LITERATURE UNDER THE US COLONIALISM

BACKGROUND OF THE AMERICAN PERIOD

● When the Spanish-American War ended in December 1898, Spain sold the entire
Philippine archipelago to the United States for $20 million. The Philippines had
acquired a new colonial ruler. The United States government formally acquired
the Philippines from Spain with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December
10, 1898. The U.S. government declared military rule in the Philippines on
December 21, 1898. American settlement in the Philippines began during the
Spanish colonial period.
● The period of American colonialization of the Philippines was 48 years. It began
with the cession of the Philippines to the U.S. by Spain in 1898 and lasted until
the U.S. recognition of Philippine independence in 1946.
● This period was characterized by the Filipino writers imitating the American and
English writers. In other words, English was systematically promoted as the
language that would “civilize” the Filipinos.

NEWSPAPER (During the Us Colonialism in the Philippines)

● The Americans, who poured in by the shipload as the war progressed, brought
with them among others (such as canned food and new music), their
newspapers. Soldiers had their own publications to look forward to and read
during spare time such as the Bounding Billow and the American, the latter
known as the first English-language paper in the country. There was also the
Cablenews and the American, which later on, in 1908, merged to become
Cablenews American, a well-known and respected English daily.

● In 1898 Thomas Gowan, an Englishman living in the Philippines, founded the

Manila Times, the Philippines’ first English-language daily. This was done as a
response to an observed “keen demand for an American newspaper with a daily
supply of American news.” The paper had the motto “Pioneer American daily in
the Far East” and underneath it, “Published every day since 1898.” The Times
changed hands, in terms of ownership, many times. In 1917 it was sold to
Quezon. In 1927, it was bought by Alejandro Roces, Sr. and was included in his
growing newspaper chain (to strengthen his own Tribune). It was however
disbanded in 1930, as Roces saw no need for more than one English paper.

● In 1900 Americans H.G. Harris and Carson Taylor founded the oldest existing
newspaper in the Philippines, the Manila Daily Bulletin (now known simply as
the Manila Bulletin). The Bulletin started as a shipping journal and was published
and distributed for free. In 1912, it decided to widen its scope to include general
interests and became a paid paper. Because of its origins, the paper had a
reputation of being the mouthpiece of the American community even after the
Philippines was granted independence—as long as Taylor was still its owner.
Hans Menzi, known tycoon, would buy the Bulletin in 1957 and reorganized it as
a modern Filipino paper.

● In 1920, a most significant step in Philippine newspaper history was made. Up

until then, all English newspapers were American or foreign owned. But this was
about to change. Instigated by then Senate President Manuel L. Quezon, the
Philippines Herald was made its way to the public. It was set up “by a group of
wealthy Quezon followers…to help the Senate President to counteract the
anti-Filipino slant in the foreign-owned press. (Feliciano, 1967)” These very
wealthy followers, to name a few, included Vicente Madrigal, Manuel and
Thomas Earnshaw, Ramon Fernandez, Carmen Ayala Roxas, Juan Alegre, and
 Teodoro Yangco. There was a need to gather all these millionaires because
American businessmen and investors did not embrace the Herald’s pro-Filipino
goals, and it was arguably they who were the ones who traditionally had the
money, the capital, to start something as big as this. Obviously, Quezon did not
allow this to bog him down, and thus called on his wealthy companions for help.
The Herald bought the Cablenews-American to acquire its equipment, and
immediately began.

● The Herald then became known as a pro-Filipino paper that presented

nationalistic views. In an American dominated press, this paper allowed for
Filipino sentiments to shine; it was the Filipino voice in a media heavily
influenced by American owned newspapers. And the paper, optimistically,
heralded the coming independence.

Newspaper
A publication printed on paper and issued daily, weekly, or at other regular times . It
provides news, views, features, and other information of public interest and that often
carries advertising. Also called a Journal.
Two main formats for Newspaper
1.) Tabloid
2.) Broadsheet

● Tabloid is a newspaper with a compact page size smaller than broadsheet.

There is no standard size for this newspaper format. Tabloids are a smaller form
of newspaper than a broadsheet and present the news in a way that
sensationalizes crime stories and celebrity gossip.

● Broadsheet usually refers to large sheets of paper designed with columns which
comprise a standard format newspaper. A broadsheet follows a formalized
journalistic approach to news coverage with a serious editorial voice and in-depth
news stories.

Most newspapers are divided into sections. Typical sections includes;

National/International news, Local news, Sports, Entertainment/Amusements, Classified
advertisements, and Neighborhood news.
National/International News
1. National news
National news is the reporting of events around the country through traditional and
new media formats. Organizations report the facts without bias. World news or
international news or even foreign coverage is the news media jargon for news from
abroad, about a country or a global subject.
2. Local news
Caters to the news of their regional and local communities, they focus on more localized
issues and events.
3. Sports news
A form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.
4. Entertainment/Amusement news
Any form of journalism that focuses on popular culture and the entertainment business
and its products.
5. Classified advertisement news
A form of advertising, particularly common in newpapers, online and other periodicals,
which may be sold or distributed free of charge.
6. Neighborhood news
Specializes in creating, printing and mailing newsletters for neighborhood groups.
Neighborhood News provides the necessary tools to assist neighborhood leadership.
Importance of Newspaper
● Newspapers provide information and general knowledge. Newspapers provide
news about a country’s economic situation, sports, games, entertainment, trade
and commerce. Reading newspaper makes a good habit and it is already part of
the modern life.

EL RENACIMIENTO
● Other nationalistic newspapers during the period did not last long due to
American suppression. Among these were El Nuevo Dia (The New Day)
published in Cebu and El Renacimiento.
● El Renacimiento (Rebirth) was a bilingual Spanish-Tagalog language
newspaper. It was printed in Manila until 1940s by the members of the Guerrero
de Ermita family. Its directors were Fernando Ma. Guerrero, Teodoro M. Kalaw,
and Rafael Palma and its editors were Wenceslao Retana, Javier Gomez de la
Serna, Dominador Gomez, Isabelo de los Reyes, and Felipe Calderon.
● The paper was first published on September 3, 1901, and was founded as a
response to the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which derailed the Philippines’
struggle for sovereignty. The paper was openly critical of the United States’
colonial regime and its policies.
● The paper shut down due to official pressure after publishing an editorial that
dealt with corruption in the colonial government.

● The editorial was written by El Renacimiento’s City Editor, one Fidel A. Reyes,
born on the 3rd of May 1878 in the then-town of Lipa in Batangas. Reyes was a
graduate of the Colegio San Juan de Letran who worked for the nationalist
papers El Nacionalismo and La Independencia during the Philippine Revolution
● “Aves de Rapiña” (Birds of Prey) by Reyes, an editorial, was published
attacking certain individuals for accumulating wealth from the natural resources
of the Philippines.
● Dean Conant Worcester, the American naturalist (and then serving as the
Philippine Secretary of the Interior)felt that he was the person being alluded to in
the article, and filed a libel suit against the publisher Martin Ocampo. Although no
proper name was mentioned in the essay, nor was there any specific connection
of the article to the person of Worcester, the American-influenced court found
Kalaw, Reyes, and Ocampo guilty of libel and charged them with a 100,000 peso
fine, forcing Ocampo to sell his newspapers (including the Tagalog version
Muling Pagsilang), and auctioned his printing press. Martin Ocampo later
founded the Renacimiento Filipino, but he never recovered from the costly libel
suit and had to close again the newspaper after a few years.

THE PHILIPPINE FREE PRESS

RAMOR R. TUAZON
● Philippine press was born and nurtured amidst a climate of political
Reform. The early Philippine newspapers played critical role in the nation’s quest
For freedom and independence.
The pantheon of our national heroes includes such Journalist as Jose
Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce, Antonio Lopez to name a few. Their
Writings Inspired the Philippine revolution against Spain, the first challenge by an
Asian people against western colonials.

● The Philippine Press is known as the freest and liveliest in Asia. Because of the
 Libertarian and free enterprise principles institutionalized by the American
colonizers, It essentially played a “watchdog” function and has often taken an
adversarial stance
against government.
The freedom enjoyed by Philippine press (media),however, has become a
Double-edged sword.

THE PHILIPPINE PRESS:ITS INITIAL PAGES

● The First Philippine news paper was established in 1811.Del Superior Govierno
Was published with Spanish Governor General himself as editor. Its Intended
Readers were the local Spaniards and therefore the content was primarily news
From Spain.

● The First daily newspaper, La Esperanza (1846),also created to the Spanish

Elite. It dealt with non controversial subjects such as religion, science, and history.
The best edited newspaper ,Diario de Manila, was suppressed by the governor
General after 38 years of publication, allegedly for inciting the Filipinos to rebel
Against Spaniards.

● The History of the Free Press in the Philippines has its roots in nationalistic
Newspapers published in Europe and in the Philippines during the Spanish
Colonial rule. The aim was to raise the level of consciousness with respect to
Oppressive conditions prevailing in the country then.
Foremost among the nationalistic newspapers was the La Solidaridad, the
Mouthpiece of the revolution and the fortnightly organ of the Propaganda
Movement published in Spain, it first appeared in 1889 with the policy “to work
Peacefully for social and economic reforms to expose the real plight of the
Philippines, and to champion liberalism and democracy”.

THE MARCOS YEARS:CONTROLLED AND ALTERNATIVE PRESS

● When Martial Law was declared on September 21,1972.the first order
Issued by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos was the “take over and
Control of all privately owned newspapers, magazines, radio and television
Facilities and all other media communications.”

● Editors and Journalist were among the first to be arrested and

Incarcerated in military prison camps of the pre-martial law papers, only the
Daily express and bulletin today was allowed to re-open. A new
Newspapers, times journal was allowed to open one month after the
Proclamation. These newspapers were later to be known as “establishment
Press”.

PLAYS
● Filipino American theater ranges from topics such as Filipino/Filipino-American
history to modern Filipino issues. The themes for these works were mostly
influenced by the Spanish colonial rule as well as the American colonization.

● Philippine theater is composed of pre-colonial performance traditions as well as

colonial influences from Spain and the USA.
Some common subject matter tackled by Filipino theater focuses on the historical
background of the Philippines and the relationship between the Philippines and
the United States. Some Filipino American productions provides personal,
societal and cultural perspective from the past to now.
Themes in Filipino American theater
● Some themes for Filipino-American theatrical works are focused on the historical
background of the country such as the Filipino-American War, Martial Law and
the dawn of Filipino independence.
● Vaudeville in the Philippines, more commonly referred to as bodabil, was a
popular genre of entertainment in the Philippines from the 1910s until the
mid-1960s. For decades, it competed with film, radio and television as the
dominant form of Filipino mass entertainment.
● It peaked in popularity during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines from
1941 to 1945. Many of the leading figures of Philippine film in the 20th century,
such as Dolphy, Nora Aunor, Leopoldo Salcedo and Rogelio de la Rosa, began
their showbusiness careers in bodabil.

Pioneer Filipino English Writers during The Period of Re-Orientation (1898-1910)

● English as a literary vehicle came with the American occupation in August 13,
1898 and as they say, a choice bestowed on us by history.
● By 1900, English came to be used as a medium instruction in the public schools.
From the American forces were recruited the first teachers of English.
● By 1908, the primary and intermediate grades were using English. It was also
about this time when UP, the forerunner in the use of English in higher education,
was founded.

JUSTO JULIANO
Sursum Corda (1907) is generally translated as “lift up your hearts”, but the Latin
literally just says “Up hearts”.
First work published in English

Juliano was a teacher at the Paco Intermediate School in Manila and was also the
editor of The Filipino Teacher as well as the secretary of the Philippine Teacher’s
Association. It seems that Juliano was forced to resign from both his position as a
teacher and his roles within the PTA after his poem was published, although he was
re-elected as General Secretary in May 1910. He was punished not for his verses but
for his politics. His poem contravened the Sedition Law passed by the US Congress at
the time, which also prohibited the public display of the Philippine flag. Refusing to
retract his anti-colonial position on American occupation, he was ‘forced to resign as a
government teacher’; Afterwards, he attended university in Chicago. To support himself,
Dr. Juliano taught Spanish, and was head of the Spanish Department at Carl Schultz
High School in Chicago until he retired in 1953.

● The first known Filipino poem in English is “Sursum Corda” by Justo Juliano.
It appeared in the Philippines Free Press in 1907. This poem, along with others
of that period, has been criticized as being too artificial and overwritten in order to
achieve intensity. The early poems in book often borrowed images and similes
from English or American poets. The first collection of poems in book form was
Reminisces, by Lorenzo Paredes, in 1921. In 1922, Procopio Solidum published
Never Mind, a collection of Filipino poetry in English. Rodolfo Dato edited an
anthology of Filipino poems in 1924 under the title Filipino Poetry. In 1926 he
published his own poems in Manila.

● Julianus’ poetic succumbs to what S.P. Lopez calls the “two temptations” of most
political or “activist” compositions: “ sentimentality which, in the Filipino poet, is a
congenital weakness; and declamation which becomes more blatantly histrionic
still with every accession of the patriotic fire”. Yet Julianus’ is notable as our first
 Filipino poet in English who was hanged, figuratively, not for his verses but for his
politics.He was born on December 6, 1887 in Manila, Pl, he died on Friday,
January 28, 1972, in Zephyrhills, Florida. He was 84 years old. His wife was
Josephine(nee Meyer) They had two sons and a daughter.

“I love Chicago.
It’s a second Manila to me.
While I dream of that distant land of my birth,
this great and wonderful city enfolds me in her arms!”
By Justo N. Juliano

● Filipino poet and advocate for Philippines independence Dr. Justo N. Juliano’s,
patriotic piece Sursum Corda is the first known Filipino poem published in
English and appeared in the Philippine Free Press in 1907. This poem, along
with others of that period, has been criticized as being too artificial and
overwritten in order to achieve intensity. The early poems in book often borrowed
images and similies from English or American poets.

● The poet Julianus (Justo Juliano) reviews through 115 verses of perfervid rhetoric
our struggle with Spain and America: how, in the first war of liberation in Asia, we
had proudly carried our flag to battle, only to have it lowered so soon by the
superior force of another conquerors arms:
But scarce her wounds could heal, gore’s yet fresh,
The wailing cries still linger in the breeze,
That mighty Eagle from across the sea
Came, shedding patriots blood, forced Liberty
To give her key, and banished from this Isle
Who will not yield, who will not reconcile.
What could a handful do against a host?
Leonidas e’en perished, tho not lost!

● Julianus’ poetic succumbs to what S.P. Lopez calls the “two temptations” of most
political or “activist” compositions: “ sentimentality which, in the Filipino poet, is a
congenital weakness; and declamation which becomes more blatantly histrionic
still with every accession of the patriotic fire”. Yet Julianus’ is notable as our first
Filipino poet in English who was hanged, figuratively, not for his verses but for his
politics.

JUAN F. SALAZAR
● Juan Francisco Salazar is a Chilean anthropologist and filmmaker. He has lived
in Sydney, Australia since 1998. He is Professor of media studies at the School
of Humanities and Communication Arts and Fellow of the Institute for Culture and
Society. From 2020 he is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow.

● His work on Indigenous media in Latin America was widely recognised for its
novel focus on the poetics of Indigenous video practices and for bringing together
Latin American film theory and communication theory, with media anthropology.
His current research interests are on social ecological change, anthropology of
futures, scientific practices in extreme environments, and environmental justice in
community based adaptation to climate change. His current work has focused on
cultural research on Antarctica where he has developed pioneering ethnographic
 work since 2011. His latest work is on social studies of outer space. Among his
most known films as director are De la Tierra a la Pantalla (2004); Nightfall on
Gaia (2015) and The Bamboo Bridge (2019).
● His recent work focuses on Antarctica where he has developed pioneering
ethnographic work since 2011. In 2015 he completed the feature length
speculative documentary Nightfall on Gaia shot entirely in Antarctica and which
had its international premiere at the 14th RAI International Festival of
Ethnographic Film (Bristol, June 2015).

● De la Tierra a la Pantalla/From Land to Screen (2004), produced in collaboration

with Jeannette Paillan; a video about Mapuche communication rights activists.
Salazar.

● “Air Castle” is a poem that wrote by Mr. Juan F. Salazar. An inspiring poem that
everyone can reflect on their own selves. A poem that really hard to understand
on the first sight but it connects to reality of life. A great poem that one can led as
a inspiration. One thing that we would appreciate and love.

● The Poem want to make people realize that ambition is not easy to achieve you
can always experience rejection; rejection is not always be the reason to quit it
must be always the inspiration to continue and trying again your ambition in life
until you achieve it.

● The poem itself has been regarded by some to speak to man’s relationship with
God. With lines such as: “Enthroned was he, like unto a God/ the depth he
reached is dark to me”… In the last stanza of the poem, the speaker points out
the reality behind the saying “try and try until you succeed”. A person should not
give up on something because if he/she does, he/she will never achieve what
he/she wants…

PROCESO SEBASTIAN
- Sebastian has the most diversified activities; he reads, writes, sings exercises and
play cards. He has also been the most helpful to his companions.
- He wrote “ To my lady in Laoag” in 1909
Born: January 26, 1892
Parents: Gregorio Sebastian and Filomena Esmeria
⮚ Political Functions
1925 – 1925
Identified Deputy
1925 – 1931
Governor in Cagayan
1941 – 1947
Senator
* To my lady in Laoag
- a poem that is written by Proceso Sebastian and was published in Renacimiento in
1909.

QUESTIONS
1. Who was the Teacher of the Paco Intermediate School in Manila and was also the
editor of the Filipino teacher as well as the secretary of the Philippine Teacher’s
Association?
A. Santiago Sevilla
B. Justo Juliano
 C. Gen. Francis V. Greene
D. Vicente Callao
2. Who was the Chilean Anthropologist and Filmmaker?
A. Vicente Callao
B. Jose Rizal
C. F. Salazar
D. Justo Juliano
3. The themes for these works were mostly influenced by the
A. Spanish colonial rule
B. Filipino-American
C. Vaudeville
D. American colonization
4. A poem written by Proceso Sebastian and was published in Renacimiento.
A. My Mother and Air Castles
B. El Filibusterismo
C. To my Lady in Laoag
D. Sursum Corda
5. In 1898, an Englishman living in the Philippines founded the Manila Times, the
Philippine’s first English-language daily.
A. Thomas Johnson
B. Thoni Goman
C. Norman Thomas
D. Thomas Gowan
6. What are the two main formats of Newspaper?
A. Magazine and Tabloids
B. Tabloid and Broadsheet
C. Note and Paper
D. News and Magazines
7. When was the Philippine Independence recognized by the Americans?
A. 1898
B. 1946
C. 1989
D. 1964
8. What was the title of the editorial written to expose the corruption in the colonial
government?
A. El Renacimiento
B. Muling Pagsilang
C. Aves de Rapiña
D. The Eagle
9. When does the First Philippine news paper established?
A.1812
B.1813
C.1810
D.1811
10. It was systematically promoted as the languange that would civilize the Filipinos.
A. Filipino
B. Spanish
C. English
D. None of the above