Historical Timeline of Philippine Literature Historical Background Long time before the Spaniards and other foreigners landed on Philippine shores, our forefathers already had their own literature stamped in the history of our race. Our ancient literature shows shows our customs and traditions in everyday life as traced in our folk stories, old plays and short stories. Our ancient ancestors also had their own alphabet which was dierent from that brought by the Spaniards. Spaniar ds. !he "rst alphabet used by our ancestors was similar to that of the #alayo$Polynesian alphabet. %hatever records our ancestors left were either burned by the Spaniards friars in the belief that they were works of the devil or were written on materials that easily perished, like the barks of trees, dried leaves and bamboo cylinders which could not have remained undestroyed even if eorts were made to preserve them Other records that remained showed folk songs that proved the e&istence of a native culture truly our own. Some of these were passed on by word of mouth till they reached the hands of some publishers or printers who took interest in printing the manuscripts of the ancient 'ilipinos. !he Spaniards Spaniards who came came to the Philippines Philippines tried to prove that our ancestors ancestors were really really fond of poetry, songs, stories, riddles and proverbs proverbs which we still en(oy today and which serve to show to generations the true culture of our people. PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (--BC to 1564) A. Characteristics 1.Based on ora traditions !.Cr"de on ideoo#$ and %hraseoo#$ B. Literar$ &or's Ora Literat"re a. Riddes ("#ton#) atte o* +its a'on# %artici%ants ,i#'o Ce" Pataon Ion##o Patotdon Bico . Proers (saa+iain) +ise sa$in#s that contain a 'eta%hor "sed to teach as a *ood *or tho"#ht etc. c. ,ana#a ,ana#a - a 'ono-ri'in# he%tas$aic /"atrain e0%ressin# insi#hts in si#hts and essonson i*e is 'ore e'otiona$ char#ed than the terse %roer and th"s hasa**inities +ith the *o $ric. !.&o 2on#s It is a *or' o* *o $ric +hich +hich e0%resses the ho%es and as%irations3 as%irations3 the %eo%esi*est$es as +e as their oes. ,hese are o*ten re%etitie and sonoro"s3 didactic andnaiea. ee or o$a$i "a$ . A'ahan (an#$an) 7-s$ae %er ine %oe' that are ao"t h"'anreationshi%s and socia entertain'ent c. 8a"san (Iatan) - +or son#s that de%ict the ieihood o* the %eo%ed. d. ,a#a$ (Ce"ano and 9ara$) drinin# son#. e. 8ano#an (Ce"ano) son# o* a'entation *or the dead &o ,aes $ths e0%ain ho+ the +ord +as created3 ho+ certain ani'as %ossess certain characteristics3 +h$ so'e %aces hae +ater*as3 ocanoes3 'o"ntains3 *ora or *a"na. Le#ends e0%ain the ori#in o* thin#s 9h$ the Pinea%%e as E$es,he Le#end o* aria aiin# c. &aes "sed ani'a characters and ae#or$d.&antasti stories dea +ith "nder+ord characters s"ch as :ti$ana;3:as+ :ti$ana;3:as+an#;3 an#;3 :a%re; and others. E %ics ,hese are :narraties o* s"stained en#th ased on ora ora tradition tradition reoin# aro"nds"%ernat"ra eents or heroic deeds; (Arsenio an"e) E0a'%es< La'-an# (Iocano) (Iocano) inia+od (Pana$) 8"da'an (Paa+an) Daran#en (aranao) Owing to the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists, we are able to know more and better judge information about about our pre-colonial times set against a bulk of material about early Filipinos as recorded by Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and other chroniclers of the past.
re-colonial inhabitants of our islands showcase a rich past through their folk speeches, folk songs, folk narrati!es and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances that affirm our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors.
II. 2PANI2 COLONI=A,ION PERIOD (1565 1>6?) Characteristics 1. It has t+o distinct cassi*ications< rei#io"s and sec"ar It introd"ced 2%anish as the 'edi"' o* co''"nication. B.Literar$ &or's 1. Rei#io"s Literat"re - Rei#io"s $rics +ritten $ adino %oets or those ersed in oth 2%anish and ,a#ao# +ere inc"ded in ear$ catechis' and +ere "sed toteach &ii%inos the 2%anish an#"a#e. a. Pas$on on# narratie %oe' ao"t the %assion and death o* Christ. ,he 'ost %o%"ar +as :An# aha na Passion ni @es" Criston# Pani#noon Natin; $A#"ino de Been .2ena"o dra'atiation o* the %as$on3 it sho+s the %assion and death o* Christ 2ec"ar (non-rei#io"s) Literat"re a.A+it - coor*" taes o* chiar$ 'ade *or sin#in# and chantin# E0a'%e< Ion# Adarna .8orido 'etrica tae +ritten in octos$aic /"atrainsE0a'%e< &orante at La"ra $ &rancisco Bataar c. Prose Narraties +ritten to %rescrie %ro%er decor"' i. Diao#o iii. Ee'%o ii.an"a de ranidad i. tratado E0a'%es< odesto de Castros Pa#s"s"atan n# Daa+an# Biniini na sirana at si &eia and @oa/"in ,"asons An# Ba#on# Roinson (,he Ne+ Roinson) in 1>7. "hile it is true that Spain subjugated the hilippines for more mundane reasons, this former #uropean power contributed much in the shaping and recording of our literature. $eligion and institutions that represented #uropean ci!ili%ation enriched the languages in the lowlands, introduced theater which we would come to know as komedya , the sinakulo , the sarswela , the playlets and the drama. Spain also brought to the country, though at a much later time, liberal ideas and an internationalism that influenced our own Filipino intellectuals and writers for them to understand the meanings of &liberty and freedom.' (iterature in this period may be classified as religious prose and poetry and secular prose and poetry.
III. NA,IONALI2,IC PROPAFANDA AND REGOL,IONARH PERIOD(1>64 1>6) Characteristics Panted seeds o* nationais' in &ii%inos Lan#"a#e shi*ted *ro' 2%anish to ,a#ao# ?.Addressed the 'asses instead o* the :intei#entsia; B.Literar$ &or's 1. Pro%a#anda Literat"re - Re*or'ator$ in oectie a. Poitica Essa$s satires3 editorias and ne+s artices +ere +ritten to attacand e0%ose the eis o* 2%anish r"e i.Diarion# ,a#ao# *o"nded $ arceo de Piar ii.La 2oidaridad +hose editor-in-chie* is Fraciano Lo%e-@aena Poitica Noes i. Noi e ,an#ere and E &ii"steris'o @ose Rias 'aster%iecesthat %aed the +a$ to the reo"tion !.Reo"tionar$ Literat"re 'ore %ro%a#andistic than iterar$ as it is 'oreioent in nat"re and de'anded co'%ete inde%endence *or the co"ntr$ a.Poitica Essa$s he%ed in*a'e the s%irit o* reo"tioni. 8aa$aan ne+s%a%er o* the societ$3 edited $ E'iio @acinto . Poetr$ ,r"e Decao#"e A%oinario aini 8ata%"san# ii n# Pii%inas Andres Boni*acio Li+ana# at Dii' E'iio @acinto
IG. AERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (11J 145) Period o* A%%renticeshi% (11J-1?J) 1.&ii%ino 9riters i'itated En#ish and A'erican 'odes !.Poe's -- +ritten +ere a'ate"rish and '"sh$3 +hich %hrasin# and diction is a++ard and arti*icia. a.2hort 2tories i.Dead 2tars Pa ar/"e Benite ii.,he 8e$ Pa Latorena iii.&ootnote to Ho"th @ose Farcia Gia .Noes i. Chide o* 2orro+ *irst noe in En#ish3 $ =oio Faan# B. Period o* E'er#ence (1!J-1?J) i#h$ in*"enced $ 9estern iterar$ trends ie Ro'anticis' and Reais'. a. 2hort 2tories 'ost %reaent iterar$ *or' i. @ose Farcia Gia earned the internationa tite :Poet o* theCent"r$; A new set of coloni%ers brought about new changes in hilippine literature. )ew literary forms such as free !erse *in poetry+, the modern short story and the critical essay were introduced. American influence was deeply entrenched with the firm establishment of #nglish as the medium of instruction in all schools and with literary modernism that highlighted the writers indi!iduality and culti!ated consciousness of craft, sometimes at the epense of social consciousness. he last throes of American colonialism saw the flourishing of hilippine literature in #nglish at the same time, with the introduction of the )ew Critical aesthetics, made writers pay close attention to craft and &indirectly engendered a disparaging attitude' towards !ernacular writings / a tension that would recur in the contemporary period.
G. @APANE2E OCCPA,ION (14! - 16J) 9ar Hears (14!-144) 1. ,a#ao# %oets roe a+a$ *ro' the Baa#tas tradition and instead+rote in si'%e an#"a#e and *ree erse !.&iction %reaied oer %oetr$ a.!5 Pinaa'a"tin# aiin# 8than# Pii%ino (14?) co'%iation o* theshort stor$ contest $ the 'iitar$ #oern'ent. 2"$"an sa ,"i#an acario Pineda L"%an# ,in""an Narciso Re$es ha+ an# ,i#an# na L"%a Li+a$+a$ Arceo B.Period o* at"rit$ and Ori#inait$ (145-16J) 1.Bo"nti*" harest in %oetr$3 *iction3 dra'a and essa$ !.&ii%ino +riters 'astered En#ish and *a'iiaried the'sees i+htdierse techni/"es ?.Literar$ :#iants; a%%eared a. Paanca A+ards *or Literat"re i.@ose Farcia Gia ii.Nic @oa/"in iii.NG Fonaes i.Bienenido 2antos .Fre#orio Briantes i.Fida Cordero&ernando .Nationa Artist A+ards i.@ose Farcia Gia ii.Nic @oa/"ian
CON,EPORARHODERN PERIOD (16J PRE2EN,) A. Characteristics 1.artia La+ re%ressed and c"rtaied h"'an ri#hts3 inc"din# *reedo' o* the%ress !.9riters "sed s$'ois's and ae#ories to drie ho'e their 'essa#e3 at the*ace o* hea$ censorshi% ,heater +as "sed as a ehice *or %rotest3 s"ch as the PE,A (Phi. Ed"cationa ,heater Association) and P ,heater. &ro' the ei#hties on+ards3 +riters contin"e to sho+ d$na'is' and innoation he flowering of hilippine literature in the !arious languages continue especially with the appearance of new publications after the 0artial (aw years and the resurgence of committed literature in the 1234s and the 1254s. Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, no!ellas, no!els and essays whether these are socially committed, gender6ethnic related or are personal in intention or not. Of course the Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the proliferation of writers workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature a!ailable to him !ia the mass media including the internet. he !arious literary awards such as the 7on Carlos alanca 0emorial Awards for (iterature, the hilippines Free ress, hilippine 8raphic, 9ome (ife and anorama literary awards encourage him to compete with his peers and hope that his creati!e efforts will be rewarded in the long run.
