21st: Unit 8.3

Lesson 3: Philippine Literature Post-EDSA Revolution (1986–1995)

The year 1986 marks the beginning of the fall of martial law that former President Marcos instigated on September 21, 1972. This also marks the beginning of the new age in contemporary Philippine literature. It was a time when people are no longer forced to suppress their freedom of expression and created conditions that made collaboration and cooperation convenient choices for artists struggling for recognition and survival.

In Lumbera’s Philippine Literature: A History & Anthology, he mentioned notable events of the Philippine literary scene when martial law finally ended and a new government was established. These notable events were the following:

● Critics such as Virgilio Almario, Isagani Cruz, and Soledad Reyes embarked on different approaches, post-structuralist and postcolonial, in reading Philippine writing.

● Publishers who produced and embarked on nontraditional projects (anthologies, novels, poems, etc.) emerged, such as Anvil Publishing, New Day Publishers, and Solidaridad Publishing House.

● The rise of gays’ and women's writings, including male authors writing about women, enabled the flourishing of gay and feminist discourse. The poem entitled “The Way We Live” (1992) by Danton Remoto was one of the early poems during the 1990s that was written by an author from the gay community.

● Post-EDSA writings paved the way for the development of vernacular literature, or literature written using the daily speech of common people, which also became a source of regional literary histories.

 Lumbera also noted the creative writing centers that seek to hone and further a writer’s craft. Creative writing centers after EDSA may be grouped into two:

● Academic institutions included creative writing as part of their curricular offerings. Students of literature are also allowed to connect with other creative writers/critics/professors. Such academic institutions include the Silliman University, the University of the Philippines, the Ateneo de Manila University, De la Salle University, and San Carlos University in Cebu.

● Writers’ organizations that periodically sponsor symposia on writing and/or set up workshops for its members and other interested parties include UMPIL (Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas), PANULAT (Pambansang Unyon ng mga Manunulat), Panday-Lipi, GAT (Galian sa Arte at Tula), KATHA (Pangkat ng Kabataang Kuwentista), 14 LIRA (Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo), GUMIL (Gunglo Dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano), and LUDABI (Lubas sa Dagang Binisaya).