Mapping Our Literary

Past, Present, and

Future
 Periods of Philippine Literature

Pre-colonial American Colonial Contemporary

Below – 1520 1900 – 1945 1946 - 2000

Spanish Colonial Japanese Occupation

1521 – 1900 1943 -1945
Philippine Precolonial
Literature
Existing or occurring BEFORE
an area (Philippines) undergoes
COLONIZATION.

Philippine Precolonial Literature

WRITINGS IN PROSE OR
VERSE with excellence of form
or expression and expressing
ideas of permanent or universal
interest. Merriam – Webster Dictionary, Inc. 2020
 The Precolonial Literature of the Philippines was marked by your ancestor’s daily
observations about life, explanations for natural phenomena, and beginnings of rituals.
These also function as an explanation for society and culture as they know it to be.

 Before the Philippines was colonized, it was already brimming with a rich tradition of
oral literature. Early Filipinos weaved together countless myths and legends to explain
certain phenomena in life. They had stories on how the world was created – why there is
a sun in the morning and the moon at night, how mountain was formed, why there are
earthquakes, and other life events.

 However, because paper was not invented yet, many of these tales were not preserved and
have vanished from local knowledge. Most of what have been transcribed now are taken
from oral literature, which means that these stories have been passed on from one
generation to another.
 Forms of Philippine
Precolonial Literature
 PROVERBS
PROVERBS
These are practical observations and philosophy of
everyday life that are written usually in a rhyming scheme.
It is obviously meant to entertain while teaching basic
skills in surviving local life. In Filipino, these are called
“salawikain”

“Kung ano ang puno, siya ang bunga.”

- Whatever the tree, so is the fruit. -
 PROVERBS
RIDDLES
These demand an answer and are used to test wits of those
who are listening to them. Usually, riddles (bugtong) are
used in a battle of wits, where locals young and old join
and/or watch to see who is the smartest.

“Heto na si Kaka, bubuka – bukaka.”

- Here comes Kaka, walking with an open leg.-
 PROVERBS
FOLKSONGS
These are beautiful songs that are informal expressions of
our ancestors’ experiences in life. These range from
courtship, which they sing in a “harana” or a serenade for a
girl, to lullabies, harvests, funerals, and others.

PROVERBS
 PROVERBS
TALES
These are stories of origin for certain places, their names,
and their creation. These are also known as MYTHS and
LEGENDS. They usually are used to explain certain events
or phenomena in our ancestors’ lives that cannot be
explained by the limited practical kind of science they
knew back then.

“Mount Makiling” or “Mount Arayat”

“Bernardo Carpio” (Great Hero)
 PROVERBS
EPICS
These are long-winded poems about a hero and his
adventures and misadventures. It usually tells of a male
hero who is born with all the pleasing qualities that your
ancestors like in a person and who also has superhuman
capabilities. One of the best epics of the Philippines comes
from Negros, which is the…

“HINILAWOD”
REFERENCES:

DIWA Senior High School Series; 21ST Century Literature from the Philippines
and the World

2019 Summer In-Service Training (INSET) for Senior High School Teachers;
Teaching the Essential Topics for 21ST Century Literature