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• Pre-Colonial Period ( - 1565):

  • Literature was oral, funny, and entertaining
  • Early Filipinos wrote on clay, barks of trees, leaves, and bamboo tubes
  • Alibata (baybayin) consisted of 17 symbols: 3 for vowels and 14 for consonants
• Literary Genres in the Pre-Colonial Period:

  A. Folk Narratives:

  1. Myth: traditional stories about heroes or supernatural beings

  2. Legend: traditional narratives about the origin of things, places, or names

  3. Fables: short allegorical tales with a moral, often with animal characters

  4. Folktales: stories about life, adventure, love, horror, and humor
• Early Poetry in the Pre-Colonial Period:

  • Riddles (Bugtong o Palaisipan) made up of one or more measured lines with rhyme
  • Proverbs: terse statements of practical wisdom
  • Chants (Bulong) used in witchcraft or enchantment
  • Sayings (Kasabihan) often used in teasing or commenting on a person's actions
  • Sawikain: sayings with no hidden meanings
  • Folk Songs: mirror the early forms of culture
• Epics in the Pre-Colonial Period:

  • Long narrative poems dealing with heroic achievements or events
  • Examples include Biag ni Lam-ang, Ibalon, Ulalim, Hudhud and Alim, Hinilawod, Agyu and Baybayan, Tuwaang, Maragtas, Haraya, Hari sa Bukid, Lagda, Kumintang, Guman, Bantugan, Parang Sabil, Indarapatra at Sulayman
• Spanish Period (1565-1898):

  • Printing introduced by the Dominicans in 1593
  • The first Filipino alphabet, ALIBATA, was replaced by the Roman alphabet
  • Spanish language became the literary language, influencing Philippine literature
• Religious Period in the Spanish Period:

  • Introduction of the Christian Doctrine as the basis of religious practices
  • European legends and traditions assimilated into local songs and literature
  • Ancient literature collected and translated to Tagalog and other dialects
• Literary Genres in the Religious Period:

  • Poetry genres like The Pasyon, Metrical Romances (Awit and Corrido), and Ladino Poems
• Ladino Poems: Ladinos were the first Tagalog versifiers who were highly literate in both Spanish and the vernacular, including Fernando Bagongbanta and Tomas Pinpin
• Folk Songs examples: Leron-Leron Sinta, Pamulinawen, Dandansoy, Sarong Banggi, Atin Cu Pung Singsing
• Prose works of the period consisted mostly of didactic pieces and translations of religious writings in foreign languages, such as novenas and biographies of saints
• Barlaan at Josaphat/Josephat tells the story of the conversion to Christianity of a young Indian prince, Josaphat, by the holy man, Barlaan
• Urbana at Feliza is the most important didactic literature of this period
• Religious and Recreational Plays:

  • Panunuluyan: tagalog version of the Mexican posadas, dramatizes Joseph and Mary’s search for lodging in Bethlehem
  • Cenaculo: dramatization of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, with two kinds: Cantada and Hablada
  • Salubong/Panubong: an Easter play that dramatizes the meeting of the Risen Christ and His Mother
  • Tibag: depicts St. Helena/Elena’s search for the cross on which Christ died
  • Carillo (Shadow Play): dramatic entertainment performed on moonless nights projecting cardboard figures before a lamp against a white sheet
  • Zarzuela/Sarswela: considered the father of the drama
  • Sainete: short musical comedy popular during the 18th century, depicting scenes from everyday life with rustic or lower-class figures as characters
• The Moriones: story of Longinus, a Roman soldier beheaded for proclaiming his belief in Christ and spreading the miracle of the resurrection of Christ
• The Moro-moro: comedia showing how the Mohammedans were defeated by Divine Intercession and converted to Christianity
• Karagatan: a poetic vehicle of a socio-religious nature celebrated during the death of a person, originating from an old legendary practice of testing the mettle of young men vying for a maiden’s hand
• Duplo: replaced the Karagatan and considered as the forerunner of balagtasan, a poetic joust in speaking and reasoning with two teams of performers
• Balagtasan: poetic joust or a contest of skills in debate on a particular topic or issue
• Dung-aw: chant in free verse by a bereaved person beside the corpse of the dead
• In 1901, American teachers known as Thomasites arrived on the army transport Thomas
• In 1905, The Philippines Free Press was founded
• Filipino writers during this period went into all forms of literature like news reporting, poetry, stories, plays, essays, and novels
• Zarzuela was used as protest material during the early portion of the American regime
• Characteristics of Literature during this period:

  • 3 groups of writers contributed to Philippine Literature

  A. Literature in Spanish:

  1. Fernando Ma. Guerrero- pseudonyms were ‘Fulvis Gil’ and ‘Gil Rosas’

  • Wrote Crisalidas (Chrysalis), a collection of his verses published in 1914

  2. Cecilio Apostol- wrote poems dedicated to Rizal, Jacinto, Mabini, and other heroes

  3. Jesus Balmori- pen name was Batikuling, elected Poet Laureate in Spanish

  4. Claro M. Recto- president of the First Constitutional Convention in 1935, wrote verses compiled in Bajo los Cocoteros

  B. Filipino Literature: 3 Kinds of Tagalog Poets:

  a. Poets of the Heart (Makata ng Puso):

  • Lope K. Santos, Father of the National Language Grammar, wrote Banaag at Sikat
  • Inigo Ed. Regalado
• • Jose Corazon de Jesus, known as Huseng Batute, Poet of Love in his time, wrote Ang Isang Punong kahoy
  • Amado V. Hernandez
  • Mar Antonio

  b. Poets of Life (Makata ng Buhay):

  • Lope K. Santos
  • Florante Collantes
  • Jose Corazon de Jesus
  • Amado V. Hernandez, known as Makata ng mga Manggagawa, wrote Ang Panday, Isang Dipang Langit, Bayang Malaya, Munting Lupa

  c. Poets of the Stage:

  • Aurelio Tolentino
  • Patricio Mariano
  • Severino Reyes, known as Lola Basyang

  C. Philippine Literature in English:

  • Period of Re-orientation (1898-1910)
  • Period of Imitation (1910-1925)
  • Period of Self-Discovery (1925-1941)