Philippine Literature during

the American Period

Many Filipino started writing again and the nationalism
of the people remain undaunted. Filipino writers went
into all forms of literature which clearly depicted their
love of country and their longings for independence.

news reporting
poetry
stories
plays
essays
novels
Re-Oriented (1898-1910)
The rise of literature started to be felt in the
newspapers:
– EL NUEVO DIA (The New Day) Established by Sergio Osmenia in
1900.

– EL GRITO DEL PUEBLO (The Call of the Nation) Established by

Pascual Poblete in 1900.

– EL RENACIEMENTO (The Rebirth) Founded by Rafael Palma in

1900.
Plays:
– KAHAPON, NGAYON AT BUKAS (Yesterday, Today and
Tomorrow) Written by Aurelio Tolentino

– TANIKALANG GINTO of Juan Abad

– MALAYA by Thomas Remigio

– WALANG SUGAT by Severino Reyes

By 1901, public education was
institutionalized in the Philippines,
with english serving the medium
of instruction.
Literature in Spanish
Cecilio Apostol – wrote “A RIZAL” and is considered the best
poem in praise of the hero of bagumbayan.

Fernando Ma. Guerero – he collected the best of his poem in a

book called Crisalidas, and one of the poems written in this book
was “INVOCACION A RIZAL”

Jesus Balmori – well-known for his pen name of Batikuling. He

and Manuel Bernabe participated in a debate on the topic –
“REMEMBRANCE and FORGETFULNESS”. He was elected
Poet Laureate in spanish besting Manuel Bernabe.
Manuel Bernabe – is a lyric poet. He was more attractive to the public
in a debate with balmori because of the melodious words he used. He
defended OLVIDO

Claro M. Recto – he collected his poems in a book entitled BAJO LOS

COCOTEROS. One of his writings dedicated to Rizal is “ANTE EL
MARTIR”.
Literature in Filipino
Lope K. Santos – “Father of the National language Grammar”,
he was also called “apo” of the tagalog writers. “BANAAG AT
SIKAT” was his master piece.

Jose Corazon de Jesus – known as huseng batute, he was also

called the poet of love in his time. “AG ISANG PUNONG
KAHOY”, an elegy, is believed to be his masterpiece.
Armando V. Hernandez – was dubbed “Poet of the
Laborers”, his masterpiece is “ANG PANDAY”

Valeriano Hernandez Pena – known as Tandang Anong, he

considers “NENA AT NENENG” his masterpiece.
The Period of Imitation (1910-1924)
By 1919, the UP College Folio
published the literary compositions of
the first Filipino writers in English.
They were pioneers in short story
writing. By this time, Filipino writers
had acquired the mastery of English
writing.
 Vacation days at last are here,
And we have time for fun so dear,
All boys and girls do gladly cheer,
This welcomed season of the year.
In early June in school we’ll meet;
A harder task shall we complete
And if we fail we must repeat
That self same task without retreat.
We simply rest to come again
To school where boys and girls obtain
The Creator’s gift to men
Whose sanguine hopes in us remain.
Vacation means a time for play
For young and old in night and day
My wish for all is to be gay,
And evil none lead you astray

– Juan F. Salazar

Philippines Free Press, May 9, 1909

In fiction, the period of apprenticeship
in literary writing in English is marked
by imitation of the style of storytelling
and strict adherence to the craft of the
short story as practiced by popular
American fictionists.
The Tagalogs, hailing Francisco F. Balagtas
as the nation’s foremost poet invented the
balagtasan in his honor. The balagtasan is a
debate in verse, a poetical joust done almost
spontaneously between protagonists who
debate over the pros and cons of an issue.
The first balagtasan was held in
March 1924 at the Instituto de
Mujeres, with Jose Corazon de Jesus
and Florentino Collantes as rivals,
bubuyog (bee) and paru-paro
(butterfly) aiming for the love of
kampupot (jasmine).
The Period of Self-Discovery
and growth (1925-1941)
Dead Stars is a short story of an over
thirty years old bachelor, Alfredo
Salazar who was about to get married
to his fiancée, Esperanza. His love and
passion for his fiancé started getting
fade as he was attracted to another
woman named Julia Salas.
In 1925, Paz Marquez Benitez short
story, “Dead Stars” was published and
was made the landmark of the
maturity of the Filipino writer in
English.
Short story writers began publishing
stories no longer imitative of American
models.
This combination of writing in a
borrowed tongue while dwelling on
Filipino customs and traditions
earmarked the literary output of major
Filipino fictionists in English during the
American period.
 In 1936, when the Philippine Writers
League was organized, Filipino
writers in English began discussing
the value of literature in society.
Initiated and led by Salvador P.
Lopez, whose essays on Literature
and Society provoked debates, the
discussion centered on proletarian
literature, like engaged or committed
literature versus the art for art’s sake
literary orientation
Among the essayists, Federico
Mangahas had an easy facility with
the language and the essay as genre.
Other noted essayists during the
period were Fernando Maramag,
Carlos P. Romulo , Conrado Ramirez.
 Polemicists who used to write in
Spanish like Claro M. Recto, slowly
started using English in the discussion
of current events even as newspaper
dailies moved away from Spanish
reporting into English.
 The separate, yet parallel
developments of Philippine literature in
English and those in Tagalog and other
languages of the archipelago during the
American period only prove that
literature and writing in whatever
language and in whatever climate are
able to survive mainly through the active
imagination of writers.