Notes on Philippine Literature: A History and Anthology

Chapter 1: Oral Lore From Pre-colonial Times (---1564)

 Facts and Information (illuminated by the chapter)

1. The first period of Philippine literary history is the longest.

Comment: I think we just don‘t have the whole collection of it because most of it were not
written in text, although some were inscribed in bamboos like that of the Mangyans, but
generally, most of it were orally chanted or performed by a rhapsode or an epic singer or
storyteller or whatever they call themselves. It‘s an oral tradition.

2. It isn’t true to say that Philippine history started when our Spanish colonizers came (in
1521).

Comment: We are deluded to this ―fact‖ in our elementary days because of outdated and
misinformed books but this isn‘t just right. This chapter confirms that since ―the discovery of
the ‗Tabon Man‘ in a cave in Palawan in 1962 has allowed us to speak now of a prehistory
that goes as far back in time as 50,000 years ago.‖

Evidences also prove our ―[ancestors] knew the use of gold and textiles, and how to smelt
iron and make glass and probably spoke a language or languages from which all modern
Filipino tongues are derived.

See, our ancestors were not as backwards as everybody thinks they are. They were in
harmony with nature, with everybody in the community, and of course, with their cultural
tradition. This also proves that our ancestors grew in control of their environment, their
lifeliving, their culture until at the beginning of the Christian era.

3. Philippines wouldn’t be called a nation without the trespasses and subjugation by our
Spanish colonizers.

As far as I could remember my high school lessons, if it were not for the Spaniards we
wouldn‘t come this far. They named our country after their king. And also it was through
their harsh means that we were united under one flag and desire for independence. It has
been said that the early Filipinos chose to live in the interior, on promontories and ridges, sea
coasts and river banks. They live in widely scattered communities. It was through the
workings of the Spaniards that these early communities be placed near or closer to each
other. They called this enclosed area, pueblo.

Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes

June 8, 2011
 On Philippine literature:

1. Through scholarly studies, ―much can be reliably inferred about pre-colonial Philippine
literature from analysis of collected oral lore of Filipinos whose ancestors were able to
preserve their indigenous culture by living beyond the reach of Spanish colonial
administrators and the culture of 16th century Europe.‖

2. There have been epic, tales, songs, riddles and proverbs preserved through time. These are
said to be ―cultural items useful in the reconstruction of a period in our literary history that
has been obscured by the intrusion of foreign culture, but which nevertheless exerted and
continued to exert influence on the literary works of succeeding generations, in terms of
outlook, theme, and technique.‖

 Oral Tradition:

 ―Oral literature‖

 Ownership: Communally owned/ communal authorship

 Subject Matter: Common experience of people in the village like food gathering,
creature, and objects of nature, work in the home, field, forest or sea, caring for children,
etc.

 Forms of Oral Literature: riddles, proverbs, songs, etc.

 Audience: people familiar with the situations, activities, and objects mentioned in the
course of expressing a thought or emotion.

 Language use: language of daily life

 Oral delivery: Through emotive, expressive performance (murag si ION ni Plato?)

 Performer: Rhapsode, epic singer, storyteller (basta somebody that has the ‗special gift‘-
-- of prodigious memory (GAHUT MAG-MEMORIZE, DI MA-PAKYAS) , and of
melodramatic inventiveness (KABALO MAPA-CHAR-CHAR)

 Conventions: of oral literary forms to facilitate ease in transmission: (NEED FURTHER

EXPLANATIONS)

o formulaic repetition
o stereotyping of characters
o regular rhythmic and musical devices

 Native Syllabary (BAYBAYIN)- used before the Spaniards brought over the Roman
alphabet. It has:
Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes
June 8, 2011
 o 3 vowels (a, i-e, o-u)
o 14 consonants (b,d,g,h,k,l,m,n,ng,p,s,t,w,y)

 Problem: no way of indicating the consonantal endings of words.

 Solution: In my SSP1 class, I remember our professor talking about the ‗Doctrina
Christina of 1593‖ and he mentioned about ‗VIRAMA‘ (―+‘ shaped ) or kudlit
placed above the baybayin to signal the consonantal ending of the word. (naa man
gud mga foreign words na dili masulat sa native nato na baybayin)

 Another Problem: The syllabary fell into disuse among Christianized Filipino
(majority), mush valuable information about pre-colonial culture that could have
been handed down to us was lost.

 Another Problem again: Fewer and fewer Filipinos kept records of their oral lore,
and fewer and fewer could decipher what had been recorded in earlier times.
Missionaries denounced it as pagan culture and a handicraft of the devil himself.

 The social function of songs (oral traditions): Political and religious life of the people
was based on tradition ―preserved in songs they have memorized and which they learned
as children, hearing them sung when folks rowed, worked and made merry and feasted
and mourned their dead… fabled gods.

 So, how did some of our indigenous culture survived?

1. by resistance to colonial rule

2. by virtue of isolation

(in my SSP7 class, I can still remember how terrified the Spaniard (in Christianized Luzon and
Visayas) were to the fearsome reputation of the Maguindawon and Sulu Sultanate here in
Mindanao. They were slave-raiders and were highly-specialized in their piratical raids and
attacks to Christianized areas. They‘ve resisted Christian conversion and shielded their lands
from Spaniard domination for more than 2 centuries.)

 On riddles and proverbs (simplest form of oral literature) (NOT CLEAR TO ME)

 talinhaga

 Rare sources: 1754 Tagalog-Spanish dictionary and Pedro de Sanlucar and Juan de
Noceda‘s Vocabulario de las lengua tagala

 Ambahan –Hanunoo-Mangyan indigenous pre-colonial poetry

Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes

June 8, 2011
 On Prose narrative:
 Social Function:
o Explain natural phenomenon,
o past events and contemporary beliefs to make environment less fearsome by making
it more comprehensible and,
o entertainment (humor & fantasy)

 On Drama:
 only in its simplest form, mimetic dances imitating natural cycles and work activities,
religious rituals (e.g. Ch’along of the Ifugao)

 On Folk Epics:
 Common Features (as described by E. Arsenio Manuel)
o narratives of sustained length
o based on oral tradition
o revolving around supernatural events or heroic deeds
o in the form of verse
o either chanted or sung
o with a certain seriousness of purpose, embodying or validating the beliefs,
customs, ideals, or life-values of the people.

 Representative Examples
o Lam-ang (Ilocos)
o Tuwaang (Manuvu)
o Hinilawod (Sulod of Panay)
o bantugon (Maranao)

 I wonder…

1. What did the Spaniards actually say about the Filipino people when they first met them?
2. Is the GMA epic-serye ―Amaya,‖ which aims to depict the Visayan pre-colonial society to
the ―ignorant madlang people,‖ trustworthy enough to showcase what has been described in
historical accounts about the Visayans of Panay island?
3. On oral tradition transmission, what‘s the use? Why do they have to do or listen to it? (so
luma naman…dba? tapos kapoy paminaw kay balik-balik.. char!)
4. What‘s monoriming heptasyllabic line?

Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes

June 8, 2011
Notes on Philippine Literature: A History and Anthology

Chapter 2: Literature under Spanish Colonialism (1565-1987)

17th- 18th century

 Spanish Impositions
o Spanish monarchy
o Roman Catholic religion
o ―Taga-bayan-taga-bukid colonial orientation ― (―cultural snobbery‖)
o Monastic Supremacy of the Friars
o Colonial repression and religious censorship on both oral & written literatures
Writer Works Remarks
Francisco Blancas de San Jose May Bagyo Ma‘t May
Rilim
Pedro Bukaneg Lam-ang (published version
Tomas Pinpin Ang Librong Pag-aaralan
ng mga Tagalog ng Wikang
Castilla
Fernanado Bagongbanta Contributed to San Jose‘s
Memorial de la vida
cristiana
Gaspar Aquino de Belen Ang Mahal na Passion ni  First Filipino literary
Jesu Christong Panginoon Artist
Natin  His work is treasure as
a Christian narrative
poem intended to
replace epic poems of
pagan past
th
FIRST HALF OF 19 century
 Pasyon
 Sinakulo, a stage play on the passion & death of Christ.
 Printing press available in 17th century with missionaries as literary patrons
 komedya- theater form drawn from medieval Spanish ballads about highborn warriors
and their colorful adventures for love and fame.
 awit-narrative poetry in the tradition of the metrical romance.
- reached its peak at the first half of the 19th century.
Fransisco ―Balagtas‖  La India Elegante y el  short farce
Baltazar Negrito Amante
 Orosman at Zafira  full length komedya
 Pinagdaanang Buhay ni  well-known awit
Florante at ni Laura sa
Cahariang Albania

Modesto de Castro Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang A native priest notable for

Binibini na si Urbana at sermons in Tagalog
Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes
June 8, 2011
 Feliza
th
SECOND HALF OF 19 century
 Growth of nationalistic consciousness and colonial sentiments on reforms.
 being ―Filipino‖
Pedro Paterno  Sampaguita  poems
 Ninay
Jose Rizal  Noli Me Tangere  novels
 El Filibusterismo
 A las Flores de  poem (conversational)
Heildelberg
 Ultimo Adios  poem (patriotic)
 La Solidaridad
 birth of essays
Jose Rizal  Su Excelencia, Señor
Don Vicente Barrantes
Marcelo H del Pilar  Asimilacion de
Filipinas
 Sagot ng Espanya sa  long poem
Hibik ng Pilipinas
 Pasyong Dapat Ipag-  parody, anti-friar
alab ng Taong Baba
th
Later years of 19 century
 increased campaign for reforms
 shift from Spanish to Tagalog language in nationalist propaganda movement
 Katipunan
 Philippine Revolution
 Treaty of Paris
 American encroachment
Emilio Jacinto  Katapusang Hibik ng
Pilipinas
 Liwanag at Dilim  short essay
 Salute to Women writers
Leona Florentino  Ilocana poet
Gregoria de Jesus  wife of Bonifacio

 Comment: Such a repressive age, where writers are expected to write poems, plays, song, etc.
that are on romantic subjects taken from medieval Spanish ballads. Only later did they learn,
after more than 300 years, to voice out their sentiments and call for cultural and societal
reforrm. (I don‘t want to live in this age.)

Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes

June 8, 2011
Notes on Philippine Literature: A History and Anthology

Chapter 3: Literature under US Colonialism

 Tejeros Convention
 End of ―war‖
 Malolos Congress
 Taga-bayan out of sheer greed abandoned taga-bukid for personal convenience
 Graceful entrance of the benevolent Americans (start of US colonial rule)
 Outlining law prohibiting seditious literatures and actions (no social commentaries)
 Philippine Assembly
 Access to public education and the English language
 Access to printing press (with religious censorship)
 Magazines and newspapers as avenues for literary pieces (e.g. Liwayway)
 birth of modern theater (eg. sarsuela- entertaining mixture of mild social comment,
lilting music and earthly humor on which a slight love story was usually made rest)
 Theater continued to provide popular entertainment in the form of verse and prose
drama that portrayed domestic problems of families as more and more are feeling the
effects of modernization
 Sarsuwela vs. komedya (sarsuwela fitted nicely with the spirit & concern of the
times It depicted scenes from Phil. life imparting patriotic pride. Komedya presented
Filipino society distant in time and remote culture (outdated)
Writers Works Remarks
Severiono Reyes Walang Sugat  exemplifies sarsuela at
the beginning of the
history of the genre,
writer drew material
from the recent
revolution depicting
cruelty and corruption.
 Allegorical Dramas
Juan Matapang Cruz Hindi Aco Patay  seditious drama
Juan Abad Tanikalang Guinto
Aurelio Tolentino Kahapon, Ngayon, at Bukas
 Poetry in Spanish
Fernando Ma. Guerrero Crisalidas
Cecilio Apostol Pentelicas
Jesus Balmori Mi Casa de Nipa
 Poetry in Tagalog
Pedro Gatmaitan Tungkos ng Alaala
Jose Corazon ―Batute‖ de  Mga Gintong Dahon  pre-occupied with non-
Jesus  Sa Dakong Silangan traditional themes
 Novels
Gabriel Beato Francisco  Fulgencia Galbillo  trilogy

Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes

June 8, 2011
  Capitan Bensio
 Alfaro
Iñigo Ed. Regalado  Madaling Araw  anti-clerical,
 May Pagsinta‘y Walang anti-colonial
Puso
 Sampaguitang Walang  on fallen woman
Bango
Juan Lauro Arciwals Lalaking Uliran o Tulisan  short novel
 Tagalog Sarswela
Patricio Mariano Anak ng Dagat
 Other subjects that found expression in lyric and narrative poems
o Human mortality
o Economic Barrier that separate people
o Decay of traditional values
o Longing for a society untouched by fear and hate
 Balagtasan
 Romantic Novel
Valeriano Hernandez-Peña Nene at Neneng ―Father of Tagalog Novel‖
Roman Reyes  Ninay  Tagalog translation of
 Pusong Walang Pag- Pedro Paterno‘s
ibig
 Bagong Dalaga
 Access to everything English (e.g. film, books, magazine, music)
 Short Story (English)
Jose Garcia Villa Footnote to youth and Other
Stories
Arturo B. Rotor The Wound and the
Scar
Manuel E. Arguilla  How My Brother Leon
Brough home a Wife
and Other Stories
 Pinaglahuan  social novel
 Plays (English)
Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero  Wanted: A Chaperon Poke fun on middle-class
 Forsaken House characters grappling with
 Frustrations problems of modernization
 Short Story (Tagalog)
Deogracias A. Rosario ―Father of the Tagalog
Short Story‖
 Panitikan magazine—Filipino writers in tagalog
 Veronicans---- Filipino writers in English
 Social Novel
Lope K. Santos  Banaag at Sikat  Expressed intent of
introducing Filipino
Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes
June 8, 2011
 laborers to Socialism
 Ang Pinggingera
 Temporary disruption of the Tydings-McDuffie Act due to Japanese occupation
 Pacific War
Carlos Bulosan America is in the Heart
Stevan Javeliana Without Seeing the Dawn

 Comments: The US colonization is more friendly than the Spaniards in their imposition of
what is to be written about. Writers during US time are freer to dig deeper in their imaginings
with reference, of course, to the events during their time.

 ―Art truly is finding beauty in the ugliness of human condition.‖ (FOR THE CHAR!)

Notes on Panitikan: An Essay on Phil. Lit.

*I find this reading echoing those of what has been stated earlier. But of course there‘s also a
huge difference. This one‘s presenting examples of the works instead of merely explaining them.

 Terms
1. bugtong- riddles
2. talinhaga- metaphor
3. salwikain- proverbs
4. tanaga- has monorhyming heptasyllabic lines
5. ambahan- epic narrative written and chanted by Mangyans
6. duplo- verbal joust/game
7. balagtasan- debate in verse
8. pasyon- Christian folk epic (biblical narration but with folk interpretation of Filipino
sentiments and values)
9. awit- reached its height with balagtas.
10. komedya- popular romance sang of a medieval European world of royal and warriors and
lovers. This regal world is of direct contrast to the colonial condition.

 Things to remembers:
o Early written lit. was predominantly religious in content and/or in purpose.
o ―May Bagyo ma‘t May Rilim--- first printed literary work in tagalog.
o Types of narrative poem: awit and corridor.
o Pablo Paterno‘s Ninay—first Filipino novel

 Poems I like:
o Hilgaynon lullaby
o Jose Garcia Villa‘s ‗untitled poem‘
o Nick Joaquin‘s ―Bye Bye Jazzbird‖
o Bien Lumbera‘s ― A Eulogy of Roaches‖
o Marjorie Evasco‘s ―Sampaguita Song‖
Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes
June 8, 2011
o Alejandro G. Abadilla‘s ―Ako ang Daigdig‖
o Jose Lacaba‘s ―halaw Kay Su Tung-P‘o
o Ramon C. Santos ―Alien Bilang Gutom‖

Chris David F. Lao‘s Notes

June 8, 2011