PHILIPPINE REGIONAL

LITERATURE – HILIGAYNON
AND SUGBUANON
HILIGAYNON AND SUGBUANON LITERATURE
The Visayan region of the Philippines boasts their
own range of literature. The number of literary
masterpieces that have come from this part of the
country were as many as the number of islands that it
has.
HILIGAYNON AND SUGBUANON LITERATURE
Hiligaynon is the lingua franca of the Western Visayas,
which consists of the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique,
Aklan, Negros Occidental, and the island-province of
Guimaras.
Sugbuanon, on the other hand, is a dialect that is used
in central Visayas, eastern Visayas, eastern Mindanao,
and the greater part of northern and central Mindanao.
HILIGAYNON AND SUGBUANON LITERATURE
Both of these dialects have served as great
foundations which helped build the Visayan literature
of today.
HILIGAYNON LITERATURE
Hiligaynon literature, just like every other literature in
the Philippines, started out with the different mythological
stories passed by the ancestors to the next generation by
means of oral transmission. Stories of gods and goddesses,
and of great heroes, survived the ages by this method,
until we are able to transfer them into printed works.
HILIGAYNON LITERATURE
Hinilawod
Hinilawod is hailed as the oldest and longest epic
poem in Panay. Usually sung for a period of three
weeks at intervals of two hours a night, the complete
version of this epic consists of eighteen stories, each
representing three generations.
HILIGAYNON LITERATURE
Hinilawod
The epic poem revolves around the family of Alunsina,
the goddess of the eastern sea, and Datu Paubari, a mortal,
to which she gave birth to triplets: Labaw Donggon,
Humadapnon, and Dumalapdap. Each of their sons have
their own quests, which are mentioned in the epic poem.
The Hinawalod also speaks of how the islands of Iloilo,
Antique, and Aklan are formed.
HILIGAYNON LITERATURE
Maragtas
Maragtas serves as a story to retell the origin of the
Visayan people today. The story revolved around the
bravery of ten datus, who left Borneo and set on a
journey to the island of Panay to escape from a tyrannical
ruler. It also told the about the interaction between the
Negritos and the Malays.
HILIGAYNON LITERATURE
Maragtas
The people of Western Visayas excelled not just in
myths and folktales. They were able to excel in poetry
and prose, and are continuously developing their
literature throughout the years. Hiligaynon poetry
covers a wide range of themes, but they mainly reflect
Filipino moralistic behavior.
HILIGAYNON LITERATURE
Maragtas
While the pre-Hispanic era was filled with many
remarkable stories, it wasn’t‘ until the arrival of the
Americans, that the people saw the so-called Golden
Age of Hiligaynon literature.
HILIGAYNON LITERATURE
Maragtas
Two magazines have greatly contributed to the
development of Hiligaynon literature in the country. The
Hiligaynon magazines was established by Liwayway
Publications in Manila. The Yuhum magazine in Iloilo by
La Defensa Press, not only helped keep literature alive,
but also made it stronger.
HILIGAYNON LITERATURE
Maragtas
Novels, poems, short stories and other forms of
literary works not just in Hiligaynon, but also in
English and Spanish as well, have become popular.
THE COMMON LITERARY FORMS OF HILIGAYNON
LITERATURE
Hiligaynon literature has 6 common literary forms:
Ambahan: a ballad or unhrymed couplets. It is a long
and intricate song that is alternately sung by a soloist
and a chorus.
Ballad: a love song
Siday: a song of allusion to mythical heroes.
THE COMMON LITERARY FORMS OF HILIGAYNON
LITERATURE
Hiligaynon literature has 6 common literary forms:
Awit: a simple folk song, love song and work song
Haya: a dirge composed of two parts: parahaya, a
song for wakes and the anogon, a song regretting the
loss of a loved one and extolling him.
THE COMMON LITERARY FORMS OF HILIGAYNON
LITERATURE
Hiligaynon literature has 6 common literary forms:
Bical: a humorous and satiric song
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
Sugbuanon literature is characterized as abundant
and varied. Literary work comes in both oral and
written forms. For oral literature, they have folk tales,
sayings, songs, riddles, oration and theatricals.
Written forms of Sugbuanon literature ranged from
poems and plays to short stories and novels.
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
Vicente Sotto
Vicente Y. Sotto was a man of multiple roles, from
being a Senator to a journalist. He is a nationalist, a
freethinker, and is acknowledged as the Father of
Cebuano Literature.
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
Vicente Sotto
He began his journalistic career at the age of 22
when he first published La Justicia, which was the
first Filipino newspaper in Cebu. The newspaper was
unfortunately closed down because its contents were
perceived as anti-American.
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
Vicente Sotto
Sotto’s most popular works would be Ang Suga
(The Lamp, 1926) and Maming. Ang Suga was said to
be the first poetry in vernacular. Maming, on the other
hand, became the first published short story in
Sugbuanon.
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
The 7 Types of Folk Theatricals
Balitaw: a comic representation of the love chase in a
verse dialogue of courtship that develops into a wit
combat performed in song and dance.
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
The 7 Types of Folk Theatricals
Drama-Balitaw: developed from the balitaw, in
which a story line with spoken dialogue is woven
around at least balitaw sequences.
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
The 7 Types of Folk Theatricals
Duplo: a debate in verse with two or more characters
Balagtasan sa Balitaw: an incorporation of duplo and
balitaw where the courtship plot becomes a mere
framework for an argument on a non-romantic subject.
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
The 7 Types of Folk Theatricals
Kolilisi: a strictly private type of drama performed by
friends and neighbors to divert a bereaved family
from their sorrow. The actors play a king and his
courtiers who address one another in verse and put a
roundel game of verse recitations.
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
The 7 Types of Folk Theatricals
Bagamundo: a related type of folk play where a
vagabond stranger arrives at the gate of the kolilisi
kingdom and ventures to argue with the king and his
court into admitting and introducing him to the ladies.
SUGBUANON LITERATURE
The 7 Types of Folk Theatricals
Pamalaye: an old ritual of formalizing an engagement
to marry.
1. A humorous and satirical song.
Answer: Bical
2. An old ritual of formalizing an engagement to
marry.
Answer: Pamalaye
3. Vicente Y. Sotto began his journalistic career at the
age of 22.
Answer: True
4. An incorporation of duplo and balitaw where the
courtship plot becomes a mere framework for an
argument on a non-romantic subject.
Answer: Balagtasan sa Balitaw
5. Haya is a dirge that is composed of three parts.
Answer: False
6. The first short story in Sugbuanon.
Answer: Maming
7. Sugbuanon is a dialect spoken in central Visayas, as
well as in the greater part of northern and central
Mindanao.
Answer: True
8. A comic representation of the love chase in a verse
dialogue of courtship that develops into a wit combat
performed in song and dance.
Answer: Balitaw
9. Hinilawod is the oldest and longest epic poem in
Panay.
Answer: True
10. Hiligaynon is the lingua franca of Northern
Mindanao.
Answer: False
11. Sugbuanon literature is characterized as:
Answer: Abundant and varied
12. The Yuhum magazine in Iloilo was established
by:
Answer: La Defensa Press
13. The story of Maragtas is about a group of datus
and their escape from Borneo.
Answer: True
14. Hinilawod is commonly sung for a period of three
days, non-stop.
Answer: False
15. A song of allusion to mythical heroes.
Answer: Siday