Development of

Children's Literature
in the Philippines
In our country, the early Filipinos already had their
own language, alphabet, and communication system
even before different colonizers have reached our
country.
Children's literature in the Philippines was very rich.
In fact, there were early forms of literature like
lullabies that were hummed by mothers to there
children and songs for different occassions.
However, due to the scarcity of writing materials, the
means of oral communication dominated in
transmission and preservation of these ideas.
This weakness of our country was abused by the
colonizers. They introduced to us their own culture,
attitudes, philosophy, and values and influenced us
with their literature which were slowly being adopted
by the early Filipinos.
This weakness of our country was abused by the
colonizers. They introduced to us their own culture,
attitudes, philosophy, and values and influenced us
with their literature which were slowly being adopted
by the early Filipinos.
Primitive Era
 Primitive Era

Early literature of children was in the form of

lullabies.
EXAMPLES
Baliwayway
-an Ilongot lullaby
Diwaya
-an Ilocano lullaby
Panghehele
-a tagalog lullaby
Tales of beasts, legend of strange
events and phenomena, origin of
the first man and woman, stories
about strange creatures like the
Pugot and the Kapre, and other
fantastic tales.
Riddles and Proverbs
- unwritten code of morality
SPANISH ERA

In 1593
 In 1593

Doctrina Christiana en lengua Tagala y

Espanola (Father Domingo Nieva)
- First book for children in the Philippines

Caton or Cartilla
-contained the Roman alphabet and syllables
 In 1606
Memorias de la Vida en Lengua China
-Pamphlets containing the lives of saints,prayers and
sermons

Passion
-The story of the life and sufferings of Jesus
 Corridos

PITONG ENFANTES DE LARA

FLORANTE AT LAURA

Jose Rizal’s stories

• THE MONKEY AND THE TURTLE
 AMERICAN ERA

1900'S
 1900's
Pilgrim's Progress

Mother Goose Rhymes

Aesop's Fables
Rip Van
Winkle

Alice in Wonderland
 1904
Literature books written by American Authors,but
prepared in the Philippines were by Ginn and
Company.

Victor Hugo Miller’s Philippine Folk Tales

 1920

- Camilo Osias was the first Filipino to write

textbooks.

He published Philippine Readers Book 1 to 7,

known as the Osias Reader’s
 1932
Maximo Ramos

Tales of Long Ago

Philippine Myths and Tales

 1940
In 1940
-The Philippine Book Company was founded. It
began publishing children’s book like:

All time Favorite

Fairy Tales in English and in Filipino
The Voyages in Reading series
 1945
Bookman Incorporated encouraged writers to
translate some foreign children's book like, The
Little Lame Prince and Rubaiyat of Omar
Kayyam.

Bookman also published children’s books like When

I was a Little Boy by I. V. Mallari , Banca
Moon by Amparo Asuncion and Philippine
Myth and Tales by Maximo Ramos
 1946
-National Bookstore engaged in reprinting Foreign
books and in translating fairy tales in Filipino like:
Lady Bird Series
Rizal’s Classic Illustrated
Filipino Heroes Stories
Legends of the Philippine Series

-Alemar- Phoenix Publishing House published

childrens books like:
Myths and Legends of the early Filipinos by F.L. Jocano
 1962
 -Bookman Inc. published the work of a group of Maryknoll
students, these are:
Pulanito by F. Luna
Ramon goes to the city by M.V. Pamintuan

 - Pamana Inc. started producing children’s books these are:

Makisig the Little Hero of Mactan by Gemma Cruz

 -New Day Publisher owned the Christian Literature of the

Philippines published:
My friends and Haunted Cave by Thelma Zuneg
A Gift by Rosario Ratorta