Faith, Freedom, and Expression: Philippine Literature Flashcards

Warm-up Activity: Literature as a Mirror of Time

• Spanish Era Quote: ‘Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika, daig pa ang hayop at malansang isda.’

• American Era Quote: ‘I am a Filipino — inheritor of a glorious past, hostage to the uncertain future.’

• Guide Questions:

  1. How do you think colonization changed what Filipinos wrote about?

  2. Do you see religion and freedom appearing in both?

Spanish Colonial Influence ($1521$ – $1898$)

• Historical Background: The Spanish arrived in $1521$ with Ferdinand Magellan and established central leadership under Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in $1565$.

• Cultural Shifts: Filipinos embraced Catholicism, adopted Spanish surnames, and transitioned to stone-and-brick housing and carriage-based transportation.

• Linguistic Changes: The indigenous BAYBAYIN script was replaced by the Roman alphabet. Many Spanish loanwords were integrated into Tagalog, such as Kotse (Coche), Kultura (Cultura), and Matematika (Matem
  tica).

• Basis of Literature: The Christian Doctrine became the foundation for religious practices and literary themes. Most periodicals maintained a religious bias.

The First Books in the Philippines

• Doctrina Cristiana ($1593$): The first book printed in the Philippines via xylography; written by Fr. Juan de Placencia and Fr. Domingo Nieva in both Tagalog and Spanish.

• Nuestra Se
  ora del Rosario: Written by Fr. Blancas de San Jose; contains saint biographies and novenas.

• Libro de los Cuatro Postrimerias de Hombre: Distinguished as the first book printed using typography.

• Barlaan at Josaphat: Translated from Greek by Fr. Antonio de Borja; recognized as the first Tagalog novel published in the country.

• Ang mga Dalit kay Maria: A collection of songs for the Virgin Mary written by Fr. Mariano Sevilla in $1865$. It is traditionally read during Lent and Flores de Mayo.

• Urbana et Felisa: A series of letters between two sisters that influenced social behavior and ethics.

Recreational Plays and Poetic Forms

• Religious Plays:

  • Tibag: A ritual depicting St. Helena’s search for the Holy Cross.

  • Cenaculo: A dramatic performance of the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

  • Panunuluyan: A Christmas Eve reenactment of Mary and Joseph searching for an inn.

  • Salubong: An Easter play showing the meeting of the Risen Christ and Mary.

• Secular and Poetic Forms:

  • Zarzuela: A three-act musical comedy or melodrama dealing with intense human passions or social problems.

  • Moro-Moro: A play performed during fiestas to remind people of the Christian religion through depicted conflicts.

  • Balagtasan: A poetic joust or debate named after Francisco ‘Balagtas’ Baltazar, replacing the older Duplo.

  • Awit vs. Korido: Awit features $12$ syllables (pantig) and a slow pace; Korido features $8$ syllables (pantig) and a fast pace (alegro).

Nationalistic, Propaganda, and Revolutionary Period ($1864$ – $1896$)

• Key Publications: Diariong Tagalog ($1882$), La Solidaridad ($1888$), and Kalayaan ($1896$).

• Jose Rizal: Author of Noli Me Tangere ($1887$) and El Filibusterismo ($1891$), portraying Spanish corruption.

• Graciano Lopez-Jaena: Triumvirate member and author of the satirical Fray Botod.

• Marcelo H. del Pilar (Plaridel): Editor of La Solidaridad and author of the satirical Dasalan at Tocsohan.

• Andres Bonifacio: Founder of the Katipunan; wrote ‘Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa’.

• Pedro Paterno: Wrote Ninay ($1885$), the first Filipino novel in Spanish.

• Leona Florentino: Known as the ‘mother of Philippine women’s literature.’

American Occupation and the Shift to English ($1898$ – $1941$)

• Period of Reorientation ($1898$ – $1910$): Focused on nationalism following the surrender of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Newspapers like El Nuevo Dia ($1900$) expressed resentment toward new colonizers.

• Period of Imitation ($1910$ – $1930$): Filipino writers imitated American styles.

  • A Child of Sorrow ($1921$): By Zoilo M. Galang; the first Filipino novel in English.

  • Dead Stars ($1925$): By Paz Marquez Benitez; the first Filipino modern short story in English.

• Period of Emergence ($1930$ – $1941$): A time of self-discovery and social consciousness.

  • Alejandro G. Abadilla: Wrote ‘Ako ang Daigdig’ ($1932$), pioneering Tagalog modernist free verse.

  • Jose Garcia Villa: Honored as the ‘Poet of the Century’ and known for craftsmanship.

  • Juan C. Laya: His novel His Native Soil ($1940$) won the First Commonwealth Literary Award.