American Colonial Period
Sining Biswal/Paintings •
When the Americans took over government of the islands after the Spanish-American
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war, they brought with with them a new source of patronage patronage for Philippine artist artist as well as a demand for a different subject matter. or e!ample, abian "el #osa$s paintings gained a great measure of acclaim during this
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period. #osa$s work was characteri%ed by realistic subjects and a soft, cool palette of colors. & Barcazas en el Rio” o “Women “Women working in the rice field” o “A remembrance of the Villa Borghese o “El Kundiman” o Another popular artist who got his start during the American era was ernando Amorsolo y 'ueto. Amorsolo$s paintings were ideali%ed visions of the sun-drenched Philippine landscape and its inhabitants. Amorsolo was the dean of the (niversity of the Philippines school of fine ars from )*+-)*++. is works and his leadership at the college inspired the development of the & Amorsolo School of ainting” o & Antiolo” “!efence of a "iliina Woman#s $onour” o
Sayaw/Dancing •
nevitably, the Americans$ entry into the country brought with it their cosmopolitan and
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comme commerc rcia iall cult cultur ure. e. /hei /heirr 0lac 0lackk-in infl fluen uenced ced musi musicc and danc dances es appea appeale led d to the the terp terpsi sich chor orea ean n bent bent of the the ili ilipi pino nos. s. Alrea lready dy schoo schoole led d in the the zarzuela, they foun found d zarzuela, they fascination in the vaudeville 1later called the stage-show2 which is a mi! of the theatrical, minstrel and circus acts that attracted both the elite and the masses. /he cakewalk, buck-and-wing, skirt-dance, clog, tap and soft-shoe were performed in the zarzuela the zarzuela theaters, later with the cinema shows. Social dances also became part of the repertoire on stage, such as the 'harleston, fo!trot, big apple, one-step, slow-drag, the 3atin-influenced tango, rumba, samba, mambo and cha-cha. o n )*)+ and )*)4, Paul 5ijinsky danced at the 6anila otel with costumes o
attributed to 3eon 3e on 0akst, "iaghilev$s designer. n )* Anna Anna Pavlova graced the 6anila 7rand 7rand 8pera ouse, prodding prodding local girls to study ballet.
Literatura/Literature •
Philippine literary production during the American Period in the Philippines was spurred
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by two significant developments in education and culture. 8ne is the introduction of free public instruction for all children of school age and two, the use of 9nglish as medium of instruction in all levels of education in public schools. Philippine literature in 9nglish, as a direct result of American coloni%ation of the country, could not escape being imitative of American models of writing especially during its period of apprenticeship. /he poetry written by early poets manifested studied attempts at versification as in the following poem which is proof of the poet$s rather elementary e!ercise in the 9nglish language n )*+, Pa% 6ar:ue% 0enite% short story, “Dead Stars” was published and was o o
made the landmark of the maturity of the ilipino writer in 9nglish. shmael Amado$s Bulalakaw ng Pag-asa published in )*;* was one of the earliest novels that dealt with the theme of American imperialism in the Philippines. /he novel, however, was not released from the printing press until )*)4, at which time, the author, by his own admission and after having been sent as a ensionado to the (.S., had other ideas apart from those he wrote in the novel.
Musika/Music •
/he American educational system have greatly influenced the Philippine system of music
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education with the treatment of music as part of a broad pattern of liberal education. American te!tbooks and song books were used. /he radio, phonograph and movies helped disseminate world culture. American singing
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through the ja%% invaded the country. 5evertheless, the spirit of nationalism triggered by the Spanish revolution, pushed Pilipino composers to use the native folk songs for their thematic materials.
Dulaan/Theater •
/he /radition of America come to the Philippine stage for its main and only purpose, the
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educational system which was established in )*;), and since then, the development of the culture and adaptation grows with fresh inputs, merging with or transforming traditional theatre, siring translations, sparking the emergence of new playwrights, new trends, new theatres, and on the whole contributing ideas and energy to Philippine theatre making a huge impact at the theater scene of the ilipinos. /he word comes from vaudeville, which was the first visible theatrical influence from America. Although a rench form, it had been adapted in the (nited States as a show made up of assorted entertainments. Shows comprising song-and-dance numbers, magic and musical acts, skits and stand-up comedy, chorus girls and comedians were first
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brought in to entertain the American soldiers around the turn of the century. /hey entertained the native audience as well, who found them convenient and portable showcases for entertainment spectacles.
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entitled =6odern ilipino= by staged "ecember )+, )*)+. 'onsidered as one of the most beautiful act and play at that time, it focuses more on how the ilipino$s react and adopt on the culture of the foreign people have. t was followed )> years later by Augusto 'atanjol?s =8il 3amp=, a comedia about a good natured family later rewarded by an old woman. /he play simply recogni%ed the outcome of the culture of americans. t was during the early American period that seditious plays, using the form of the %arsuwela, were mounted.
Arkitektura/Architecture •
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/he (nited States occupation of the Philippines in )@*@ ushered a new phase in Philippine architecture. America established an American-style of government and urban planning that served the needs of secular education and public services. n )*;>, the 'hicago-fame architect "aniel . 0urnham came to the Philippines on an invitation from the government to plan a modern 6anila. /he city then had a population of only a hundred thousand, but 0urnham envisioned it as a metropolis inhabited by millions, with multi-laned avenues radiating from its central districts. e proposed that the old moat around ntramuros be reclaimed, that 3uneta be enlarged into a ; acre-park, and that a seaside boulevard be built from the 6anila waterfront to 'avite. 0urnham$s vision for 6anila was a government center occupying all of Wallace ield, which e!tends from 3uneta to the present /aft Avenue. /he Philippines 'apitol was to rise on the /aft Avenue end of the field, facing toward the sea, and would form, with the buildings of different government bureaus and departments, a mighty :uadrangle, lagoon in the center and a monument to #i%al at its 3uneta end. 8f 0urnham$s proposed government center, only three units were builtB the 3egislative 0uilding 1originally intended as the 5ational 3ibrary2 and the building of the inance 1currently the 6useum of the ilipino People2 and Agricultural 1/ourism "epartment2 departments, which were completed on the eve of the War. 0y then, 6r. Cue%on had doomed the 0urnham Plan by creating a new capital outside 6anila, which was named after him DCue%on 'ity.
Pelikula/Movies •
ilm showing in the Philippines resumed in )*;; when a 0ritish entrepreneur named Walgrah opened the 'ine Walgrah at 5o.4; 'alle Santa #osa in ntramuros. /he second movie house was opened in )*; by a Spanish entrepreneur, Samuel #ebarber, who called his building, %ran &inemat'grafo (arisino, located at 5o. @; 'alle 'respo in Cuiapo. n )*;,
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movie theater, the &inematograo Rizal in A%carraga Street 1now '.6. #ecto Ave.2, in front of the /utuban #ailway Station.F)G n the same year, a movie market was formally created in the country along with the arrival of silent movies and American colonialism. F);G /he silent films were always accompanied by gramophone, a piano, or a :uartet, or when &a)iria was shown at the 6anila 7rand 8pera ouse, a ;;-manchoir n )*;+, erbert Wyndham, shot scenes at the *anila "ire !eartment H Albert
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Iearsly shot the Rizal !a+ &elebration in 3uneta )*;*H in )*);, the *anila &arni)al H in )*)), the Erution of *a+on VolcanoH the first Airlane "light ,)er *anila by 0ud 6ars and the "ires of -ondo. (andacan and (acoH and, in )*), the !earture of the /gorots to Barcelona and the -+hoon in &ebu.F)G /hese novelty films, however, did not capture the hearts of the audience because they were about the foreigners n )*);, the first picture with sound reached 6anila, using the 'hronophone. A 0ritish
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film crew also visited the Philippines, and filmed, among other scenes, the (agsan0an "alls 1,riental2 in )*)) in kinemacolor .F)G n )*), 5ew Iork and ollywood film companies started to establish their own agencies in 6anila to distribute films. F)G n the same year, two American entrepreneurs made a film about the e!ecution of , the (S colonial government was already using films as a vehicle for information, education, propaganda and entertainment. /he 0ureau of Science tackled subjects designed to present an accurate picture of the Philippines before the American public, particularly the (S 'ongress. 0y )*)+, the best 9uropean and American films were shown in Philippine theaters.
