This document provides an overview of Philippine literature from precolonial to Spanish colonial periods. It begins by defining literature and its importance. It then discusses some forms of precolonial oral literature like proverbs, riddles, folksongs, tales and epics. During the Spanish colonial period, literature shifted to emulate Spanish themes but Filipinos incorporated works like corridos, awits, pasyons and zarzuelas. The document also discusses how literature inspired revolution, with works like Noli Me Tangere sparking nationalist sentiments.

1. Philippine
Literature

2. WHAT IS LITERATURE?
Literature, a body of written works. The name has
traditionally been applied to those imaginative works
of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of
their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of
their execution. Literature may be classified according
to a variety of systems, including language, national
origin, historical period, genre, and subject matter.
literature represents the culture and tradition of a
language or a people.

3. WHY IS LITERATURE IMPORTANT?
Works of literature, at their best, provide a kind of
blueprint of human civilization. literature is more than
just a historical or cultural artifact; it can serve as an
introduction to a new world of experience. Ultimately, we
may discover meaning in the literature by looking at what
the author writes or says, and how he or she says it. We may
interpret and debate an author's message by examining the
words she chooses in a given novel or work or observing
which character or voice serves as the connection to the

5. Precolonial Literature
• Before thw Philippines was colonized it was
already brimming with a rich tradition of oral
literature. They had countless mths, legends,
epics, the stories of how the world created, why
is there a sun and moon, earthquake, how
mountains were formed and other life events.
But because paper was not invented many of
these have vanished and only few have survived,

6. • The other forms of Literature that were passed
on by the early Filipinos today's generationare
as follows:
Proverbs
Riddles
Folksongs
Tales
Epics

7. PROVERBS
(SALAWIKAIN)
Are practical
observations and
philosophy of everyday
life that re written in
rhyming scheme. it is
meant to entaertain
while teaching basic
skills in surviving local
life.
Examples:
1. Ang tunay na pag-anyaya,
dinadamayan ng hila.
(A sincere invitation is augmented by
a pull.)
2. Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang
gawa.
(God helps those who help
themselves.)
3.Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga
(if you don't persevere, you can
expect no reward.)
4. Kung ano puno, siya ang bunga
(whatever the tree, so is the fruit)

8. RIDDLES
Are like proverbs with one
main difference: they demand
an answer and are usedd to
test the wits of those who are
listening to them. Usually
riddles or bugtong are used in
tn a battle of wits where locals
young and old join or watch to
see who is the smartest.

9. EXAMPLES:
Isang balong malalim, punong-
puno ng patalim.
(A deep well that is full of
chisels.)
****BIBIG(MOUTH)
Naligo ang kapitan, hindi
nabasa ang tiyan.
(The captain took a bath
without his belly getting wet)
***BANGKA(CANOE)
Nang hatakin ko ang baging,
nagkagulo ang mga matsing.
(When I tugged on the vine, the
monkeys went crazy.)
***KAMPANA(BELL)
Dalawa kong kahon, buksan
walang ugong.
(My two boxes are opened
without a sound)
***MATA(EYES).

10. FOLKSONGS
Are beautiful songs that
are informal expressions of
our ancestors experiences
in life. these range from
courtship or called as
harana to lullabies,
harvest, funerals and
others.
EXAMPLES:
1.SITSIRITSIT,
ALIBANGBANG
2. LERO LERON SINTA
3. PARU PARONG BUKID
4.BAHAY KUBO
5. KATAKATAKA
6.SA LIBIS NG NAYON
8.MAGTANIMAY DI BIRO

11. • are stories of origin for certain places,
their names and their creation . these
are also known as myths and legends.
they are usually used to explain certain
events and phenomena in our ancestor's
lives that cannot be explained by the
limited practical kind of science they
knew back then.

12. SI MALAKAS AT SI
MAGANDA

13. ANG ALAMAT NI MARIA
MAKILING

14. EPICS
Are long-winded poems about a
hero and his adventures and
misadventures it usually tells of a
male hero who is born with all the
pleasing qualities that our
ancestors like in a person and who
also has superhuman capabilities.

16. SPANISH COLONIAL PHILIPPINE
LITERATURE

17. Spaniard made an immediate shift on
literature. They brought Christianity in
the Philippines and stories of faith, saints
and other religious hymns. Philippine
started to emulate the spanish ways of
themes and forms of writing and
repetitive plots and obvious shadowy
characters.

18.  Despite these changes, Filipinos still found a way to make
Spanish literature thier own, as shown through these common
kinds:
1. Corrido
2. Awit
3. Pasyon
4. Cenculo
5. Moro-moro
6. Carillo

19. Corrido- is a legendary religious narrative
form that usually details the lives of saints or the
history of a tradition
Awit- is a chivalric poem about a hero, usually
about a saint. It is usully sung and used in
religious processions
Pasyon- is a narrative poem about the
life of Jesus Christ, beginning from his
birth and up to his death. This is usually
sung during the Lenten season.

20. Cenaculo- is the dramatization of the passion of
Christ. It highlights the sufferings and death of Jesus
Christ, and it is also done during the Lenten season.
Moro-moro or the Comedia de Capa y Espada is
blood and thunder melodrama depicting the conflict of
Christians and Muslims. It is usually about battles to
the death and the proofs of faith.
Carillo-is a play that uses shadows
as its main spectacle. This is created by
animating figures made from
cardboard, which are projected onto
white screen.

21. Tibag- is the dramatic reenactment of St. Helena's search for
the Holy Cross. St. Helena is the mother of constantine and is
oftentimes credited to have influenced her son to be great
chritian leader he is known for today. She is also well-known to
have travele to Syria to look for the relics of Jesus Christ's cross,
the one that was used in his crusifixion. It is also widely believed
that she found it in the same country.
Zarzuela- is probably one of the famous forms of
entertainment back in the spanish era. Zarzuelas are
musical comedies or melodramas that deal with the
elemental passions of human beings. A Zarzuela follows a
certain plot, which shows either a satirical look at society
or begrudged

22. Despite being colonized, most Filipinos back then
still treasured the old myths and folklores of their
ancestors. One of these i Jose Rizal, an ilustrado he
still firmly championed the literature of precolonial
Philippines and also spent time researching on them.
The sory of Mariang Makiling was retold by Jose
Duplo or Karagatan- are native damas that
are connected to catholic mourning rituals and
harvest celebration.

23. Reading and
Revolution

24. When people write about Noli Me
Tangere in history books, they always
always mention how Andres Bonifacio
was inspired to revolution, and that it
was the ideological fire that forged the
Katipunan. countless filipinos who felt
for the very first time, that Jose Rizal
was articulating what they felt about
the Philippines.

25. Readings:
1. The Revolution According to Raymund Mata
by: Gina Apostol
2. Padre Faura Witnesses the Execution OF Rizal
by:Danton Remoto
3. Apo on the Wall
by: Bj Patino
4. The Safe House
by: Sandra Nicole Roldan