The American Period
Outlook, Woman’s Home Journal, Philippine Collegian
The Early Period (1900-1930)
August 13, 1898 – American forces occupied Manila
April 1900 – Pres. William McKinley directed the Phil
Commission to make English the medium of instruction
in all public schools
US Army – first teachers
1901 – 600 Thomasites replaced the first teachers
- Phil. Normal School was founded
Aim: To train the Filipinos in the art of teaching so that
they could eventually take charge of elementary
education
1899 – English newspapers published (The Courier, The
Insular Press, The Manila Freedom)
1900 – The Daily Bulletin was founded
1902 – Cablenews started
1905 – The Phil Free Press was founded; edited by F.
Theodore Rogers; started as a bilingual in English and
Spanish; published the first Filipino short stories in
English in 1908
1908 – UP was founded (became the forerunner in the
use of English for higher education)
Oct 1910 – College Folio was founded ( printed works of
promising writers; early selections on ghost stories and
folk tales; taught a moral message)
Topics for compositions: folk tales and experiences
Style of writing: formal and imitative; use of Spanish
expressions; awkward grammar; difficulty in the use of
pronouns and prepositions
1913 – The Torch of PNS was published
1920 – Phils Herald began its publication (founded by
Manuel L. Quezon and the magazine section edited by
Paz Marquez Benitez)
PMB makes familiar names such as Paz Latorena,
Loreta Paras, Jose Garcia Villa, Casiano T. Calalang
1924 – AVH Hartendorp became the editor of Phil
Education Magazine; renamed to Phil Magazine four
years after; became the most influential literary
magazine in the country; published some of the best
Filipino writing in English)
1925 – FreePress began paying for theoriginal
manuscripts and offered P1,000 for the best short stories
Other Publications: Manila Tribune, Graphic, Woman’s
1925 – Phil Writers Assn was organized with Rizal G.
Adorable as President Early members include Paz
Latorena, Loreto Paras, Jose Garcia Villa, Jose
Panganiban, Remedios Mijares, Casiano Calalang,
Arturo B. Rotor, and Augusto Catanjal
1927 – Writers Club founded at UP; published Literary
Apprentice
DRAMA and NOVEL – hardly written because the
vernacular plays and zarzuela still dominated the stage
A Child of Sorrow by Zoilo M. Galang – first Filipino
novel in English published in 1921 (Other works include
Visions of Sower, 1924 and Nadia,1929.)
Ernest Lopez, another novelist; published Awakening in
1929
ESSAYS- popular form of expression
-light and humorous
- serious subjects include education, history,
politics, and social problems
1921 – Zoilo M. Galang published Life and Success,the
first volume of essays in English
1924 – Thinking for Ourselves appeared edited by
Vicente M. Hilario and Eliseo Quirino
Master of Destiny by Zoilo M. Galang
Essayists:
Francisco Benitez, Jorge Bocobo, Amador T. Daguio,
Leandro Fernandez, Zoilo M. Galang, Fernando Ma.
Guerrero, Fernando Maramag, Camilo Osias, Claro M.
Recto, Carlos P. Romulo, and Eulogio B. Rodriguez
SHORT STORIES
1910-1924 – Period of the Novices
1925-1931 Period of Phenomenal Growth
Characteristics -tales were romantic
-adventures, themes, and plots imitated
-with difficulties in grammar
-with tendency toward sentimentalism
WORKS PRAISED FOR HIGH LITERARY QUALITY
Jorge Bocobo’s “Horrible Adventure” (Phil Review,
May 1916)
Paz Marquez Benitez’s “The Siren of 34 Real” (Phil
Review, July 1917)
September 20, 1925 – Phil Herald published “Dead
Stars’ – one of the best short stories written by a Filipino
1925 – Zoilo M. Galang published the first collection of
short stories in book form, Box of Ashes and Other
Stories
1926 – Jose Garcia Villa encouraged yearly selection of
best short stories
1927 – first anthology of Filipino short stories was edited
by Paz Marquez Benitez, Filipino Love Stories
1928 – best short stories were compiled by Jose Garcia
Villa in Philippine Short Stories:The Best 25 Stories of
1928
1930 – original and significant stories written
“Zita” by Arturo B. Rotor – considered one of the
finest love stories in Filipino literature
Early short story writers: Paz Marquez Benitez, Jorge
Bocobo, Amador T. Daguio, Paz Latorena, Tarcila
Malabanan, Jose Villa Panganiban, Arturo B. Rotor,
Loreto Paras Sulit, Jose Garcia Villa.
POEMS
Sursum Corda (Hearts Lifted) –first known Filipino poem
in English; written by Justo Juliano, appeared in
Philippine Free Press in 1907
Poems borrowed images and similes from English or
American poets
Reminiscences – first collection of poems in book form;
written by Lorenzo Paredes
Never Mind- collection of Filipino poetry in English
published in 1922 by Procopio Solidum
Filipino Poetry – anthology of Filipino poems published
in 1924 by Procopio Solidum
Other poets: Rafael Zulueta da Costa, Luis Dato, Angela
Manalang Gloria, Alfredo Elfren Litiatco, Fernando M.
Maramag, Natividad Marquez, Juan F. Salazar, Abelardo
Subido, Trinidad Tarrosa Subido, Jose Garcia Villa.
EL RENACIMIENTO (The Rebirth).
Founded by Rafael Palma in 1901
Plays written but were put to a stop because of the
consistent theme of nationalism.
1. KAHAPON, NGAYON AT BUKAS (Yesterday, Today
and Tomorrow) by Aurelio Tolentino depicting the
suppression done by the Americans and their plan to
colonize the Philippines.
2. TANIKALANG GINTO of Juan Abad.
3. MALAYA by Tomas Remigio.
4. WALANG SUGAT by Severino Reyes.
The Middle Period
(1930-1960)
From TRIAL and ERROR to a great improvement in the
quality of writing
Group of Writers:
The Veronicans (Arcellana and Villa)
The Bachelorettes (Trinidad Tarrosa)
Works appeared in the quarterly Expression and The
Leader
THE EMERGENCE PERIOD (1935-1945)
a time of self-discovery and of rapid growth
*golden age of Phil Lit in English
*Qualities:
Consciously set out to create national literature
Gained full control of the English language
Experimentation with different literary forms,
techniques, and moods
Three groups of writers emerged ( concerned with
social consciousness, concerned with craftsmanship,
concerned with local color)
Causes of the flowering of creative energy
Philippine Book Guild (1937)
Philippine Writers League (1939)
Free press, the Graphic, Philippine Magazine
Commonwealth Literary Awards (1940)
Works given recognition:
Lit and Society by S.P. Lopez (essay)
How… Wife by M.E. Arguilla (short story)
Like the Molave by R. Z. da Costa (poetry)
His Native Soil by Juan Cabreros Laya (novel)
1941-1945 – Japanese occupation
* lit devt interrupted
* pessimistic and bitter
* escapist literature
* with strict censorship
With the reestablishment of Philippine Commonwealth,
writers turned to journalistic efforts than creative works
With growth of periodicals and school papers
With new sense of responsibility and freedom with the
Proclamation of Philippine Independence
Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana – first
postwar Filipino novel published in the United States
1946 –Barangay Writers Project (BWP) was created to *writers have better knowledge of their craft
publish books of Filipino writers in English (NVM *guerilla and liberation stories begin to appear
Gonzales – first President)
Modern Period
Books published by BWP (1960-1974)
* Heart of the Island (1947) by Manuel A. Viray
* Philippine Cross Section (1950) by Maximo Characterized by growing sense of nationalism and
Ramos and Florentino Valeros deeper search for identity
* Philippine Poetry Annual (1950) by Manuel A. Republic Cultural Heritage Awards (1960); Gonzales’s
Viray The Bamboo Dancers (1959)
Pro Patria Awards (1961)
1949 – The Free Press resumed annual short story 1962 – writers’ conference held in Baguio City through
awards (Nick Joaquin’s “Guardia de Honor”) International PEN (now PPEN)
Graphic Magazine, Focus Philippines
1950- Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature
created (Juan T. Gatbonton’s “Clay”) 1973 – Proclamation No 1144 (encouragement for
national artists); Jose Garcia Villa
1955 - Signatures (first Philippine poetry in English; 1974 – introduction of Bilingual Education
founded by Clemente Cancio)
- new Philippine Writers Association (NVM SHORT STORIES – national problems, city life
Gonzales as First President) Noted writers:
Nick Joquin
1958 – chapter of International PEN inaugurated in the F. Sionil Jose
Philippines (Alfredo Morales – first President) N.V.M. Gonzales
J.G. Villa
*Period saw improvement in essay, short story and G. Brillantes
poetry Gilda Cordero-Fernando
ESSAYS Edith Tiempo
* On Filipino life and culture (Lopez, Icasiano) Kerima Polotan-Tuvera

Poetry –symbolist
SHORT STORY Displayed considerable consciousness
* on farm life and city life, problems of city life, and Experimented on the use of language
human hardships Poets: E. Tiempo
* local color well used V. Moreno
* Villa received international recognition (Footnote C. Angeles
to Youth and Other Stories and “The Fence”) C. Bautista
* Arguilla, Fresnosa, N. Joaquin, NVM Gonzales O. Dimalanta
made a name R. Demetillo
* Prose and Poems (1952) – most distinguished B. Lumbera
book in fifty years of Philippine Literature in English
Essays – offshoot of new political freedom, social and
POETRY – developed slowly political questions, history, literary criticism
- romantic in character
- on environment (injustice and oppression) Filipino playwriting least developed
- Villa, Angela Manalang-Gloria Playwrights: Virginia R Moreno
- Juan L. Raso’s Guerilla Flower (1946) Alberto S Florentino
Emergence of dramatists (Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero and Wilfrido Nolledo
Severino Montano
Novels-reflect social and political realities
Novel –
Juan C. Laya’s His Native Soil Phil Lit under the Republic
N.V. M. Gonzalez’s Winds of April (1946-1985)

NTC offered a 3-unit course in the Phil Contemporary Lit
in English
Qualities of lit
*sensitive to literary fashions abroad
*more incentives offered to creative works
Themes: generation gap, working mother’s lot, search
for national identity
Explored the female psyche
Theatrical and rhetorical language avoided; slang was
legitimized; loan words accepted (istambay, plastic,
anderpas)
Social and political unrest was expressed in fiction and
poetry
Writers:
Edith Tiempo, Genoveva Edroza-Matute, Lualhati
Bautista, Domingo F. Nolasco, Reynaldo Duque

Literature after EDSA (1986-present)

Predominance of gay and feminist writings

Neil Garcia, Nick de Ocampo, Honorio de Dios
Merlinda Bobis, Marjorie Evasco, Ruth Elynia Mabanglo,
Soledad Reyes, Thelma Kintanar, Edna Manlapaz
Appearance of literary criticism
Structuralists: Resil Mojares, Isagani Cruz
Deconstructive Critics: E. San Juan, I. Cruz, Rio Alma
Other writers:
Ricky Lee, Merlinda Bobis, Danton Remoto,
Ophelia Dimalanta, Isidro Cariño, Susan Ople

Other forms (21st century)

Hyperpoetry/hypertextual poems
Blogs/web log
Text tula
Flash fiction
Oral history research
E-book
Pop music
Science fiction
Speculative fiction
Graphic novels
urban legends