Here you can find the important periods that make up the literary history of the Philippines

1. Ateneode Zamboanga University
Senior High School Unit
Fr. Eusebio Salvador, SJ Campus, La Purisima St., Zamboanga City
Handouts
21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
S.Y. 2017-2018
THE THREE PROMINENT PERIODS IN THE PHILIPPINE LITERARY TIMELINE
Pre-Colonial Times (BC- 1564)
- During these times, the native Filipinos used to live in villages that were near food sources like coastal
areas, river banks, and mountain sides.
- The areas where they lived were also usually accessible, especially by native transportation.
- Native Filipinos also gave value to the words of the elders.
- The indigenous culture of the pre-colonial Philippines survived for so long due to the following:
 By resistance to the colonial rule.
 By isolating themselves from the strongholds of the colonial powers.
Literary History
- It is considered as the longest period in the Philippine’s literary timeline.
- It is usually referred to as The Oral Lore of the Pre-Colonial Times, which technically describes the pre-
colonial period as having the oral form of literature.
- Oral literature was more than just stories to tell the young. They were the language of those that it
came from. It was the language of life of the community that it originates from, just lie the epics,
because of the so-called communal authorship that represent the whole community; beliefs, attitudes,
and emotions.
- The oral nature of this period opened possibilities that some could have been altered.
- Content wise, the following are the usual ideas that prevail in pre-colonial oral literature:
 Life
 Blessings
 Consequences
 Birth
 The Grave
- According to William Henry Scott, “a considerable discrepancy between what is actually known about
the prehispanic Philippines and what has been written about it.”
- The Filipinos possessed a wealthy lyric poetry. Tagalogs had 16 species of songs, each one deriving its
particular character from the occasion for the performance.
- According to an early Spanish chronicler: tradition is “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 mounted their dead. In these barbaric songs were told the fabled genealogies and
vainglorious deeds of their gods.”
Forms
Riddles (Mga Bugtong)- These are statements that contain superficial words, but they function figuratively and
as metaphors, and are in the form of questions. These are questions that demand deeper answers and deals with
everyday life.
It usually has mundane things as answers and was used in the past as a form of game in small or large
gatherings.
Examples:
Bisaya Meranaw
Baboy sa lasang, (A wild pig of the forest,) Sominub lawiyan, (It dived,)
Ang tunok puro lansang. (Is covered with spikes.) Mbowat lawitan. (It rose.)
Answer:Nangka (Jackfruit) Answer:Ragum (Needle)

2. Chabacano
Tagia que tagia, (You keep on slashing it,)
Hende ta penetra. (But it does not penetrate)
Answer:Agua (Water)
Proverbs (Mga Salawikain)- These are statements that are considered as wise and are usually given by parents
or elders of the community, because it is believed that they are more experienced.
Examples:
Mandaya on Viriginity Tausug on Secret Affairs
Yang ataog aw madugdug, (An egg once broken,) In lasa iban ubo, (Love and cough,)
Di da mamauli. (Will never be the same.) Di hikatapuk. (Cannot be hidden.)
Ilocano on Guilt
Ti agutak, (He who cackles
Isut nagitlog. (Laid the egg.)
Folk Songs
- These are folk lyrics that are usually chanted.
- These usually contain ideas on aspirations, hopes, everyday life and expressions of love for loved ones.
- It is bounded by the learning of good morals.
- It is easy to understand because it is straightforward and not figurative in nature.
Forms of Folk Songs
1. Lullabies- these are locally known as the Hele. These are sung to put to sleep babies. The content varies, but
usually, parents sing these with ideas on how hard life is and how they hope that their child will not experience
the hardships of life.
Example:
Ilocano
Maturog, duduayya Go to sleep, dear little one
Maturog kad tay bunga, Will my child please sleep,
Tay lalaki nga napigsa This strong boy
Ta inton dumakkel tay bunga, So when the child grows big
Isunto aya tay mammati He will obey
Tay amon a ibaga me. Everything that we say.
2. Drinking Songs- these are locally known as Tagay and are sung during drinking sessions.
Example:
Waray
Igduholduhol ngan palakta na it nga tagay Pass now that glass of tuba,
Ayaw pagatrasar kay mabutlaw na ug mauhaw For we are tired and thirsty.
Ayaw palalapos didimdim hahadki namanla anay Don’t let it pass without taking a sip;
Ayaw man pagibigla, ayaw man pagbigla
bangin ka lumnunay Don’t take too big a gulp because you might
drown.
Sugod man it aton sumsuman sahid gud
mamorot kay basi pa dugngan
Kanugon hadton inagonon konkabuwasan Everyone eat, for the fish will be wasted
pa di na daw makakaon. If we do not consume it.

3. 3. Love Songs- to many Filipinos, these are known as the Harana. It can also be called Courtship Songs and are
used by young men to capture the heart of the girl that they love.
Example:
Ivatan
Nangayan mo kakuyab? Pinangalichavus Where did you go yesterday? I have asked all
ko na imo su dumibu a panahehsan ko nimo, the passersby about you,
am dichu mo a dali. Madali mo yaken but in vain. How could you find me?
du chinulung da yaken da ama kani luyna koy’ I was hidden by my father and my mother
du vitas nu dahurapen, as sineseng da yaken in the hollow of a bamboo; they stopped it
mu yunut nu maunged a niuy, as valivaliwangen with the husk of a young coconut;
aku ava nu dima, as valivaliwangen and I may not be opened
aku nu addaw ko nimoy’mo nadinchad ko a lipus. with the hands, but I may be opened
by love for you, my beloved.
4. Religious Songs- are songs or chants that are usually given during exorcisms and thanksgiving during good
harvest.
Example
Ch’along – of the Ifugaw is part of the wedding rite, involving the propitiation of evil spirits who might bring
harm upon the couple.
5. Songs of Death- are lamentations that contain the roll of good deeds that the dead has usually done to
immortalize his or her good image.
Folk Tales (Mga Kwentong Bayan)
These are stories of native Filipinos. These deal with the power of nature- personified, their submission to a
deity- usually Bathala- and how this deity is responsible for the blessings and calamities. These also tackle
about irresponsibility, lust, stupidity, deception, and fallibility that eventually leads to the instilling of good
morals.
Usual Themes:
Ceremonies needed to appease the deities.
Pre and Post apocalypse
Life and Death
Gods and Goddesses
Heroes and Heroines
Supernatural beings
Animals
Forms
1. Myths- these tackle the natural to strange occurrences of the earth and how things were created with an aim
to give an explanation to things.
-There is Bathala for the Tagalogs and the Gueurang for the Bikolanos.
- Paradise is known as Maca, while Hell is Kasanaaan
2. Legends- through legends, the natives understood mysteries around them. These stories usually come with a
moral lesson that gives credit to supernatural powers, supernatural occurrences, and other out-of-this-world
native imagination.
3. Fables- are short or brief stories that cater the children of the native Filipinos and are usually bounded by
good manners and right conduct. These stories use animals as characters that represent a particular value or
characteristic.
4. Epics- are very lengthy narratives that are based on oral traditions. These contain encounters of fighters,
stereotypical princes or heroes that save a damsel in distress.

4. Arsenio Manuel – surveyed “ethnoepics,” in his 1962 study, he was able to describe 13 epics found among
pagan Filipinos, 2 among Christians and 4 among Muslim-Filipinos. Common features of the folk epics as
described by Manuel are:
- (a) narratives of sustained length
- (b) based on oral tradition
- (c) revolving around supernatural events or heroic deeds
- (d) in the form of verse
- (e) which is either chanted or sung
- (f) with a certain seriousness of purpose, embodying or validating the beliefs, customs,
ideals, or life-values of the people
Examples:
Myths The Story of Bathala
Ang Pag-aaway ng Dagat at Langit
Legends The Legend of Maria Makiling
The Legend of the Sampaguita
Fables Ang Kuneho at and Pagong
Si Juan Tamad
Epics
 Lam-ang – it relates the adventures of the hero Lam-ang, who was born already endowed with the
power of speech and supernatural strength.
 Tuwaang – a pagan epic discovered by Manuel in 1956 among the Manuvus of Central Mindanao.
 Hinilawod – also a pagan epic, recorded only in recent times among the Sulud of Panay, this epic
consisted of two parts.
 Bantugan – a Meranaw epic is about Bantugan a prince who excels not only as a valiant warrior but
also as a fabulous lover.
A Special Reminder:
On the basis of this brief account of precolonial literature, it might be concluded that prior to the
Spanish conquest, Filipinos had a culture that linked them with the Malays of Southeast Asia, a culture with
traces of Indian, Arabic, and possibly, Chinese influences.

5. Colonial Times
The Spanish Occupation (1521- 1898)
The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan on the shores of Homonhon in March 6, 1521 spelled a new era for
the Philippines. It has then become a Spanish colony. Imposition of the Spanish monarchy and the Roman
Catholic Religion, along with the arrival of the Spanish power was to spread Christianity. In this era, folklore
and other oral traditions were falsified as religion was used as reason to justify what has been the long belief
system of the Filipino natives. During this time, conversion was their main purpose, but reading the Bible was
not allowed, and only the priest was allowed to read from it. The priests were the representatives of power.
Even though this was the situation, the Spanish occupation sparked many brilliant minds to come up
with their own written literature that was now written. Spanish was also introduced as the mode of
communication. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught in catechetical schools.
Ladinos – “Latinized” is anyone who could read and write in any of the Latin languages.
- Pedro Bukaneg (the Ilokano poet to whom the published version of Lam-ang is often
attributed)
- Tomas Pinpin (the printer, author of the manual titled Ang Librong Pag-aaralan ng mga
Tagalog ng Wikang Castilla)
- Fernando Bagongbanta (a contributer to the Memorial de la vida Cristiana)
Two Classifications of Filipinos during the Spanish Period
Taga-bayan – Filipinos who were within easy reach of the power of the Church and State
- urbane and civilized
Taga-bukid or Taga-bundok – Filipinos who kept their distance from the colonial administrators
- Brutos salvages (savage brutes)
- Indio
Two Classifications of Literature during the Spanish Period
Oral literature was “Christianized” where it could not be suppressed or eradicated, but very little of it saw print.
1. Religious Literature
a. Pasyon- It is a narrative poem about passion and the death of Jesus Christ.
Example:
Gaspar Aquino de Belen – first Filipino literary artist, whose work bore the signs of conscious
design and careful composition. His prominent wor is the Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu
Christong Panginoon Natin (1704) and was a treasured Christian narrative poem intended to
replace the epic poems of the pagan past and sung to a fixed melody
b. Senakulo- It is the re-enactment or the dramatization of the passion of Christ.
c. Komedya – drew its plot from medieval Spanish ballads about highborn warriors and their
colorful adventures of love and fame, providing Filipinos with a glimpse of an idealized
European society.
2. Secular or Non- Religious Literature
a. Awit- Tales of Chivalry (high respect of men for women). Usually portrays a knight saving a
princess or the like.
Example:
Florante at Laura – in the form of awit, is a poem that relates the story of two lovers who are
parted by the political intrigues fomented by an evil member of the royal household of Albania.
b. Korido- a metrical (a piece of literature that has a measurement for aesthetic purposes) tale.
c. Prose Narratives- written to instruct readers on proper decorum.

6. Nationalistic Propaganda and Revolutionary Literature (1864-1896)
These works of literature planted the seed of nationalism in the hearts of every Filipino. During this
period, the language was slowly shifting from Spanish to Tagalog and the works of literature were addressed to
the masses instead of addressing only the elite.
1. Propaganda Literature- its objective is to reform.
a. Political Essays and Political Novels- are composed of satires, editorials, and news articles that
aim to attack and expose the corrupt Spanish rule.
2. Revolutionary Literature
a. Political Essays- these entries were exposes that fired up the Philippine revolutionary movement
into a time bomb waiting to explode.
Prominent Produce during the Spanish Period
1. Doctrina Christiana (1593) – first book ever published in the Philippines by the Dominicans. Other
religious congregation put up their respective presses early in the 17th century.
2. May Bagyo Ma’t May Rilim
- written by an anonymous author
- produced by the friar-lexicographer Francisco Blancas de San Jose
- published in Memorial de la vida Cristiana (1605)
- uses turbulent nature imagery to affirm Christian heroism
Prominent Authors during the Spanish Period
1. Modesto de Castro – was a native priest who lived in the first half of the 19th century, notable for his
sermons in Tagalog.
Example:
Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at Feliza (1864) – a popular book of
manners is de Castro’s lasting contribution to the history of literature.
2. Francisco Baltazar (1788-1862) popularly known as Balagtas:
 A short farce (La India Elegante el Negrito Amante, n.d.)
 A full length komedya (Orosman at Zafira, ca,1857-60)
 And a well-known awit (Pinagdaaanang Buhay ni Florante at ni Laura sa Cahariang
Albania, ca. 1838)
Example:
Orosman at Zafira – is a three-part play about the assassination of Mahamud, sultan of
Marruecos and father of Zafira, and the consequent moral and civil disruptions that culminate in
the disintegration of the family of the family of the usurper Bousalem, grand pasha of Tendenst
and father of Abdalap and Orosman.
The Growth of a Nationalist Consciousness
 A royal decree in 1863 opened new horizons to the emergent middle class when it provided for a complete
educational system consisting of elementary, secondary and collegiate level.
 Pedro Paterno (1857-1911) – put up a collection of his Spanish poems under the title Sampaguitas.
Examples:
 Sampaguitas marked the beginning of national consciousness among the Filipino
intelligentsia
 Ninay (1885) which insisted on “nationality,” is the first Filipino novel ever, it tells of the
young woman Ninay who dies of heartbreak brought on by separation from his sweetheart Carlos
and aggravated by the loss of her parents.
 Jose Rizal (1861-1896) – was sensitive to the forces that were building up in the Philippine society as the
clamor for reforms was met with repression that in turn generated a more insistent clamor for change.

7. Examples:
 Noli Me Tangere (1887) – tells about the young man Ibarra who, having obtained a
university education in Europe, comes home to the Philippines full of the zeal and idealism
of a dedicated reformist. It marks the first time realism as a literary concept entered
Philippines writing.
 El Filibusterismo (1891) is a sequel to the Noli Me Tangere where a mysterious stranger is
bent on hastening the downfall of the colonial regime, employing the double tactic of
abetting the corruption of friars and civil officials through money on one hand, and on the
other instigating an armed rebellion among the masses.
 A las Flores de Heidelberg and Ultimo Adios – represent two different
modes―conversational and sonorous.
 The Propaganda Movement (1872-1896) – issues had to be clarified, abuses and injustices denounced,
accusations refuted, future actions laid out.
Examples:
 La Solidaridad (1889-1895) a newspaper that served as the organ that would project the
views of the movement founded.
 ,Marcelo H. del Pilar (1850-1896) – was well-versed in the art of poetic jousting called
duplo before he assumed the post of editor of La Solidaridad. He is especially effective as a
parodist.
 Andres Bonifacio (1863-1896) and Emilio Jacinto (1875-1899) – used Tagalog to
advantage as a tool for organizing the masses.
 Under the less constricting socio-political atmosphere in the latter half of the 19th century, early literary
pieces by women surfaced, all of them poems. Some of the women authors were:
 Leona Florentino, whose opinions and married life departed from the moral and social
expectations of the period.
 Gregoria de Jesus who addresses her deceased husband Andres Bonifacio, poignant in its
recollection of details of her married past that are now reminders of her bereavement.
 The writings of the intelligentsia involved in the Propaganda Movement and, later, of the leaders of the
Revolution of 1896 trace the emergence of the Filipino people. The self-conscious literature that this
emergence brought fourth marks the beginning of a truly Filipino literature.

8. The American Occupation (1900-1942)
 The taga-bayan-taga-bukid polarization in Philippine society occasioned by the advent Spanish
colonization took on a decidedly political color during the Revolution of 1996.
 In 1900, even as the President of the Republic was still eluding American troops in the Cordillera
Mountains, prominent members of Aguinaldo’s cabinet were already gone over to the side of the
Americans.
 U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt - proclaimed that the “insurrection” has officially ended on July 4,
1902.
Several laws enforced during the period:
 Sedition Law (1901)
 Brigandage Act (1902)
 Reconcentration Act (1903)
 Against the background of war and efforts by the colonial government to subdue resistance to U.S. rule,
Philippine literature burst forth with vitality and variety indicative of creative energy unleashed by the
Revolution and propelled by the vernacular languages proliferated in spite of threatening provisions of the
Sedition Law.
Among the newspapers that provided space for literary pieces were:
 Muling Pagsilang (1903, Tagalog)
 Ang Kaluwasan (1902, Cebuano)
 Makinaugalingun (1913, Ilongo)
 Nueva Era (1908, Iloko)
 The best-known magazines that capitalized on short stories and poems for patronage were:

 Liwayway (1922, Tagalog)
 Bisaya (1930, Cebuano)
 Hiligaynon (1934, Ilongo)
 Bannawag (1934, Iloko)
The Euro-Hispanic Tradition
 The “Euro-Hispanic” refers to the literary part of the cultural heritage of Spanish colonialism which
brought over into Philippine West European literatures, particularly French.
 Severino Reyes (1861-1942) – spearheaded a movement to supplant the komedya with a new type of
drama, the sarsuwela, a Filipino adaptation of the Spanish zarzuela.
Example:
 Walang Sugat (1902) a sarsuwela drawn from the period of Revolution, depicting the
cruelty and corruption of friars and the heroism of the soldiers of the Katipunan.
Other successful sarsuwelas:
 Hindi Aco Patay (1903) by Juan Matapang Cruz
 Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas (1903) by Aurelio Tolentino, an allegorical presentation of
the history of the nationalist struggle and how the U,S. frustrated the Philippine revolution.
 Tanikalang Guinto (1902) – by Juan Abad (1872-1932) is about Liwanag and
K’Ulayaw, lovers who stand for freedom and the Filipino.
- Aurelio Tolentino (1868-1915) – he used the stage to remind the Filipinos the glorious Revolution and
campaign for support for the guerillas in the countryside. A he was a sophisticated thinker and a clever
theater artist at the same time, Tolentino had, by his achievement in Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas, set high
standards for Filipino political that the best of his contemporaries found difficult to approach.
- Towards the end of the 19th century, many of the poets were enthusiastic in coming with new techniques in
writing. Some of the poets of this period were:
- Benigno Ramos
- Pedro Gatmaitan (1889-1965) he had a long career as a poet, but unfortunately his later works have never
been collected.

9. Example:
Tungkos ng Alaala (1913)
- Jose Corazon de Jesus (1896-1832) popularly known as “Batute,” created his own generation with his first
book of poems.
 Mge Gintong Dahon (1920) here were poems pre-occupied with such non-traditional
themes as passion-slaying, grief-induced, insanity, and lover’s suicide.
 Sa Dakong Silangan (1928) returned to the awit form, retelling the history of Philippines
under Spain, the coming of the U.S under the guise of friendship to take over from Spain.
Novelists who took up Rizal’s portrayal of social conditions by colonial repression were:
 Gabriel Beato Francisco (1850-1935)
 Best known for his trilogy of Fulgencia Galbillo (1907), Capitan Bensio (1907), Alfaro
(1909), depicting the 30 years of colonial repression by the Spanish rule.
 Inigo Ed. Regalado (1888-1976)
 Madaling Araw (1909) was his first novel showing the complex interrelations of issues
and people in contemporary Philippine society.
 Juan Lauro Arsciwals (1889-1928)
 Lalaking Uliran o Tulisan (1914), allusion to the colonial law that branded Filipino
patriots as bandits.
- The latter part of the 19th century gush an abundance of techniques inspired of komedya and the metrical
romances (awit and korido).
 The magazine Liwayway (1922) devoted to variations on the poor-boy-rich-girl plot.
 Anak ng Dagat (1922) by Patricio Mariano (1877-1935), a representative of sarsuwela
that tells the story of a foundling who grew up and fell in love with a fisherman, later did
she find out that she’s the missing daughter of a rich man.
- In 1924, a balagtasan was held in the Instituto de Mujeres in Tondo,Maynila. The balagtasan poems
included:
 Jose Corazon de Jesus’ “butterfly” (paruparo) and a “bee” (bubuyog) battled over
“jasmine flower” (kampupot).
 Benigno R. Ramos introduced his two balagtasan poems portraying social content entitled
“Dalagang Bayan Laban sa Dalagang Bukid” (1930) and “Balagtasan ng Kalayaan”.
- Valeriano Hernandez Pena (1858-1922) have been dubbed as the “Father of the Tagalog Novel”. He
was best remembered for the novel Nena at Neneng (1903).
- Pedro Paterno’s “Ninay” was translated in tagalog by Roman Reyes (1853-1926).
- Roman Reyes’ works involved woven love-plot including Pusong Walang Pag-Ibig (1910) and its sequel
Bagong Dalaga (1910).
- Regalado was also fascinated by the figure of a fallen woman represented in his work May Pagsinta’y
Walang Puso (1911). In 1918, Regalado’s concern with fallen woman followed up in his work
Sampagitang Walang Bango.
American Imposition, Filipino Response
- Learning from the mistake of the Spanish colonizer, the Americans did not deny their language to the
Filipinos.
- English opened the floodgates of colonial values through the conduits of textbooks originally intended for
American children; books and magazines beamed at an American audience that familiarized Filipinos with
the blessing of economic affluence in a capitalist country.
- A broader sector of the populace was given the opportunity to educated as higher education was made
more accessible to the Filipinos, thus, begun the Philippines writing in English.
- Footnote to Youth and Other Stories (1913) – heralded the arrival of Filipino author steeped in Anglo-
American literary tradition.
- The sarsuwela started to decline along with other Tagalog plays as they cannot compete with the range
of detail in story-telling that Tagalog movies can provide.
Three Filipino poetry anthologies:
 Rodolfo’s Dato’s Filipino poetry ( 1924) exhibited 53 poets serving their apprenticeship
to various English and American poets included perhaps in textbooks they had in college.
 Pablo Laslo’s English-German Anthology of Filipino Poets (1934) revealed a better
command of the English language and of English versification.
 Carlo Bulosan’s Chorus for America: Six Philippine Poets (1942)

10. - Arturo B. Rotor (1907-1988) and Manuel E. Arguilla (1910-1944) – were the finest short story writers of
their time, and between the of them, they covered a broad range of subject matter and themes drawn for the
experiences of Filipinos living in 1930s
 Rotor’s The Wound and the Scar (1937)
 Arguilla’s How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife and Other Stories (1941)
- Deogracias A. Rosario (1894-1936) – “Father of Tagalog Short Story,” a recognition of his skill as a
craftsman who modernized the genre.
Intensification of Social Consciousness
- The only change that occurred with the coming of the Americans was a change of occupancy of the tip of
the pyramid.
- The Great Crash of 1929 had wrecked the economy of the U.S., and the economic depression that
followed had disastrous repercussions on business in the Philippine colony. It resulted to mass lay-offs.
- Lope K. Santos (1879-1963) always linked to the discussion of social consciousness in Philippine
literature by virtue of the celebrated novel Banaag at Sikat (1904), written with the intent of introducing
Filipino laborers to socialism.
- Faustino Aguilar (1882-1955) he demonstrated a firm grasp of the concept of class struggle and a broad
understanding of the historical forces that determine social change in his novel Pinaglahuan (1907)
- Benigno R. Ramos (1892-1945) was the founder and publisher of Sakdal which opened a forum for anti-
colonial ideas that was to rally Filipinos seeking an alternative to the colonial administration, although his
reputation was stained due to his participation in the Japanese occupation.
- Philippine literature, at the end of the U.S. colonialism, had attained identity as national literature, largely
was a result of the patriotic and resistance literature produced during the early years of American rule.

11. The Japanese Occupation (1941-1945), the Commonwealth and the Republic (1946-1985)
Between 1941-1945, Philippine Literature was interrupted in its development when the Philippines was
again conquered by another foreign country, Japan. Philippine literature in English came to a halt. Except for
the TRIBUNE and the PHILIPPINE REVIEW, almost all newspapers in English were stopped by the
Japanese. This had an advantageous effect on Filipino Literature, which experienced renewed attention because
writers in English turned to writing in Filipino. Juan Laya, who use to write in English turned to Filipino
because of the strict prohibitions of the Japanese regarding any writing in English. The weekly LIWAYWAY
was placed under strict surveillance until it was managed by Japanese named Ishiwara.
In other words, Filipino literature was given a break during this period. Many wrote plays, poems, short
stories, etc. Topics and themes were often about life in the provinces.
Because of the strict prohibitions imposed by the Japanese in the writing and publishing of works in
English, Philippine literature in English experienced a dark period. The few who dared to write did so for their
bread and butter or for propaganda.
Writings that came out during this period were journalistic in nature. Writers felt suppressed but slowly,
the spirit of nationalism started to seep into their consciousness. While some continued to write, the majority
waited for a better climate to publish their works. Noteworthy writer of the period was Carlos P. Romulo who
won the Pulitzer Prize for his bestsellers I SAW THE FALL OF THE PHILIPPINES, I SEE THE
PHILIPPINES RISE and his MOTHER AMERICA AND MY BROTHER AMERICANS.
Between 1941-1945, Philippine Literature was interrupted in its development when the Philippines was
again conquered by another foreign country, Japan. Philippine literature in English came to a halt. Except for
the TRIBUNE and the PHILIPPINE REVIEW, almost all newspapers in English were stopped by the
Japanese.
This had an advantageous effect on Filipino Literature, which experienced renewed attention because
writers in English turned to writing in Filipino. Juan Laya, who use to write in English turned to Filipino
because of the strict prohibitions of the Japanese regarding any writing in English. The weekly LIWAYWAY
was placed under strict surveillance until it was managed by Japanese named Ishiwara.
In other words, Filipino literature was given a break during this period. Many wrote plays, poems, short
stories, etc. Topics and themes were often about life in the provinces.
- Journalists include Salvador P. Lopez, Leon Ma. Geurrero, Raul Manglapuz and Carlos Bulosan.
- Nick Joaquin produced THE WOMAN WHO LOOKED LIKE LAZARUS. Fred Ruiz Castro wrote a few
poems.
- F.B. Icasino wrote essays in The Philippine Review. Carlos Bulosan’s works included THE LAUGHTER
OF MY FATHER (1944), THE VOICE OF BATAAN, 1943, SIX FILIPINO POETS, 1942, among others.
Alfredo Litiatco published With Harp and Sling and in 1943, Jose P. Laurel published Forces that Make a
Nation Great.
The Commonwealth Literary Awards gave prizes to meritorious writers. Those who won were:
 LIKE THE MOLAVE –by Rafael Zulueta da Costa (Poetry)
 HOW MY BROTHER LEON BROUGTH HOME A WIFE –by Manuel E. Arguilla (Short
Story)
 LITERATURE AND SOCIETY –by Salvador P. Lopez (Essay)
 HIS NATIVE SOIL –by Juan Laya (Novel)
- President Manuel L. Quezon’s autobiography THE GOOD FIGHT was published posthumously.
- Radio broadcasts echoed the mingled fear and doubts in the hearts of the people.
Other writers of this period:
 Juan Collas (19440)
 Tomas Confesor (1945)
 Roman A. de la Cruz
 Elisa Tabuñar.

12. Status of Fiction
The field of the short story widened during the Japanese Occupation. Many wrote short stories. Among
them were: Brigido Batungbakal, Macario Pineda, Serafin Guinigindo, Liwayway Arceo, Narciso Ramos, NVM
Gonzales, Alicia Lopez Lim, Ligaya Perez, and Gloria Guzman. The best writings in 1945 were selected by a
group of judges composed of Francisco Icasiano, Jose Esperanza Cruz, Antonio Rosales, Clodualdo del Mundo
and Teodoro Santos. As a result of this selection, the following got the first three prizes:
First Prize: Narciso Reyes with his LUPANG TINUBUAN
Second Prize: Liwayway Arceo’s UHAW ANG TIGANG NA LUPA
Third Prize: NVM Gonzales’LUNSOD NAYON AT DAGAT-DAGATAN
Status of Poetry
The common theme of most poems during the Japanese occupation was nationalism, country, love, and life in
the barrios, faith, religion and the arts. Three types of poems emerged during this period. They were:
1. Haiku –a poem of free verse that the Japanese like. It was made up of 17 syllables divided into three lines.
The first line had 5 syllables, the second, 7 syllables, and the third, five. The Haiku is allegorical in meaning, is
short and covers a wide scope in meaning.
2. Tanaga –like the Haiku, is short but it had measure and rhyme. Each line had 17 syllables and it’s also
allegorical in meaning.
3. Karaniwang Anyo (Usual Form) –like those mentioned earlier in the beginning chapters of this book.
Status of Drama
The drama experienced a lull during the Japanese period because movie houses showing American films
were closed. The big movie houses were just made to show stage shows. Many of the plays were reproductions
of English plays to Tagalog. The translators were Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Alberto Concio, and Narciso
Pimentel. They also founded the organization of Filipino players named Dramatic Philippines. A few of play
writers were:
1. Jose Ma. Hernandez –wrote PANDAY PIRA
2. Francisco Soc Rodrigo –wrote sa PULA, SA PUTI
3. Clodualdo del Mundo –wrote BULAGA (an expression in the game Hide and Seek).
4. Julian Cruz Balmaceda –wrote SINO BA KAYO?, DAHIL SA ANAK, and HIGANTE NG PATAY.