Literature Under the Republic (1946-

1985)
Prepared by: Group 6
MKTG-FMGT 3A
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

A Merger Of Traditions

The taga-bukid and taga-bayan were the two cultures that made up the
political entities. The educated and the wealthy and the ones who lacked the
education and therefore did not qualify to exercise power. The taga bayan were
more inclined to the culture of the Free World, while the taga-bukid was the
nationalistic and anti American.
A transition from the Euro-Hispanic (socially conscious, deals with
reality) period to the Anglo-American (thrived more on aesthetic qualities and
was full of sentimentality and escapism) period of literature in the Philippines was
brought about by Villa, the contradictions between the two styles resulted in the
emphasis of a crisis for the Anglo American Tradition. It was later resolved in the
1970s. These two traditions had been implanted with indigenous traditions and
through the efforts of the Filipino writers can be clearly called the Filipino literary
tradition.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The literary figures during
these times were:
•Amado Hernández (1903-1970) - Luha ng Buwaya (1962) depicted the plight of
the peasantry and how exploitation by the landlords taught them to organize and
fight for their rights. Mga Ibong Mandaragit. (1960) – talks about American
domination of the Philippines, morally bankrupt religious leaders and corrupt
bureucrats.
•Lázaro Francisco (1898-1980) – Bayang Nagpatiwakal(1923), Ilaw sa Hilaga
(1948), Maganda pa ang Daigdig (1956), Daluyong(1962)
•Constante Casabar (1929- ) – Dagiti Mariign iti Parbangon (1957)
•Alberto Florentino (1931- ) – The World is an Apple and Other Prized Plays
(1959)
•Alejandro Abadilla (1904-1969) – Piniling Tula ni AGA (1965), 25
Pinakamabubuting Maikling Kwento ng 1443 (1944)
•Macario Pineda (1912-1950) –
•Genoveva Edroza-Matute (1915- ) – Ako’y Isang Tinig (1952)
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Existentialism and the
Search for Identity

When President Ramon Magsaysay died of a plan crash in Cebu, this

provoked an intellectual crisis. Claro M. Recto criticized President Ramon
Magsaysay for being submissive to the US, with the death of Ramon Magsaysay; the
country was under confusion and the people beginning to ask Recto for some
answers that would shed some light regarding the country’s political philosophy.
However Recto was not able to finish what he started because he dies in Rome of a
heart attack. With Recto’s death, the cultural scene in the Philippines became an
extension of the US; many major publications in New York were brought to the
Manila. Literary works included were poetry, fiction and drama, the latest literary
fads in the west spread like wildfire. Some of the creative writers whose works
were read by Filipinos were Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Norman Miller, Harold
Pinter, Edward Albee, Jean Genet, and Samuel Beckett.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The literary figures during
these times were:
•Kerima Polotan(1925- ) – Stories (1968)
•Tony Perez(1951- ) – Hoy Boyet (1968), Bombita (1981)
•Paul Dumol(1951- ) – Ang Paglilitis ni Mang Serapio (1969)
•Emmanuel Torres(1931- ) – Angels and Fugitives (1966), Shapes of Silence
(1972)
•Nick Joaquin(1917- ) – The Woman Who had Two Navels (1961)
•NVM Gonzalez (1917- ) – Season of Grace (1956), The Bamboo Dancers
(1959)
•Bienvenido Santos (1911-1995) – You Lovely People (1955), Brother my
Brother (1960)
•Ricaredo Demetillo(1919-1998) – Barter in Panay (1961)
•Wilfrido Nolledo(1934 - ) – But for Lovers (1970)
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Growing Militancy of
National Consciousness
Independence day was changed from July 4 to June 12. This period
marked the struggle of young Filipino writers to put back Tagalog writing at
par with its English counterparts who were composed of the elder writers
who left the Filipino tradition. English literature at that time was also more
popular because of publicity, unlike the Tagalog literature which was only
confined to the classrooms. The young Tagalog writers at the time were Rio
Alma, Lamberto Antonio, Federico Licsi Espino, Rogelio Mangahas, Pedro
Ricarte, Bienvenido Ramos, Epifanio San Juan Jr. for poetry and Efren
Abueg, Edgardo Reyes, Eduardo Bautista Reyes, Rogelio Ordonez and
Rogelio Sikat. Edgardo Reyes(1938- ), portrayed in Sa Mga Kuko nang
Liwanag the plight of probinsyanos who went to the cities for a better life
only to find themselves on a harder situation.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Philippine Literature

under the Martial Law
The nationalist movement also tapped into the power of organized
women, the MAKIBAKA (Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan) whose pupose
was to produce female literary artists and with the intent of spreading feminist
consciousness. Some of the female literary writers of MAKIBAKA were Lualhati
Bautista (fictionist, TV and scriptwriter), Aida Santos (Poet Essayist), Malou Jacob
(playwright), Elynia Mabanglo (poet), Marjorie Evasco (poet), Fanny Garcia
(fictionist), Rosalie Matilac (playwright and fictionist), Lilia Q. Santiago (poet,
fictionist, critic), and Joi Barrios (poet and playwright). Between 1965 and 1985,
many Filipino playwrights emerged and theatre activity all over the country was
bolstered. What was presumed to be lost with the withdrawal of sarswela to the
outskirts, came back in the form “cultural presentations”, which later became a
vibrant socially conscious which also enjoyed profitability because of the interests
of paying audiences.
POETRY
MANUEL H. BERNABE
(1890-1960)
A poet, linguist, and politician, Manuel Bernabe
was born on February 17, 1890 to Timoteo Bernabe and
Emilia Hernandez of Paranaque, Rizal.

He studied at the Ateneo de Manila where he

finished his Bachelor of Arts degree with high academic
standing. In 1910, Manuel's first poem was published in the Renacheimiento
Filipino. In 1912, he translated Virgil's Aenid from Latin to Spanish. In 1913,
he received an award for his poems The Hymn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
El Zapote, and Españ a en Filipinas.

In 1912, he joined the staff of La Democracia and in 1918, of La

Vanguardia of the Roces Publications. He was a columnist but from time to time
he also published poems and short stories.
 POETRY: The Pilgrimage of Death
by: Manuel Bernabe

• Is about the Bataan Death March

• It tell of how Filipino and American soldiers
suffered from the hands of the Japanese
Imperial Army.
POETRY
amado v. hernandez
(1970)
Amado V. Hernandez was born in Tondo, Manila on
September 13, 1903 to Juan Hernandez and Clara Vera. He
married zarsuela actor and kundiman queen Atang de la
Rama. Finished a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the American
Correspondence School.
Amado V. Hernandez is a renowned Filipino writer,
labor leader and political activist. Hernandez is famous for his works that usually
depict socio-political issues and which affect the country in one way or another -
perhaps one of the grounds that bred suspicion of him being a member of the
leftist communist group. In 1922, Hernandez joined literary circles such as the
"Aklatang Bayan." He also built connections to other writers including Lope K.
Santos and Jose Corazon de Jesus - some of the best writers Philippine literature
has to offer. During his early writing career, Hernandez wrote extensively for the
Tagalog newspaper "Watawat" (Flag.)
POETRY: magkasangang agos
by: amado v. hernandez
Short story
Nicomedes “nick” joaquin
(1917-2004)
Philippine novelist, poet, playwright, biographer,
and essayist writing in English, the National Artist for
Literature. Nick Joaquin was born in Paco on Calle
Herran, the son of Leocadio Y. Joaquin, a lawyer and a
colonel of the Philippine Revolution, and Salome Marquez,
a schoolteacher. After three years of secondary education at the Mapa High
School, Joaquin dropped out of school to work on Manila’s waterfront and in odd
jobs. On his spare time he read widely at the National Library and on his father's
library; he died when Joaquin was 13. Joaquin's brother Porfirio (Ping) Joaquin
was a jazz pianist and for a period he worked in the same vaudeville as a stage
hand. Joaquin started to write short stories, poems, and essays in 1934. His first
poem, a piece about Don Quixote, appeared in 1935 the Tribune, where he was
employed as a proofreader. Together with such writers as Stevan Javellana,
N.V.M. Gonzalez, Celso Carunungan, and Kerima Polotan Tuvera, Joaquin
influenced the development of the Philippine novel and short story.
 Short story: summer solstice
by: nick joaquin

Summary
The Tatarin, or otherwise known as the Tadtarin, was a three day festival
that celebrated a ritual of fertility. This was done only by women. Many men
frowned upon the extravagant dances and plays surrounding the ritual. "Summer
Solstice" is set during the three days of the St. John’s festival. Lupeng, a Filipino
woman who feels closed to her womanhood, is married to Paeng, who is no doubt
loyal to her. They have three small boys and live a somewhat wealthy life as they
have a carriage driver named Entoy and a maid and cook named Amada.
Guido is a cousin of Paeng’s who comes back to the Philippines after
studying in Europe. The story starts when the family is enjoying the days of the St.
John’s festival until Guido makes suggestive comments to Lupeng, and even
bending down to kiss her feet. This makes her leave abruptly and have a
discussion with her husband the coming night.
Guido is a cousin of Paeng’s who comes back to the Philippines after
studying in Europe. The story starts when the family is enjoying the days of the St.
John’s festival until Guido makes suggestive comments to Lupeng, and even
bending down to kiss her feet. This makes her leave abruptly and have a
discussion with her husband the coming night.
Short story
kerima polotan-tuvera
(1961)
Kerima Polotan-Tuvera (December 16, 1925 – August 19,
2011) was a Filipino author. She was a renowned and highly
respected fictionist, essayist, and journalists, with her works
having received among the highest literary distinctions of
the Philippines. Some of her stories have been published
under the pseudonym Patricia S. Torres.
Born in Jolo, Sulu, she was christened Putli Kerima. Her
father was an army colonel, and her mother taught home
economics. Due to her father's frequent transfers in
assignment, she lived in various places and studied in the public schools
of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Laguna, Nueva Ecija and Rizal. Her 1952 short story, (the widely
anthologized) The Virgin, won two first prizes: of the Philippines Free Press Literary
Awards and of the Palanca Awards. In 1957, she edited an anthology for the Don
Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, which English and Tagalog prize-
winning short stories from 1951 to 1952. Her short stories “The Trap” (1956), “The
Giants” (1959), “The Tourists” (1960), “The Sounds of Sunday” (1961) and “A Various
Season” (1966) all won the first prize of the Palanca Awards.
Short story: Sounds of sunday
by: kerima polotan-tuvera

A Formalistic Analysis of the Short Story The Sounds of Sunday:

Marriage is the social union or legal contract between individuals that

creates kinship. It is strengthen by love, devotion and passion. But what happens
what all those nice words fade? The story: The Sounds of Sunday by Kerima
Polotan Tuvera portrayed the possibility of the existence of this event and the
events that trigger more events. It has also taken on a new form as it was told
leaning towards the wife’s views unfolding flashback and present events. This
paper will use the formalistic style of criticism as the critic scrutinizes the basic
elements of the story that are connected to those events. The formalistic
approach believes that a literary work exists separately from its maker. So, in
analyzing, It is done simply by examining all the elements of a literary piece not
involving the author’s biography. The formalist critic examines the plot,
characterization, theme, and style to show how these elements contribute to the
structure, effectiveness, and aesthetic quality of the work.
drama
alberto s. florentino
(1954)
• Alberto Florentino is a Filipino playwright and book
publisher. His plays in English center on the conflicts in
the everyday lives of ordinary Filipinos. The most famous
among his works is The World is an Apple which earned
him his first Palanca Award in 1954 and remains one of
the most performed plays in the Philippines. His books of
plays include: The World is an Apple and Other Prize
Plays; The Portable Florentino; Memento
Mori; Sangyugto; Panahon ng Digma; From Book to Stage; among others. He
published/edited 75 books under his imprints from 1959 to 2001. Among them
were the early works of his colleagues like Jose Garcia Villa (Poems 55, A Doveglion
Book of Philippine Poetry, Poems in Praise of Love, Selected Stories from Footnote to
Youth, The Essential Villa) Nick Joaquin (Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, Laval de
Manila and Other Essays, The Song of Maria Clara and Other Poems, San Eustaquio,
martir, Saint Eustachius, martyr)and Francisco Arcellana (Selected Stories, 15
Stories by Francisco Arcellana, The Essential Arcellana)among many others.
 drama: cadaver
by: alberto s. florentino

This play is set on the edge of a cemetery in an

impoverished area of Manila. It tells the tale of the poverty
stricken and the lifestyle of the urban poor. The characters in
the story are Torio, Carding and Marina. They are
underprivileged and deprived of life's basic necessities and
resources. 

The moral of the story is that sometimes in life,

people lose control over their senses, reason and rationality.
When desperate enough, people go to any means possible in
an effort to provide for their family and keep themselves
alive.
drama
paul arvisu dumol
(1969)
Paul Dumol is a Philippine playwright and
an educator. He is presently the Chairman of
the Philippine Center for Civic Education and
Democracy. He is author of the A History of the
Filipino People for High Schools.

He graduated as a summa cum laude and valedictorian,

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts at the Ateneo de Manila
University. He then completed his Master of Liberal Arts with
specialization in Philosophy at the University of Navarre, Spain. He
holds a licentiate in Medieval Studies with specialization in
Philosophy from the Pontifical Institute for Medieval Studies in
Canada. He gained his Doctor of Philosophy in Medieval Studies
from the University of Toronto, Canada.
 drama: ang paglilitis ni mang serapio
by: paul arvisu dumol

Pinapakita sa dulang ito ang kayupan at paglalapastangan ng tao sa

kapwa niya tao at ang pagasang nagtatago sa bawat pangyayari maging ito man ay
masama o nakadudurog-puso. Ang dulang ito ay umiikot sa paglilitis ng isang
pulubing nagngangalang Serapio.Ang kanyang pagkakasala: Pagaalaga sa isang
bata, na tinaguriang isang paglabag sa isa sa mga batas ngfederacion ng mga
pulubi.

Ang ginawang ito ni Mang Serapio ay isang napakalaking pagkakasala

sapagkat ayon sa batas ng federacion, nawawalan ng taunang kita angfederacion sa
tuwing may inaalagaang bata ang isa sa mga kasapi nito sapagkat sa bata
napupunta ang kita imbes na sa kanila.

Nagsisimula ang dula sa loob ng isang hukom kung saan may dalawang
tagapagtanong na kinukwestyon si Mang Serpio hindi lang sa kasalanang
binibintang sa kanya kungdi pati na rin sa kaalaman niya sa batas ng federacion. Sa
loob ng federacion ay may kanya-kanyang klasipikasyon ang bawat miyembro.
novel
edgardo m. reyes
(1966)
Edgardo M. Reyes is a Filipino male novelist.
His literature first appeared in the Tagalog
magazine, Liwayway. His novels include Laro
sa Baga, and Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag. He is
also one of the authors of the critically
acclaimed anthology of Tagalog Short Stories,
the "Mga Agos sa Disyerto".
Apart from being a book author, Edgardo M. Reyes is also a
screenwriter whose film credits include Sa Kagubatan ng Lungsod
(The Jungle in the City) (1975), Hoy Mister Ako ang Misis Mo (Hey
Mister I Am Your Wife) (1976) and Uod at Rosas (Of Worms and
Roses) (1982). The plot descriptions of these films had been cited
and reviewed by the New York Times newspaper.
novel: umiigting ang mga kuko
by: edgardo m. reyes