With the presence of internet, readers of
today have the means to access numerous notable literary
works. Perhaps, this can also be a bridge toward appreciating
literature from different regions for full consciousness of one's
own identity as a Filipino. Thus, learning about the canonical
authors in every corner of the Philippines is one way to honor
those people who have contributed greatly to the country.
As defined by Oxford dictionary, canonical /kənɒnɪkəl/
traditionally means anything that is included in a list of holy
books that are accepted as genuine. Another definition given is
its connectedness with works of literature that are highly
respected. It comes from the root word "canon" or a generally
accepted rule, standard or principle by which something is
judged. If something has canonical status, it is accepted as
having all the qualities that a thing of its kind should have.
Thus, canonical authors are those who are highly esteemed and
well-respected writers whose published works have contributed
greatly in the field of literature. As we gain an awareness of the
gaps and issues concerning the field of literature across the
regions, we must also remember to appreciate the works of the
great authors in our country for they are the key to the
restoration of our National heritage, cultures, and traditions.
LUZON
Whenever we hear the island group of Luzon, it is not
surprising that the language mostly associated with it is
Tagalog. In fact, most literary works from Luzon are written in
this language which coined the term "Tagalog Literature" and
flourished greatly during the Japanese occupation when the
English language was strictly banned. Specifically, bulk of
Tagalog Literature comes from Southern Luzon, Central Luzon,
and National Capital Region or Metro Manila. It is not
surprising as well that the majority of the recognized National
Artists came from this major group of islands in the Philippines.
Authors from Metro Manila seem to be widely
accepted among readers as their popularity is more observed and
evident. This could be attributed to having NCR as the central
focus of politics, culture, and economics. Moreover, most of our
influential historical figures who were writers themselves were
also from this island such as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Jose
P. Laurel, and Amado Hernandez to name a few. Consequently,
we can still trace modern literature reflecting the country's
historical development.
VISAYAS
"It is time to restore those pieces in the voices of our poets and
storytellers in the local languages'', Sugbu (n.d). The call to
write in mother tongue has been the battle cry of many writers
from the other regions relative to acknowledging regional and
local languages.
Many critiques consider literature from Visayas as the home of
hybrid forms especially in their romance novels where age-old
pattern like corrido (metrical romances) is mixed with new
trends and genre mostly depicting social realities. These hybrid
forms are also rich in local colors that significantly show
Visayan cultures and traditions. Unfortunately, lack of venue for
publication hinders the flourishing of fiction from this island
according to Sugbu (n.d.). One of the longest known epics in the
world called Hinilawod is actually from Visayas.
Truly, the love for poetry runs in the blood of Visayans. Modern
literature revolves around poetry and drama which are mostly
satirical in nature that deal with social behavior produced since
the 1900s up to the present. Literature produced is widely
written in Waray, Cebuano, and English.
MINDANAO
People from Mindanao are divided into three groups: Christian
settlers (mostly migrants from Visayas and Luzon), Moro
(mainly from ARMM groups), and Lumads (consisting of 18
ethnolinguistic groups). Being the only island of the Philippines
where majority is non-Christian, ignorance among Christians,
discrimination, and distortion are mostly felt by Muslim people.
Some of the insensitive words associated among Muslims are
being immoral because they can marry as many wives as they
can, warlike, killer, and totally different from that of Christians.
The conflict in Mindanao is mostly because of two factors:
political and religious. Unfortunately, this conflict extends up to
their literature as it seems to be widely invisible or inaccessible.
With reference to the compilation of Philippine literature by
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Encyclopedia of the
Arts, Jaime An Lim of Encyclopedia stated that out of 272
recognized individuals, only seven are from Mindanao (as cited
by Santos; 2009).

Attempts have been made to support Mindanao Literature as

CCP, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA),
and CHED take joint efforts in tapping Mindanawons such as
Jaime An Lim and Christina Godinez Ortega for journals
dedicated to Mindanao Literature. The negative image portrayed
among Muslims has perpetuated the so-called "Moro-Moro
Literature" representing them as “savage, barbarian, bandit,
lawless and wicked”. In the critical review focusing mainly on
the inclusion of Mindanao in contemporary literary made by Paz
Verdades M. Santos and published in the Ateneo de Davao
University Journal called Tamara in 2009, she suggested that
our history books should be rewritten and the "Moro-Moro
Literature" should be condemned in order to address the
problem of distortion and discrimination. She said that fairness
should be observed in doing so and focus on the need for peace
in Mindanao should be prioritized instead.

Most literary works in this island are under oral tradition such as
epics, folk stories, and folk poetry. Santos (2009), stated that "
literature of Mindanao has its own unique landscape, distinct
from that of Luzon and the Visayas, and marked by its peculiar
history and tripeople character".

Some Writers across the Region

Filipinos of today, though separated by seas, cultures and

languages, choose to maintain a united front for equality and
freedom as one nation. Understanding the different cultures
across the country would provide an opportunity to discover the
literature of other regions to paint a better picture of who we are
as a nation. With the help of the new technology, we build
bridges across the archipelago because many contemporary
authors are already publishing their work online such as blogs,
online newspapers and magazines, online journals, and video
sharing sites. Below are some of the famous contemporary
authors associated with each group of islands in the Philippines
who have been noted for their exemplary works in the field of
literature and are recipient of multiple national and international
awards:

LUZON: Among the country's eighteen recognized National

Artists, sixteen are from Luzon who mostly came from NCR
such as Amado V. Hernandez, Jose Garcia Villa, Nick Joaquin,
Carlos P. Romulo, Francisco Arcellana, Rolando S. Tinio, Levi
Celerio, Carlos Quirino, Alejandro R. Roces, and Cirilo F.
Bautista. The National Artists from the other regions are Lazaro
Francisco (Bataan) and Virgilio S. Almario (Bulacan) for
Region III, NVM Gonzales (Romblon) for Region IV-B
Mimaropa, F. Sionil Jose (Pangasinan) for Region 1, Edith L.
Tiempo (Nueva Viscaya) for Region 2, and Dr. Bienvenido
Lumbera (Batangas) for Region IV-A.

VISAYAS: Two of our National Artists are natives of this

island such as essayist and literary historian Resil B. Mojares of
Cebu and novelist Ramon L. Muzones of Iloilo province.