21st Century Literature from the
Product of the writer's wild
Philippines and the World
Literature- came from the Latin word
“Litera/Literra” that means Letter.
- Any form of writing, it may be oral
or handwritten
- Relates to ideas and feelings of
people. (product of one’s
imagination).
Two common forms
● Poetry
- Written in lines.
- Characterized by having the
element of rhythm, sound,
imagery, and form.
a. Narrative Poetry. Tells a story and has
the elements of a narrative such as
characters, setting, conflict, etc. (epic,
ballad, metrical, tales).
b. Dramatic Poetry. 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. (monologue, dramatic, soliloquy)
c. Lyric Poetry. The most common type of
poetry that focuses on expressing feelings
rather than telling a story. (haiku, ode, elegy,
sonnet, song).
● Prose
- applies a natural flow of
speech and grammatical
structures.
- consisting of complete
sentences arranged logically
and sequentially in a
paragraph form.
a. Fiction.
imagination and creative thinking.
characters react to the main idea of a literary
work.
- Its three types are: short story, novel,
play, fable, legend, and novella.
- The main genres are crime, fantasy,
romance, science fiction, western,
inspirational, historical fiction and
horror. (Flash fiction- shortest story).
b. Non-fiction. Stories inspired by real
events where the writers aim to present
experiences based on facts.
- Opinions may be presented in the
form of essays, journals, diaries,
feature articles, editorials, and the
like.
- Autobiography, biography, narrative
essay, memoir, diaries, journal.
Divided into 3 most important period:
● Pre-colonial
● Colonial
● Post-colonial
Pre-colonial
- Early literary forms of the
Philippines were epics, legends,
riddles, and proverbs which were
told and retold by the natives.
- Oralis litterae- latin for Oral
Literature
- Baybayin
1. Riddles- a guessing game of objects
represented by other objects.
- Are like proverbs.
- Used in the battle of wits.
- Flippant in nature.
 ● Bugtong in Tagalog,
paktakon in Ilonggo,
patototdon in Bicol, and
buburtia in Ilocano.
Ex. Buto’t balat, lumilipad-
saranggola.
2. Myths and Legends- about the
origin of a thing, place, location or
name. The events are imaginary,
devoid of truth and unbelievable.
- Myths- serve to explain how
the world was created.
- Legends- explain the origin
of things.
- Fables- meant to teach
lessons
Ex. The Hinilawod- Tales from the
mouth of the Halawod River.
Mariang-makiling- famous
tagalog diwata. Guardian of Mt.
Makiling.
Sidapa at Bulan
3. Proverbs- Salawikain/Kasabihan.
- panultihon or pagya among
the Cebuano, kasebian in
Pampango, and humbaton or
hurobaton in Ilonggo.
daragiton or daraida in panay,
basahanan in Bukidnon.
- Entertaining and informative.
Ex. Bahay man ay palasyo Kung ang
laman ay kuwago Mabuti pa ang
kubong Laman ay tao.
Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga
4. Tales- stories of origin for certain
places, their names and their
creation. These are also known as
myths and legends. Mga alamat.
5. Folktales- made up of stories about
life, adventure, love, horror and
humor where one can derive lessons
about life.
6. Epics- heroic tales.
Ex. Biag ni Lam-ang, The
Hinilawod.
7. Folksongs- informal expressions of
our ancestor life experiences.
Ex. courtship, lullabies, harvests,
funerals. Kundiman, Kumintang o
Tagumpay, Ang Dalit o Imno, Ang
Oyayi o Hele, Diana, Soliraning and
Talindaw
8. Chants- used in witchcrafts or
enchantments.
9. Maxims- old saying or common
expression.
Spanish Colonial (1565-1898)
- Centered on religion.
- Roman Alphabet
- Traditional spanish theme
Religious
1. ANG DOCTRINA CRISTIANA
(THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE).
This was the first book printed in the
Philippines in 1593 in xylography
2. Nuestra Señora del Rosario. It
contains the biographies of saints,
novenas, and questions and answers
on religion
3. Libro de los Cuatro Postrimerias
del Hombre (in Spanish and
Tagalog). Is the first book printed in
typography.
4. Ang Barlaan at Josaphat. Biblical
story printed in the Philippines and
 translated to Tagalog from Greek by
Fr. Antonio de Borja
5. The Passion. book about the life and
sufferings of Jesus Christ. It is read
only during Lent. Urbana at Felisa.
1. Corrido- life of saints.
- 8 syllables (fast)
- faith
2. Awit- Chivalric poem about hero.
- Sung in religious processions
- 12 syllables (slow)
3. Pasyon- Narrative poem about jesus.
(birth-death)
- Women performers.
4. Tibag – The word tibag means to
excavate. Dramatic reenactment of
St. Helena for the Holy Cross on
which Jesus died.
5. Lagaylay – This is a special
occasion for the Pilareños of
Sorsogon during Maytime to get
together
6. Cenaculo – dramatization of the
Passion of Christ. Sufferings and
Death of Jesus Christ.
7. Panunuluyan – This is presented
before 12:00 on Christmas Eve.
presentation of the search of the
Virgin Mary and St. Joseph for an
inn wherein to deliver the baby Jesus
8. Salubong (or Panubong) - The
Salubong is an Easter play that
dramatizes the meeting of the Risen
Christ and his Mother. It is still
presented in many Philippine towns.
9. Carillo (Shadow Play) – this is a
form of dramatic entertainment
performed on a moonless night
during a town fiesta or on dark
nights after a harvest.
10. Zarzuela – considered the father of
the drama; it is a musical comedy or
melodrama of three acts. with man’s
emotions like love, hate, revenge,
cruelty, avarice or some social or
political problem.
11. Sainete – a short musical comedy
popular during the 18th century.
exaggerated comedies shown
between acts of long plays.
performed by characters from the
lower classes. Themes were taken
from everyday life scenarios.
12. MORO-MORO- Like the
Cenaculo, the Moro-moro is
presented also on a special stage.
This is performed during town
fiestas to entertain the people and to
remind them of their Christian
religion.
13. KARAGATAN- poetic vehicle of a
socio-religious nature celebrated
during the death of a person.
14. DUPLO- replaced the Karagatan.
poetic joust in speaking and
reasoning. roles taken from the Bible
and proverbs. usually played during
wakes for the dead.
15. BALAGTASAN- poetic joust or a
contest of skills in debate on a
particular topic or issue. Replaced
DUPLO. held to honor Francisco
“Balagtas” Baltazar
16. DUNG-AW- chant in free verse by a
bereaved person or his representative
beside the corpse of the dead. No
definite meter or rhyming scheme is
used.

Secular- Non-religious
- Ibong adarna
- Florante at Laura
Period of Enlightenment (1872- 1898)
- Revolution ( 1897-1898)
- illustrados began to write about the
hitch of colonization.
- The 333 years with Spaniards-
longest.
- Due to the need to see new hope in
the midst of multitude, the Filipino
spirit reawakened when the 3 priests
Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were
guillotined without sufficient
evidence of guilt.
- Propaganda Lit. Revolutionary Lit.
The Propaganda Movement (1872-1896)
- Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar;
Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio
Luna, Mariano Ponce, Jose Ma.
Panganiban, and Pedro Paterno.
Authors:
Leona Florentino (1849- 1884)
- Mother of women’s
philippine literature.
- Poems were included in
Encyclopedia International
des Oeuvres des Femme in
1889
Jose P. Rizal
1. NOLI ME TANGERE- novel that
gave spirit to the propaganda
movement. paved the way to the
revolution against Spain.
2. EL FILIBUSTERISMO- sequel
which exposed those in the
government and church
3. MI ULTIMO ADIOS - poem by
Rizal while he was incarcerated at
Fort Santiago.
4. SOBRE LA INDOLENCIA DE
LOS FILIPINOS (On the
Indolence of the Filipinos) - essay
on the so-called Filipino indolence
and an evaluation of the reasons for
such allegations.
5. FILIPINAS DENTRO DE CIEN
AÑOS– essay predicting the
increasing influence of the US in the
Philippines and the decreasing
interest of Europe.
Marcelo H. Del Pilar- Diariong Tagalog
1. PAG IBIG SA TINUBUANG
LUPA (Love of Country).
Translated from the Spanish AMOR
PATRIA of Rizal, published on
August 20, 1882, in Diariong
Tagalog.
2. KAIINGAT KAYO (Be Careful).
humorous and sarcastic dig in
answer to Fr. Jose Rodriquez in the
novel NOLI of Rizal, published in
Barcelona in 1883.
3. DASALAN AT TOCSOHAN
(Prayers and Jokes). Similar to a
catechism but sarcastically done
against the parish priests, published
in Barcelona in 1888.
Graciano López Jaena- La Solidaridad
1. ANG FRAY BOTOD (Friar Botod)
One of his works written in Jaro,
Iloilo in 1876, six years after the
 Cavite Revolt attacking the friars in
the Philippines. He exposed how
some of the friars.
2. LA HIJA DEL FRAILE (The
Child of the Friar) and
EVERYTING IS HAMBUG
(Everything is mere show) Jaena
explains the tragedy of marrying a
Spaniard.
3. SA MGA PILIPINO (1891) speech
which aimed to improve the
condition of the Filipinos to become
free and progressive
4. TALUMPATING PAGUNITA
KAY KOLUMBUS (An Oration to
Commemorate Columbus) speech
he delivered in Madrid on the 39th
anniversary of the discovery of
America.
Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897)- founder of
the Katipunan. Poetry- pag-ibig sa tinubuang
lupa.
Emilio Jacinto- Kalayaan
American Colonial (1898-1944)
- Education and culture
- English as medium
- Short stories. Free verse.
Newspapers
1. EL NUEVO DIA (The New Day)
Established by Sergio Osmeña in
1900. The American censors twice
banned this and threatened Osmeña
with banishment because of his
nationalistic writings.
2. GRITO DEL PUEBLO (The Call
of the Nation) Established by
Pascual Poblete in 1900.
3. EL RENACIMIENTO (The
Rebirth) Founded by Rafael Palma
in 1901
Plays
1. KAHAPON, NGAYON AT
BUKAS (Yesterday, Today and
Tomorrow) Written by Aurelio
Tolentino depicting the suppression
done by the Americans and their plan
to colonize the Philippines
2. TANIKALANG GINTO by Juan
Abad.
3. MALAYA by Tomas Remigio.
4. WALANG SUGAT by Severino
Reyes.
Authors
Jose Garcia Villa
- Reversed consonance rhyme scheme
- Poet of the Century
Paz-Marquez Benitez
- Short stories
- Dead stars (1925)
Zoilo M. Galang
- Child of sorrow
Japanese Colonial (1941-1945)
- Writers were forbidden
- almost all newspapers in English
were stopped by the Japanese.
- Many books are published in English
and filipino.
- Philippine literature in Tagalog was
revived during this period.
- nationalism
Poetry
Haiku
- Poem of free verse
- 17 syllables (5,7,5)
Tanaga
- Like haiku
- Short but has measure and rhyme
- Each line has 7 syllable
Tanka
- 5757
Karaniwang Anyo

Authors
- Brigido Batungbakal
- Macario Pineda- suyuan sa tubigan
- Serafin Guinigindo
- Liwayway Arceo- canal de lea riana
- Narciso Reyes- Lupang tinubuan
- NVM Gonzales
- Alicia Lopez Lim
- Ligaya Perez
- Gloria Guzman.

Late 20th century- martial law

- 1972-1985
- Protest, Prison, Proletariat,
Circumvention

21st Century- 2001-present

- Creative nonfiction
- Blog
- Hyper poetry
- Graphic Novels
- Mobile textula
- Digi Fiction
- Chick Lit
- Manga
- Speculative fiction
- Doodle Fiction
- Love
- Flash Fiction