PERIODS OF

PHILIPPINE LITERARY
HISTORY

LESSON 1
 Learning Objectives:

1. Define literary/literature
2. Identify the different Periods of the
Philippine Literary History
3. Appreciate the importance of Literature
LITERATURE
 LITERATURE

It is a term used to describe written and

sometimes spoken material. Derive from
Latin word “literature” meaning “writing
formed with letters”. Literature most
commonly refers to works of creative
imagination, including poetry, darama,
fiction, nonfiction and in some instances
journalism and song.
 Periods of Philippine
Literary History
•Our country is divided geographically into 17
regions. What makes it more interesting is the
rich number of ethnic groups and the dialects
each region has. Also, this region is represented
by their provinces.

•These regions are varied with distinct

dimensions and have unique literary pieces that
represent their culture, tradition.
 Periods of Philippine
Literary History

Literature plays a vital role in our lives. It

mirrors human experiences, and it lets you go
around the world and learn and experience
different cultures. It comes in various forms like
poetry, riddles, stories, legends etc. Philippine
literature withstood time and periods and has
evolved through generations. For every period
that passed, different genres appeared, and these
literary works rooted from all regions reflecting
their culture, society and lifestyle.
Before we land to the center of
this adventure, let us discover
first how it all began.
Our first stop is the Philippine
literary history and its
dimensions. Here is a chart
presenting the summary:
 Stages of Filipino
Literature:
Pre-colonial Period
•The early stages of Filipino Literature
consist of the Pre-Spanish period, the
Spanish period and the Propaganda
and Revolutionary Periods.
•The precolonial literature includes all
literature produced before the Spanish
colonization like chants, proverbs,
songs, and folk narratives. These were
all passed down from generation to
generation by word of mouth.
Philippine folk narratives are varied
and distinct. They depict the people’s
livelihood, customs, and traditions.
 Stages of Filipino
Literature:
Pre-colonial Period
1. Folktale – This is a characteristically anonymous,
timeless,
and placeless tale circulated orally among a people.
2. Fable – This features animal characters or
inanimate objects
that behave like people.
3. Legend – This is presented as history but is
unlikely to be true.
4. Myth – This is told to explain a belief, a practice,
or a natural
phenomenon.
5. Epic – This narrative poem celebrates the
adventures and
achievements of a hero.
 Stages of Filipino Literature:
Spanish Colonization Period

Expeditions to the Philippines were

sent by Spain in the 16th century. In
their conquest, the Spaniards brought
Christianity with them. The clergy
made a great impact on faith,
education, and government.
Philippine Literature changed during
the Spanish Period. It was centered
on Christian faith.
 Stages of Filipino Literature:
Spanish Colonization Period

There was a gradual shift of interest from nature

and natural phenomena to the lives of the saints,
hymns, miracles and invocations based on the
teachings of the Catholic Church. The works during
this time are imitative of the Spanish theme, forms,
and traditions. The corrido, awit, dalit, cenaculo,
moro-moro, duplo and karagatan, and zarzuela are
reflective of the said characteristics. Religious
matters were in prose as novenas and prayer books,
biographies of the saints, tales and novels.
 NOTABLE AUTHORS OF THE PERIOD
Francisco Baltazar Pedro Paterno Jose Rizal Andres Bonifacio Leona Florentino
(1788-1862) (1857–1911) (1861–1896) (1863–1897) (1849–1884)

the master of traditional wrote Sampaguitas y a prominent ilustrado the founder of the known as the “mother of
Tagalog poetry, became poesias varias (1880), and the country’s Katipunan, wrote the Philippine women’s
well-known for his work the first poetry national hero, is famous poem “Pag-ibig sa literature,” was a poet in
both Ilocano and Spanish.
Florante at Laura (1838- collection in Spanish by for the novels Noli Me Tinubuang Lupa.” This Twenty of her poems were
1861), the most famous a Filipino; and the novel Tangere and El poem appeared in the preserved and exhibited in
metrical romance of the in Spanish Ninay Filibusterismo. These Kalayaan, the official Europe. The poems were
country. (1885), considered to be novels portray the newspaper of the included in the
the first Filipino novel. corruption and abuse of Katipunan, in March Encyclopedia International
the Spanish officials and 1896. des Oeuvres des Femme in
the clergy. 1889.
Stages of Filipino Literature:
Spanish Colonization Period

The Revolutionary movement took over as

the propagandists failed to get much reforms.
This was of course more violent, and it
demands complete independence from Spain.
The Katipunan was founded by Andres
Bonifacio who was inspired by Rizal’s
novels. The articles written in tagalog (which
was a form of revolution) was published in
the Kalayaan, the newspaper of the society.
The literature at that time was more
propagandistic than literary as the situation
and events at that time needed such purpose
for liberation.
 The production
of literary works
in English is the
direct result of
the American Stages of Filipino Literature:
colonization of American
the Philippines. Colonization Period
 1. The first collection of poetry in English is
Filipino Poetry (1924), edited by Rodolfo Dato.
2. The short story “Dead Stars” (1925) by Paz
Marquez Benitez is considered as the first
Filipino modern short story in English.
3. A Child of Sorrow (1921) by Zoilo M. Galang is
the first Filipino novel in English.
4. The novel His Native Soil (1940) by Juan C.
Laya won first prize in the First Commonwealth
Stages of Filipino Literary Awards in 1940.
5. Filipino writers in English during the
Literature: apprenticeship period (1900–1930) imitated
American writing.
American Colonization
Period
 1. The poet Fernando Maramag writes in the
Romantic tradition in his sonnet “Moonlight on
Manila Bay” (1912).
2. Filipino fictionists copied Sherwood Anderson,
William Saroyan, and Ernest Hemingway. Jose
Garcia Villa used the Anderson pattern.
3. Manuel Arguilla and N. V. M. Gonzalez were
influenced by Anderson and Hemingway.
4. Francisco Arcellana was influenced by Saroyan.
Stages of Filipino
Literature:
American Colonization
Period
 During the
occupation,
publications were
censored by the
military. Also,
Tagalog was declared
an official language Stages of Filipino Literature:
(together with Japanese Colonization
Nihonggo). In effect, Period
Philippine literature
in English came to a
halt. Some Filipino
writers then turned to
writing in Filipino.
 The Tagalog short story reached its maturity
during the period. The best works were
compiled by the Liwayway magazine editors in
Ang Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang

Pilipino ng 1943, which came out in 1944. It is

a collection of stories that won a contest
sponsored by the Japanese. The top four stories
were “Lupang Tinubuan” by Narciso G. Reyes,
Stages of Filipino “Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa” by Liwayway
Arceo, “Nayon at Dagat-dagatan” by N. V. M.
Literature: Gonzalez, and “Suyuan sa Tubigan” by
Macario Pineda.
Japanese Colonization
Period
 Conclusion:
These periods mentioned are the core of our history
and literature. History has a very important role in
literature as literature not only reflects facts with
aesthetic language but more importantly, it displays the
ideas and feelings of the people living at that time. Not
only does literature exhibit history but so as the hope
that people have. It shows what they hope for the
nation, or for themselves, may it be about nationalism,
love, or other aspects going on in life.
 Stages of Filipino
Literature:
Contemporary Period

Philippine contemporary literature includes

all literary works written and published in
the Philippines from 1946. After World
War II. There was political, economic, and
social confusion, as well as great poverty,
and these issues found their way into the
short stories and novels during that time.
 Stages of Filipino
Literature:
Contemporary Period
Writers wrote fiction that focused
on courageous deeds as well as the
sacrifices and suffering in the lives
of Filipinos. It was also common
for writers to write about the
experiences of the Filipino people
under the Spanish and American
rule and the Japanese Occupation.
 Stages of Filipino
Literature:
Contemporary Period
Other subjects and themes include:

• religious faith
• superstitions
• fantasy
• social problems
• poverty
• politics
• nationalism
• morality
 Literary Works

Philippine literature flourished even more

during the postwar and contemporary
period. Writers were able to produce
short stories, novels, essays, and poems
that continue to be read by Filipinos
today.
21st Century Philippine Literature
21st century literature per se, is anything that
was written and published in the year 2000s. It
is a bit too early to give a definite and elaborate
description of the 21st century literature in the
Philippines and the world. It is possible,
however, to approach contemporary literature as
a reaction to and dialogue with existing forms of
expressive culture.
21st Century Philippine Literature
As we engage in technology more and more, we
create and discover more existing forms of
expressive culture as well. We have a wide
range of resources through the internet and this
gave opportunities to people, especially the
youth, to begin writing and expressing their
thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
 21st Century Literature:
Examples

Creative Nonfiction
It’s a rich mix of flavors, ideas, and techniques, some of which are
newly invented and others as old as writing itself. Creative
nonfiction can be an essay, a journal article, a research paper, a
memoir, or a poem; it can be personal or not, or it can be all of
these.

Some of the creative nonfiction in the Philippines are:

• “The Cardinal’s Sins, the General’s Cross, the Martyr’s Testimony, and
Other Affirmations” by Gregorio C. Brillantes
• “Manananggal Terrorizes Manila and Other Stories” by Jessica Zafra
• “Sapay Koma” by Jhoanna Lynn Cruz
 21st Century Literature:
Examples

Hyper Poetry
Hypertext poetry and hypertext fiction are new genres of literature
that use the computer screen as medium, rather than the printed
page. The literary works rely on the qualities unique to a digital
environment, such as linked World Wide Web pages or effects
such as sound and movement. Hypertext “poetry” can consist of
words, although not necessarily organized into lines and stanzas,
as well as, sounds, visual images, movement or other special
effects.
21st Century Literature:
Examples

Hyper Poetry
 21st Century Literature:
Examples

Chick Lit
This is genre fiction, which “consists of heroin-centered narratives
that focus on the trials and tribulations of their individual
protagonists”. The genre often addresses issues of modern
womanhood – from romantic relationships to female friendships to
matters in the workplace – in humorous and lighthearted ways.

Some of the chick lit in the Philippines are:

• Spotlight New Adult by Mina V. Esguerra
• Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
• All’s Fair in Blog and War by Chrissie Peria
 21st Century Literature:
Examples

Speculative Fiction
It covers all stories from fantasy to science fiction to slipstream to
magic realism to urban fantasy — so on and so forth. In other words
(or in other worlds), it encompasses all the stories that are removed
from the reality that we are currently living in. As the introduction
states, “speculative fiction is a type of story that deals with
observations of the human condition but offers the experience through
a different lens…and challenges us to see what tomorrow could be
like or what the mythic past of our imagination actually is.”
Some of the speculative fiction in the Philippines are:
• Smaller and Smaller Circles by FH Batacan
• Sink by Isabel Yap
• The Secret Origin of Spin-Man by Andrew Drilon
21st Century Literature:
Examples

Speculative Fiction
 21st Century Literature:
Examples

Flash Fiction
Flash fiction goes by many names, including microfiction,
microstories, short-shorts, short short stories, very short stories,
sudden fiction, postcard fiction and nanofiction. While it can be
difficult to pinpoint an exact definition of flash fiction based on
word count, consideration of several of its features can help
provide clarity, like its brevity, length, background and purpose.
Some of the flash fiction in the Philippines are:
• 100 Kislap, by Abdon M. Balde Jr.
• Karapote: Antolohia Dagiti 13 a Nasuerte A Sarita, by Ariel S.
Tabag
21st Century Literature:
Examples

Flash Fiction
 21st Century Literature:
Examples

Blog
A blog (shortening of “weblog”) is an online journal or
informational website displaying information in the reverse
chronological order, with latest posts appearing first. It is a
platform where a writer or even a group of writers share
their views on an individual subject.
21st Century Literature:
Examples

Graphic Novels
The ‘graphic novel’ has existed as an art form arguably from the
time our species learned how to paint. However, the term has
only been in use since the 1960’s, and though it’s often a hotly
debated issue, it’s generally accepted that a graphic novel is a
longer work or collection of works presented in ‘comics’ style.
Some of the graphic novels in the Philippines are:
• The Mythology Class (Nautilus comics) by Arnold Arre
• Light (Anino comics) by Rob Cham
• Sixty Six (Anino comics) by Russell Molina
• Maktan 1521 by Tepai Pascual
21st Century Literature:
Examples

Graphic Novels
As the Philippines underwent a lot of history, as
well as changes, literature also evolved. In the
similar case as the first four periods, literary
genres also evolve depending on the influence,
state and the condition that our country is in. From
epics to folksongs, to the cenaculo and Noli Me
Tangere, to Tagalog and English short stories,
essays, poetry, to the Palanca Awards entries,
drama and film, to Wattpad and blogs – these are
all reflective of the history, evolution, and
developments or mishaps of the Filipino nation.
Each period has its own distinct genre and
unique artists that everyone remembers.
QUESTIONS?
END OF PRESENTATION
THANK YOU!