Group 5

Japanese Occupation (1941-1945)

Under the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines, there was no freedom of expression and, consequently, the writers were limited in their subject matter. The
production of images, text, and music underwent scrunity. Even the favorite subject rural scene was neglected in pre war days.
The cultural scene, therefore, was dismal. The important prerequisite for the development and eventual flowering of art, letters, namely, and of the press was
lacking. The writer's hands were tied and he could not move them barely enough to portray or depict harmless subjects. But searching criticism of life, of which
is in purveyor, there was none.
This image emphasized the importance of the alliance of the Philippines and US during the Japanese Occupation. However, in marked contrast to the situation
described, this period has not been used to create a 'historical narrative' whether their purpose was selfish or immaterial. The fact remains that it was designed
to create a unified sense of Filipino national identity.

During the Japanese Occupation, when Tagalog was favored by the Japanese military authority, writing in English was consigned to limbo. It picked up after the
war, however, with a fervor and drive for excellence that continue to this day. Stevan Javellana's "Without Seeing the Dawn" (1947), the first postwar novel in
English, was published in the United States. In 1946, the Barangay Writers Project was founded to help publish books in English.

Against a background marked by political unrest and government battles with Hukbalahap guerrillas, writers in English in the postwar period honed their sense
of craft and techniques. Among the writers who came into their own during this time were: Nick Joaquin, NVM Gonzalez, Francisco Arcellana, Carlos Bulosan, F.
Sionil Jose, Ricaredo Demetillo, Kerima Polotan Tuvera, Carlos Angeles, Edilberto K. Tiempo, Amador Daguio, Estrella Alfon, Alejandrino Hufana, Gregorio
Brillantes, Bienvenido Santos, Dominador Ilio, T.D. Agcaoili, Alejandro R. Roces, Sinai C. Hamada, Linda Ty-Casper, Virginia Moreno, Luis Dato, Gilda Cordero-
Fernando, Abelardo and Tarrosa Subido, Manuel A. Viray, Vicente Rivera Jr., and Oscar de Zuñiga, among many others.

Fresh from studies in American universities, usually as Fulbright or Rockefeller scholars, a number of these writers introduced New Criticism to the country and
applied its tenets in literature classes and writing workshops. In this way were born the Silliman Writers Summer Workshop (started in 1962 by Edilberto K.
Tiempo and Edith L. Tiempo) and the U.P. Writers Summer Workshop (started in 1965 by the Department of English at the U.P.). To this day, these workshops
help discover writing talents and develop them in their craft.

Philippine Culture in Japanese Occupation:

The arrival of the Japanese caused tremendous fear, hardships and suffering among the Filipinos. The Filipino way of life was greatly affected during the
Japanese period. The Filipinos lost their freedom of speech and expression. The development of art was also stopped. Filipinos greatly feared the "zoning". There
were Filipinos spies hired by the Japanese to point those who were suspected of being part of the guerilla movement. The Japanese made some changes in the
system of education.

Philippine Music During the Japanese Era:

Despite the terror and uncertainty brought by the Second World War and the Japanese rule in the country, playing and listening to music were among the
leisure activities that somehow made life bearable for Filipinos.
Under their rule, the Japanese imposed their own music on the country. Japanese music was heard daily in radio broadcasts. Their songs were also taught in
public schools. Students, however, never took these songs to heart.

The performance of jazz and Western music identified with the allied nations of the war was prohibited. Hence, the Japanese held conferences and lectures on
Oriental music in Manila with the hope of diverting the loyalty of the Filipinos away from the Americans. The first was a Japanese Musical Mission to the
Philippines held on May 7, 1943, with the support of the New Philippine Musical Federation headed by Kosak Yamada.

The Japanese nevertheless encouraged the creation and performance of music with native themes through music contests. Concerts were also a common form
of amusement for Filipinos at the time and the Metropolitan Theater became an important venue for cultural events.

Classical music, including opera, flourished during the war. For instance, the New Philippine Symphony, the first all-Filipino orchestra, was organized. It
performed an all-Philippine symphonic program in July 1942, with Francisco Santiago as conductor. The Philippine Conservatory of Music, an affiliate of the
Philippine Women’s University, was one of the few music schools in the country that opened during the war.

Music-making remained a popular pastime in homes. Families sang and played musical instruments to entertain themselves. On special occasions, families held
special concerts for themselves, as well as their friends. All these prove that even during turbulent times, Filipinos’ love of music could never be suppressed.

A suspension on artistic activity was prevalent during the Japanese occupation. However, some visual artists still managed to produce artworks based on the
atrocities brought by the war.

Artists represented in the collection: Dominador Castañeda, Demetrio Diego, Diosdado Lorenzo, Romeo Tabuena, Gene Cabrera and others.The Japanese
occupation of the Philippines occurred between 1942 and 1945, when Imperial Japan occupied the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II.
The invasion of the Philippines started on 8 December 1941, ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. As at Pearl Harbor, American aircraft were severely
damaged in the initial Japanese attack. Lacking air cover, the American Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines withdrew to Java on 12 December 1941. General Douglas
MacArthur was ordered out, leaving his men at Corregidor on the night of 11 March 1942 for Australia, 4,000 km away. The 76,000 starving and sick American
and Filipino defenders on Bataan surrendered on 9 April 1942, and were forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March on which 7,000–10,000 died or
were murdered. The 13,000 survivors on Corregidor surrendered on 6 May.
Japan occupied the Philippines for over three years, until the surrender of Japan. A highly effective guerilla campaign by Philippine resistance forces controlled
sixty percent of the islands, mostly jungle and mountain areas. MacArthur supplied them by submarine, and sent reinforcements and officers.
The burning of Manila (1942)
Fernando Amorsolo Y. Cueto
Rape and Massacre in Ermita
Diosdado M. Lorenzo
A tragic lesson “The fall of bataan”
Gene Cabrera
Doomed Family
Dominado Castaneda
A plea for freedom from fear
Fermin Gomez