PERIODS OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

Pre-Colonial
Early Times - 1564

Filipinos often lose sight of the fact that the first period of the Philippine literary history is the
longest. Certain events from the nation's history had forced lowland Filipinos to begin counting
the years of history from 1521, the first time written records by esterners referred to the
archipelago later to be called !"as islas Filipinas!. #owever, the discovery of the !$abon %an! in a
cave in Palawan in 1&'2, has allowed us to stretch our prehistory as far as 5(,((( years bac). $he
stages of that prehistory show how the early Filipinos grew in control over their environment.
$hrough the researches and writings about Philippine history, much can be reliably inferred about
precolonial Philippine literature from an analysis of collected oral lore of Filipinos whose
ancestors were able to preserve their indigenous culture by living beyond the reach of *panish
colonial administrators.
$he oral literature of the precolonial Filipinos bore the mar)s of the community. $he sub+ect
was invariably the common e,perience of the people constituting the village-food-gathering,
creature and ob+ects of nature, wor) in the home, field, forest or sea, caring for children, etc. $his
is evident in the most common forms of oral literature li)e the riddle, the proverbs and the song,
which always seem to assume that the audience is familiar with the situations, activities and
ob+ects mentioned in the course of e,pressing a thought or emotion. $he language of oral
literature, unless the piece was part of the cultural heritage of the community li)e the epic, was
the language of daily life. .t this phase of literary development, any member of the community
was a potential poet, singer or storyteller as long as he )new the language and had been attentive
to the conventions f the forms.
/n settlements along or near the seacoast, a native syllabary was in use before the *paniards
brought over the 0oman alphabet. $he syllabary had three vowels 1a, i-e, u-o2 and 13 consonants
1b, d, g, h, ), l, m, n, ng, p, r, s, t, w, and y2 but, curiously enough, had no way of indicating the
consonantal ending words. $his lends credence to the belief that the syllabary could not have
been used to produce original creative wor)s which would all but be undecipherable when read by
one who had had no previous contact with the te,t. hen the syllabary fell into disuse among the
Christiani4ed Filipinos, much valuable information about precolonial culture that could had been
handed down to us was lost. Fewer and fewer Filipinos )ept records of their oral lore, and fewer
and fewer could decipher what had been recorded in earlier times. $he perishable materials on
which the Filipinos wrote were disintegrate and the missionaries who believed that indigenous
pagan culture was the handicraft of the devil himself destroyed those that remained.
$here are two ways by which the uni5ueness of indigenous culture survived coloni4ation.
First, by resistance to colonial rule. $his was how the %aranaws, the %aguindanaws, and the
$ausogs of %indanao and /gorots, /fugao, 6ontocs and 7alingas of the %ountain Province were
able to preserve the integrity of their ethnic heritage. $he $agbanwas, $agabilis, %angyans,
6agobos, %anuvus, 6ilaan, 6u)idnons, and /sneg could cling on the traditional way of life
because of the inaccessibility of settlements. /t is to these descendants of ancient Filipinos who
did not come under the cultural sway of estern coloni4ers that we turn when we loo) for
e,amples of oral lore. 8ral lore they have been preserve li)e epics, tales, songs, riddles, and
proverbs that are now windows to a past with no written records which can be studied.
.ncient Filipinos possessed great wealth of lyric poetry. $here were many songs of great
variety in lyrics and music as well as meter. 9ach mountain tribe and each group of lowland
Filipinos had its own. %ost of the may be called fol)songs in that there can be traced in them
various aspects of the life and customs of the people.
Precolonial poetry were composed of poems composed of different dialects of the islands.
$he first *panish settlers themselves found such poetry, reproduced them, and recorded in their
reports and letters to *pain. .lthough precolonial poems are distinct from the lyrics of the
fol)songs the said poems were usually chanted when recited, as is still the custom of all .siatic
peoples and Pacific 8cean tribes. /t is true that many of the precolonial poetry is crude in ideology
and phraseology as we loo) at it with our present advanced )nowledge of what poetry should be.
Considering the fact that early Filipinos never studied literature and never had a chance to study
poetry and poetic techni5ue, it is surprising that their spontaneous poetic e,pression had some
rhythmic pattern in the use of e5ual syllabic counts for the lines of stan4a, and have definitely
uniform rhyming scheme. *panish missionaries writing grammars and vocabularies had made
good use of these early beginnings of Filipino poetry to illustrate word usage according to the
dictionary and grammatical definitions they had cast.
$housands of ma,ims, proverbs, epigrams, and the li)e have been listed by many different
collectors and researchers from many dialects. %a+ority of these reclaimed from oblivion com
from the $agalos, Cebuano, and /locano dialects. .nd the bul) are rhyming couplets with verses
of five, si, seven, or eight syllables, each line of the couplet having the same number of syllables.
$he rhyming practice is still the same as today in the three dialects mentioned. . good number of
the proverbs is con+ectured as part of longer poems with stan4a divisions, but only the lines
e,pressive of a philosophy have remained remembered in the oral tradition. Classified with the
ma,ims and proverbs are allegorical stan4as which abounded in all local literatures. $hey contain
homilies, didactic material, and e,pressions of homespun philosophy, ma)ing them often 5uoted
by elders and headmen in tal)ing to inferiors. $hey are rich in similes and metaphors. $hese one
stan4a poems were called $anaga and consisted usually of four lines with seven syllables, all
lines rhyming.
$he most appreciated riddles of ancient Philippines are those that are rhymed and having
e5ual number of syllables in each line, ma)ing them classifiable under the early poetry of this
country. 0iddles were e,istent in all languages and dialects of the ancestors of the Filipinos and
cover practically all of the e,periences of life in these times.
.lmost all the important events in the life of the ancient peoples of this country were
connected with some religious observance and the rites and ceremonies always some poetry
recited, chanted, or sung. $he lyrics of religious songs may of course be classified as poetry also,
although the rhythm and the rhyme may not be the same.
:rama as a literary from had not yet begun to evolve among the early Filipinos. Philippine
theater at this stage consisted largely in its simplest form, of mimetic dances imitating natural
cycles and wor) activities. .t its most sophisticated, theater consisted of religious rituals
presided over by a priest or priestess and participated in by the community. $he dances and ritual
suggest that indigenous drama had begun to evolve from attempts to control the environment.
Philippine drama would have ta)en the form of the dance-drama found in other .sian countries.
Prose narratives in prehistoric Philippines consisted largely or myths, hero tales, fables and
legends. $heir function was to e,plain natural phenomena, past events, and contemporary beliefs
in order to ma)e the environment less fearsome by ma)ing it more comprehensible and, in more
instances, to ma)e idle hours less tedious by filling them with humor and fantasy. $here is a great
wealth of mythical and legendary lore that belongs to this period, but preserved mostly by word of
mouth, with few written down by interested parties who happen upon them.
$he most significant pieces of oral literature that may safely be presumed to have originated
in prehistoric times are fol) epics. 9pic poems of great proportions and lengths abounded in all
regions of the islands, each tribe usually having at least one and some tribes possessing
traditionally around five or si, popular ones with minor epics of un)nown number.
Filipinos had a culture that lin)ed them with the %alays in the *outheast .sia, a culture with
traces of /ndian, .rabic, and, possibly Chinese influences. $heir epics, songs, short poems, tales,
dances and rituals gave them a native .sian perspective which served as a filtering device for the
estern culture that the coloni4ers brought over from 9urope.
Philippine Literature in the Spanish Colonial Period (1565 1897)
The existing literature of the Philippine ethnic groups at the time of conquest and conversion into
hristianit! "as mainl! oral# consisting of epics# legends# songs# riddles# and prover$s% The conquistador#
especiall! its ecclesiastical arm# destro!ed "hatever "ritten literature he could find# and hence rendered the
s!stem of "riting &e%g%# the Tagalog s!lla$ar!) inopera$le% 'mong the onl! native s!stems of "riting that
have survived are the s!lla$aries of the (indoro (ang!ans and the Tag$anua of Pala"an%
The )panish colonial strateg! "as to undermine the native oral tradition $! su$stituting for it the stor!
of the Passion of hrist &*um$era# p% 1+)% 'lthough hrist "as $! no means "ar,li-e or sexuall! attractive
as man! of the heroes of the oral epic tradition# the appeal of the .esus m!th inhered in the protagonist/s
superior magic0 $! promising eternal life for ever!one# he democrati1ed the po"er to rise a$ove death% 2t is
to $e emphasi1ed# ho"ever# that the native tradition survived and even flourished in areas inaccessi$le to
the colonial po"er% (oreover# the tardiness and the lac- of assiduit! of the colonial administration in ma-ing
a pu$lic educational s!stem "or- meant the survival of oral tradition# or "hat "as left of it# among the
conquered tri$es%
The church authorities adopted a polic! of spreading the hurch doctrines $! communicating to the
native &pe3orativel! called Indio) in his o"n language% Doctrina Christiana &1594)# the first $oo- to $e
printed in the Philippines# "as a pra!er$oo- "ritten in )panish "ith an accompan!ing Tagalog translation% 2t
"as# ho"ever# for the exclusive use of the missionaries "ho invaria$l! read them aloud to the unlettered
2ndio catechumens &(edina)# "ho "ere to rel! mainl! on their memor!% 5ut the tas- of translating religious
instructional materials o$liged the )panish missionaries to ta-e a most practical step# that of emplo!ing
native spea-ers as translators% 6ventuall!# the native translator learned to read and "rite $oth in )panish
and his native language%
This development mar-ed the $eginning of 2ndio literac! and thus spurred the creation of the first
"ritten literar! native text $! the native% These "riters# called ladinos $ecause of their fluenc! in $oth
)panish and Tagalog &(edina# pp% 55,56)# pu$lished their "or-# mainl! devotional poetr!# in the first decade
of the 17th centur!% 'mong the earliest "riters of note "ere 7rancisco de )an .ose and 7rancisco
5agong$ata &(edina)% 5ut $! far the most gifted of these native poet,translators "as 8aspar 'quino de
5elen &*um$era# p%1+)% Mahal Na Pasion ni Jesu Christo# a Tagalog poem $ased on hrist/s passion# "as
pu$lished in 179+% This long poem# original and fol-s! in its rendition of a humani1ed# indeed# a nativi1ed
.esus# is a milestone in the histor! of Philippine letters% 2ronicall! ,, and perhaps 3ust $ecause of its profound
influence on the popular imagination ,, as artifact it mar-s the $eginning of the end of the old m!thological
culture and a conversion to the ne" paradigm introduced $! the colonial po"er%
:ntil the 19th centur!# the printing presses "ere o"ned and managed $! the religious orders
&*um$era# p%14)% Thus# religious themes dominated the culture of the hristiani1ed ma3orit!% 5ut the native
oral literature# "hether secular or m!thico,religious continued% 6ven among the hristiani1ed ethnic groups#
the oral tradition persisted in such forms as legends# sa!ings# "edding songs such as the balayan and parlor
theater such as theduplo &(edina# p% 4;)%
2n the 18th centur!# secular literature from )pain in the form of medieval $allads inspired the native
poetic,drama form called the komedya# later to $e called moro-moro $ecause these often dealt "ith the
theme of hristians triumphing over (oslems &*um$era# p% 15)%
Jose de la Cruz !"#$ - !%&'( "as the foremost exponent of the komedya during his time% ' poet of
prodigious output and ur$ane st!le# de la ru1 mar-s a turning point in that his elevated diction
distinguishes his "or- from fol- idiom &as for instance# that of 8aspar 'quino de 5elen)% <et his appeal to
the non,literate "as universal% The popularit! of the dramatic form# of "hich he "as a master# "as due to it
$eing experienced as performance $oth $! the lettered minorit! and the illiterate $ut genuinel! appreciative
ma3orit!%
)rancisco *altazar !"%% - !%$&(# popularl! called *alagtas# is the ac-no"ledged master of traditional
Tagalog poetr!% =f peasant origins# he left his hometo"n in 5igaa# 5ulacan for (anila# "ith a strong
determination to improve his lot through education% To support his studies# he "or-ed as a domestic servant
in Tondo% >e steeped himself in classical studies in schools of prestige in the capital%
8reat social and political changes in the "orld "or-ed together to ma-e 5alagtas/ career as poet
possi$le% The industrial revolution had caused a great movement of commerce in the glo$e# creating "ealth
and the opportunit! for material improvement in the life of the "or-ing classes% ?ith these great material
changes# social values "ere transformed# allo"ing greater social mo$ilit!% 2n short# he "as a child of the
glo$al $ourgeois revolution% *i$eral ideas# in time# $ro-e class ,, and# in the Philippines ,, even racial
$arriers &(edina)% The "ord 7ilipino# "hich used to refer to a restricted group &i%e%# )paniards $orn in the
Philippines) expanded to include not onl! the acculturated "ealth! hinese mesti1o $ut also the acculturated
2ndio &(edina)% 5alagtas "as one of the first Indios to $ecome a 7ilipino%
5ut the crucial element in 5alagtas/ unique genius is that# $eing caught $et"een t"o cultures &the
native and the colonial@classical)# he could s"itch codes &or "as perceived $! his compatriot audience to $e
s"itching codes)# provide insight and information to his oppressed compatriots in the ver! st!le and guise of
a tradition provided him $! a foreign &and oppressive) culture% >is narrative poem )lorante at +aura "ritten
in su$lime Tagalog# is a$out t!rann! in 'l$an!a# $ut it is also perceived to $e a$out t!rann! in his 7ilipino
homeland &*um$era)%
Aespite the foreign influence# ho"ever# he remained true to his native traditions% >is verse pla!s "ere
performed to the motle! cro"d% >is poems "ere sung $! the literate for the $enefit of the unlettered% The
metrical regularit! and rh!me performed their age,old mnemonic function# despite and $ecause of the
introduction of printing%
Printing overtoo- tradition% The printed page# $! itself# $ecame the mnemonic device# the stage set for
the development of prose% The first 7ilipino novel "as Ninay# "ritten in )panish $! Pedro Paterno# a
Philippine,$ornilustrado &(edina p% 94)% 7ollo"ing the sentimental st!le of his first $oo- ,ampaguitas &a
collection of poems in )panish)# the novel endeavored to highlight the endearingl! unique qualities of
7ilipinos%
Bational >ero Jose -izal !%$! - !%'$( chose the realistic novel as his medium% hoosing )panish over
Tagalog meant challenging the oppressors on the latter/s o"n turf% 5! "riting in prose# Ci1al also cut his ties
"ith the 5alagtas tradition of the figurative indirection "hich veiled the supposed su$versiveness of man!
"ritings at that time%
Ci1al/s t"o novels# the Noli Me Tangere and its sequel .l )ilibusterismo# chronicle the life and ultimate
death of 2$arra# a 7ilipino educated a$road# "ho attempts to reform his countr! through education% 't the
conclusion of the Noli# his efforts end in near,death and exile from his countr!% 2n the )ilibusterismo# he
returns after reinventing himself as )imoun# the "ealth! 3e"eler# and hastens social deca! $! further
corrupting the social fa$ric till the oppressed react violentl! to overthro" the s!stem% 5ut the insurrection is
foiled and )imoun suffers a violent death%
2n a sense# Ci1al/s novels and patriotic poems "ere the inevita$le conclusion to the campaign for li$eral
reforms -no"n as the Propaganda (ovement# "aged $! 8raciano *ope1 .aena# and (%>% del Pilar% The t"o
novels so vividl! portra!ed corruption and oppression that despite the lac- of an! clear advocac!# the!
served to instill the conviction that there could $e no solution to the social ills $ut a violent one%
7ollo"ing closel! on the failed reformist movement# and on Ci1al/s novels# "as the Philippine revolution
headed $! 'ndres 5onifacio &1864 , 1897)% >is closest aide# the college,$red 6milio .acinto &1875 , 1899)#
"as the revolutionar! organi1ation/s ideologue% 5oth "ere admirers of Ci1al# and li-e Ci1al# $oth "ere "riters
and social critics profoundl! influenced $! the li$eral ideas of the 7rench enlightenment# a$out human
dignit!% 5onifacio/s most important "or- are his poems# the most "ell,-no"n $eing Pag-Ibig ,a Tinubuang
+upa/ .acinto "rote political essa!s expressed in the language of the fol-% )ignificantl!# although either
"riter could have "ritten in )panish &5onifacio# for instance# "rote a Tagalog translation of Ci1al/s 0ltimo
1dios)# $oth chose to communicate to their fello"men in their o"n native language%
The figure of Ci1al dominates Philippine literature until the present da!% *i$eralism led to education of
the native and the ascendanc! of )panish% 5ut )panish "as undermined $! the ver! ideas of li$eration that
it helped spread# and its decline led to nativism and a renaissance of literature in the native languages%
The turn of the centur! "itnessed not onl! the Philippine revolution $ut a quieter though no less
significant out$rea-% The educated "omen of the period produced significant poetr!% 8regoria de .esus# "ife
of 'ndres 5onifacio# "rote nota$le Tagalog poetr!% (ean"hile# in Digan of the 2locano Borth# *eona
7lorentino# $! her poetr!# $ecame the foremost 2locano "riter of her time%
U. S. Colonialism
1898 - 1945

Philippine literature during the American rule was influenced by two factors, first of which
is, education. With the Americans providing free education, many were given the chance to
study and nglish was used as the language of instruction. Unli!e the Spanish, the
foreigners were willing to teach their language to the "ilipinos. "ree education served as
the stepping stone for others to improve their social status.
arly literary wor!s in nglish showed styles of which is American. #t can also be seen that
writers who $ust started learning nglish cannot fully showcase their talent because of the
lac! of mastery of the language.
%he downfall of the Spanish colonialism freed the printing industry from religious
censorship. With the printing industry in the hands of patriotic investors, the printing
press was used to bloc! the American culture from entering the Philippine lifestyle.
&ewspapers in our different dialects flourished all over the archipelago. With some
newspapers having a space for literary pieces, writers were given the chance to show and
prove the true talent of the "ilipinos. Some of these newspapers were 'uling Pagsilang
()*+,, %agalog-, Ang .aluwasan ()*+/, Cebuano-, 'a!inaugalingon ()*),, #longgo-, and
&ueva ra ()*+0, #lo!ano-. %he best !nown maga1ines that capitali1ed on short stories and
poems were 2iwayway ()*//, %agalog-, 3isaya ()*,+, Cebuano-, 4iligaynon ()*,5,
#longgo-, and 3annawag ()*,5, #lo!ano-.
Writers during the American Period drew ideas from the Propaganda 'ovement and the
6evolutionary 'ovement to encourage the "ilipinos to continue to fight against the U.S.
Colonialism. %he demand for independence was supported by a campaign to ma!e the
Americans aware of the "ilipino culture. Some writers who use the Spanish language began
to shift to the American language for the fact that a larger population can now comprehend
the said language. #t is a fact that "ilipinos during the Spanish period were not given the
chance to learn the language, resulting in a very small population of people capable of
understanding the literary wor!s.
%he literary genres that flourished during the American Period were poetry, sarswela,
short story, and the novel. Poetry was written in the three languages - "ilipino, Spanish,
nglish, and in the different dialects. Some of the !nown poets during the American period
were 'a7imo .alaw, Carlos P. 6omulo, 'aria Agoncillo, Pa1 'ar8ue1 3enite1, Salvador
P. 2ope1, 9ose :arcia ;illa, Carlos 3ulosan, and many others. %here were three collection
of poems printed namely "ilipino Poetry edited by 6odolfo <ato, %he nglish :erman
Anthology of Poets edited by Pablo 2aslo, and a pre-war collection by Carlos 3ulosan. %he
balagtasan, named after "rancisco ". 3alagtas, is a debate in verse, a poetical $oust done
almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the pros and the cons of a
certain issue. %he first ever balagtasan was held in 'arch )*/5 at the #nsituto de 'u$eres,
with Cora1on de 9esus and "lorentino Collantes as rivals. 9ose Cora1on de 9esus, !nown
also as 4useng 3atute, became the first ever !ing of the 3alagtasan.
Short stories in nglish of early "ilipino fictionists are mar!ed with American style. %his
all changed with the founding of the U. P. Writers Club in )*/= whose aim was to enhance
and propagate the >language of Sha!espeare.> With the publication of Pa1 'ar8ue1
3enite1? ><ead Stars,> it was made the landmar! of the maturity of the "ilipino writer in
nglish. 'any writers followed 3enite1 li!e #casiano Calalang, Arturo 6otor, A. .
2itiatco, Pa1 2atorena, and 'anuel Arguilla started publishing stories manifesting s!ills in
the use of the foreign language and a !een "ilipino sensibility.
%he combination of the foreign language and the culture of a "ilipino enabled fictionists to
produce great literary wor!s. %he public can now relate to the story because the public also
e7periences what the story has to say and they can now understand the language being
used by the writer. Wor!s li!e >4is &ative Soil> by 9uan C. 2aya, >4ow 'y 3rother 2eon
3rought 4ome a Wife> by 'anuel Arguilla, and many others depicted the "ilipino life in
nglish. %he other novelists of this period are 9ose :arcia ;illa, "rancisco Arellana,
"ernando 'aria :uerrero, Amador <aguio, and Sinai 4amada.
With the founding of the Philippine Writers 2eague in )*,=, "ilipino writers began
discussing the value of literature in the society they live in. %his move was led by Salvador
P. 2ope1 whose wor!s centered on proletarian literature.
#t was during the early American period that the sarswela gained popularity. 'ost of the
sarwelas if not all are directed against the American imperialists. %he wor!s of Severino
6eyes (>Walang Sugat>- and Patricio 'ariano (>Ana! ng <agat>- are e8ually remar!able
sarwelas during the period. 4ere are the other noted sarswelistas@ Aurelio %olentino, 9uan
Abad, 9uan 'atapang Cru1, and 9uan Crisostomo Sotto.
Among the #lo!ano writers, noted novelists were 2eon Pichay, 4ermogenes 3elen, and
'ena Pecson Crisologo whose 'ining wenno Ayat ti .ararwa is considered to be the
#lo!ano version of &oli 'e %angere. 'agdalena 9alandoni and 6amon 'u1ones are the
most prominent writers in the ;isayas region. %heir wor!s depicted love, farm life, and the
social life the region is having.
%he latter stages of the American period continued to produce great poets li!e 9ulian Cru1
3lamaceda, "lorentino Collantes, Pedro :atmaitan, 9ose Cora1on de 9esus, 2ope ..
Santos, Ale$andro Abadilla, %eodoro Agoncillo, and #nigo d. 6egalado. %hey used a
modern style of poetry that is made up of free verse.
2iwayway Arceo and :enoveva dro1a 'atute are two fictionist writers that became
popular during the American rule. %heir wor!s >Uhaw ang %igang na 2upa> and >A!o?y
#sang %inig> respectively are used as models for fine writing. 3oth writers use a style of
storytelling that uses language through poignant rendition. %eodoro Agoncillo?s >/A
Pina!amahusay na 'ai!ling .uwento> included the foremost writers of fiction before
World War ##.
After <SA
1986 - Present

$he year 1&;' mar)s a new beginning of a new scene for Filipino writers and artists. /t saw
the downfall of late President Ferdinand %arcos when he placed the Philippines under martial rule
last *eptember 21,1&<2. $his action does not only oppress the writers' right to free e,pression but
also created conditions that made collaboration and cooperation convenient choices for artists'
struggling for recognition and survival. Furthermore, the growth of underground writing was
created both in urban and in the countryside.
$he popular !9dsa 0evolution! 19:*., a highway in %etro %anila that runs north to south
from Caloocan to 6aclaran2 has paved the way for the flight of the dictator and his family to
#awaii, =*. on February 23,1&;'. $he revolt established the presidency of Cora4on .5uino,
which mar)ed the !restoration! of a pre-%artial "aw society. #owever, the Philippines did not
recover that easily. $he years that followed !9dsa! was a wild !roller-coaster! ride for many
Filipinos. $he unease times was caused by natural disasters that left the economic plans in
shambles.
%ilitancy and belligerence best describes writing under the %artial "aw regime. ith the
overthrow of the enemy in 1&;', however, the literary activity showed certain disorientation
manifesting itself in a proliferation of concerns ta)en up by individual writers and groups.
Creative writing centers after 9dsa maybe grouped into two. .cademic institutions where
Creative riting is part of the curricular offerings, and students ma+oring in "iterature are able to
come in contact with elder creative writers>critics>professors belonged to the first group. *uch
academic institutions includes the *illiman =niversity? the =niversity of the Philippines? the
.teneo de %anila =niversity? :e la *alle =niversity? and last but not the least, *an Carlos
=niversity in Cebu.
$he second group is composed of writers' organi4ations that periodically sponsor symposia
on writing and>or set up wor)shops for its members and other interested parties. =%P/" 1=nyon
ng mga %anunulat ng Pilipino2, P.@=".$ 1Pambansang =nyon ng mga %anunulat2, Panday-"ipi,
A.$ 1Aalian sa .rte at $ula2, 7.$#., "/0. 1"inangan sa /mahen, 0etori)a at .nyo2, A=%/"
1Aunglo :agiti %annurat nga /lo)ano2, "=:.6/ 1"ubas sa :agang 6inisaya2 and P.9.@.
riters get to hear about new developments in writing and derive enthusiasm for their craft
through these twin centers. $he two !unyon! function as umbrellas under which writers belonging
to a diversity of organi4ations sociali4e with fellow writers.
.ward giving bodies, annual competitions and publications provide the incentives for writers
to )eep producing. $hese actions perform the important service of )eeping the writers in the
public consciousness, ma)ing it possible for commentators and audiences to identify significant
established writers and give attention to emerging new talents.
$he @ational Commission on Culture and the .rts 1@CC.2, a post-9:*. state sponsored
institution, was created by the law in 1&&2, superseding the Presidential Commission on Culture
and the .rts which was established in 1&;<. $he said institution has a Committee on "iterary .rts
which funds wor)shops, conferences, publications and a variety of pro+ects geared towards the
production of a !national literature!. $he committee has the aim of developing writing that is
multi-lingual, multi-cultural, and truly national.
@on-governmental organi4ations have helped hand in hand with some institutions in giving
recognition to writers from specific sectors in the society. $hese @A8's includes the .mado B.
#ernande4 Foundation? the A.P.* foundation, and the 7./6/A.@.
Campus publications are another group of outlet that is of importance as a source of non-
traditional, e,perimental writing. $hese campus publications could either be a wee)ly student
newspapers, 5uarterly maga4ines, or annual literary +ournals. $he =niversity of the Philippines
has the Collegian? $he :iliman 0eview? and $he "iterary .pprentice. *illiman =niversity has
*ands and Coral? .teneo de %anila =niversity issues #eights and Philippine *tudies? :e la *alle
=niversity has %alate, "i)ha, and %alay to offer? =niversity of *anto $omas publishes $he
Barsitarian.
8verall, the character of the Philippine literary scene after !9:*.! maybe pinpointed be
referring to the theories that inform literary production, to the products issuing from the
publishers, to the dominant concerns demonstrated by the writers' output, and to the direction
towards which literary studies are tending.
1. $here is in the academe an emerging critical orientation that draws its concerns and
insights from literary theori4ing current in 9ngland and the =nited *tates.
2. Post-9:*. publishing has been mar)ed by adventurousness, a willingness to gamble on
!non-traditional! pro+ects.
C. $he declining prestige of the @ew Criticism, whose rigorous aesthetic norms has previously
functioned as a Procrustean bed on which Filipino authors and their wor)s were measured, has
opened a gap in the critical evaluation of literary wor)s.
3. $he fourth and final characteristic of post-9:*. writing is the development thrust towards
the retrieval and the recuperation of writing in Philippine languages other than $agalog.