21st Century Literature from the

Philippines and the World

Jhondriel C. Lim
13 June 2018
• The precolonial literature includes
all literature produced before the
Spanish colonization like chants,
proverbs, songs, and folk narratives.
These were all passed down from
generation to generation by word of
mouth.
Philippine folk narratives are varied and distinct. They depict
the people’s livelihood, customs, and traditions.
• Folktale – This is a characteristically anonymous, timeless,
and placeless tale circulated orally among a people.
• Fable – This features animal characters or inanimate
objects that behave like people.
• Legend – This is presented as history but is unlikely to be
true.
• Myth – This is told to explain a belief, a practice, or a
natural phenomenon.
• Epic – This narrative poem celebrates the adventures and
achievements of a hero.
Folktales
Folktales about Juan are very popular. Some emphasize certain
virtues, and some serve as warning about behavior. Also, some
are for the reader’s amusement.
• Example 1:
• Juan Gathers Guavas (A Tagalog Folktale)
• One day several neighbors came to Juan’s home to visit. His father wanted to give
the guests something to eat, so he sent Juan to get some ripe guavas for them.
• Full of mischief, Juan decided to play a joke on his father’s guests. He went to get
the guavas and ate all of them while thinking of a good joke. Then he saw a wasp’s
nest hung nearby. With some difficulty he managed to take it down and put it into
a tight basket. He hastened home and gave the basket to his father. Quickly he left
the room where the guests were and closed the door and fastened it.
• As soon as Juan’s father opened the basket, the wasps flew over the room. With
the door locked, the people fought to get out of the windows. After a while Juan
opened the door. When he saw the swollen faces of the people, he cried.
• “What fine, rich guavas you must have had! They have made you all so fat!
Juan Pusong and His Father’s Cows (A Visayan Folktale)

One day Juan Pusong's father put his cows out to pasture. Juan slipped
away from home and took the cows into the forest and tied them there.
When his father found out that the cows were missing, he looked around for
them. While looking, he ran into his son.
“Where did you come from?” he asked.
“I just came from school, Father. How about you, where are you going?”
“I am looking for our cows.”
“You don’t say!" said Juan.
By that time, everybody knew about Juan’s power as a seer. So, he took a
little book from his pocket and looked into it. He said, “Our cows are tied
together in the forest.” So, his father went to the forest and found the cows.
Later on, people would discover that Juan could not read even his own
name. Consequently, his father beat him for the trick he had played on him.
Fable
The monkey is a common animal character in Philippine fables. It is often
depicted as a cunning animal.
The Monkey and the Crocodile (A Tagalog Fable)

One day, a monkey saw a tall macopa tree laden with ripe
fruits, which stood by a wide river. It was hungry, so it climbed
the tree and ate all of the fruits. When it climbed down, it could
find no means by which to cross the river. Then it saw a young
crocodile who had just woken up from its siesta. It said to the
crocodile in a friendly way, “My dear crocodile, will you do me a
favor?”
The crocodile was greatly surprised by the monkey’s amicable
salutation. So, it answered humbly, “Oh, yes! If there is anything I
can do for you, I shall be glad to do it.” The monkey then told the
crocodile that it wanted to get to the other side of the river. Then
the crocodile said, “I’ll take you there with all my heart. Just sit
on my back, and we’ll go at once.”
 The monkey sat firmly on the crocodile’s back, and they began to
move. In a short while they reached the middle of the stream. Then
the crocodile began to laugh aloud. “You foolish monkey!” it said, “I’ll
eat your liver and kidneys, for I’m very hungry.” The monkey became
nervous. Trying to conceal its anxiety, it said, “I’m very glad that you
mentioned the matter. I thought myself that you might be hungry, so I
have prepared my liver and kidneys for your dinner. Unfortunately, in
our haste to depart, I left them hanging on the macopa tree. Let us
return, and I’ll get them for you.”
Convinced that the monkey was telling the truth, the crocodile
turned around and swam back to the direction of the macopa tree.
When they got near the riverbank, the monkey nimbly jumped up onto
the land and scampered up the tree. The crocodile came to realize
what happened and said, “I am a fool.”
Legend
There are different Filipino legends of the great flood. The story of Bukidnon,
for instance, tells that a huge crab caused the water to rise by going into the
sea. On the other hand, the Igorot story tells that the sons of Lumawig the
Great Spirit caused the flood.
The Flood Story (A Legend of Bukidnon)
A long time ago there was a very big crab which crawled into the sea. When it
went in, it crowded the water out so that it ran all over the earth and covered all
the land.
Now about one moon before the flood happened, a wise man had told the
people that they must build a large raft. They did as he commanded and cut many
large trees until they had enough to make three layers. These they bound tightly
together; when it was done, they fastened the raft with a long rattan cord to a big
pole in the earth.
Soon after the raft was done, the flood came. White water poured out of the
hills, and the sea rose and covered even the highest mountains. The people and
animals on the raft were safe, but all the others drowned.
Soon the waters went down, and the raft was again on the ground. It was near
their old home, for the rattan cord had held.
The people on the raft together with the animals were the only ones left on the
whole earth.
 The Flood Story (A Legend of the Igorot)
Once upon a time, the world was flat, and there were no mountains. There
lived two sons of Lumawig, the Great Spirit. The brothers were fond of
hunting; since no mountains had formed, there was no good place to catch
wild pig and deer. The older brother said, “Let us cause water to flow over all
the world and cover it, and then mountains will rise up.”
So, the brothers caused water to flow over all the earth. When it was
covered, they took the head-basket of the town and set it for a trap. They
were very much pleased when they went to look at their trap, for they had
caught not only many wild pigs and deer but also many people.
Lumawig looked down from his place in the sky and saw that his sons had
flooded the earth. However, there was just one spot which was not covered.
All the people in the world had been drowned except a brother and a sister
who lived in Pokis.
Then Lumawig descended, and he called to the boy and girl, saying, “Oh,
you are still alive.”
“Yes,” answered the boy, “we are still alive, but we are very cold.”
 So, Lumawig commanded his dog and deer to get fire for the boy and girl.
The dog and the deer swam quickly away. Lumawig waited a long time, but
the dog and the deer did not return. All the time the boy and girl were
growing colder.
Finally, Lumawig himself went after the dog and the deer. When he reached
them, he said, “Why are you so long in bringing the fire to Pokis? Get ready
and come quickly while I watch you, for the boy and girl are very cold.”
Then the dog and the deer took the fire and started to swim through the
flood. When they had gone only a little way, the fire was put out.
Lumawig commanded the dog and the deer to get more fire, and they did
so. However, they swam only a little way again when that of the deer went
out. That of the dog would have been extinguished also had not Lumawig
gone quickly to him and taken it.
As soon as Lumawig reached Pokis, he built a big fire which warmed the
brother and sister. The water evaporated so that the world was as it was
before, except that now there were mountains. The brother and sister
married and had children, and thus there came to be many people on the
earth.
Myth
There are Philippine versions of the creation myth. The Igorot’s story tells that
Lumawig the Great Spirit created people. On the other hand, the Tagalog
story tells that the first man and woman came from a bamboo.
Example 1:
The Creation (An Igorot Myth)
In the beginning, there were no people on the earth. Lumawig, the Great Spirit, came down from the sky
and cut many reeds. He divided the reeds into pairs which he placed in different parts of the world, and then
he said to them, “You must speak.” Immediately the reeds became people, and in each place was a man and a
woman who could talk. However, the language of each couple differed from that of the others.
Then Lumawig commanded each man and woman to marry, which they did. By and by there were many
children, all speaking the same language as their parents. The children married and had many children of their
own. In this way, there came to be many people on the earth.
Now Lumawig saw that there were several things which the people on the earth needed to use, so he set to
work to supply them. He created salt and told the inhabitants of one place to boil it down and sell it to their
neighbors. However, the people could not understand the directions. The next time he visited them, they had
not touched the salt. So, he took the salt away from them and gave it to the people of a place called Mayinit.
The people of Mayinit did as Lumawig directed. Because of their obedience, he told them that they should
always be owners of the salt and that the other peoples must buy of them.
Then Lumawig went to the people of Bontoc and told them to get clay and make pots. They got the clay, but
they did not understand the molding; the jars were not well shaped. Because of their failure, Lumawig told
them that they would always have to buy their jars, and he removed the pottery to Samoki.
Lumawig told the people of Samoki what to do, and they did just as he said. Their jars were well shaped and
beautiful. Then Lumawig saw that they were fit owners of the pottery, and he told them that they should
always make many jars to sell.
In this way, Lumawig taught the people and brought to them all the things which they now have.
Epic
The Philippine epics are sung or chanted in episodes. They
feature supernatural characters and reflect the society where
they originated. Also, there are different versions of a story.

Examples:
Biag ni Lam-ang
• This Ilocano epic tells the adventures of Lam-ang, a man with supernatural powers.
He goes to war at nine-months-old and seeks the killers of his father. He embarks
on a quest with his animal friends and meets his future wife, Innes Kanoyan. He is
swallowed by a fish and resurrected from death by his animal friends.
Hinilawod
• This epic is of the Sulod, a group of people living in the mountains of central Panay.
It tells the story of three very strong men, namely, Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon,
and Dumalapdap. They are the sons of Datu Paubari, the ruler of Halawod, and the
goddess Alunsina. The exploits of each son concerns beautiful women that he
wants to have as a wife.
Darangan
• This Maranao epic depicts the adventures of a brave warrior named Bantugan. He
owns a magical sword protected by a spirit. After a battle, he rests and accidentally
falls into the water. A crocodile finds him and brings him to the enemies. He fights,
regains his strength, and wins the war.
This story is passed down from generation to
generation, and it becomes part of a tradition of
a community. What do you call this narrative?
a. epic
b. folktale
c. legend
d. Myth
This story is told to explain a belief, a practice, or
a natural phenomenon. What do you call this
narrative?
a. epic
b. fable
c. legend
d. myth
This story is presented as history but is unlikely
to be true. What do you call this narrative?
a. epic
b. fable
c. legend
d. Myth
Which of the following statements is not true about the
precolonial literature of the Philippines?
a. Precolonial literature includes chants, proverbs, and
songs.
b. Precolonial literature includes folk narratives like
folktales, epics, and myths.
c. Precolonial literature includes literature that were
passed on from generation to generation through the
word of mouth.
d. Precolonial literature depicts the livelihood, customs,
and traditions of the Filipinos during the Spanish
occupation.
• T or F. Folk narratives were passed on from
generation to generation by printed books.
What is likely the purpose of “Juan Gathers Guavas”?
Juan Gathers Guavas (A Tagalog Folktale)

One day several neighbors came to Juan’s home to visit. His father
wanted to give the guests something to eat, so he sent Juan to get some
ripe guavas for them.
Full of mischief, Juan decided to play a joke on his father’s guests. He
went to get the guavas and ate all of them while thinking of a good joke.
Then he saw a wasp’s nest hung nearby. With some difficulty he managed
to take it down and put it into a tight basket. He hastened home and gave
the basket to his father. Quickly he left the room where the guests were
and closed the door and fastened it.
As soon as Juan’s father opened the basket, the wasps flew over the
room. With the door locked, the people fought to get out of the windows.
After a while Juan opened the door. When he saw the swollen faces of the
people, he cried.
“What fine, rich guavas you must have had! They have made you all
so fat!”
a. to teach a lesson
b. to amuse its listeners
c. to give emphasis on a virtue
d. to educate the readers about society
Fables often teach a lesson. What is likely the lesson
taught by “The Monkey and the Crocodile”?
The Monkey and the Crocodile (A Tagalog Fable)
One day, a monkey saw a tall macopa tree laden with ripe fruits, which stood by a wide
river. It was hungry, so it climbed the tree and ate all of the fruits. When it climbed down, it could
find no means by which to cross the river. Then it saw a young crocodile who had just woke up
from its siesta. It said to the crocodile in a friendly way, “My dear Crocodile, will you do me a
favor?”
The crocodile was greatly surprised by the monkey’s amicable salutation. So, it answered
humbly, “Oh, yes! If there is anything I can do for you, I shall be glad to do it.” The monkey then
told the crocodile that it wanted to get to the other side of the river. Then the crocodile said, “I’ll
take you there with all my heart. Just sit on my back, and we’ll go at once.”
The monkey sat firmly on the crocodile’s back, and they began to move. In a short while
they reached the middle of the stream. Then the crocodile began to laugh aloud. “You foolish
monkey!” it said, “I’ll eat your liver and kidneys, for I’m very hungry.” The monkey became
nervous. Trying to conceal its anxiety, it said, “I’m very glad that you mentioned the matter. I
thought myself that you might be hungry, so I have prepared my liver and kidneys for your dinner.
Unfortunately, in our haste to depart, I left them hanging on the macopa tree. Let us return, and
I’ll get them for you.”
Convinced that the monkey was telling the truth, the crocodile turned around and swam
back to the direction of the macopa tree. When they got near the riverbank, the monkey nimbly
jumped up onto the land and scampered up the tree. The crocodile came to realize what
happened and said, “I am a fool.”
a. Trust everyone.
b. Beware of the deceitful.
c. Your cunning can take you anywhere.
d. Being clever is better than being strong.
The Creation (An Excerpt from the Tagalog myth)
What does the excerpt suggest about the society of the
native Filipinos?
After a while the parents grew very tired of having so many idle and
useless children around. They wished to be rid of them, but they knew of
no place to send them to. Time went on, and the children became so
numerous that the parents enjoyed no peace. One day, in desperation,
the father seized a stick and began beating them on all sides.
The beating frightened the children so much that they fled in different
directions. Some seek hidden rooms in the house. Some concealed
themselves in the walls. Some ran outside, while others hid in the
fireplace. Several fled to the sea.
Now it happened that those who went into the hidden rooms of the
house later became the chiefs of the islands; and those who concealed
themselves in the walls became slaves. Those who ran outside were free
men; and those who hid in the fireplace became negroes; while those
who fled to the sea were gone many years, and when their children came
back they were the white people.
a. Parents should be strict.
b. There are different classes of people.
c. Idle and useless people should be punished.
d. Beating children is a way to teach them how
to behave properly.