CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ARTS FROM THE SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD

REGION
 Plaza complex
 Contemporary arts-Can be defined as art produced by  Via Crucis- Is an important inclusion in colonial
artist LIVING TODAY!!
churches
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MODERN AND Pabasa/ Pasyon- Biblican Narration of Christ’s
CONTEMPORARY. Passion
 MAGELLAN’s CROSS in CEBU
 HISTORICAL

 CHRONOLOGICAL AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD

PRE-CONQUEST
 Art historical Term-Art before the coming of the first
colonizers.
 Stylistic term- refer to it as “ indigenous” to
emphasize the idea that our ancestors have been
making art even before colonization.
 Permitted us to display our Philippine Flag
 Played our National Anthem
 Celebrated our National heroes Days
 Enjoyed freedom of speech
 Diet (Ham, eggs, oatmeal, sandwiches, hotdogs,
steak, coffee, beer, whisky, cigarettes.

 Cultural term- “Pre-colonial”

Was there “art” before colonization?

 Our ancestors during those times were HUNTER

GATHERERS

 Performing Ritual (Gather themselves and prayed.)


 When they told story about the hunt, in the form of
oral storytelling marked the beginnings of
LITERATURE

 Imitated the movements of the animals that they

hunt- marked the early beginning of theater or play
acting

 Given birth to music and dance- When they learned

to add drum beating and attach a rhythm to their
movements. 
 MAMANWAS- one of the oldest and existing tribes
in the Philippines.

 Mamanwas-one of the oldest and existing tribes in

the Philippines. - quite alike to the Negritos in
physical profile.

 Bonok Bonok shows the natives' gratitude to their

animistic gods for a bountiful harvest and good
health.

 “KAHIMUNAN”, a tribal festivity, where music and
graceful dancing are typical features.

 BONOK-BONOK”- A thanksgiving dance, where

wild pigs, chicken and different fruits are offered to
the ancestors.

Islamic Colonial (13th century to the Present)

 Sulu- Islam gained significant grounding as early as 

13 century.  After Revolution of 1896- The independence that the
Philippines gained
 SAYYID ABBUBAKAR- Sultanate of SULU  Treaty of Paris in 1898, Spain “surrendered” the
Philippines to the United States.
 Introduces QURAN
 From 1899 to 1913, the bloody Philippine- America
 Building a house of prayer war occurred, claiming the lives of many Filipinos.
 ENGLISH- Lingua franca of this period.
 MADRASA- Religious school, facilitated the  Poems and Stories from books were dramatized in
teaching of ARABIC WRITING classroom, to facilitate the teaching of the English
language.
 A MODERN FILIPINA- The first Filipino play
written in English, Authored by Lino Castillejo and
Jesus Araullo 1915.
 Modern Filipina is a play in three scenes, written by
Jesusa Araullo in 1915. First staged at the Philippine
Normal School on 11 December 1915. This was the
first play written in English by Filipinos. This
became the grounds of succeeding plays about
modern Filipinas.
 This play which has some occasional songs and
dance is first set in Nueva Ecija is about a modern
Filipina.
KUNDIMAN
 is a genre of traditional Filipino love songs.
 The lyrics of the Kundiman are written in Tagalog.
The melody is characterized by a smooth, flowing
and gentle rhythm with dramatic intervals.
 Kundiman was the traditional means of serenade in
the Philippines.
TRADITIONAL FILIPINA
 Moves carefully and slowly but surely.
 She watches every move that she takes.
 She stays at home and does household chores
 She doesn’t participate in community affair for it is
the role of the men
 Wears long dresses- enough to cover her caressed
silky and naturally tanned skin.
 MARIA CLARA- symbolizes purity, chastity and
innocence sheltered native woman during Spanish
regime.
 Doesn’t value material things that were abundantly
bestowed upon her suitors
MODERN FILIPINA
 A modern Filipina is someone who speaks frankly
and intelligently, makes her own decisions,
 keeps an open mind, and is vivacious.
 She's in contrast to a conservative and dependent
Filipina.
 Loves to wear few inches long skirts
 Wear sleeveless( doing for public display and
temptation)
 Short time in giving “yes’ to a suitor
10 FILIPINO TRADITIONS WE HARDLY
PERFORM ANYMORE
1. Tabitabi Po
 Being that we’re a very superstitious nation and that
we believe in a number of spiritual beings and
mythical creatures, many of us were taught as kids to
say “tabi po” or “tabi-tabi po” when passing by a
huge tree, an anthill or termite mound, or even a dark
ally. This is to ask permission to the spirits and
mythical creatures that you’re passing by and so they
can avoid you.
2. Paaso –
 This is a practice commonly done in the Visayas and
Mindanao. Paaso is the ritual of burning sweet-
smelling herbs or incense which supposedly appeases
the spirits. This brings good luck and well-being to
the family.
3. BAYANIHAN
Bayanihan is the act of the whole neighborhood
getting together and helping to move the house
to the new location. Thesedays, bayanihan is
synonymous to our trait of national helpfulness,
and that we should help our fellow Filipinos in
times of need.
4. PANINILBIHAN
-Another traditional courtship practice, this is
when the man “serves” the woman’s family by
doing manual labor (cutting wood for cooking,
fetching water from the well). This is to show
that he is capable of taking care of her and their
future family.
5. Sukob -This is a traditional belief in weddings.
Sukob is a belief that it’s unlucky to be married during the
same year of another family member’s marriage or if someone
in the family dies within that year. 
6. 6 O’Clock Limit
Whether you grew up in the province or in the city,
your mom would always tell you to be back inside the house
before 6 in the evening. There’s a Filipino belief that spirits
and creatures of the night come out during after 6PM, so
you’re better off staying out of trouble and out of their way.
7. Chicken Blood On Your Birthday -This is a
tradition that was more commonly done in the province.
During someone’s birthday, the whole household is usually
busy preparing a big meal to celebrate. As tradition goes, the
birthday celebrant will be anointed with fresh chicken blood
by an elder on their forehead.
8. Pukpok
Getting circumcised has always been seen as a Rite
of passage for male Filipinos. traditional circumcision or
“pukpok” involved using a subokan, which is a piece of wood
used for circumcision. The method of pukpok does not use
anesthesia, nor does the person performing the task have any
medical training.
9. Pag-mano
Lamano or mano is the action of placing the back of
an elder’s hand on your forehead as a sign of respect. Kids
were taught to do this as a way to greet those who were older
than them, which included their grandparents, parents, uncles
and aunts, and even their parent’s friends.
10. Harana
As the song goes, Uso pa ba ang harana? (Is harana
still popular?). Harana is a traditional form of courtship
where in the man would sing and woo woman outside her
window at night.