Job S.

Taccad STEM 11-Curie

Precolonial period
According to Filipino historian Teodoro Agoncillo, the ethnicity that had the richest history
in terms of story-telling were the Ilocano people, whose nomadic lifestyle in the highlands
bred stories of adventures far moreso than other Filipinos living in the lowlands. Ilocano
used an improvised, versified, and at times impromptu, long epic poem called a dallot,
delivered and narrated in a song-like manner. The most famous of these epics was
the Biag ni Lamang.
Other forms of literature written by pre-colonial Ilocano were songs (kankanta), dances
(salsala), poems (dandaniw), riddles (burburtia), proverbs (pagsasao), and lamentations
(dung-aw). Other traditional Filipino epics by other ethnicities include the Hudhud ni
Aliguyon of the Ifugao, Hinilawod of Panay, Ibalon from Bicol, and Darangen of
the Maranao. During this time, different oral myths and folk tales were developed,
eventually leading to their imprinment and embeddement later on, such as Ibong
Adarna, Bernardo Carpio, Maria Makiling, and several creation myths.

Spanish period
Noli Me Tángere is a novel published by José Rizal that sparked the Philippine
Revolution together with its sequel El filibusterismo.
The Spanish colonization of the Philippine islands led to the introduction of European
literary traditions. Many of these were influenced heavily by the Spanish language and
the Catholic faith. These traditions include poetry such as tanaga, ladino, corridos,
and awit; religious dramas such
as moriones, santacruzan, panunuluyan and senakulo; and secular dramas
like comedia, duplo, and karagatan. Many Filipino authors rose to prominence during
this time, such as Francisco Balagtas, the author of Florante at Laura (1838);
and Huseng Sisiw, author of Singsing ng Pagibig. Balagtas's title, which combines
history, romance, and religion, became the premier Filipino story taught in schools
nationwide.
On December 1, 1846, the first daily newspaper, La Esperanza, was published in the
country. Other early newspapers were La Estrella (1847), Diario de Manila (1848)
and Boletin Oficial de Filipinas (1852). The first provincial newspaper was El Eco de
Vigan (1884), which was issued in Ilocos. In Cebu City, El Boleaetín de Cebú (The
Bulletin of Cebu) was published in 1890. One of the most influential Spanish-
language Filipino newspaper also include El Renacimiento (1901), printed in Manila by
members of the Guerrero de Ermita family until the 1940s.
The Philippine Revolution brought a wave of nationalistic literary works. Many writers
were propagandists and revolutionaries; basically Filipino nationalists who wanted
changes for the betterment of the Filipino people, or total independence from Spanish
authority. These include the works of Ilustrados like Pedro Alejandro Paterno, who
wrote the first novel written by a Filipino, Nínay (1885);Graciano López Jaena and
later on by Marcelo H. del Pilar, who edited and published the pro-Filipino
newspaper La Solidaridad (1889); and the Philippine national hero, José Rizal, who
wrote two famous novels in Spanish, Noli Me Tángere (1887) and El
Filibusterismo (1891).
Job S. Taccad STEM 11-Curie

Propaganda Movement

The Propaganda Movement (1872-1892) was the first Filipino nationalist movement, led by

a Filipino elite and inspired by the protonationalist activism of figures such as José

Burgos and by his execution at the hands of colonial authorities. Propagandists were

largely young men, often mestizos and creoles whose families could afford to send them to

study in Spanish universities in Madrid and Barcelona. There, they encountered the

tumult of 19th century political movements inspired by Enlightenment thought, individual

rights, constitutionalism, and anti-clericalism.

It was an assimilationist movement in that the propagandists—many of whom were of half

Spanish parentage and saw themselves as inheritors of Spanish civilization—believed that

the Philippines should be fully incorporated into Spain as a Spanish province and not

merely as a colony, with Filipinos granted the same citizenship rights accorded to Spanish

citizens. Second, it sought the expulsion of the Spanish friars from the Philippines and the

empowerment of a native Filipino clergy. Lastly, as a cultural movement, it showcased the

writing and artistic production of the young Filipino elite as a means of demonstrating

their intellectual sophistication, on par with their Spanish peers.

The Propaganda Movement targeted the Spanish government and public, but as an elite

movement failed to engage with the wider Filipino population. The Spanish government

was little interested in the conditions of the Philippines, particularly with the immense

political foment in the Spanish political environment, and the movement ultimately

received scant support and made little headway in Spain. The propagandists themselves

were considered to be rebels at home in the Philippines, and many were exiled. Despite its

overall failure, the movement generated a political consciousness that fed into the

nationalist revolution of 1896 and the struggle for independence that followed .
Job S. Taccad STEM 11-Curie

American period
The American occupation and eventual colonization of the Philippines paved the way for
newer styles and genres. Compared to the more rigid literature of the Spanish era, the
American period saw the popularity of the "free verse" in the Philippines, allowing for
flexible poetry, prose, and other wordcraft. The introduction of the English language was
also of equal importance, as it became one of the most common languages that Filipino
writers would use back then until today.
The first English novel written by a Filipino was The Child of Sorrow (1921) written
by Zoilo Galang. The early writings in English were characterized by melodrama, unreal
language, and unsubtle emphasis on local color. Short stories also gained popularity
during this period with many serials and stories published independently or through
newspapers. The most well-known was Manuel Arguilla and his anthology How My
Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife and Other Short Stories (1940), which won first prize
in the Commonwealth Literary Contest.
During this time, there was also a resurgence of interest in Filipino mythology and
folklore, and many works concerning them would be published, with the most well-known
being the many anonymous stories about the folk character Juan Tamad (1919). The level
of poetry in the Philippines had also risen, with poet Jose Garcia Villa making impacts in
poetry history for introducing the style of comma poetry and the "reversed consonance
rhyme scheme".

Japanese Period

The invasion of the Philippines started on 8 December 1941, ten hours after the attack on
Pearl Harbor. As at Pearl Harbor, American aircraft were severely damaged in the initial
Japanese attack. Lacking air cover, the American Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines withdrew
to Java on 12 December 1941. General Douglas MacArthur was ordered out, leaving his
men at Corregidor on the night of 11 March 1942 for Australia, 4,000 km away. The
76,000 starving and sick American and Filipino defenders in Bataan surrendered on 9
April 1942, and were forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March on which 7,000–
10,000 died or were murdered. The 13,000 survivors on Corregidor surrendered on 6 May.

Japan occupied the Philippines for over three years, until the surrender of Japan. A highly
effective guerrilla campaign by Philippine resistance forces controlled sixty percent of the
islands, mostly forested and mountainous areas. MacArthur supplied them by submarine
and sent reinforcements and officers. The Filipino population remained generally loyal to
the United States, partly because of the American guarantee of independence, because of
the Japanese mistreatment of Filipinos after the surrender, and because the Japanese had
pressed large numbers of Filipinos into work details and put young Filipino women into
brothels.
Job S. Taccad STEM 11-Curie

The Republic
As the Philippines gained its sovereignty from America, patriotism once again became a
central theme in Filipino literature. Besides stories of Filipino mythology and history, there
was also a boom in tales depicting the simple life of the common Filipino. These stories
often took place in the countryside, and portrayed every day Filipino activities like church-
going, farming, courting, and cockfighting.
The most well-known example was the short story My Brother’s Peculiar
Chicken by Alejandro Roces. Other prominent writers during the mid-20th century
were Carlos Bulosan, Nick Joaquin, Bienvenido Santos, Lualhati Bautista, and Rolando S.
Rinio. Carlos Bulosan, in particular, published the novel America Is In The Heart (1946),
which became one of the earliest glimpses and representations of the life of Asian-
American immigrants in the West. F. Sionel Jose is also a similar author who tackled
social injustice and elitism in his Rosales Saga (1973-1984).

Contemporary Period

The Contemporary Period in the Philippines generally refers to the time starting from the
1980s up to the present. This era is characterized by significant political, social, economic,
and cultural changes in the country. Some key events during this period include the EDSA
Revolution in 1986, the modernization of infrastructure, advancements in technology, and
ongoing efforts to address social issues and improve governance.