21st Century Literature from the Philippines This serves as a product of the writer's wild

imagination and creative thinking where the characters react to

and the World
the conflict and various issues central to the main idea of a
literary work. Its three types are: short story, novel, and novella.
The main genres are crime, fantasy, romance, science fiction,
Introduction to Philippine Literature western, inspirational, historical fiction and horror.

LESSON 1. EXPLORING PHILIPPINE LITERARY Non-fiction.

FORMS, GENRES, ELEMENTS, AND TRADITIONS These are stories inspired by real events where the
writers aim to present, interpret, or describe experiences based
The term literature is derived from the Latin word "littera" on facts. The judgments, opinions, and commentaries of the
which means "a letter of the alphabet". According to the website writers may be presented in the form of essays, journals, diaries,
Britannica, literature is traditionally defined as body of written feature articles, editorials, and the like.
works associated to imaginative and creative works of poetry
and prose and can be classified according to variety of systems Some Examples of Major Forms of Literature
such as language, national origin, historical period, genre and
subject matter.

Literature can either be in oral or written form. The oral

literature handed down from one generation to another, then
later transformed into written form. The products of written
literature are called literary text. A text can be considered
literary if it has the elements of psychological characterization
and chronology. Also, literature uses literary devices such as
metaphor and symbolism. Reading for entertainment and
learning is the most common reason why people read literature.
Genre refers to the forms of literature. The general
The best way to describe the characteristics of literary text is ones are oral and written.
that
(1) it narrates a story; The main types are prose and poetry. There are many
(2) it expresses feelings, thoughts, and ideas which can other forms that have sprung through the years. Specifically, it
either be based from the imagination or real life experiences of is defined in the curriculum guide as something that may be
the author or other people; and determined by literary technique, tone, content, or even (as in
(3) it delivers significant information and crosses the case of fiction) length. The distinctions between genres and
boundaries of time, places, cultures and languages.
categories are flexible and loosely defined, often with
subgroups. The most general genres in literature are (in loose
Literature contains specific structure.
chronological order) epic, tragedy, comedy, and creative
Literary structure - refers to the organizational method used in nonfiction. They can all be in the form of prose or poetry.
literature in which the most common type is the narrative. Parts
Additionally, a genre such as satire, allegory or
of the narrative structure (or plot) are the exposition, rising
pastoral might appear in any of the above, not only as a sub-
action, climax, falling action, and resolution (denouement).
In a much broader context, literary structure is not only genre, but as a mixture of genres. Finally, they are defined by
limited to content and form, but this may also refer to "the the general cultural movement of the historical period in which
general features or characteristic of genre, style, a specific they were composed. Genre should not be confused with age
literary trend, literature as an art form, and finally, art as a categories, by which literature may be classified as either adult,
whole" (The Great Soviet Encyclopedia). For Murphy (n.d.), young-adult, or children. They also must not be confused with
literary structure may involve arrangement of various elements format, such as graphic novel or picture book.(Glossary,
according to purpose, style, and genre to effectively convey the Curriculum Guide)
intended meaning for the audience.
Literary elements refer to “particular identifiable
Two Major Forms of Literature characteristics” of a whole text. They are not used per se, by
authors; they represent the elements of storytelling which are
1. Poetry common to all literary and narrative forms. For example, every
This literary type is usually written in lines and is story has a theme, a setting, a conflict, and has a particular
characterized by having the element of rhythm, sound, imagery, point-of-view, etc. To be discussed legitimately as part of a
and form. Its main purpose is to express feelings, thoughts, and textual analysis, literary elements must be specifically identified
ideas. for that particular text. (Glossary, Curriculum Guide). The
It can be divided into three types: narrative, dramatic,
common elements of a story are setting, character, conflict,
and lyrical poetry.
theme, point of view, and plot. Plot also has its own elements
a. Narrative Poetry. This poetry tells a story and has the
elements of a narrative such as characters, setting, conflict, etc. such as exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and
b. Dramatic Poetry. This is an emotionally appealing resolution or denouement /ˌdeɪˈnuːmɒ̃/.
drama written in verse that tells a story and is intended to be
In poetry, there are four essential elements:
recited or sung in front of the audience by a character speaking
in poetry.  Form
c. Lyric Poetry. It is the most common type of poetry
 Imagery
that focuses on expressing feelings rather than telling a story.
 Rhythm
2. Prose  Sound
In contrast to poetry, this literary piece applies a natural flow of
Poetry comes in different forms such as whether it is
speech and grammatical structures which are mainly consisting
of complete sentences arranged logically and sequentially in a free verse, couplet, limerick, etc.
paragraph form.

Fiction.
 Imagery on the other hand is the reason why we see American Period
pictures in words, and it adds color in any types of literature
especially in poetry. The literary production during the American Period
was inspired by the developments in education and culture.
Rhythms and sounds are somehow similar. In fact, Knowledge and information became accessible to all Filipinos
rhythm falls under the broad category sound. While sound deals because of the free public education. During the apprenticeship
with the common use of rhymes and other literary devices such period, the Filipino writers imitated English and American
as repetition (repeating of words, phrases, or lines), alliteration models.
(repeating same consonant sounds), assonance (repeating same
vowel sounds), and onomatopoeia (the use of the actual sound to All forms of literature were explored by Filipino
represent someone or something), rhythm is more concerned writers. During this period, short stories were the most
with the flow of the beat such as whether it is fast or slow. In prevalent literary form. With the new knowledge of English
general, both sounds and rhythms are the key ingredients that language, many writers started to gain recognition both locally
give poetry a musical effect (Encyclopedia Britannica). and internationally like Jose Garcia Villa who earned the
international title, Poet of the Century" as an example.
The term "Traditions" refers to the specific traits of literary
works that define a generation or period in history. Japanese Period

Literary tradition - is a collection of works that have Philippine Literature was interrupted in its
an underlying interconnectedness and coherence that makes development when we were conquered by Japan between 1941-
them more than simply a group of works sharing geography or 1945 since freedom of expression was uncommon back then.
group. Irish poetry and drama, for example, extend over several Filipino writers in the Philippines were forbidden to write
centuries, involving writers with a range of voices and anything against the government and only those who were in
preoccupations; and yet it is often thought that they are exile had the privilege to do so. As a result of banning the
distinctively "Irish." English language, short stories written in the vernaculars
flourished in the country.
This means that you can have someone who doesn't
come from Ireland, perhaps doesn't even have Irish ancestors, The three most influential foreign invaders to the types
but they can write in the Irish Literary Tradition because they of literature produced during colonial periods are Spanish,
will draw on the same references, structure, mythology, focal American, and Japanese wherein the common themes and
points for cultural meanings and historical moments. (Glossary, subject mostly tackle about oppression, religion, freedom, or
Curriculum Guide) anything that reflects the experiences of Filipino people under
the colonizers.
An Overview of Philippine Literature
The influences brought to us by colonial periods are
Historically speaking, Philippine literature can be said to have been extended up to the post-colonial periods
divided into three most important periods: especially in social and cultural dimensions.

 Pre-colonial Post-colonial is the period after the rebirth of freedom

 Colonial in the Philippines up to the present. One of the most unforgotten
 Post-colonial. and controversial periods during this era is having Martial Law
during the Marcos regime. All the periods mentioned are
All literary works produced before the Spanish essential towards understanding the types of literature being
colonization such as chants, proverbs, songs, and folk produced in the Philippines.
narratives are considered under pre-colonial period which are
mostly of oral traditions. This is not because early Filipinos did
not have system of writing yet but due to the unavailability of
printing materials. Life was simple and so is literature during LESSON 2. LITERARY CONTEXT
this period. If we have phones and other forms of technology to Below are some discussions that can help you enhance your
entertain us, our ancestors had literature for recreation who were understanding of a literary text specifically by examining its
noted for being music lover as more than 10 types of songs in biographical, linguistic and sociocultural context.
various Philippine languages were discovered. Our forefathers
also valued words of wisdom for teaching values as evidenced Biographical context requires the readers to analyze the life
by numerous proverbs or salawikain. and experience of the author

Story telling was used to explain phenomenon and to to understand the literary text. It is essential for readers to
teach lessons as well. Having bugtong or riddles was also a understand the author’s background. Understanding the author’s
favorite past time and listening to narratives of bravery, magic, life can help you understand his or her work thoroughly. This
and heroism in epics was a box office hit. can happen by reading the author’s biography or autobiography.

The focus of literature suddenly changed upon the Here are biographical strategies that you may use:
arrival of Spaniards. An emphasis on morality and religion was
common in literary forms such as Corrido, Pasyon, and  Research on what the author believes in and also what
Cenaculo. The production of printed materials started but it was he or she does not.
mostly of religious purposes and themes. It was made to instill  Analyze how the author’s belief system is reflected in
traditional Spanish ways and cultures among the native his or her work.
Filipinos. Despite this indoctrination, native tradition still
 Look at the author’s other works and analyze if
survived and flourished especially for areas where the colonial
there is a pattern with regard to the theme that is
power was less popular. Literacy paved the way to develop indicative of his or her life and beliefs.
sense of nationalism among Filipinos during the latter part of
Spanish colonization. Filipinos started to write about Sociocultural context requires the reader to analyze the
oppression, corruption, and other social ills such as in the works social, economic, political, and cultural standpoint of the
of Dr. Jose P. Rizal entitled Noli Me Tangere and its sequel El literary text. It is also important to note the year or period a
Filibusterismo.
literary text was written for readers can be able to identify of this adventure, let us discover first how it all began. Our first
the historical or significant events that took place in that stop is the Philippine literary history and its dimensions.
year which add to the readers’ understanding of the text. In
reading using sociocultural context, you will examine the
factors that affect the writing of the literary text and how
the work was received by the readers during the time it was
written.

Here are some guide questions that you may answer when
you are reading literature through the sociocultural context:

 What is the relationship between the characters or

speakers in the text and their society?
 How does this story reflect the nation? What does this
say about the country and its inhabitants?

In explaining your analysis of a literary piece such as

poem, you may use a simple poem analysis essay by
Liza Erpelo, 2009:

 Introduction – provide the necessary

background in 3-5 sentences: title of poem,
poet’s name/ any relevant biographical facts,
and summary of poem’s subject or topic. In
your thesis sentence, identify the literary
element(s) to be analyzed and the approach or
direction of the analysis.

 Body Paragraphs- the number of paragraphs

will be based on the number of elements you
analyze and the number of claims that you
make.

 Conclusion- your concluding paragraph

should begin by echoing your major thesis Philippine Representative Texts and Authors
without repeating the words literally. It should
Main Islands in the Philippines
broaden from the thesis statement to answer
the “so what?” question your reader may have 1. Luzon
after reading your essay. Reflect on how your
essay topic relates to the poem as a whole. 2. Visayas
Evaluate how successful the author is in
achieving his or her goal or message. Give a 3. Mindanao
personal statement about the topic. Connect
back to your creative opening. Give your Literature of the Pre-Christian Tribes from the main islands in
opinion of the poem’s value or significance. the Philippines

Fay-Cooper Cole was the author of Traditions of the Tinguian:

Dimensions of Philippine Literary History and Representative A Study of Philippine Folk-Lore. He also worked as Assistant
Texts and Authors from Each Region in the Philippines Curator of Malayan Ethnology of the Field Museum of natural
In this lesson, you will be able to: History in Chicago. He collected the Tinguian stories from
1907-1908 when he stayed with the Tinguian in Abra for a year
 identify the geographic, linguistic and ethnic dimensions of and four months. He credited the help of Dumagat, a Tinguian
Philippine literary history from pre-colonial to the contemporary tribesmen. Cole also noted that his translation “follow closely
the language of storytellers rather than to offer a polished
 identify representative texts and authors from each region in transaltion.”
the Philippines
Mabel Cook Cole was the compiler and annotator of Philippine
Specifically, you are expected to: Folk Tales published by A.C. McClurg & Co. in 1916. She was
the wife of Fay- Cooper Cole and he contributed his
 discover the features of the dimensions of the periods of
photographs of the communities to her book. She spent four
Philippine literature
years with the different tribes of the Philippines.
 recognize representative texts and authors from different
regions

 value the importance of knowing the Philippine literary

history, our local authors and their works

Literature plays a vital role in our lives. It mirrors human

experiences, and it lets you go around the world and learn and
experience different cultures. It comes in various forms like
poetry, riddles, stories, legends etc. Before we land to the center
 Representative Texts and Authors from each Region in the this language which coined the term "Tagalog Literature" and
Philippines flourished greatly during the Japanese occupation when the
English language was strictly banned. Specifically, bulk of
Tagalog Literature comes from Southern Luzon, Central Luzon,
and National Capital Region or Metro Manila. It is not
surprising as well that the majority of the recognized National
Artists came from this major group of islands in the Philippines.

Authors from Metro Manila seem to be widely

accepted among readers as their popularity is more observed and
evident. This could be attributed to having NCR as the central
focus of politics, culture, and economics. Moreover, most of our
influential historical figures who were writers themselves were
also from this island such as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Jose
P. Laurel, and Amado Hernandez to name a few. Consequently,
we can still trace modern literature reflecting the country's
historical development.

VISAYAS

"It is time to restore those pieces in the voices of our poets and
storytellers in the local languages'', Sugbu (n.d). The call to
Dimensions of Philippine Literary History write in mother tongue has been the battle cry of many writers
from the other regions relative to acknowledging regional and
Geography- the study of places and the relationships between
local languages.
people and their environment.
Many critiques consider literature from Visayas as the home of
Language- a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed),
hybrid forms especially in their romance novels where age-old
or written symbols by which individuals express themselves
pattern like corrido (metrical romances) is mixed with new
Ethnicity- a notion that refers to social entities sharing real or trends and genre mostly depicting social realities. These hybrid
putative ascriptive features like a common origin or cultural- forms are also rich in local colors that significantly show
linguistic legacy which assumedly command special collective Visayan cultures and traditions. Unfortunately, lack of venue for
commitment, as well as their retention and transmission. publication hinders the flourishing of fiction from this island
according to Sugbu (n.d.). One of the longest known epics in the
(See the story Indarapatra at Sulayman) world called Hinilawod is actually from Visayas.

Truly, the love for poetry runs in the blood of Visayans. Modern
literature revolves around poetry and drama which are mostly
satirical in nature that deal with social behavior produced since
the 1900s up to the present. Literature produced is widely
written in Waray, Cebuano, and English.
The Canonical Authors from the Regions
MINDANAO
The 21st century literature has its own advantage and that is the
People from Mindanao are divided into three groups: Christian
use of technology. With the presence of internet, readers of
today have the means to access numerous notable literary settlers (mostly migrants from Visayas and Luzon), Moro
(mainly from ARMM groups), and Lumads (consisting of 18
works. Perhaps, this can also be a bridge toward appreciating
literature from different regions for full consciousness of one's ethnolinguistic groups). Being the only island of the Philippines
where majority is non-Christian, ignorance among Christians,
own identity as a Filipino. Thus, learning about the canonical
authors in every corner of the Philippines is one way to honor discrimination, and distortion are mostly felt by Muslim people.
those people who have contributed greatly to the country. Some of the insensitive words associated among Muslims are
As defined by Oxford dictionary, canonical /kənɒnɪkəl/ being immoral because they can marry as many wives as they
can, warlike, killer, and totally different from that of Christians.
traditionally means anything that is included in a list of holy
books that are accepted as genuine. Another definition given is
its connectedness with works of literature that are highly
respected. It comes from the root word "canon" or a generally
accepted rule, standard or principle by which something is
judged. If something has canonical status, it is accepted as
having all the qualities that a thing of its kind should have.
Thus, canonical authors are those who are highly esteemed and
well-respected writers whose published works have contributed
greatly in the field of literature. As we gain an awareness of the
gaps and issues concerning the field of literature across the
regions, we must also remember to appreciate the works of the
great authors in our country for they are the key to the
restoration of our National heritage, cultures, and traditions. The conflict in Mindanao is mostly because of two factors:
political and religious. Unfortunately, this conflict extends up to
LUZON their literature as it seems to be widely invisible or inaccessible.
With reference to the compilation of Philippine literature by
Whenever we hear the island group of Luzon, it is not
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Encyclopedia of the
surprising that the language mostly associated with it is
Arts, Jaime An Lim of Encyclopedia stated that out of 272
Tagalog. In fact, most literary works from Luzon are written in
recognized individuals, only seven are from Mindanao (as cited
by Santos; 2009).

Attempts have been made to support Mindanao Literature as

CCP, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA),
and CHED take joint efforts in tapping Mindanawons such as
Jaime An Lim and Christina Godinez Ortega for journals
dedicated to Mindanao Literature. The negative image portrayed
among Muslims has perpetuated the so-called "Moro-Moro
Literature" representing them as “savage, barbarian, bandit,
lawless and wicked”. In the critical review focusing mainly on
the inclusion of Mindanao in contemporary literary made by Paz
Verdades M. Santos and published in the Ateneo de Davao
University Journal called Tamara in 2009, she suggested that
our history books should be rewritten and the "Moro-Moro
Literature" should be condemned in order to address the
problem of distortion and discrimination. She said that fairness
should be observed in doing so and focus on the need for peace
in Mindanao should be prioritized instead.

Most literary works in this island are under oral tradition such as
epics, folk stories, and folk poetry. Santos (2009), stated that "
literature of Mindanao has its own unique landscape, distinct
from that of Luzon and the Visayas, and marked by its peculiar
history and tripeople character".

Some Writers across the Region

Filipinos of today, though separated by seas, cultures and

languages, choose to maintain a united front for equality and
freedom as one nation. Understanding the different cultures
across the country would provide an opportunity to discover the
literature of other regions to paint a better picture of who we are
as a nation. With the help of the new technology, we build
bridges across the archipelago because many contemporary
authors are already publishing their work online such as blogs,
online newspapers and magazines, online journals, and video
sharing sites. Below are some of the famous contemporary
authors associated with each group of islands in the Philippines
who have been noted for their exemplary works in the field of
literature and are recipient of multiple national and international
awards:

LUZON: Among the country's eighteen recognized National

Artists, sixteen are from Luzon who mostly came from NCR
such as Amado V. Hernandez, Jose Garcia Villa, Nick Joaquin,
Carlos P. Romulo, Francisco Arcellana, Rolando S. Tinio, Levi
Celerio, Carlos Quirino, Alejandro R. Roces, and Cirilo F.
Bautista. The National Artists from the other regions are Lazaro
Francisco (Bataan) and Virgilio S. Almario (Bulacan) for
Region III, NVM Gonzales (Romblon) for Region IV-B
Mimaropa, F. Sionil Jose (Pangasinan) for Region 1, Edith L.
Tiempo (Nueva Viscaya) for Region 2, and Dr. Bienvenido
Lumbera (Batangas) for Region IV-A.

VISAYAS: Two of our National Artists are natives of this

island such as essayist and literary historian Resil B. Mojares of
Cebu and novelist Ramon L. Muzones of Iloilo province.