21st Century Literature: A Fusion of the Old and the New

By Ariel P. Villar
Master Teacher II
For us Filipinos, reading is deeply ingrained in our lives. Historically speaking, it
has been deemed that the countrys independence from its Spanish colonizers had
been won through texts such as Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo as these were
greatly instrumental in influencing the minds of the revolutionaries particularly its
founder Andres Bonifacio. Generally speaking, the Filipinos are fond of reading whether
from books, magazines, tabloids and even the so called pinangbalot sa tuyo. Yes, we
read almost everything. To prove, the literacy rate among Filipinos since the start of the
public school system in our country is even considered one of the highest in Asia.
Recently, with advent of the social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and other
internet sites such as Youtube and other video streaming resources, the functionality of
reading has shifted from gaining information and knowledge to connecting, interacting,
or maybe just plainly surfing for enjoyment. For the new generation enjoying the perks
and flare of what the internet can offer, the glamour of reading books in print can now be
considered at large.
Interestingly, in a study conducted by Professor Leonisa Mojica of the University
of Sto. Tomas, it stated that at present, reading among Filipinos has not changed much
if anything. However, it emphasized that it has been declining through the years.
Connectedly, based on a study made by The National Book Development Board
(NBDB) in 2003, they found that 90% of Filipinos do read but as the years went by, the
rate of Filipino readers kept declining. It could be viewed therefore that Filipinos are now
least immersing themselves to various printed texts that may not be at par with the
flashiness and visual stimuli that the hypertexts reading materials that the internet
brings.
With the implementation of the K12 Curriculum, students are now ushered into a
new realm of reading text materials that includes not only the study of the classic
literature such as the works of Shakespeare, Chopin or Frost but with the works by the
Lydia Minatoya, Amy Tan or Margaret Atwood authors that are almost virtually
unfamiliar to them. On the other hand, the generation now may encounter emerging
literary genres such as Chick Lit, Flash Fiction, and Text-Talk Novels that looked very
familiar to them because some became movies already or could be read or viewed
using the internet.
In the words of Marikit Tara A, Uychoco, this new and emerging literature does
not only focus on the classics and the masterpieces but also, they become the
windows to our world a bridge that connects the old and the new. This means that if
only todays generation of readers could be given the chance to explore perspectives
through new authors as they bring fresh ideas from the creative works of the past to the
views of the present world, a whole new dimension in reading is reached. In addition,
the emergence of 21st Century literature provides the learners a borderless view that
after all literature could be written through a multi-racial philosophy where ideas are not

anymore identified whether it is western or oriental. In 21 st Century Literature the world

is unified whole.
The new literature is considered the best of every individual, expanding through
a plethora of perspectives and perceptions. It only shows that just like in any aspect of
our lives, the horizon for reading is still expanding and gradually deconstructing
traditional ideas. With the new curriculum in our educational system and in an era of
information and communications technology, 21 st Century Literature proves that the
boundaries of learning and loving reading are still infinite. Hopefully, this could bring
back the spark of interest among our readers.