HISTORY OF

PHILIPPINE
LITERATURE
AMERICAN AND JAPANESE PERIOD

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AMERICAN PERIOD
• The Philippine literary production during this era was spurred by two
significant developments in education and culture: 1) it is the
introduction of free public instruction for all children of school age,
and 2) it is the use of English as the medium of instruction at all levels
of education in public schools. During the apprenticeship period,
Philippine English literature had become imitative of Americans'
manner of writing.

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AMERICAN PERIOD
Development of Literature
• Rodolfo Dato edited the first collection of poetry in English. Another anthology, The
English German Anthology of Poets, edited by Pablo Laslo, was published and covered
poets from 1924 to 1934.
• During the period of apprenticeship in literary writing in English, the imitation of the style
of storytelling and adherence to the forms of the short story practiced by famous
American writers was evident in fictional works.
• When the University of the Philippines was founded in 1908, an elite group of writers in
English started to exert influence among the culturati. The U.P. Writers Club, founded in
1926, stated that one of its aims was to enhance and propagate the Shakespearian
language.
• The combination of writing in a borrowed tongue while dwelling on Filipino customs and
traditions earmarked the literary output of major Filipino fictionists in English.

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JAPANESE PERIOD
• Philippine literature in English came to a stop when Japanese
colonized the country.
• Because of strict prohibitions regarding writing in English, Philippine
literature in Filipino was given attention as many wrote plays, poems,
and short stories using the language. The topics and themes were
often about life in the provinces.

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JAPANESE PERIOD
Highlights of the Philippine Literature
• Tagalog was declared one of the country's official languages during
the Japanese occupation.
• Philippine authors did not master the Japanese language nor claim it
as our own.
• During the Japanese occupation, published literary works were
censored, especially those written in English.
• The Tagalog short story achieved its maturity during the period.

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JAPANESE PERIOD
Highlights of the Philippine Literature
• The best works were collected by the Liwayway magazine editors in
Ang Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang Pilipino ng 1943, published in
1944.
• The top four stories were:
• “Lupang Tinubuan” by Narciso G. Reyes
• “Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa” by Liwayway Arceo
• “Nayon at Dagat-dagatan” by N. V. M. Gonzalez, and
• “Suyuan sa Tubigan” by Macario Pineda

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References
Godniez-Ortega, C. F. (n.d.). The literary forms in Philippine literature. https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-
3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/literary-arts/the-literary-forms-in-philippine-literature/
Literary Devices. (n.d.). Drama. In Literary Devices. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://literarydevices.net/drama/Literary
Devices. (n.d.). Novel. In Literary Devices. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://literarydevices.net/novel/
Literary Devices. (n.d.). Essay. In Literary Devices. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from
https://literarydevices.net/essay/#:~:text=An%20essay%20is%20a%20short%20form%20of%20literary,device%20 for
%20saying%20almost%20everything%20about%20almost%20anything
Llosa, M. V. (2001). Why literature? The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/78238/mario-vargas-llosa-literature
Macansantos, F. C., & Macansantos P. S. (n.d.). Philippine literature in the Spanish colonial period. https://ncca.gov.ph/about-
ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/literary-arts/philippine-literature-in-the-spanish-colonial-
period/
Mojares, R. B. (n.d.). Philippine literature in Spanish. National Commission for the Culture and the Arts.
https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/literary-arts/philippine-l iterature-in-
spanish/
Santiago, L. Q. (n.d.). Philippine literature during the American Period. National Commission for the Culture and the Arts.
https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/literary-arts/philippine- literature-
during-the-american-period/

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End of Presentation

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