21st Century Literature of

the Philippines and the

World
Literature
• In its broadest sense, is any written work
• Etymologically, the term derives from
Latin litaritura/litteratura “writing formed with letters,” although
some definitions include spoken or sung texts.
• More restrictively, it is writing that possesses literary merit.
Literary Periods of Philippines Literature
1. Pre – Colonial Era
2. Spanish – Colonial Era
3. American – Colonial Era
4. Japanese Era
5. Philippine Republic
6. Martial Law
7. Contemporary Era
Pre-Colonial Era
• Literary period before the coming of Spaniards
• Considered as the first and longest literary history among the other
eras
• Literature was principally oral in form (writing was not yet invented)
• Different stories of myths, folks and narrative meant to be sung were
passed hand in hand orally.
• Oral literature serves to be their language of life and way of
promoting cultural heritage.
Syllabary / Alibata
• Alphabet of the Filipinos before
Spaniards arrived
• It has three vowels and fourteen
consonants.
Forms of Literature During the Pre-Colonial Era
1. Pre-Colonial Poetry 2. Prose Narratives
a. Proverbs a. Epic
b. Tanaga b. Myth
c. Folk Song c. Fables
d. Riddles d. Legends
e. Folk Tale
Pre- Colonial Poetry
• Forms of poetry were meant to be recited in songs and chants.

1. Proverbs
2. Tanaga
3. Folk Song
4. Riddles
Proverbs
• Also known as Salawikain
• The truths and wise sayings
expressed in a language that is
popularly known
• Often called expressions of
wisdom based on common sense
and real life experiences.
Tanaga
• An indigenous type of Filipino type of
poem
• The equivalent of Japanese Haiku
• Traditionally does not possess a title.
• This poem consists of one stanza with
four lines and with each line equally
having seven syllables.
• Compared to the Japanese Haiku that
has one stanza with three lines and
with 5-7-5 syllables per line.
Folk Song
• A form of lyrical expression
created by people
according to their region.
• Some famous Filipino folk
songs:
• Bahay Kubo
• Sitsiritsit
• Leron Leron Sinta
• Paruparong Bukid
• Magtanim ay Di Biro
Riddles
• Also known as bugtong
• A word game in form of
mystifying question and
a mind puzzle intended
to be solved.
Prose Narratives
• Fictional stories that depict people’s livelihood customs and
traditions.
• Were created in order to give an explanation about a certain natural
phenomena.
• Epic
• Myth
• Fables
• Legends
• Folk Tale
Epic
• A long narrative poem about quests, adventures and achievements of
a hare with unusual strength or power.
• Examples:
• Biag ni Lam-ang
• Hinilawod
• Darangan
Biag ni Lam-ang
• This Ilocano epic tells the
adventures of Lam-ang, a man
with supernatural powers. He
goes to war at nine-months old
and seeks the killers of his
father. He embarks on a quest
with his animal friends and
meets his future wife, Innes
Kanoyan. He is swallowed by a
fish and resurrected from death
by his animal friends.
Biag ni Lam-ang
 Hinilawod
• An epic from the Sulod
community, a group of
people living in the
mountains of Central Panay.
• It tells the story of three very strong young men, namely, Labaw
Donggon, Humadapnon, and Dumalapdap.
• They are the sons of Datu Paubari, the ruler of Halawod, and the
goddess Alunsina.
• It tells about the exploits of each son’s concerns about beautiful
women and who/what they want as a wife.
Hinilawod
Darangan
• This Marano epic depicts a the
adventures of a brave warrior
Bantugan. He owns a magical
sword protected by a spirit. After a
battle, he rests and accidentally
falls into the water. A crocodile
finds him and brings him to the
enemies. He fights, regains his
strength, and wins the battle.
Darangan
Myth
• Stories of gods and goddesses that are told to explain a belief, a
cultural practice, or a natural phenomenon
• Philippine versions of the creation myth:
• Igorots: Lumawig the Great Spirit created people
• Tagalogs: tells that the first man and woman came from a bamboo (Malakas
at Maganda)
Igorots: Luwamig the Great Spirit
In the beginning there were no people on the earth. Lumawig, the Great Spirit, came down from the sky and
cut many reeds. He divided these into pairs which he placed in different parts of the world, and then he said
to them, "You must speak.“ Immediately the reeds became people, and in each place was a man and a woman
who could talk, but the language of each couple differed from that of the others. Then Lumawig commanded
each man and woman to marry, which they did. By and by there were many children, all speaking the same
language as their parents. These, in turn, married and had many children. In this way there came to be many
people on the earth. Now Lumawig saw that there were several things which the people on the earth needed
to use, so he set to work to supply them. He created salt, and told the inhabitants of one place to boil it down
and sell it to their neighbors. But these people could not understand the directions of the Great Spirit, and the
next time he visited them, they had not touched the salt. Then he took it away from them and gave it to the
people of a place called Mayinit. These did as he directed, and because of this he told them that they should
always be owners of the salt, and that the other peoples must buy of them. Then Lumawig went to the people
of Bontoc and told them to get clay and make pots. They got the clay, but they did not understand the
molding, and the jars were not well shaped. Because of their failure, Lumawig told them that they would
always have to buy their jars, and he removed the pottery to Samoki. When he told the people there what to
do, they did just as he said, and their jars were well shaped and beautiful. Then the Great Spirit saw that they
were fit owners of the pottery, and he told them that they should always make many jars to sell. In this way
Lumawig taught the people and brought to them all the things which they now have.
Igorot Story of Creation
Tagalog: Si Malakas at Si Maganda
When the world first began there was no land, but only the sea and the sky, and between them was a kite (a bird
something like a hawk). 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. 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.
Tagalog: Si Malakas at Si Maganda
Legend
• Stories explaining origins handed down from the past and passed
through different generations. This is believed by some people but
not proven scientifically
• Stories presented as history but in unlikely to be true
• Legends about the Great Flood: (Filipino versions)
• Bukidnon
• Igorot
Igorot Legend of the Great Flood
Once upon a time, when the world was flat and there were no mountains, there lived two brothers, sons of Lumawig, the Great
Spirit. The brothers were fond of hunting, and since no mountains had formed there was no good place to catch wild pig and
deer, and the older brother said, "Let us cause water to flow over all the world and cover it, and then mountains will rise up.“
So they caused water to flow over all the earth, and when it was covered they took the head-basket [a bamboo basket, in which
the heads of victims are kept prior to the head-taking celebration] of the town and set it for a trap. The brothers were very
much pleased when they went to look at their trap, for they had caught not only many wild pigs and deer, but also many
people. Now Lumawig looked down from his place in the sky and saw that his sons had flooded the earth and that in all the
world there was just one spot which was not covered. And he saw that all the people in the world had been drowned except
one brother and sister who lived in Pokis. Then Lumawig descended, and he called to the boy and girl, saying, "Oh, you are
still alive.“ "Yes," answered the boy, "we are still alive, but we are very cold.“ So Lumawig commanded his dog and deer to
get fire for the boy and girl. The dog and the deer swam quickly away, but though Lumawig waited a long time they did not
return, and all the time the boy and girl were growing colder. Finally Lumawig himself went after the dog and the deer, and
when he reached them he said, "Why are you so long in bringing the fire to Pokis? Get ready and come quickly while I watch
you, for the boy and girl are very cold.“ Then the dog and the deer took the fire and started to swim through the flood, but
when they had gone only a little way, the fire was put out. Lumawig commanded them to get more fire and they did so, but
they swam only a little way again when that of the deer went out, and that of the dog would have been extinguished also had
not Lumawig gone quickly to him and taken it. As soon as Lumawig reached Pokis he built a big fire which warmed the
brother and sister; and the water evaporated so that the world was as it was before, except that now there were mountains. The
brother and sister married and had children, and thus there came to be many people on the earth.
Bukidnon Legend of the Great Flood
• A long time ago there was a very big crab which crawled into the sea. And when he went
in he crowded the water out so that it ran all over the earth and covered all the land.
• Now about one moon before this happened, a wise man had told the people that they
must build a large raft. They did as he commanded and cut many large trees, until they
had enough to make three layers. These they bound tightly together, and when it was
done they fastened the raft with a long rattan cord to a big pole in the earth.
• Soon after this the floods came. White water poured out of the hills, and the sea rose and
covered even the highest mountains. The people and animals on the raft were safe, but
all the others drowned.
• When the waters went down and the raft was again on the ground, it was near their old
home, for the rattan cord had held.
• But these were the only people left on the whole earth.
Fable
• Stories intended to teach human values with animals as major
characters attributing human qualities.
• The monkey is a common animal character in Philippine fables. It is
often depicted as a cunning animal.
The Carabao and the Shell
One very hot day, when a carabao went into the river to bathe, he met a
shell and they began talking together."You are very slow," said the
carabao to the shell. "Oh, no," replied the shell. "I can beat you in a
race.“ "Then let us try and see," said the carabao. So they went out on
the bank and started to run. After the carabao had gone a long distance
he stopped and called, "Shell!“ And another shell lying by the river
answered, "Here I am!“ Then the carabao, thinking that it was the same
shell with which he was racing, ran on. By and by he stopped again and
called, "Shell!“ And another shell answered, "Here I am!“ The carabao
was surprised that the shell could keep up with him. But he ran on and
on, and every time he stopped to call, another shell answered him. But
he was determined that the shell should not beat him, so he ran until he
dropped dead.
The Monkey and the Turtle
One very sunny day, best friends Pagong (turtle) and Matsing (monkey) were walking along a river bank and spotted a floating banana tree in the water.“Pagong, look!”
exclaimed Matsing, pointing at the tree in the water. “It’s a banana tree!”Pagong looked in the direction and his eyes widened. There, indeed in the water, was a
floating banana tree. Matsing was already hurrying across the bank, reaching out to get it. Pagong was delighted; he almost loved bananas as much as Matsing did, so
he quickly waddled next to Matsing and helped haul the banana tree out. “Thanks for helping me, Pagong. Can you help me carry it to my home, too?” asked Matsing,
his hungry eyes taking in the prize of their hard work, admiring it. Pagong was confused. He helped out too! Surely he would get some of the banana tree? Pagong
sighed and watched as Matsing tried to carry the banana tree by himself, but failed multiple times. “Sure, I’ll help.” said Pagong. “As long as you help me carry my half
to my home.” Matsing stopped suddenly and dropped the log with a heavy thud, narrowly missing his feet. He turned to Pagong and let out a boisterous laugh. “Your
half? What do you mean by ‘your half’?’” “Well,” started Pagong, “I did help you get that tree out of the water, which, by the way, you never would’ve gotten out
without my help. I have as much right to that tree as you do, Matsing.” Matsing groaned loudly but didn’t say anything. “We’ll cut the tree in half,” Pagong continued,
“and each of us takes one half–” “I want that half!” Matsing quickly interrupted, pointing to the top half of the tree with the green leaves. “Okay, I guess that’s settled
then.” Pagong huffed as Matsing got an axe and chopped the tree in half. Si Pagong At Si Matsing 02 (PinoyStop) – Coloured Matsing started to carry the half with the
banana leaves on his shoulders to his home, without even saying goodbye to Pagong. He was certain that his half would grow faster as Pagong’s half, as it already has
leaves on it. “Hmph,” Matsing mumbled as he continued his trek home, “I’ll show Pagong. I’m going to grow the best banana tree in town!” Meanwhile, Pagong
dragged the half with the roots on the end to his home. He didn’t actually mind that he got the bottom half of the tree, the one with the roots. He was certain that his
tree would grow and bear beautiful bananas. So he walked along happily to his house. That night, both Pagong and Matsing planted their trees next to their houses.
Everyday, they would come home and water their trees. After some time, Matsing’s plant slowly browned, and died, while Pagong’s tree grew and bore bananas like
he had expected. Matsing grew cold, and envious of Pagong’s tree. One day, when Matsing visited Pagong, he struck a deal with him. He said that he would climb up
the tree, gather all of the bananas, and bring them back down for both of them to share. Pagong knew that Matsing is a better faster and faster climber than him. He
also knew how sad Matsing was when his tree had died, so he agreed. Pagong wanted to see his friend happy again. Matsing grinned when Pagong agreed. He
climbed up eagerly and gathered all of the bananas, but instead of bringing the banananas back down for them to share, he started to eat it while on top of the tree.
Si Pagong At Si Matsing 04 (PinoyStop) – Coloured Pagong was mad. When he realised Matsing had tricked him, he placed thorns around the tree to try and get back
at him. When Matsing clambered down, he yelped and got pricked by the thorns! Matsing bared his teeth. He felt mad at Pagong for outsmarting him. So, after he got
all the thorns out of his body, he chased Pagong and tied him to a tree. “Hmmm,” Matsing said, grinning wickedly as Pagong fidgeted in his ties, trying to find a way
out. “What shall I do with you? Cook you?” Pagong was horrified, but put on a forced smile, trying to think of a way to talk Matsing out of that horrible idea. “That’s a
great idea! Cook me a-and I’ll get the best skin in the land!” Si Pagong At Si Matsing 03 (PinoyStop) – Coloured Matsing growled, imagining Pagong with beautiful skin,
and shook his head, “No. That’s a terrible idea. What was I thinking? Hmmm, I know! I will cut you up into lots of tiny pieces!” Pagong bit his lip. Sweat was trickling
down his face and he didn’t know what to say. “Uh-h, yes! Do that!” Pagong threatened, “A-and there’ll be more of me so we can spend more time with each other!”
Matsing scowled. He wouldn’t want that either. Suddenly, Matsing glanced at the river and a great idea popped into his mind. “I know… I’ll throw you into the river!”
Pagong fought the urge to laugh. He wondered if matsing just forgot that he is a turtle and could swim in the water. Instead, he gasped and wailed, “No! Please, oh
PLEASE don’t throw me into the water!” Matsing just grinned even wider. He untied Pagong and happily threw him into the river. Pagong laughed at Matsing as he
treaded nicely through the river, on to the other side. “I tricked you, Matsing. I’m a turtle, I can swim, thank you very much! Then Pagong swam away.
The Turtle and the Lizard
Aturtle and a big lizard once went to the field of Gotgotapa to steal ginger, When they reached the place the turtle
said to the lizard “We must be very still or the man will hear us and come out.” But as soon as the lizard tasted the
ginger he was so pleased that he said: “The ginger of Gotgotapa is very good.” “Be still,” said the turtle; but the lizard
paid no attention to the warning, and called louder than ever: “The ginger of Gotgotapa is very good.” Again and
again he cried out, until finally the man heard him and came out of the house to catch the robbers. The turtle could
not run fast, so he lay very still, and the man did not see him. But the lizard ran and the man chased him. When they
were out of sight, the turtle went into the house and hid under a cocoanut shell upon which the man used to sit. The
man ran after the lizard for a long distance, but he could not catch him. After a while he came back to the house and
sat down on the shell. By and by, the turtle called, “Kook.” The man jumped up and looked all around. Unable to tell
where the noise came from, he sat down again, A second time the turtle called, and this time the man looked
everywhere in the house except under the shell, but could not find the turtle. Again and again the turtle called, and
finally the man, realizing that all his attempts were unsuccessful, grew so excited that he died. Then the turtle ran out
of the house, and he had not gone far before he met the lizard again. They walked along together until they saw some
honey in a tree, and the turtle said: “I will go first and get some of the honey.” The lizard would not wait, but ran
ahead, and when he seized the honey, the bees came out and stung him. So he ran back to the turtle for help. After a
while they came to a bird snare, and the turtle said: “That is the silver wire that my grandfather wore about his neck.”
Then the lizard ran fast to get it first, but he was caught in the snare and was held until the man came and killed him.
Then the wise turtle went on alone.
Folktales
• Kwentong bayan
• Imaginative narrative story told by an ancient group of people.
• Stories of virtue, warning for bad behavior and, some for amusement
• Majority of Filipino folktales are about Juan.
Juan and the Magic Tree
Juan was always getting into trouble. He was a lazy boy, and more than that, he did not have good sense. When he tried to do things, he made such dreadful mistakes
that he might better not have tried. His family grew very impatient with him, scolding and beating him whenever he did anything wrong. One day his mother, who
was almost discouraged with him, gave him a bolo and sent him to the forest, for she thought he could at least cut firewood. Juan walked leisurely along,
contemplating some means of escape. At last he came to a tree that seemed easy to cut, and then he drew his long knife and prepared to work. Now it happened that
this was a magic tree and it said to Juan: “If you do not cut me I will give you a goat that shakes silver from its whiskers.” This pleased Juan wonderfully, both because
he was curious to see the goat, and because he would not have to chop the wood. He agreed at once to spare the tree, whereupon the bark separated and a goat stepped
out. Juan commanded it to shake its whiskers, and when the money began to drop he was so delighted that he took the animal and started home to show his treasure
to his mother. On the way he met a friend who was more cunning than Juan, and when he heard of the boy’s rich goat he decided to rob him. Knowing Juan’s fondness
for tuba, he persuaded him to drink, and while he was drunk, the friend substituted another goat for the magic one. As soon as he was sober again, Juan hastened
home with the goat and told his people of the wonderful tree, but when he commanded the animal to shake its whiskers, no money fell out. The family, believing it to
be another of Juan’s tricks, beat and scolded the poor boy. He went back to the tree and threatened to cut it down for lying to him, but the tree said: “No, do not cut me
down and I will give you a net which you may cast on dry ground, or even in the tree tops, and it will return full of fish.” So Juan spared the tree and started home with
his precious net, but on the way he met the same friend who again persuaded him to drink tuba. While he was drunk, the friend replaced the magic net with a common
one, so that when Juan reached home and tried to show his power, he was again the subject of ridicule. Once more Juan went to his tree, this time determined to cut it
down. But the offer of a magic pot, always full of rice and spoons which provided whatever he wished to eat with his rice, dissuaded him, and he started home happier
than ever. Before reaching home, however, he met with the same fate as before, and his folks, who were becoming tired of his pranks, beat him harder than ever.
Thoroughly angered, Juan sought the tree a fourth time and was on the point of cutting it down when once more it arrested his attention. After some discussion, he
consented to accept a stick to which he had only to say, “Boombye, Boomba,” and it would beat and kill anything he wished. When he met his friend on this trip, he was
asked what he had and he replied: “Oh, it is only a stick, but if I say ‘Boombye, Boomba’ it will beat you to death.” At the sound of the magic words the stick leaped from
his hands and began beating his friend until he cried: “Oh, stop it and I will give back everything that I stole from you.” Juan ordered the stick to stop, and then he
compelled the man to lead the goat and to carry the net and the jar and spoons to his home. There Juan commanded the goat, and it shook its whiskers until his mother
and brothers had all the silver they could carry. Then they ate from the magic jar and spoons until they were filled. And this time Juan was not scolded. After they had
finished Juan said: “You have beaten me and scolded me all my life, and now you are glad to accept my good things. I am going to show you something else: ‘Boombye,
Boomba’.” Immediately the stick leaped out and beat them all until they begged for mercy and promised that Juan should ever after be head of the house. From that
time Juan was rich and powerful, but he never went anywhere without his stick. One night, when some thieves came to his house, he would have been robbed and
killed had it not been for the magic words “Boombye, Boomba,” which caused the death of all the robbers. Some time after this he married a beautiful princess, and
because of the kindness of the magic tree they always lived happily.
The Poor Fisherman and his Wife
Many, many years ago a poor fisherman and his wife lived with their three sons in a village by the sea. One day the old man set
his snare in the water not far from his house, and at night when he went to look at it, he found that he had caught a great white
fish. This startled the old man very much, for he had never seen a fish like this before, and it occurred to him that it was the
priest of the town. He ran to his wife as fast as he could and cried: “My wife, I have caught the priest.” “What?” said the old
woman, terrified at the sight of her frightened husband. “I have caught the priest,” said the old man again. They hurried
together to the river where the snare was set, and when the old woman saw the fish, she cried: “Oh, it is not the priest but the
governor.” “No, it is the priest,” insisted the old man, and they went home trembling with fear. That night neither of them was
able to sleep for thought of the terrible thing that had happened and wondering what they should do. Now the next day was a
great holiday in the town. At four o’clock in the morning cannons were fired and bells rang loudly. The old man and woman,
hearing all the noise and not knowing the reason for it, thought that their crime had been discovered, and the people were
searching for them to punish them, so they set out as fast as they could to hide in the woods. On and on they went, stopping
only to rest so as to enable them to resume their flight. The next morning they reached the woods near Pilar, where there also
was a great holiday, and the sexton was ringing the bells to call the people to mass. As soon as the old man and woman heard
the bells they thought the people there had been notified of their escape, and that they, too, were trying to catch them. So they
turned and started home again. As they reached their house, the three sons came home with their one horse and tied it to the
trunk of the caramay tree. Presently the bells began to ring again, for it was twelve o’clock at noon. Not thinking what time of
day it was, the old man and woman ran out of doors in terror, and seeing the horse jumped on its back with the intention of
riding to the next town before anyone could catch them. When they had mounted they began to whip the horse. In their haste,
they had forgotten to untie the rope which was around the trunk of the caramay tree. As the horse pulled at the rope fruit fell
from the tree upon the old man and woman. Believing they were shot, they were so frightened that they died.
Spanish Colonial Era (1565-1898)
• Spreading Christianity was not
the only goal of the Spaniards,
they also attempted to teach the
Filipinos the Spanish language
• When the Spanish arrived. The
writing of the old alibata
transferred to the word of the
romans started in 1600 and the
linguistic history written in the
time of Romanization. The alibata
change and called ABAKADA.
•Give at least five (5) examples of Filipino proverbs.
•Choose the given myths, legends, fables and folktales given with moral of the story at the end. voice over
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