21st CENTURY LITERATURE from the PHIL.

& the WORLD

UNIT 1- MODULE 1: Pre-Colonial & During Spanish Period

ETIC DIVISION
Name: Famarin Kim Bryan M. Section: Chrysolite

LESSON 1 & 2: Pre-Colonial & During the Spanish Period

(February 4-10, 2022)

Let’s have a little conversation game, (Spanish Version)

Teacher: B u e n d i a.
Student: Buen dia Tambien.
Teacher: Como estas este nuevo año?
Student: Fue lo mejor porque estoy con mi familia.
Teacher: Que es el mejor reflejo?
Student: ________________________________ (Try to answer this part)
Teacher: Mi oración por ti es lo mejor de todo en tu familia de cara a este 2022. (My
prayer for you is the best of everything in your family as we face this 2022 EV).

Hebrews 6:11

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very

end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.

To understand our literature as it is now-and where it is headed- we must first trace its. By
appreciating how Philippine literature has evolved throughout centuries, we shall realize why we
have come to explore certain themes and to craft certain genres. We shall also gain a sense of
national pride as we uncover the richness of literature in the Motherland.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

A. Identify representative texts, genres, and authors of pre-colonial

period and Spanish period
B. Situate texts in the context of the region and the nation;
C. Explain the relationship of context with its meaning;
D. Value the contributions of local cultures to the development of
regional literary traditions

Prepared by: Florentina B. Venida Page 1 of 10

 When was the last time you hear some riddles or bugtong? Do you hear them from your grannies
or your parents? Or from the circle of friends?
Try to guess the following Riddles below:
Buto’t balat, lumilipad ___Saranggolo_______
Isang balong malalim, punong-puno ng patalim. (A deep well that is full of chisels)
___Bibig_______________________________

Nang hatakin ko ang baging, nagkagulo ang mga matsing. (When I tugged on the vine, the monkeys
went crazy.)
___Kampana___________________________________

Dalawang batong maitim, malayo ang dinarating. (Two black stones that reach far.)
____Mata______________________________________

Dalawang balon, hindi malingon. (Two wells, which you cannot turn to look at.)
Tainga(ears)
Try this five items Pre-test. Just to know your prior knowledge on “How the Evolution Unfolded.”

1. It is a body of work, either written, oral, or visual, containing imaginative language that realistically
portrays thought, emotions, and experiences of the human condition.
a. Pre-colonial Literature b. Philippine Literature
c. Literature World d. Literature
2. The period of time before colonization of a region or territory.
a. Colonial b. Pre-Colonial c. Pre-history d. Post-Colonial
3. Identify the two classifications of folk literature:
a. Local and Global b. Dynamic and Static
c. Flat and Round d. Floating and Oral
4. Which of the following is true about Philippine pre-colonial texts?
a. most of the pre-colonial dramas were held in the sambahan or places of worship
b. they revolve around the illiteracy of early Filipinos
c. only the concept of death is used as a subject for narratives
d. all of the above
5. It is a war song which evolved into a love song.
a. Uyayi b. Talindaw c. Hele d. Kumintang

Now, you are done with the short pre-test. How did you find it? It seems so nostalgic, right?
The roots of Philippine literature may be traced back to pre-colonial times. As ethnic cultures
emerged across the archipelago, they diversified in terms of beliefs, values and customs. Collectively, pre-
colonial literature is a literary gem that must be rediscovered in the present time.

Pre-Colonial & During Spanish Period Page 2 of 11

 And also, Spanish culture has deeply infiltrated our culture after three centuries of colonization of
colonization. This profound cultural impact is reflected in the transformation of our literature during the
Spanish Period. With the advent of written literature and the rise of the Christian faith during this period,
Philippine literature had entered a new phase.
Consider the following Essential Questions:
EQ1: In the pre-colonial times, what was the primary means of preserving literature?
EQ2: What genres of literature were prominent during the pre-colonial period?
EQ3: How did the Spanish colonization
EQ4: How enduring is the Spanish influence on our literature? Provide clear examples of the Spanish legacy
on our literary tradition.
Be ready to answer these Essential Questions at the end of this lesson 1 & 2.
Now, let us discover the details of “How the Evolution Unfolded.”

Pre-Colonial Philippine Literature

The literature of a formative past by the various groups of people who inhabited the archipelago. A literature
of varying human interest. Close to the religious and political organizations of the ancient Filipinos.

1. Riddle (bugtong) Made up of one or more measured lines with rhymes and may consist of 4 to 12
syllables. Showcase the Filipino wit, literary talent, and keen observation of the surroundings Involves
reference to one or two images that symbolize the characteristics of an unknown object that is to be guessed.

2. Salawikain & Sawikain Epigrams/maxims/proverbs. Short poems that have been customarily been
used and served as laws or rules on good behavior by our ancestors. Allegories or parables that impart
lessons for the young. Often expressing a single idea, that is usually satirical and had a witty ending.
Maxims- rhyming couplets (5,6,8 syllables)

3. Fables are short tales that usually feature animals (real or mythical) given human-like qualities to deliver a
specific moral or lesson. Many fables originated from an oral tradition and exist in every culture.

4. Folktales also stem from an oral tradition, passed down by the 'folk' who told them. The term 'folktale' is
often used interchangeably with fable, since folktales can have a lesson at the end. Folktales are different
from fables because they feature people as their main characters, but often with a twist.

5. Myths are stories from every culture that, for centuries, have explained natural phenomena and answered
questions people have about the human condition: origin and creation stories, stories about life, death and life
after death.

6. Unlike the other types of stories featured here, legends are based in history, even if they are never
confirmed as true. Legends don't explain the mysteries of the world the way myths do, nor do they use
animals to deliver a lesson like in fables. And unlike folktales, they aren't so exaggerated that they
completely leave the realm of belief. Legends are stories on the edge of reality, often featuring the
miraculous or the incredible.

7. A lullaby or cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to)
children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies they are used to
pass down cultural knowledge or tradition. In addition, lullabies are often used for the developing of
communication skills, indication of emotional intent, maintenance of infants' undivided attention, modulation
of infants' arousal, and regulation of behavior.

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Take time to watch the following YouTube link to open your senses about the Pre-colonial period to
Philippine Literature.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvWktUs-e2I (Pre-Colonial)
Make sure to record important ideas and information in this video. (You may use the back page of this page 4
for offline students)

You can do the Think-Aloud activity.

Prepare to use the Think-Aloud questions as your guide while reading the texts in “EXPLAIN”.

 What do I know about this topic?

 Not to brag but I already know the things that are taught in this video like epic, myths and legends
etc.

 What do I think I will learn about this topic?

 I think in this topic I will be more knowledgeable and open minded.

 Do I understand what I just read?

 Yes

 Do I have a clear picture in my head about this information?

 Yes.

 What more can I do to understand this?

 - Through surfing the internet

 What were the most important points in this reading?

 - Before being colonized Philippines has already a lot of literature background

 What new information did I learn?

 - I am aware of all the information that I just watched

 How does it fit in with what I already know?
 - They fit very well, like what I had in my mind
Now, take your time to read the text below ALOUD. Listen to your voice for better understanding. If there
will be some unclear words to you, consult your friend google for easy understanding. You can also message
me for easy access.
SELECTION IN FOCUS

Pre-Colonial & During Spanish Period Page 4 of 11

 The Story of the Creation [1]
(From Mindanao)

In the very beginning there lived a being so large that he cannot be compared with any known thing.
His name was Melu,[2] and when he sat on the clouds, which were his home, he occupied all the space
above. His teeth were pure gold, and because he was very cleanly and continually rubbed himself with his
hands, his skin became pure white. The dead skin which he rubbed off his body [3] was placed on one side in
a pile, and by and by this pile became so large that he was annoyed and set himself to consider what he could
do with it.

Finally, Melu decided to make the earth; so he worked very hard in putting the dead skin into shape,
and when it was finished he was so pleased with it that he determined to make two beings like himself,
though smaller, to live on it. Making the remnants of the material left after making the earth he fashioned two
men, but just as they were all finished except their noses, Tau Tana from below the earth appeared and
wanted to help him.

Melu did not wish any assistance, and a great argument ensued Tau Tana finally won his point and
made the noses which he placed on the people upside down. When all was finished, Melu and Tau Tana
whipped the forms until they moved. Then Melu went to his home above the clouds, and Tau Tana returned
to his place below the earth.

All went well until one day a great rain came, and the people on the earth nearly drowned from the
water which ran off their heads into their noses. Melu, from his place on the clouds, saw their danger, and he
came quickly to earth and saved their lives by turning their noses the other side up.

The people were very grateful to him, and promised to do anything he should ask of them. Before he
left for the sky, they told him that they were very unhappy living on the great earth all alone, so he told them
to save all the hair from their heads and the dry skin from their bodies and the next time he came he would
make them some companions. And in this way there came to be a great many people on the earth.
Tagalog Story of Creation [2]

When the world first began there was no land, but only the sea and the sky, and between them was a
kite [1]. One day the bird which had nowhere to light grew tired of flying about, so she stirred up the sea
until it threw its waters against the sky. The sky, in order to restrain the sea, showered upon it many islands
until it could no longer rise, but ran back and forth. Then the sky ordered the kite to light on one of the
islands to build her nest, and to leave the sea and the sky in peace.

Now at this time the land breeze and the sea breeze were married, and they had a child which was a
bamboo. One day when this bamboo was floating about on the water, it struck the feet of the kite which was
on the beach. The bird, angry that anything should strike it, pecked at the bamboo, and out of one section
came a man and from the other a woman.

Then the earthquake called on all the birds and fish to see what should be done with these two, and it
was decided that they should marry. Many children were born to the couple, and from them came all the
different races of people.

After a while the parents grew very tired of having so many idle and useless children around, and
they wished to be rid of them, but they knew of no place to send them to. Time went on and the children
became so numerous that the parents enjoyed no peace. One day, in desperation, the father seized a stick and
began beating them on all sides.

Pre-Colonial & During Spanish Period Page 5 of 11

 This so frightened the children that they fled in different directions, seeking hidden rooms in the
house - some concealed themselves in the walls, some ran outside, while others hid in the fireplace, and
several fled to the sea.

Now it happened that those who went into the hidden rooms of the house later became the chiefs of
the Islands; and those who concealed themselves in the walls became slaves. Those who ran outside were
free men; and those who hid in the fireplace became negroes; while those who fled to the sea were gone
many years, and when their children came back, they were the white people.

ANALYSIS OF THE SELECTION (1)

1. How would you compare the origin stories? Which elements do they share, and what differences
do they have in explaining how the world came to be?

2. Which creation story is espoused by your religion? How would you compare that particular origin
story to these two folk narratives?

3. Which aspects of the two cultures could have influenced the stories? Based on the details of the
two creation stories, what can we conclude about the two cultures that came up with them? (Prepare to
answer these three (3) questions on space provided on page 8 of this lesson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUStYynZSII (During Spanish Period)

SELECTION IN FOCUS
A dominant literary theme during the Spanish period was the struggle of the colonized against the
colonizers. This was clearly reflected in an essay written by our national hero. As you read Rizal’s text
(published in La Solidaridad in 1890), notice how he voiced out his mind fearlessly against a notion held by
the Spaniards.

THE INDOLENCE of the FILIPINO

(Jose Rizal)

DOCTOR Sancianco, in his Progreso de Filipinas, (1), has taken up this question, agitated, as he
calls it, and, relying upon facts and reports furnished by the very same Spanish authorities that rule the
Philippines, has demonstrated that such indolence does not exist, and that all said about it does not deserve
reply or even passing notice. Nevertheless, as discussion of it has been continued, not only by government
employees who make it responsible for their own shortcomings, not only by the friars who regard it as
necessary in order that they may continue to represent, themselves as indispensable, but also by serious and
disinterested persons; and as evidence of greater or less weight may be adduced in opposition to that which
Dr. Sancianco cites, it seems expedient, to us to study this question thoroughly, without superciliousness or
sensitiveness, without prejudice, without pessimism. And as we can only serve our country by telling the
truth, however bit, tee it be, just as a flat and skilful negation cannot refute a real and positive fact, in spite of
the brilliance of the arguments; as a mere affirmation is not sufficient to create something impossible, let us
calmly examine the facts, using on our which a man is capable who is convinced that there is no redemption
except upon solid bases of virtue.

The word indolence has been greatly misused in the sense of little love for work and lack of energy,
while ridicule has concealed the misuse. This much-discussed question has met with the same fate as certain

Pre-Colonial & During Spanish Period Page 6 of 11

panaceas and specifies of the quacks who by ascribing to them impossible virtues have discredited them. In
the Middle Ages, and even in some Catholic countries now, the devil is blamed for everything that
superstitious folk cannot understand or the perversity of mankind is loath to confess. In the Philippines one's
own and another's faults, the shortcomings of one, the misdeeds of another, are attributed to indolence. And
just as in the Middle Ages he who sought the explanation of phenomena outside of infernal influences was
persecuted, so in the Philippines worse happens to him who seeks the origin of the trouble outside of
accepted beliefs.

The consequence of this misuse is that there are some who are interested in stating it as a dogma and
others in combating it as a ridiculous superstition, if not a punishable delusion. Yet it is not to be inferred
from the misuse of a thing that it does not exist.

We think that there must be something behind all this outcry, for it is incredible that so many should
err, among whom we have said there are a lot of serious and disinterested persons. Some act in bad faith,
through levity, through want of sound judgment, through limitation in reasoning power, ignorance of the
past, or other cause. Some repeat what they have heard, without, examination or reflection; others speak
through pessimism or are impelled by that human characteristic which paints as perfect everything that
belongs to oneself and defective whatever belongs to another. But it cannot be denied that there are some
who worship truth, or if not truth itself at least the semblance thereof, which is truth in the mind of the
crowd.

Examining well, then, all the scenes and all the men that we have known from Childhood, and the
life of our country, we believe that indolence does exist there. The Filipinos, who can measure up with the
most active peoples in the world, will doubtless not repudiate this admission, for it is true that there one
works and struggles against the climate, against nature and against men. But we must not take the exception
for the general rule, and should rather seek the good of our country by stating what we believe to be true. We
must confess that indolence does actually and positively exist there; only that, instead of holding it to be the
cause of the backwardness and the trouble, we regard it as the effect of the trouble and the backwardness, by
fostering the development of a lamentable predisposition.

Those who have as yet treated of indolence, with the exception of Dr. Sancianco, have been content
to deny or affirm it. We know of no one who has studied its causes. Nevertheless, those who admit its
existence and exaggerate it more or less have not therefore failed to advise remedies taken from here and
there, from Java, from India, from other English or Dutch colonies, like the quack who saw a fever cured
with a dozen sardines and afterwards always prescribed these fish at every rise in temperature that he
discovered in his patients.

We shall proceed otherwise. Before proposing a remedy, we shall examine the causes, and even
though strictly speaking a predisposition is not a cause, let us, however, study at its true value this
predisposition due to nature.

The predisposition exists? Why shouldn't it?

A hot, climate requires of the individual quiet and rest, just as cold incites to labor and action. For
this reason, the Spaniard is more indolent than the Frenchman; the Frenchman more so than the German. The
Europeans themselves who reproach the residents of the colonies so much (and I am not now speaking of the
Spaniards but of the Germans and English themselves), how do they live in tropical countries? Surrounded
by a numerous train of servants, never going afoot but riding in a carriage, needing servants not only to take
off their shoes for them but even to fan them! And yet they live and eat better, they work for themselves to
get rich, with the hope of a future, free and respected, while the poor colonist, the indolent colonist, is badly
nourished, has no hope, toils for others, and works under force and compulsion! Perhaps the reply to this will

Pre-Colonial & During Spanish Period Page 7 of 11

be that white men are not made to stand the severity of the climate. A mistake! A man can live in any
climate, if he will only adapt himself to its requirements and conditions. What kills the European in hot
countries is the abuse of liquors, the attempt to live according to the nature of his own country under another
sky and another sun. We inhabitants of hot countries live well in northern Europe whenever we take the
precautions the people there do. Europeans can also stand the torrid zone, if only they would get rid of their
prejudices. (2) The fact is that in tropical countries violent work is not a good thing as it is in cold countries,
there it is death, destruction, annihilation. Nature knows this and like a just mother has therefore made the
earth more fertile, more productive, as a compensation. An hour's work under that burning sun, in the midst
of pernicious influences springing from nature in activity, is equal to a day's work in a temperate climate; it
is, then, just that the earth yields a hundred-fold! Moreover, do we not see the active European, who has
gained strength during the winter, who feels the fresh blood of spring boil in his veins, do we not see him
abandon his labors during the few days of his variable summer, close his office--where the work is not
violent and amounts for many to talking and gesticulating in the shade and beside a lunch-stand, --flee to
watering places, sit in the cafes or stroll about? What wonder then that the inhabitant of tropical countries,
worm out and with his blood thinned by the continuous and excessive heat, is reduced to inaction? Who is
the indolent one in the Manila offices? Is it the poor clerk who comes in at eight in the morning and leaves at,
one in the afternoon with only his parasol, who copies and writes and works for himself and for his chief, or
is it the chief, who comes in a carriage at ten o'clock, leaves before twelve, reads his newspaper while
smoking and with is feet cocked up on a chair or a table, or gossiping about all his friends? Which is
indolent, the native coadjutor, poorly paid and badly treated, who has to visit all the indigent sick living in
the country, or the friar curate who gets fabulously rich, goes about in a carriage, eats and drinks well, and
does not put himself to any trouble without collecting excessive fees? [3]

Without speaking further of the Europeans, in what violent labor does the Chinaman engage in
tropical countries, the industrious Chinaman, who flees from his own country driven by hunger and want,
and whose whole ambition is to amass a small fortune? With the exception of some porters, an occupation
that the natives also follow, he nearly always engages in trade, in commerce; so rarely does he take up
agriculture that we do not know of a single case. The Chinaman who in other colonies cultivates the soil does
so only for a certain number of years and then retires. [4]

We find, then, the tendency to indolence very natural, and have to admit and bless it, for we cannot
alter natural laws, and without it the race would have disappeared. Man is not a brute, he is not a, machine;
his object is not merely to produce, in spite of the pretensions of some Christian whites who would make of
the colored Christian a kind of motive power somewhat more intelligent and less costly than steam. Man's
object is not to satisfy tile passions of another man, his object is to seek happiness for himself and his kind by
traveling along the road of progress and perfection.

The evil is not that indolence exists more or less latently but that it is fostered and magnified. Among
men, as well as among nations, there exist not only aptitudes but also tendencies toward good and evil. To
foster the good ones and aid them, as well as correct the evil and repress them, would be the duty of society
and governments, if less noble thoughts did not occupy their attention. The evil is that the indolence in the
Philippines is a magnified indolence, an indolence of the snowball type, if we may be permitted the
expression, an evil that increases in direct proportion to the square of the periods of time, an effect of
misgovernment and of backwardness, as we said, and not a cause thereof. Others will hold the contrary
opinion, especially those who have a hand in the misgovernment, but we do not care; we have made an
assertion and are going to prove it.

ANALYSIS OF THE SELECTION (2)

4. Whose idea was Dr. Jose Rizal responding to? What exactly was the notion held about Filipinos
during Rizal’s time?

Pre-Colonial & During Spanish Period Page 8 of 11

 5. How did Rizal defend the identity of his countrymen? What arguments, conditions, and examples
did he cite to make his case?

6. Among Rizal’s arguments, which was the most helpful to his defense of Filipinos? Explain.

Now, explain your answer to each question by writing them on the spaces provided below:

1. The similarities of the two is that human being was created by a greater being, and the
difference is that, the first is kind of gross. i don’t want to be a being made of dead skin cells,
luckily neither of them is true.
1
2. None of them were espoused by my religion. Compare to the two folklore were conflict
happened before the creation, in my religions creation is all about peace from the first day until
the day God rested.
3. I think the latter one. The story of “si malakas at si maganda” coming out in bamboo was
pretty popular even when I was a kid., based on the details I conclude that the way Filipinos
made story is open minded and creative.
4. Indolence, it is about the indolence of the people as well as the idleness during Spanish
colonization
5. Rizal defend them by saying there are not indolent by nature thas why he wrote noli me
tangere and el filibusterismo as a medium to open the eyes of the Filipinos.
6.Statement that is about the abuse of the Spaniards, like forcing Filipinos to believ ein what
they believe and etc.

It’s time for you to make also your own comprehension question. This one is a sample question: “What is
the life of our ancestors like before colonization?”

Now, It’s your turn. Just make one question about the Philippine literature, write it here:
_______________________________________________________________________________________

To get the gist/meat of the lesson above, try to make a Venn Diagram. Draw your own Venn Diagram on the
box provided below. Compare the best lesson you learned about “Pre-colonial Philippine Literature and
During Spanish Period”.

Pre colonial: Spanish Period:

Their education was informal
and transmitted through the
elders. Their education is about
religious and catholism.
Their house
Pre-Colonial & During Spanishwas Kubo which is
Period Page 9 of 11
made out of light materials House is now made of concrete.
Harana was introduced this time
 ritual, wedding and just ordinary
song Christianism.
Religion is Pagan

You are doing great! Keep going.

Now it’s time to extend your understanding to what you have learned in previous three
components (Engage, Explore and Explain). Use the back of this page for your answer here in
Elaborate, (for offline students). A separate box for this will be provided (for online students).

A. 1. Is there such a thing as a “correct” version of how the world was created? What can we learn
about diversity from the creation stories we read on pages 5-6 of this module?
- Yes, as a Christian we believe that our belief is true. But of course we cannot just tell the
other religions about that. As our people is so diverse and our belief is so different to each
other we should avoid as much as Judging others belief and respect them.

B. What does the Bible say about the creation? Give the specific Bible texts where you can find it.
- According to the Bible God created everything in just 6 days and rested on the seventh day.
This can be found throughout Genesis 1.

C. In your own experience and perspective, how can you prove that the Filipinos are, in actuality
hardworking? Cite concrete examples to make your case.
- Well I am just going to say it. Filipinos are in general are hardworking. A lot of our
countrymen work abroad and take the risk just to give their family a better life. Not to
mention most of their work there is being a domestic helper. Which is another good example
that we are indeed diligent.

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 A. Personal Processing of Questions. In this section, you will verify if you found the answers to
the essential questions in “EXPLORE” at the beginning of this lesson. Please write the answers below
inside the table. There were four (4) Essential Questions given for this whole Lesson 1 and 2. Write
your answers inside this table.

1. Oral transmission is the primary means of preserving literature.

2. Folk speeches, folk song and folk story are very prominent even before being colonized.

3. The collection of ancient literature was translated into Tagalog and other dialects.
4.Catholism

B. What is the most important lesson you learned from this topic that greatly affect your life after this lesson?
Share it briefly.

- The most important lesson that I have learned is how powerful influence is, imagine living
peacefully, and then some random people came from a boat and started doing and saying this or that
and we end up listening thus slowly forgetting our true nature and end up following their footsteps.
Time like this we should use our influence to spread good deeds like how Jose Rizal did to our
fellow countrymen.

Hebrews 6:10-12

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his
people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so
that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those
who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

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