PHILIPPINE

LITERATURE DURING
THE JAPANESE
PERIOD
• Japanese Period/Japanese Occupation (1941-1945)

Historical
• Philippine Literature was interrupted in its development when another country
(Japan) conquered us.

Backgroun
• The Japanese authorities, who despise Americans, did everything they could to
divert Filipino sympathy away from them.

• Unlike the English language, the Niponggo Language wasn't embraced by the

d
Filipinos even if it is forcefully pushed by Japanese.
 The Literature in the
Philippines in Japanese
Period
• The literature brought by the American Regime period came to halt. Tagalog was favoured by the
Japanese Military authority and writing in English was consigned to a limbo.

• Japanese were able to influence and encourage the Filipino developing the vernacular literature.

• The only Filipino writers who could write freely in English were those who were living in the United
States. The writers and authors were forced/lead to either go underground or write in Tagalog.
The Literature in the
Philippines in Japanese
Period
• The weekly Liwayway was placed under strict surveillance until it was
managed by the Japanese group named "Ishiwara"

• There were some effort at escapist literature, but in general, the literary output
was minor and insignificant.

• There was no freedom of speech and of the press. Victoria Abelardo, has
describe Filipino writing during the Japanese occupation Pessimistic and Bitter.
 The Literature in the Philippines in Japanese
Period
• The Filipino literature was
given a break during this • Juan Laya - who use to
period. Filipino Literature
also experienced renewed
write in English turned the
attention because writers in Filipino because of the strict
English turned to writing in regulations of the Japanese.
Filipino.

F V
The Contribution of Japanese Period in
the Literature of the Philippines

In this period, many wrote plays,

poems, short stories etc. that are mainly
focusing on one theme which is often
about the life in the provinces, to
escape Japanese control and
censorship.
 Filipino Poetry in Japanese Period
The common theme of most poems during the Japanese
occupation was nationalism, country, love, and life in the
barrios, faith, religion, and the arts.

Haiku
A poem of free verse that the Japanese liked. It was
made up of 17 syllables divided into three lines. The
first line had 5 syllables, the second, 7 syllables, and
the third, five. The Haiku is allegorical in meaning, is
short and covers a wide scope in meaning.
Examples: By
Gonzales K. Flores
English Tagalog
• Dragonfly You're pulling a • Tutubi
saber The flowers shivered Hila mo'y tabak.. Ang bulaklak
When you approached. nanginig Sa paglapit mo.

• Invitation • Anyaya
Lonely grass By the quiet Ulilang damo Sa tahimik na
ilog Halika, sinta.
river Come, love.
 Tanaga
Like the Haiku, is short but it had measuring and
rhyme. Each line had 17 syllables and is also
allegorical in meaning.

Example:
Tanaga by Idelfonso Santos (Liwayway, Oktubre 10, 1943)
 Example: Tanaga by Idelfonso Santos
(Liwayway, Oktubre 10, 1943)

English Tagalog
• Palay •Palay
He's behaved palay Who bowed when Palay siyang matino
the wind blew But stood up again And Nang humangi'y yumuko.. Ngunit muling
bore gold. tumayo. Nagkabunga ng ginto.

• Shell • Kabibi
Shell, hey! You're a beautiful pearl if Kabibi, ano ka ba? May perlas maganda ka
you are pressed to the ears You sigh. Kung idiit sa tainga Nagbubuntung-hininga.
Karaniwang Anyo
(Usual Form) - like those mentioned earlier in the beginning
chapters of this book.
 Filipino Drama in Japanese Period
Because movie theaters showing American films were closed during the Japanese period, the drama
suffered a lull.

The purpose of the big movie theaters was to show stage shows.

Many of the plays were Tagalog adaptations of English plays. Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Alberto
Concio, and Narciso Pimentel were the translators.

They also founded the Dramatic Philippines, a group Filipino actors.

Jose Ma. Hernandez
- Panday Pira

F
Francisco Soc Rodrigo
- Pula sa Puti F
Cloduado del Mundo

"Bulaga" (an expression in the

game HIDE and SEEK)
 Julian Cruz
"Sino ba kayo?," "Dahil sa Anak", at
"Higante ng Patay"
 Filipino Short
Story in
Japanese
Period • Brigido Batungbakal • Ligaya Perez
• NVM Gonzales
• Liwayway Arceo
During the Japanese • Macario Pineda
• Alicia Lope Lim • Gloria Guzman
occupation, the short story's
• Serafin Guinigundo • Narciso Ramos
scope expanded. A lot of
people wrote short stories.
 Macario Pineda Narciso Ramos NVM
Gonzalez

Filipino Short
Story in
Japanese
Period Liwayway Arceo
Gloria Duzman
Filipino Short The best writings in 1945 were selected by a group of
judges composed of Francisco Icasiano, Jose Esperanza
Story in Cruz, Antonio Rosales, Clodualdo del Mundo and
Teodoro Santos. As a result of this selection, the
Japanese following got the first three prizes:
Period First Prize: Narciso Reyes with his "Lupang Tinubuan"

Second Prize: Liwayway Arceo's "Uhaw ang Tigang na

Lupa"

Third Prize: NVM Gonzales' "Lungsod Nayon at Dagat-

dagatan"
The Philippine Writings that came out during this period were
Literature in journalistic in nature. Writers felt suppressed but slowly,
the spirit of nationalism started to seep into their
English consciousness. While some continued to write, the
majority waited for a better climate to publish their
works.

Noteworthy writer of the period was Carlos P. Romulo

who won the Pulitzer Prize for his bestsellers "I Saw the
Fall of the Philippines, I Saw the Philippines Rise, and his
Mother America and my Brother Americans".
Journalists
include:
• Salvador P. Lopez • Nick Joaquin
> Produced "The Woman Who
Looked Like Lazarus".
• Leon Ma. Geurrero
• Fred Ruiz Castro
• Raul Manglapuz
> wrote a few poems.
• F.B. Icasino
• Carlos Bulosanuz
> wrote essays in The
Philippine Review.
Other works were:
Carlos Bulosan's

1944 1943 1942

Alfredo Litiatco
• published With Harp and Sling and in
1943

Jose P. Laurel
• published Forces that Make a
Nation Great.
Thank You