The document provides a detailed overview of the history of Philippine literature from pre-colonial times to the present day. It is divided into several periods: 1) Pre-Colonial Period - Literature included riddles, proverbs, folk songs, folk tales, myths, legends, fables and epics that were part of oral tradition. 2) Spanish Colonization Period (1565-1863) - Religious literature like pasyon and secular literature like awit and korido were produced. Oral literature included songs, drama and religious drama. 3) American Colonization Period (1901-1946) - Literature in English emerged with genres like novels, short stories and poetry. Notable

1. PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD
Early Times – 1564
The first period of the Philippine literary history is the longest. Long time before the Spaniards and other
foreigners landed on Philippine shores, our forefathers already had their own literature stamped in the history of
our race.
RIDDLES (bugtong) – battle of wits among participants. It is called Tigmo in Cebu, Paktakon in Ilonggo and
Patotdon in Bicol.
PROVERBS (salawikain) – wise sayings that contain a metaphor used to teach as a food for thought.
TANAGA – one stanza poems consisted usually of four lines with seven syllables, all lines rhyming.
FOLK SONGS – one of the oldest forms of Philippine literature that emerged in the Pre-Spanish period.
a. Hele or oyayi -lullaby
b. Ambahan (Mangyan) –about human relationships and social entertainment
c. Kalusan (Ivatan) – work songs
d. Tagay (Cebuano and Waray) – drinking song
e. Kanogan (Cebuano) – song of lamentation for the dead
FOLK TALES MYTHS – explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain
characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora and fauna
LEGENDS – explain the origin of things.
FABLES – used animal characters and allegory
FANTASY STORIES – deal with underworld characters such as tiyanak, aswang, kapre and so on.
EPICS – these are narratives of sustained length based on oral tradition revolving around supernatural events or
heroic deeds. Ex: Biag ni Lam-ang (Ilocano), Hinilawod (Panay), Kudaman (Palawan), Darangen (Maranao)
FOLK TALES – made up of stories about life, adventure, love, horror and humor where one can derive lessons
about life.
SPANISH COLONIZATION PERIOD
1565-1863
Spanish occupied Philippines in early 15th century. The Spanish colonization period has two distinct
classifications – religious and secular.

2. RELIGIOUS LITERATURE – religious lyrics written by Ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and
Tagalog were included in early catechism.
a. Pasyon – long narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ.
1704 – Mahal Na Pasion ni Jesu Cristo,
b. Senakulo – dramatization of the pasyon, it shows the passion and death of Christ.
SECULAR LITERATURE – non-religious literature
a. Awit – colorful tales of chivalry made for singing and chanting. Ex: Ibong Adarna
b. Korido – metrical tale written in octosyllabic quatrains. Ex: Florante and Laura by Francisco Baltazar
c. Prose Narratives - written to prescribe proper decorum.
1879 – Modesto de Castro’s “Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza” and Joaquin
Tuason’s “Ang Bagong Robinson”
Spanish Colonization Period also has oral and written literature.
ORAL LITERATURE – songs, religious drama, drama
SONGS – a composition for voice and voices performed by singing.
Kundiman – is a Filipino love song traditionally sung by a man wooing the woman of his dreams.
a. Leron Leron Sinta – this song depicts humbleness.
b. Sarung banggi – a Kundiman which means “one night” or “one evening” in Bicol.
RELIGIOUS DRAMA – setting forth events recorded in the Bible or moral lessons to be drawn from religious
teaching.
a. Panunuluyan – a Philippine Christmas dramatic ritual.
DRAMA –enacted in front of live audiences. It is also known as play.
a. Why Woman Wash the Dishes – this is filled with humor and antiques.
WRITTEN LITERATURE – short stories and poetry
SHORT STORIES – a brief work of literature
POETRY –an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language.
1838 – Florante at Laura –about the love and determination.

3. NOTABLE FILIPINOS DURING THE SPANISH COLONIZATION PERIOD IN PHILIPPINE
LITERATURE
JOSE DELA CRUZ (1746-1829) – he was the foremost exponent of the komedya during his time.
FRANCISO BALTAZAR (1788-1862) – he was popularly called Balagtas, he is the acknowledged master of
traditional Tagalog poetry.
NATIONALISTIC/ PROPAGANDA AND REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD
1864-1896
Literary Forms under this period include propaganda literature and revolutionary literature.
PROPAGANDA LITERATURE – reformatory in objective.
a. POLITICAL ESSAYS – satires, editorials and news articles were written to attack and expose the evils
of Spanish rule.
i. 1882 – Diariong Tagalog
ii. 1888 – La Solidaridad
b. POLITICAL NOVELS
i. 1887 – Noli Me Tangere
ii. 1891 – El Filibusterismo
REVOLUTIONARY LITERATURE – more propagandistic than literary as it is more violent in nature and
demanded complete independence for the country.
a. POLITICAL ESSAYS – helped inflame the spirit of revolution
1896 – Kalayaan – was a newspaper of the Katipunan which means "independence and solidarity” edited
by Emilio Jacinto.
b. POETRY
1896 – Hibik ng Pilipinas – Andres Bonifacio
1896 – Liwanag at Dilim – Emilio Jacinto
1898 – True Decalogue – Apolinario Mabini

4. RIZALIST AGE
1896-1899
1896 - Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo sparked the Revolution of 1896.
RIZAL AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES
JOSE RIZAL
Philippine National Hero of the Philippines.
a. 1896 – Mi Ultimo Adios – a poem written by Jose Rizal that was one of the last notes he wrote before his
death.
MARCELO H. DEL PILAR
Popularly known as Plaridel, he was the editor and co-publisher of La Solidaridad.
1888 – Dasalan at Tocsohan –a satire on the friars’ hypocrisy, licentiousness and greed sarcasm.
ANDRES BONIFACIO
He was the “Father of the Philippine Revolution”.
1896 – Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa –directed to the Filipinos in order to arouse their spirit of nationalism and
self-dependence.
AMERICAN COLONIZATION PERIOD
1901-1946
Philippine literature in English, as a direct result of American colonization of the country, could not escape being
imitative of American models of writing especially during its period of apprenticeship.
A. PERIOD OF APPRENTICESHIP (1910-1930)
a. TAGALOG NOVELS
1906 – Banaag at Sikat – by Lope K. Santos
b. ROMANTIC POETRY
Pag-ibig – by Jose Corazon de Jesus.
c. SHORT STORIES
i. 1925 – Dead Stars – by Paz Marquez Benitez.
ii. 1927 – The Small Key – by Paz Latorena

5. iii. 1933 – Footnote to Youth –by Jose Garcia Villa
iv. 1940 – We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers –by Alejandro Roces.
NOVEL
1930 – Childe of Sorrow –first novel in English by Zoilo Galang.
a. PERIOD OF EMERGENCE (1920-1930)
SHORT STORIES – most prevalent literary form.
i. Jose Garcia Villa – earned the international title “Poet of the Century”.
 During this period, writers were given the chance to write in newspapers. Some of these newspapers were:
1902 – Ang Kaluwasan (Cebuano)
1903 – Muling Pagsilang (Tagalog)
1913 – Makinaugalingon (Ilonggo)
1908 – Nueva Era (Ilokano)
The best-known magazines that capitalized on short stories and poems were:
1922 – Liwayway (Tagalog)
1930 – Bisaya (Cebuano)
1934 – Hiligaynon (Ilonggo)
1934 – Bannawag (Ilokano)
JAPANESE COLONIZATION PERIOD
1946-1960
A. WAR YEARS (1942-1944)
1943 – 25 Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang Pilipino
Suyuan sa Tubigan – Macario Pineda
i. Lupang Tinubuan – Narciso Reyes
ii. Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa – Liwayway Arceo
B. PERIOD OF MATURITY AND ORIGINALITY (1945-1960)
a. Palanca Awards for Literature - Established in 1950.
i. Jose Garcia Villa
ii. Nick Joaquin

6. iii. NVM Gonzales
iv. Bienvenido Santos
v. Gregorio Brillantes
vi. Gilda Cordero Fernardo
b. National Artist Awards - is an order bestowed on Filipinos who have made significant contributions to
the development of Philippine art.
i. Jose Garcia Villa
ii. Nick Joaquin
1946 – Ginto Sa Makiling –by Macario Pineda
1947 – Heart of the Islands – collection of poems by Manuel Viray
1950 – Philippines Cross Section – a collection of prose and poetry by Maximo Ramos and Florentino Valeros
1952 – Prose and Poems – by Nick Joaquin
1953 – Philippine Writing – by. T.D. Agcaoili
REPUBLIC PERIOD
1960-1985
1967 – Horizons Least – a collection of works by Artemio Patacsil and Silverio Baltazar
1969 – Mga Ibong Mandaragit – Amado V. Hernandez
1970s
The government took part in reviving old plays like the Cenaculo, the Zarzuela and the Embayoka of the Muslims.
1972 – Kerima Polotan Tuvera’s novel The Hand of the Enemy
Radio and Television – Radio continued to be patronized during this period. The play series like SI MATAR,
DAHLIA, ITO AND PALAD KO, and MR. LONELY were the forms of recreation of those without television.
Filipino Films - A yearly Pista ng mga Pelikulng Pilipino (Yearly Filipino Film Festival) was held during this
time.
Maynila…sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag – Bembol Roco was the lead role.
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo; Nora Aunor was the principal performer here.
Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon: led by Christopher de Leon and Gloria Diaz.
Insiang: by Hilda Koronel

7. Aguila: led by Fernando Poe Jr., Jay Ilagan and Christopher de Leon
Comics, Magazines and other Publications - News on economic progress, discipline, culture, tourism and the
like were favored more than the sensationalized reporting of killings, rape and robberies.
Filipino Poetry – Poems during this period were romantic and revolutionary.
Filipino Songs – Many Filipino songs dealt with themes that were really true-to-life like those of grief, poverty,
aspirations for freedom, love of God, of country and of fellowmen.
CONTEMPORARY/ MODERN PERIOD
1986-PRESENT
Things that were used and exercised during the Contemporary Period are:
Onomatopoeia – the use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.
Messages in Poetry – the idea about life that a poet writes about is called the theme or message of the poem.
Free Verse – a poem that has no regular rhyme or rhythm.
Cause and Effect Relationship
Using Adjectives – is a word that describes, limits, or points out a noun.
Making Clear and Correct Comparison
1986 - The action of martial rule by President Ferdinand Marcos last September 21,1972 does not only oppress
the writers' right to free expression but also created conditions that made collaboration and cooperation convenient
choices for artists' struggling for recognition and survival.
1997 – sa Ngalan Ng Ina, by prize-winning poet-critic Lilia Quindoza Santiago, is, to date, the most
comprehensive compilation of feminist writing in the Philippines.
1998 – Many are writing novels. As fictionist Rony Diaz noted as judge, he had to read 350 novel entries for the
Philippine centennial literary contest in 1998.
2000s
 Many novels in English seem to have been written for literary contests like Palanca and Asia Man.
2010s
 The debate over textual and contextual criticism, balagtasismo and modernism, formalism and historical
criticism has persisted to this day in the academe. The more popular but banal issue is called “literature (art)
and propaganda.”

8. Overall, the character of the Philippine literary scene after "EDSA" maybe pinpointed be referring to the theories
that inform literary production, to the products issuing from the publishers, to the dominant concerns
demonstrated by the writers' output, and to the direction towards which literary studies are tending.