(1941-1945)

Reporters:
Aduviso, Julie Ann A.
Pagayunan, Charlotte A.
•Between 1941-1945, Philippine literature in English came
to a halt. Except for the Tribune and the Philippine
Review, Pillars, Free Philippines, and Filipina, almost
all newspapers in English were stopped by the
Japanese.
• Victoria Abelardo has described Filipino writing during
the Japanese occupation as being pessimistic and
bitter.
• Filipino literature also experienced renewed attention
because writers in English turned to writing in
Filipino.
• Juan Laya who used to write in English turned to
Filipino.
• The weekly LIWAYWAY was placed under strict
surveillance until was managed by a Japanese named
Ishiwara.
• The only contact with the outside world was done with
utmost secrecy through the underground radio
program called “Voice of Freedom”.
• Tagalog was favored by the Japanese military authority
and writing in English was consigned to a limbo.
Japanese were able to influence and encourage the
Filipino in developing the vernacular literature.
The common theme of most poems during the
Japanese occupation was nationalism, country,
love, and life in the barrios, faith, religion and the
arts.
Three types of poems emerged during this period.
 1. HAIKU
 2. TANAGA
 3. KARANIWANGA ANYO (Usual Form)
 A syllable is a part of a word
pronounced as a unit. It is usually
made up of a vowel alone or a vowel
with one or more consonants. The
word "Haiku" has two
syllables: Hai-ku; the word
"introduction" has four
syllables: in-tro-duc-tion.
 "Haiku" is a traditional form of
Japanese poetry. Haiku poems
consist of 3 lines. The first and last
lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and
the middle line has 7 syllables. The
lines rarely rhyme.
Here's a Haiku to help you remember:

I am first with five

Then seven in the middle --
Five again to end.
 tutubi
hila mo’y tabak…
ang bulaklak, nanginig!
sa paglapit mo.

dragonfly
pulling your sword…
the flower trembled
as you approached
 anyaya
ulilang damo
sa tahimik na ilog
halika, sinta.

invitation
lonely grass
by the silent river
come, my dear.
The Tanaga is an indigenous type of Filipino poem,
that is used traditionally in the Tagalog language. The
modern tanaga is used in a variety of Philippine
languages and English due to popularity in the 20th
century. Its usage declined in the later half of the 20th
century, but was revived through a collectivity of
Filipino artists in the 21st century. The poetic art uses
four んぬはいlines, each line having seven syllables
only. The art exemplifies teachings, idioms, feelings,
and ways of life.
 "Katitibay kang Tulos
Sakaling datnan ng agos!
Ako ay mumunting lumot
sa iyo ay pupulupot.“

"Oh be resilient you Stake

Should the waters be coming!
I shall cower as the moss
To you I shall be clinging."
• Dramatic Philippines.
A few of the playwriters were:
1. Jose Ma. Hernandez
2. Francisco Soc Rodrigo
3. Clodualdo del Mundo
4. Julian Cruz Balmaceda
The best writings in 1945 were selected. As a result of
this selection, the following got the first three
prizes:
 First Prize: Narciso Reyes with his LUPANG
TINUBUAN
 Second Prize: Liwayway Arceo’s UHAW ANG
TIGANG NA LUPA
 Third Prize: NVM Gonzales’ LUNSOD NAYON AT
DAGAT-DAGATAN
 Playing and listening to music were among the leisure
activities that somehow made life bearable for Filipinos.
 •Japanese music was heard daily in radio broadcasts. Their
songs were also taught in public schools.
 The performance of jazz and Western music identified
with the allied nations of the war was prohibited.
 The first was a Japanese Musical Mission to the Philippines
held on May 7, 1943, with the support of the New
Philippine Musical Federation headed by Kosak Yamada.
 • Concerts were also a common form of amusement for
Filipinos at the time and the Metropolitan Theater became
an important venue for cultural events.
 • The first all-Filipino orchestra was organized. It
performed an all-Philippine symphonic program in July
1942, with Francisco Santiago as conductor.
 • The impresario; Alfredo Lozano organized the New
Philippine Symphony Orchestra composed of Filipino
musicians.
 •The Philippine Conservatory of Music,an affiliate of the
Philippine Women’s University, was one of the few music
schools in the country that opened during the war.
Philippine literature in English experienced a dark period.
The few who dared to write did so for their bread and
butter or for propaganda.

Writings that came out during this period were journalistic in

nature.

Noteworthy writer of the period was Carlos P. Romulo who

won the Pulitzer Prize for his bestsellers I SAW THE FALL
OF THE PHILIPPINES, I SEE THE PHILIPPINES RISE and
his MOTHER AMERICA AND MY BROTHER
AMERICANS.
 Journalists include Salvador P. Lopez, Leon Ma.
Guerrero, Raul Manglapuz and Carlos Bulosan.
 Nick Joaquin produced THE WOMAN WHO
LOOKED LIKE LAZARUS. Fred Ruiz Castro wrote a
few poems.
 F.B Icasiano wrote essays in The Philippine Review.
Carlos Bulosan’s works included THE LAUGHTER OF
MY FATHER (1944), THE VOICE OF BATAAN, 1943,
SIX FILIPINO POETS, 1942, among others, Alfredo
Litiatico published With Harp and Sling and in 1943,
Jose P. Laurel published Forces that Make a Nation
Great.
1. LIKE THE MOLAVE
– by Rafael Zulueta
da Costa (Poetry) -
is one regarding
how the people of
the Philippines
must work to make
the nation stronger.
2. HOW MY BROTHER
LEON BROUGHT A
HOME A WIFE by
Manuel E. Arguilla (Short
Story) - The theme of
'How My Brother Leon
Brought Home a Wife' is
that one must preserve,
even through certain
sacrifices, in order to
reach one's goal.
3. LITERATURE AND
SOCIETY by Salvador
P. Lopez (Essay) - This
essay discusses the
personality of different
persons and also the
literature and the daily
news that concentrate
more on political
issues.
4. HIS NATIVE SOIL –
by Juan Laya (Novel)
• Tribune as Japanese propaganda on the latter days of
1941: Propaganda Corps - A group comprising Japanese
civilian forming the group were: 6 novelist and poets 4
painters 9 newspaper and magazine 5 cameramen 2
broadcasting technician 4 printing technician 14
catholic priests 12 protestant ministers 5 movie people
including a cameraman.
• As soon as the Japanese entered Manila, they
seized and padlocked the offices of the Manila
Bulletin and the Philippine Free Press.
• Propaganda Corps also drew up a list of conditions
for anyone who wished to go into publishing (Lent
1971, 203):
1. They must first secure a permit from the military,
2. They must submit to military censorship, and
3. Any violators of the above will be severely
punished.
• The last American strip permitted to run in the
Tribune was "The Phantom" by Lee Folk and Ray
Moore starting on 16 January 1942.
• Those American comic strips served as
entertainment and an escape for readers who
found the news about the war gruesome and off-
putting.
• The American strips were replaced by four komiks
that were permitted by Japanese censors to appear
on the pages of the Tribune from 1942 to 1944.
These were:
1. "The Philosopher of the Sidewalk" by Gat
which had a run of twenty-nine strips from
25 January 1942 to 16 August 1942.
2. "Now I've Seen Everything" by Ros
3. “The Boy 'Pilipino’“ by Keizo Simada
4. "The Kalibapi Family" by Tony Velasquez
 Tony Velasquez is known as the "Father of
Filipino Komiks" because of his works
before and after the Second World War.
• To support the language policy, the Tribune
starting with its issue on 17 February 1942
came out with a weekly column called the
"Japanese Corner."
• Radio station KZRH, one of the few
permitted to broadcast in the Philippines.
The program was called “Japanese Lessons"
by a Professor Kusama,
ありがとう ございます
Arigatō gozaimasu
Thank you!
Salamat!