Basillo, Alliza June A. - Written Work 3

The Philippine Literature 

3.1 Based on the given articles, identify the literary forms/elements from the following:

a. Early Philippine Literature

b. Philippine Literature in Spanish Colonial Period

c. Philippine Literature in American Period

a. 

Early Philippine Literature article was written by Dr. Lilia Quindoza-Santiago. She talked about how the literature was back then and how it changed. It is written in a Nonfiction prose that shows facts and straightforward information about our literature. She focused on stating facts about the era.  She also added poetries to give example works of our poets and explained how they used it in their daily lives. She mentioned that songs were also made back then and has different purposes. Some are used to put babies to sleep like uyayi or hele, songs for war and when people sail and also wrote songs to propose their love and ask for their acceptance in courtship. Differentiated poets from different places like amabahan and tanaga. Amahaban is traditionally recorder on bamboos, they use Surat Mangyan as a material to inscribe the song. The bringer of the ambahan was a Dutch anthropologist Antoon Postma. Tanaga was mistaken as the equivalent of the Japanese haiku but it was not similar. Tanaga have no titles, composed of four lines and each line is composed having seven syllables. Filipino poets doesn’t only make poetries that are related for entertainment but also uses it as their way to express themselves with the ongoing problems in their government, values and virtues, truth about life and many more.

b.

Philippine Literature in Spanish Colonial Period was written in a nonfiction prose. The author chose to share information without any rhymes, monologues or their imagination in writing the article. They talked about how our literature changed once the Spaniards entered the country and changed the people’s religion. They also shared how writers were called ladinos as they were both fluent in Spanish and their native language. The poets back then wrote poetries that were related to religion, love and words used to ask for justice in the hands of the colonizers, just like how komedya was themed after Christians winning over Moslems and how Jose Rizal wrote both Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Noli Me Tangere was written due to the inequalities that happened during the Spanish Catholic era. El Filibusterismo was also written to show the people how the Philippines were in the hands of Spain.

c.

Another article written by Dr. Lilia Quindoza-Santiago was Philippine Literature during American Period, she also used the nonfiction prose and used some poetries to show examples and prove her point. She stated how Americans changed the education system by adding English as a subject that everyone takes. This change resulted 80% of the present’s public to understand and speak the language. Works were used as guidelines of students like kindergarten in order for them to understand the language easier. Different authors from different places had different themes in mind in writing their works. The writers during this era wrote poets that are based on love triangles like Pinaglahuan that was a love story that involves three people and the rival won due to a false imprisonment, 2 friends that had different love story endings like Nena and Neneng were the other had a great love story while the other had the opposite and the American’s imperialism like Bulalakaw ng pag-asa.

3.2. Discuss the significant developments of the following period

a. . Early Philippine Literature

b. Philippine Literature in Spanish Colonial Period

c. Philippine Literature in American Period

a. 

During the Early Philippine Era, the Filipinos used their own languages and alphabets in order to communicate with each other. Baybayin was their alphabet but it was changed into the Roman alphabet when Spanish people entered the country. Different places in the country has their own versions of poetries that made an impact to the country’s early literature. Tagalogs wrote poetries for different purposes and uses. Songs like Uyayi or hele was made to make babies sleep, Kundiman as a love song, Soliranin for travelers, Kumintang is a war song, Maluway for labor, Panambit for courtship and Pamanhikan to ask for someone’s approval for marraige. Tagalogs worte riddles called bugtongs. Ilokanos also wrote different poets. They wrote love songs, harvest songs but they have a famous folk song called laji. Laji is a song dedicated to people celebrating that they have finish work and that they can finally relax from their hardwork. They called their riddles as burburtia Different ethnics in the country also contributed masterpieces like ambahan from an ethnic group in Mindoro, also a similar riddle that is called tanaga but they have difference in the length of their syllables. People used their creativity not only to show how brilliant they are when it comes to imagining scenarios and lyrics to go together, but they use it also to get information of the real world and spread it to others. They also use it in order to break walls and to show others the beauty of their culture.

b.

During the Philippine Literature in Spanish Colonial Period, people in the country started to convert into Christianism due to the influence of Spanish people. They used different platforms in order to spread the religion. Poetries were also one of them as poets include religion of Christianism in their works. The Spanish language was only thought to people who are supposed to be elites. The first book that was published in the Philippines was a prayer book that was written in both Spanish and Tagalog. People that can understand and speak both Tagalog and Spanish are called Ladinos. Great compositions like komedyo or moro-moro that is themed after the battling religion in the country and Francisco Baltazar’s famous and great work, balagtasan. His work was praised and used as a  platform to talk more and debate more about certain matter. Due to his impactful work, he became the first Indio to be called as a Filipino. In this Era, Spanish worked hard in order to colonize not only the place but also its people but, the people of the Philippines wanted to fight for what is right and by the use of Literature they were able to make great differences.

c.

In the American Period of the Philippine’s literature, their language was introduced to the people and was required to take the class in order to understand and speak it. They coordinated it to their works such as books, poem and other things in order for people to learn it easier and quicker. During this era, politicians were able to make awarding shows in order to award people that has made a great work. However, langauges from the country were still used and poets were creating master piece after master piece. Tagalogs wrote novels that were themed after love triangles and the imperialism of the Americans towards the Philippines. 

3.3 How have these literary periods shaped our a.) ideological perspective, b.) social values, c.) and political views? Discuss each.

Even before the Philippines was colonized by different countries, it was already a literate country. Before colonization there were existing languages like Ilokano, Pangasinense, Tagalog and many more. They also had their own way of writing like the baybayin that was commonly used by people from Luzon. The word “baybay” in baybayin means to spell. However, as the Spanish entered the country, the Filipino way of writing was replaced by the Roman alphabet. As Spanish people colonized the nation, it has not only affected their alphabet but also their ideological perspective. Most people adapted the Catholicism but some still resisted and denied to change their religion. Igorots and some Muslims decided to stick with their already existing belief. Their social value have also changed overtime. During early literature era, they were able have equality between women and men.  Both genders were given equal rights, privileges and opportunities. However, when they entered and changed the rich culture of the country, equal rights faded and only elite people were given the chance to learn the language Spanish. Luckily, during the Philippine Literature during the American Period, the education system was changed. They allowed the people to learn their language, which made a big impact to the culture. As for politics, the pre-colonial system of the Philippines was patriarchal in some way. The unit was called barangay from the word barangay or balangay that means sailboat. 30-100 families work with each other and barangays are independent from each other. Spain established the Philippine’s government. They established both national and local governments. Lastly, during the American period, they replaced the existing military government into a civilian government.