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• Cebuano literature


  Literary works written in Cebuano, a language widely spoken in the southern Philippines
• Cebuano literature refers to the literary works written in Cebuano, a language widely spoken in the southern Philippines
• The term Cebuano literature is most often extended to cover the oral literary forms in both indigenous and colonial Philippines
• The majority of Cebuano writers are from the Visayas and Mindanao region
• The most recognized Filipino literary outlet for Cebuano writers, including the Bisaya Magasin, is based in Makati City in Metro Manila
• There is also a lively Cebuano community of writers in the language, which is based outside the country
• Cebuano literature encompasses not only those Visayas and Mindanao-based writers writing in Cebuano, but all written output in Cebuano, wherever its source is
• Poetic forms in Cebuano literature


  • Balak (which contains a balaybay or metaphor)
  • Tigmo (riddles)
  • Panultihon (proverbs)
  • Garay verses
• Balitaw


  A poetic debate that required the participants (a man and a woman) to improvise and even sing their lines
• Kulilising hari


  An improvised poetry in the dramatic genre
• Oral traditions in Cebuano literature


  • Legends associated with specific locales, like the "Maria Cacao" legends of Southern Cebu and those of Lapu-Lapu and his father Datu Manggal of Mactan
  • Folktales like the fable "Haring Gangis ug Haring Leon", which gives caution on the unmannerly behavior by the prevailing group
  • Juan Pusong trickster tales
• It was only in the late 19th century when written literature became noteworthy in Cebuano
• Soneto sa Pagdayeg can Santa Maria Gihapon Virgen


  The first of many religious compositions that show a loss of the mysterious symbol and metaphor of pre-colonial verse
• Pasyon


  The longest poetic form, a verse interpreting the life and suffering of Jesus Christ that is read during the Lent season
• Among the publications before the war, only Bisaya has survived as a literary outlet of Cebuano, caused by the rise in stature of English and later Tagalog
• Postwar Cebuano literature was downgraded to third class, although Cebuano was still the language of home and street
• Cebuano literature is probably weakest when it comes to the Drama, even though there are few writers like Claude Al Evangelio and Allan Jayme Rabaya whose writings were continued
• Cebuano playwrights have slowly turned to radio- and TV-scriptwriting triggered by the worry they had regarding thoughts unusual to writing for theater, like curiosity in publication and facing the standard of the theater arts
• The annual "Cornelio Faigao Memorial Writers Workshop" conducted since 1984 by the "Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos" were attended my many writers
• These workshops provide a setting for people from different backgrounds and walks of life to share their crafts and discuss problems
• The Santo Niño of Cebu

  • A Visayan Folktale