CEBUANO LITERATURE

Cebuano Literature
Cebu, dubbed as “The Queen of the
South,” distinguishes itself with its rich and vibrant
literary tradition. With a quarter of the entire country’s
population speaking the Cebuano language, Cebuano
literature has proliferated across Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor,
and Negros Oriental.
How the Diversity Unfolded:
 Cebuano literature refers to the literary works written in Cebuano, a language widely spoken in the southern
Philippines. The term is most often extended to cover the oral literary forms in both indigenous and colonial
Philippines.

 While the majority of Cebuano writers are from the Visayas and Mindanao region, the most recognized
Filipino literary outlet for them, including the Bisaya Magasin, is based in Makati City in Metro Manila, while
there is also a lively Cebuano community of writers in the language, which is based outside the country.

 Cebuano literature, therefore, encompasses not only those Visayas and Mindanao-based writers writing in
Cebuano, but all written output in Cebuano, wherever its source is.

 Cebuano Literature may be traced back to several poetic forms. These included the “balak” (which contains
a “balaybay” or metaphor), the “tigmo” (riddles), “panultihon” (proverbs), and “garay” verses.
 “Balitaw,” a poetic debate that required the participants (a man and a woman) to improvise and even sing
their lines, was also popular in the place. Improvised poetry was also present in the dramatic genre of the
“kulilising hari”. Cebuanos are known for having a rich oral tradition, this is consist of legends associated
with specific locales, like the “Maria Cacao” legends of Southern Cebu and those of Lapu-Lapu and his father
Datu Manggal of Mactan; and folktales like the fable “Haring Gangis ug Haring Leon”, which gives caution
on the unmannerly behavior by the prevailing group. Many of the tales carry lessons, but just as many
suggest the value of humor, keeping of one’s wit and resourcefulness, as in the “Juan Pusong trickster tales”.

 It was only in the late 19th century when written literature became noteworthy. Tomas de San Geronimo’s
“Soneto sa Pagdayeg can Santa Maria Gihapon Virgen” (1751) is the first of many religious compositions
that show a loss of the mysterious symbol and metaphor of pre-colonial verse.

 The pasyon is considered the longest poetic form. It is a verse interpreting the life and suffering of Jesus
Christ that is read during the Lent season.

 Among the publications before the war, only Bisaya has survived as literary outlet of Cebuano, caused by
the rise in stature of English and later Tagalog. Although Cebuano was still the language of home and street,
postwar Cebuano literature was downgraded to third class.

 Cebuano literature is probably weakest when it comes to the Drama, even though there are few writers like
Claude Al Evangelio and Allan Jayme Rabaya whose writings were continued. Cebuano playwrights have
slowly turned to radio- and TV-scriptwriting triggered by the worry they had regarding thoughts unusual to
writing for theater, like curiosity in publication and facing the standard of the theater arts.
 The annual “Cornelio Faigao Memorial Writers Workshop” conducted since 1984 by the “Cebuano Studies
Center of the University of San Carlos” were attended my many writers. These workshops, which the
Cebuano writers may attend as fellows and as observers, provide a setting for people from different
backgrounds and walks of life to share their crafts and discuss problems.
The following literary selection is one of many literary gems that represent Cebuano literature.
The Santo Niño of Cebu
A Visayan Folktale

Usa ka adlaw, ang usa ka kabus nga mangingisda sayo nga nanagat sagad sa iyang buhat
matag adlaw. Apan niining adlawa hilabihan niya kadimalas kay matag buklad niya sa iyang baling wala siya'y
laing kuha kondili usa ka agipo. Tulo ka beses nga gilabay sa mangingisda ang agipo balik ngadto sa dagat,
apan matag bitad niya sa iyang baling ang maong agipo gihapon ang iyang kuha.
Sa iyang kasibot, bisan pa man sa iyang kalagot, gidala sa mangingisda ang gapnod nga kahoy sa
iyang pagpauli. Pag-abut niya sa ila, iyang naabtan ang iyang asawa nga nagbulad sa palay sa ilang laguwerta.
Giitsa sa mangingisda ang agipo ngadto sa palay dason hunghong sa kaugalingon, "Kon tinuod man nga ikaw
usa ka anting-anting, abir kon imo bang mabugaw ang mga langgam ug manok gikan sa gibulad nga palay."
Dakong katingalahan nga wala tuod langgam o manok nga miduol sa gibulad nga palay. Nianang pagkagabii,
gidala sa mangingisda ang agipo sa sulod sa ilang balay ug kini iya rang nabiyaan sa buot.
Unya, nianang gabhiona, nakadamgo ug usa ka damgong katingalahan ang mangigisda. Iyang
nadamgohan nga ang iyang "kuha" nga agipo niadtong adlawa nahimong estatuwa sa usa ka matahum nga
bata. Uho na man, pagmata niya anang pagkabuntag, iyang nasaksihan ang usa ka katingalahan nga
pagkabalhin. Ang agipo naporma ug ingon sa usa ka bata. Paglabay sa mga adlaw, ang porma sa bata
nagakatin-aw hangtud nga kini nahimong imahen sa Santo Niño nga sama sa atong makita karong panahona.
English Translation:
One day a poor fisherman went out early to the sea as usual. However, the
day turned out to be a very unlucky one for him because, every time he cast his net, all he
would catch was a piece of firewood. Thrice the fisherman threw the firewood back to the
sea; each time he pulled in his net, the same piece of firewood would turn up. Disgusted
yet fascinated by what had happened, the fisherman took the driftwood home with him.
When he got home, he saw his wife drying palay on a mat out on their yard.
The fisherman threw the firewood on top of the palay and muttered to himself, "If you are
indeed a thing of magic, let's see you keep the birds and the
chickens away from this drying palay." Astonishingly, no bird or fowl came near the drying
palay. When evening came, the fisherman brought the piece of wood inside the house
and forgot all about it.
However, that very night, the fisherman had a strange dream. He
dreamed that the firewood, which he “caught” that morning, had turned into a
statue of a beautiful child. True enough, when he awoke in the morning, he saw a
strange transformation happening before his eyes. The firewood had somehow
taken on a form that looked like that of a little child. As the days went by, the child's
features became clearer and clearer until at last it became the image of the Santo
Niño as we would see it today.
THANK YOU!