Philippine Literature

Do you know that Philippine literature is literature associated with the Philippines from prehistory, through its colonial legacies, and on to the present. Pre-Hispanic Philippine literature was actually epics passed on from generation to generation, originally through an oral tradition. Spanish occupied Philippines in early 16th century. The first Filipino alphabet is Alibata. When Spanish colonized Philippines they changed alibatas into Roman alphabet. Spanish banned the use of Alibata because they believe that it is a work of evil. So Spanish fully introduced the Spanish literary language using many Spanish terms. During Spanish colonization, Filipinos felt they are being harassed by the Spaniards. then the Birth of the Propaganda movement and La Solidaridad. then Filipino fought and introduced Tagalog to be the language of revolution of the nationalist movement.

There are Oral Literature and Written Literature in the Philippine Literature under Spanish Colonial Period.

In Oral Literature there are songs, drama and religious drama.

When we say:

Songs it is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.

Drama it is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance, performed by actors on a stage before the audience.

Religious Drama it is a setting forth events recorded in the bible or oral lessons to be drawn from religious teaching.

In Written Literature also there are short stories and poetry.

Short Stories it is a brief work of literature, usually written in narrative prose.

Poetry it is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response.

In American Period

The Philippine literary production during the American period in the Philippines was spurred by two developments in education and culture. The introduction of free public instruction for all children of school age and the use of English as medium of instruction.

The Literature under American Period there are Tagalog Novel and Romantic Poetry.

When we say:

Tagalog Novel it is a long prose narrative that describes fictional characters and events in the form of sequential story, usually.

Romantic Poetry it is the dominant theme of this are: filtering of natural emotion through the human mind in order to create art and coupled with an awareness of the duality created by such a process).

The beginning of Phil. literature in English the public education was already institutionalized in the Philippines with English serving as medium of instruction.

During Japanese Period

The historical background between 1941-1945, Philippine literature was interrupted in its development when the Philippines was again conquered by another foreign country,

Japan. In fact, almost all newspapers in English were stopped by the Japanese.

The Literature under Japanese Colonial Period there are also Poetry, Filipino Drama, Short Story and Philippine Literature in English.

In Japanese colonial period, when we say:

a. Poetry it is common theme were nationalism, country, love, and life in barrios, faith, religion and arts.

The following are the three types of poems emerged in this period we have:

Haiku- 17 syllables divided into three lines. (5-7-5)

Tanaga- like the Haiku, is short but it had measure and rhyme. Each line had 17 syllables and it's also allegorical in meaning.

Usual Form- the usual and common form of poetry.

b. Filipino Drama it is the drama experienced a lull during the Japanese period because movie houses showing American films were closed. Example, Hide and Seek by Clodualdo del Mundo

c. Short Story it is the field of short story widened during the Japanese occupation. Example, Lupang Tinubuan ni Narciso Reyes

d. Phil. Literature in English it is 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.

Contemporary Period

The Rebirth of Freedom(1946-1970)

The state of Literature during this Period the early post-liberation period was marked by the kind of "struggle of mind and spirit" posed by the sudden emancipation from the enemy, and the wild desire to see print.

The New Filipino Literature during this Period the Philippine literature in Tagalog was revived during this period. Most themes in writing dealt with Japanese brutalities and so on.

In the Period of Activism(1970-1972) there is the Literary Revolution.

The Literary Revolution where the youth became rebellious during this period. they held pens and wrote on placards in red paint, the equivalent pf the word MAKIBAKA.

Period of the New Society (1972-1980)

Filipino Poetry during this Period the themes of most poems dealt with patience, regard for native culture, customs and the beauties of nature and surroundings.

The Play under this Period the government led in reviving old plays and dramas like in radio and television, filipino films,etc.

Period of the Third Republic(1981-1985)

Filipino Poetry during this period, Filipino poetry were romantic and revolutionary.

Filipino Songs dealt with themes that were really true-to-life like those of the grief,

poverty, etc.

Philippine Films during this Period the yearly festival of Filipino films continued to be held during this period.

Periods (1986-1999)

On Newspapers and other Publications, the newspapers which were once branded crony newspapers became instant opposition papers overnight.

On Books, the Philippine revolution of 1986 and the first of its spirit that will carry the Filipinos through another epoch in Philippine history is still being documented just as they have been in the countless millions who participated in body and spirit in realization)

The following stories are some of the popular stories in Philippine Literature.

WHY WOMEN WASH THE DISHES

Filomena Colendrino

In the town of Santa Rosa there once lived a couple named Hugo and Imelda, every mealtime their fight over the chore of washing the dishes.Their neighbors soon noticed what is going on and they were curious about it. They took turns on trying to get them to talk but not a single word was uttered. A friend of Ka Ugong got worried so he approached to a Herb-man to find out what is wrong with the couple. The Herb-man came in the house and asked the couple to lie down on a woven bury mat. Ka Ugong obediently followed but Ka Maldang refused to lie down. The Herb-man suspected that they were bewitched, possessed by evil spirits so he produced from a small bag, nine pieces of betel leaf, an areca nut, and a little lime from a tiny bone. He examined the leaves closely to choose those which had veins running in identical arrangements on each side of them midrib. He cut the nut into nine pieces. He spread a little lime on each betel leaf, rolled them and wrapped them around each piece of areca nut. He now had nine rings of the leaves. The Herb-man said that this represents the lost spirit of the couple, he said. He chewed the leaf and nut. He spat on his palm, dipped a forefinger of the other hand into the nut-colored saliva and marked with it across on the forehead of Ka Ugong. When he was about to mark Ka Maldang's forehead, she caught the herbman's finger and twisted it. The Herb-man screamed because of the pain. The Herb-man together with neighbors kept on chanting "Come Maldang and Ugong, come back to your bodies now". Until the Herb-man decided to bury them so that the evil spirits that possessed them would not spread among them. The Herb-man ordered the men to gather bamboo to build a coffin for the "bewitched" couple. They ought to bury them at sunrise. Morning came and they started lifting Ka Ugong's body to the coffin and he did not even fight back. Ka Maldang became worried when it was her turn and she thought that Ka Ugong would finally give up. When the men were about to carry her, she pushed the men and got up her feet and shouted to them to get out of their house. Ka Maldang got up and when she lifted Ka Ugong's coffin, he immediately got out and ran into the neighbourhood with joy that he would never wash a dish ever again.

LESSON: It was shown here in the short story how it came to be that women wash dishes in the culture of the Filipinos. It is a funny story about the culture of the Filipinos. As we all know, we Filipinos think before that man is supposed to work and the wife only stays at home and do the house chores. The author told it in a humorous way but at the same time it is being ridiculed. A lot our not agreeing with the thinking that men is stronger then women. So now a days Filipino has overcame this way and thinks of men and women equally. Cultural Studies' primary goal is to understand the nature of social power reflected within the text It is judged according to its role or use in daily life. It studies the totality and the whole context of a culture inside a text. 

MY FATHER GOES TO COURT

Carlos Samoayan Bulosan

In the Island of Luzon, There was a Happy family who always enjoying the day everyday. The children were always playing outside with a smile, bathing in a cold river from mountains, full of enjoyment. Until one day, there was a Sad family who came home in their house. They always locked the windows tightly that no sunlight enters.The children were curious on that house because they looked up in the window, pale and thin children looking to their place. The children were always watching the other children, playing outside with the sun shines. The rich man always locked the windows and closed all curtains. The rich man’s servants were cooking special foods that the happy children smelt the aroma. They always stay in the window to smell the spirit of the food. They sing, play, swim. Sometimes, they laugh out loud then the other neighbor join them and laugh at them. Until the day came that the rich man filed a case to the Father that he always stealing the spirits of his food and wealth. Though, they end up in the court, with their family. They wait for the jury to judge them. The father had no attorney but the rich man had. The father always agree to all question that they always smell the aroma of their food, but not wealth. Father told the rich man to see his children, and they came, pale and thin. After that, The father stood up and get some coins to his children and wife and put them in his straw hat. Then, he walked to the rich man and sounded the coins and then he said to him if he heard the spirit of the sound, then the rich man agree and he fell down. The Jury stopped the case and congratulated the father and he want to hear his children laugh. They laugh out loud but the jury laughed harder.

LESSON: Don't accused someone with a shallow reason that they steal yours. Its a bad thing to judge people with low state. Don't Depend on what you see. The shallow reason is that they smelt their spirit which is superficial. HAPPINESS is the moral lesson of this story. The poor wealth is laughter while the rich wealth is money. Despite of their condition, they don't forget to laugh and make fun against their problems. Many people said that it's better to be poor than to be rich.

END!!!