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21st Century Literature From The Philippines
21st Century Literature From The Philippines
phenomenon.
5. Epic – This narrative poem celebrates the adventures
Example 1:
Juan Gathers Guavas (A Tagalog Folktale)
One day several neighbors came to Juan’s home to visit. His father wanted to
give the guests something to eat, so he sent Juan to get some ripe guavas for
them.
Full of mischief, Juan decided to play a joke on his father’s guests. He went to
get the guavas and ate all of them while thinking of a good joke. Then he saw
a wasp’s nest hung nearby. With some difficulty he managed to take it down
and put it into a tight basket. He hastened home and gave the basket to his
father. Quickly he left the room where the guests were and closed the door
and fastened it.
As soon as Juan’s father opened the basket, the wasps flew over the room.
With the door locked, the people fought to get out of the windows. After a
while Juan opened the door. When he saw the swollen faces of the people,
he cried.
“What fine, rich guavas you must have had! They have made you all so
fat!”
Example 2:
Juan Pusong and His Father’s Cows (A Visayan
One day Juan Pusong's father put his cows out to pasture. Juan slipped away
Folktale)
from home and took the cows into the forest and tied them there. When his father
found out that the cows were missing, he looked around for them. While looking,
he ran into his son.
“Where did you come from?” he asked.
“I just came from school, Father. How about you, where are you going?”
“I am looking for our cows.”
“You don’t say!" said Juan.
By that time, everybody knew about Juan’s power as a seer. So, he took
a little
book from his pocket and looked into it. He said, “Our cows are tied together in the
forest.” So, his father went to the forest and found the cows.
Later on, people would discover that Juan could not read even his own name.
Consequently, his father beat him for the trick he had played on him.
Fabl
The monkey is a common animal character in Philippine fables.
eIt is often depicted as a cunning animal.
Example:
The Monkey and the Crocodile (A Tagalog Fable)
One day, a monkey saw a tall macopa tree laden with ripe fruits, which stood
by a wide river. It was hungry, so it climbed the tree and ate all of the fruits.
When it climbed down, it could find no means by which to cross the river.
Then it saw a young crocodile who had just woken up from its siesta. It said
to the crocodile in a friendly way, “My dear crocodile, will you do me a
favor?”
The crocodile was greatly surprised by the monkey’s amicable salutation. So,
it answered humbly, “Oh, yes! If there is anything I can do for you, I shall be
glad to do it.” The monkey then told the crocodile that it wanted to get to the
other side of the river. Then the crocodile said, “I’ll take you there with all my
heart. Just sit on my back, and we’ll go at once.”
The monkey sat firmly on the crocodile’s back, and they began to move. In a
short while they reached the middle of the stream. Then the crocodile began
to laugh aloud. “You foolish monkey!” it said, “I’ll eat your liver and kidneys,
for I’m very hungry.” The monkey became nervous.
Trying to conceal its anxiety, it said, “I’m very glad that you
mentioned the matter. I thought myself that you might be
hungry, so I have prepared my liver and kidneys for your
dinner. Unfortunately, in our haste to depart, I left them
hanging on the macopa tree. Let us return, and I’ll get them
for you.”
Convinced that the monkey was telling the truth, the crocodile
turned around and swam back to the direction of the macopa
tree. When they got near the riverbank, the monkey nimbly
jumped up onto the land and scampered up the tree. The
crocodile came to realize what happened and said, “I am a
fool.”
Legend
There are different Filipino legends of the great flood. The story of Bukidnon, for
instance, tells that a huge crab caused the water to rise by going into the sea. On the
other hand, the Igorot story tells that the sons of Lumawig the Great Spirit caused the
flood.
Example 1:
The Flood Story (A Legend of Bukidnon)
A long time ago there was a very big crab which crawled into the sea. When it went
in, it crowded the water out so that it ran all over the earth and covered all the land.
Now about one moon before the flood happened, a wise man had told the people
that they must build a large raft. They did as he commanded and cut many large
trees until they had enough to make three layers. These they bound tightly together;
when it was done, they fastened the raft with a long rattan cord to a big pole in the
earth.
Soon after the raft was done, the flood came. White water poured out of the hills,
and the sea rose and covered even the highest mountains. The people and animals
on the raft were safe, but all the others drowned.
Soon the waters went down, and the raft was again on the ground. It was near their
old home, for the rattan cord had held.
The people on the raft together with the animals were the only ones left on the
whole earth.
Example 2:
The Flood Story (A Legend of the
Igorot)
Once upon a time, the world was flat, and there were no mountains. There lived
two sons of Lumawig, the Great Spirit. The brothers were fond of hunting; since no
mountains had formed, there was no good place to catch wild pig and deer. The
older brother said, “Let us cause water to flow over all the world and cover it, and
then mountains will rise up.”
So, the brothers caused water to flow over all the earth. When it was covered, they
took the head-basket of the town and set it for a trap. They were very much
pleased when they went to look at their trap, for they had caught not only many
wild pigs and deer but also many people.
Lumawig looked down from his place in the sky and saw that his sons had
flooded
the earth. However, there was just one spot which was not covered. All the people
in the world had been drowned except a brother and a sister who lived in Pokis.
Then Lumawig descended, and he called to the boy and girl, saying, “Oh, you are
still alive.”
“Yes,” answered the boy, “we are still alive, but we are very cold.”
So, Lumawig commanded his dog and deer to get fire for the boy and girl. The dog
and the deer swam quickly away. Lumawig waited a long time, but the dog and
the deer did not return. All the time the boy and girl were growing colder.
Finally, Lumawig himself went after the dog and the deer. When he reached them,
he said, “Why are you so long in bringing the fire to Pokis? Get ready and come
quickly while I watch you, for the boy and girl are very cold.”
Then the dog and the deer took the fire and started to swim through the flood.
When they had gone only a little way, the fire was put out.
Lumawig commanded the dog and the deer to get more fire, and they did so.
However, they swam only a little way again when that of the deer went out.
That of the dog would have been extinguished also had not Lumawig gone
quickly to him and taken it.
As soon as Lumawig reached Pokis, he built a big fire which warmed the brother
and sister. The water evaporated so that the world was as it was before, except
that now there were mountains. The brother and sister married and had
children, and thus there came to be many people on the earth.
Myth
There are Philippine versions of the creation myth. The Igorot’s story tells
that Lumawig the Great Spirit created people. On the other hand, the
Tagalog story tells that the first man and woman came from a bamboo.
Example 1:
The Creation (An Igorot Myth)
In the beginning, there were no people on the earth. Lumawig, the
Great Spirit, came down from the sky and cut many reeds. He divided
the reeds into pairs which he placed in different parts of the world,
and then he said to them, “You must speak.” Immediately the reeds
became people, and in each place was a man and a woman who
could talk. However, the language of each couple differed from that of
the others.
Then Lumawig commanded each man and woman to marry, which
they did. By and by there were many children, all speaking the same
language as their parents. The children married and had many
children of their own. In this way, there came to be many people on
the earth.
Now Lumawig saw that there were several things which the people on the
earth needed to use, so he set to work to supply them. He created salt and
told the inhabitants of one place to boil it down and sell it to their neighbors.
However, the people could not understand the directions. The next time he
visited them, they had not touched the salt. So, he took the salt away from
them and gave it to the people of a place called Mayinit.
The people of Mayinit did as Lumawig directed. Because of their obedience,
he told them that they should always be owners of the salt and that the other
peoples must buy of them.
Then Lumawig went to the people of Bontoc and told them to get clay and
make pots. They got the clay, but they did not understand the molding; the jars
were not well shaped. Because of their failure, Lumawig told them that they
would always have to buy their jars, and he removed the pottery to Samoki.
Lumawig told the people of Samoki what to do, and they did just as he said.
Their jars were well shaped and beautiful. Then Lumawig saw that they were
fit owners of the pottery, and he told them that they should always make many
jars to sell.
In this way, Lumawig taught the people and brought to them all the things
house later became the chiefs of the islands; and those who
concealed themselves in the walls became slaves. Those who ran
outside were free men; and those who hid in the fireplace became
negroes; while those who fled to the sea were gone many years,
and when their children came back they were the white people.
Epic
The Philippine epics are sung or chanted in episodes. They
feature supernatural characters and reflect the society where
they originated. Also, there are different versions of a story.
Examples:
Biag ni Lam-ang
This Ilocano epic tells the adventures of Lam-ang, a man with supernatural powers.
He goes to war at nine-months-old and seeks the killers of his father. He embarks on
a quest with his animal friends and meets his future wife, Innes Kanoyan. He is
swallowed by a fish and resurrected from death by his animal friends.
Hinilawod
This epic is of the Sulod, a group of people living in the mountains of central Panay. It
tells the story of three very strong men, namely, Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon, and
Dumalapdap. They are the sons of Datu Paubari, the ruler of Halawod, and the
goddess Alunsina. The exploits of each son concerns beautiful women that he wants
to have as a wife.
Darangan
This Maranao epic depicts the adventures of a brave warrior named Bantugan. He
owns a magical sword protected by a spirit. After a battle, he rests and accidentally
falls into the water. A crocodile finds him and brings him to the enemies. He fights,
regains his strength, and wins the war.
Summ ary
The precolonial literature of the Philippines
includes all literature produced before the
Spanish colonization. It includes chants, proverbs,
songs, spells, and different folk narratives like
folk tales, fables, legends, myths, and epics that
were all passed down from generation to
generation through the word of mouth.
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
DURING THE SPANISH
COLONIAL PERIOD
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
•Na m e some literary works published during
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Summ ary
Philippine Literature during the Spanish occupation
was mostly influenced by Christianity as well as the
European ideals of liberty and freedom through
trade. Filipino writers either wrote in Spanish or in
their own tongue or both.
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
DURING THE AMERICAN
AND THE JAPANESE
PERIODS
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
•identify some Filipino writers who produced
Maramag.
Learn about it!
Notes on the American Occupation
(1898–1940)
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. 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.
Notes on the 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
on Leyte on October 20, and the biggest naval battle in history ensued.
The Japanese surrendered formally on September 2, 1945.
superstitions
fantasy
social problems
poverty
politics
nationalism
morality
Literary Works
Philippine literature flourished even more during the
period are:
M a y Da y Eve by Nick Joaquin, 194 7
wrote the short story "We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers." This story
focuses on the drinking habits and culture of Filipinos and
Americans.
Edith L. Tiempo's p oe m "The Return" is a sentimental piece that
Explanation:
In the story "Footnote to Youth," Dodong is the symbol for
He was the first Filipino journalist who was awarded with the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism.
He was also the first Asian who served as the president of the United Nations General
Assembly.
"I am a Filipino" is one of the many essays written by Carlos P. Romulo. It was published
He also wrote the book entitled I Saw the Fall of the Philippines, in which he narrated his
personal experiences as an aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur in Corregidor. This
book was followed by a sequel, I See the Philippines Rise, a journalistic account of the
Philippine War in 1944.
Among his other famous literary works are Mother America: A Living Story of Democracy, a
discussion of his political ideals about American democracy in the Philippines, and I Walked
with Heroes, his autobiography.
He was conferred as National Artist for Literature in 1982.
pride of being a Filipino. He takes pride in the bravery and sacrifices of the
heroes who fought for freedom like Lapu-Lapu , Diego Silang, Jose Rizal ,
Gregorio del Pilar, Antonio Luna, and Manuel L. Quezon.
He also emphasizes the beauty of the Philippines as blessed with bountiful
The short story is set in the afternoon until evening at the house of the Angeles
family.
b. Plot
Exposition
Mr. Angeles comes from a periodic inspection trip in Mariveles. During the trip, he
writes to his family and gets them excited about the exceptionally beautiful
and colorful mats he bought from an artist.
Rising Action
Upon arriving, he gives the mats one by one to his children. Each mat is woven
with his child’s na m e and symbols. They are all happy to receive the mats.
Climax
There are three mats that are to be unfolded. In a loud voice, he offers the three
mats to his dead children na me d Josefina, Victoria, and Concepcion.
Falling Action
Nana Emilia, anguished, said he should not have bought mats for them, but Mr.
Angeles insists that they must be remembered.
Conclusion
The children feel the tension and see the grief in the face of Mr. Angeles and the
sadness of Nana Emilia. The father unfolds the three mats in silence.
c. Theme
Coping with the death of a loved one is a struggle.
Commemorating his or her life is painful, but it must
be faced with courage and faith.
Explanation:
Francisco Arcellana presented the story using a
Exposition
The story begins one sunny afternoon when Tarang’s father arrives with a pig
to be taken care of by Tarang, a seven-year-old boy.
Rising Action
Tia Orang, an old midwife, sees Tarang and tells him to inform his mother of
her passing by.
Climax
Tatay and Nanay, Tarang’s parents, together with their neighbors are all set
for performing religious rites after kaingin (burning of trees). They believe that
these practices will take away all evil spirits and will give them a bountiful
harvest. Tatay lays the pullet’s neck and lets the streaks of blood drop on the
ash-covered loam.
Falling Action
After the clearing of the land, Tia Orang visits the family and performs hilot on Nanay
and tells her that she is ready to bear a child. She also shares stories of evil ones and
spirits.
Conclusion
Tarang, half-awake, hears the noise outside, gets up, and accidentally strikes a tree
stump with his big toe. The hurt does not concern him, for he is more interested in
seeing how life emerge from the land as the rice grains peek through the dirt
c. Theme
Death forms new life. Death and new formations of life are recurring motifs in the
story. When a living thing dies, a new life emerges. The story paints a cycle of life and
death for the family. The kaingin practice and the killing of the pullet as a ritual are
some forms of deaths that the family believes will bring new life like a bountiful
harvest and another child.
Explanation:
The use of words such as kaingin, hilot, Nanay, and Tatay is part of
N.V.M. Gonzalez's writing style, as even his other works showcase
terms that are unique to the setting of the story. Analyzing a story will
help readers see details such as this that will give them ideas
regarding the writer's contributions to Philippine literature .
N.V.M. Gonzalez is known as a local
colorist writer. Local color is a literary
technique that features the unique
regional traditions of people and
emphasizes the ordinary events in their
lives. This is used by N.V.M Gonzalez
to present the sociocultural
dimensions of Filipino families and
farmers in the provinces. In "Children
of the Ash- Covered Loam," words
that show local color include kaingin,
Tip
Since the terms used by local colorists
m a y be unfamiliar to you, you should
analyze and infer their meaning by
taking note of context clues in the story.
LIFE AND WORKS OF
EDITH L. TIEMPO
Objective
At the end of this lesson, you should
be able to identify Edith L.
Tiempo's contributions to
Philippine literature by analyzing
her literary works.
Learn about it!
Edith L. Tiempo
Edith L. Tiempo was a Filipino writer in English. She was a poet, fiction writer,
and literary critic.
She was known for using intricate and witty representations to portray
significant h uma n experiences.
S o me of her well known poems are "The Return," a poem that describes the
characteristics of old age, "Lament for the Littlest Fellow," a poem that
presents a metaphor to describe the plight of a submissive wife under her
domineering husband, and "Bonsai," a poem that gives a look at how
tangible objects could be keepers of memories and emotions.
As a fictionist, she was known for her moral profoundness. One of her
remarkable short stories, "The Black Monkey," won third prize in the Carlos
Palanca Memorial Award. "The Black Monkey," which is set during the time
when guerrillas were fighting against the Japanese during World War II,
narrates the tormenting encounter of a woman with a monkey.
She also wrote the novel A Blade of Fern, which depicts the problems of
Filipino miners of Nibucal in southern Philippines.
She was awarded as the National Artist for Literature in 1999.
She founded with her husband the Silliman University National Writers
Workshop, which produced great young writers of her time.
Analyzing the literary work of a writer would help in determining what her
contributions are to literature.
Example:
Below is an excerpt of Edith L. Tiempo's poem "The Return."
The Return
If the dead years could shake their skinny legs and run
As once he had circled this house in thirty counts,
he would go thru this door among those old friends and
they would not shun
Him and the tales he would tell, tales that would
bear more than the spare
Testimony of willed wit and his grey hairs.
And he would live in the whispers and locked
heads.
Wheeling around and around turning back was where he started:
The turn to the pasture, a swift streak under a boy’s running;
The swing, up a few times and he had all the earth he wanted;
The tower trees, and not so tall as he had
imagined;
The rocking chair on the porch, you
pushed it and it started rocking,
Rocking, and abruptly stopped. He, too, stopped in the doorway, chagrined.
He would go among them but he would not tell, he could be smart,
He, an old man cracking the bones of his embarrassment apart.
The excerpts cited in this material are copyrighted by their respective
authors. Quipper ensures that the use of these works has permission from
Explanation:
Old age is the subject of the given poem. This poem describes the life of an
old man who loved to travel in his youth. The phrases dead years, skinny
legs, and thirty counts denote the physical weakness and isolation that the
old man feels. The old man wants to visit his friends to bond with them and
share to them his travel stories and experiences. Hopelessly, he sees only
the things associated with old age: irritability and illness, rocking chair,
pasture, and the tower tree.
The themes or messages of the poem are:
Rizal.
He edited various literary and journalistic publications, and he
Latak and Sam Christie. Philip was residing in the city for years
against his family’s wishes. Sam, his colleague, was an American
who wanted a bulol, an Ifugao god sculpture, as a souvenir before he
gets back to Boston. Philip stole his grandfather’s bulol for Sam, as
he felt indebted to repay Sam’s kindness. Then Philip’s grandfather
died, and he no longer wanted to come with Sam back in the city.
Explanation:
The story tackles one of the many effects of colonization, that is,
Virgilio
S. Almario to Philippine Literature; and
• analyze one of his poems.
Learn about it!
Virgilio S. Almario
(Reproduced by permission of
Explanation:
The poem "High Zoociety" is part of the collection Doktrinang
Alejandro R. Roces was a Filipino literary writer. He was born on July 13,
1924.
He was a playwright, an essayist, and a short story writer. He was also a
columnist at the Philippine Star, the Manila Times, and the Manila Chronicle.
He attended the Ateneo de Manila University for his primary and secondary
education and the University of Arizona where he earned his degree in fine
arts. He pursued further studies at the following institutions: Far Eastern
University (master’s degree); Ateneo de Manila University, Polytechnic
University of the Philippines, St. Louis University, and Tokyo University in
Japan (doctorate).
Alejandro R. Roces was known for his short story "We Filipinos Are Mild
Drinkers," a story about an American soldier in the Philippines who brags
about his drinking habits, but becomes overly drunk after
drinking lambanog offered by a Filipino farmer.
From 1961 to 1965, he served as the Secretary of Education under the
regime of former president Diosdado Macapagal. He has also served as
chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
(MTRCB) in 2001.
From 1961 to 1965, he served as the Secretary of
Education under the regime of former president Diosdado
Macapagal. He has also served as chairman of the
Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
(MTRCB) in 2001.
His other literary works are "My Brother’s Peculiar
Chicken," a story which talks about two brothers who
were arguing whether the chicken they caught was a hen
or a rooster; S o m e t h i n g to C r o w A b o u t , the first
Filipino zarzuela in English about a m a n n a m e d Kiko who
earns a living by m ea ns of cockfighting; and Fiesta, a
collection of essays about various Philippine festivals.
Alejandro R. Roces was conferred as National Artist for
Literature in 2003.
He died on M a y 23, 2011.
Read the synopsis of “ M y Brother’s Peculiar Chicken” below, one
of Alejandro R. Roces’ notable works.
Synopsis:
Kiko and his brother found a peculiar chicken. They argued whether
event appear better or worse than what it really is. In the story,
Kiko’s brother shared how they were almost whipped for arguing
too much.
Surprise – is a literary device commonly found in unlikely situation
Poetry Collections
Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa (1993)
were the Special Prize from the Palanca Awards for his poetry collection
Sunog sa Lipa at Iba Pang Tula in 1975, the Ra mon Magsaysay Award for
Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts in 1993, and the
Philippine Centennial Literary Prize for Dra ma in 1998.
Lumbera received the title of National Artist for Literature in 2006.
A Eulogy of Roaches
by Bienvenido Lumbera
Blessed are the cockroaches.
(Reproduced by permission
Analysis of the Poem
Published in 1965, “A Eulogy of Roaches” is a piece
of B a g a y poetry. Its subject, the roaches, represents a deeper
meaning. However, the poet merely focuses on giving precise
visual images of the subject and not on explicitly stating its
representations.
The poet uses imagery, a literary technique in which
figurative language is used to appeal to the reader’s physical
senses. An example is the poet’s description of roaches as
“friends to dark and filth.”
Also, the poet uses juxtaposition, a literary technique in
which two (or more) ideas are placed side by side for
comparison and contrast. In the last two stanzas, the poet
draws both a comparison and a distinction between the
roaches’ life and the life of the poor: that the poor die simply of
starvation, but the roaches still go on living their short lives
in the “cupboards of the rich, the strong, the wise, the dead.”
Summ ary
Bienvenido S. Lumbera is a poet, critic, and
librettist. He has made valuable contributions
in the development of Philippine literature
especially in the vernacular language. He has
published works in English and Filipino and
received numerous awards including the
National Artist for Literature title in 2006.
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