Phil. Lit. During Spanish Colonization

PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING SPANISH COLONIZATION
HISTORICAL BACKROUND
 Spanish colonization of the Philippines started in 1565 during the time of Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish governor – general in the Philippines. Literature
started to flourish during his time. The spurt continued unabated until the Cavite
Revolt in 1872. The Spaniards colonized the Philippines for more than three
centuries.
 The Spanish colonizers wanted to undermine the native oral tradition by

substituting for it the story of the Passion of Christ. However, the native tradition
survived and even flourished in areas inaccessible to the Spaniards.
 The church authorities adopted a policy of spreading the Church doctrines by

communicating to the natives in their own language.
 Doctrina Christiana (1593), the first book to be printed in the Philippines , was a
prayer book written in Spanish with an accompanying Tagalog translation.
 The task of translating religious instructional materials forced the Spanish

missionaries to employ natives as translators.
 Eventually, these natives learned to read and write both in Spanish and in their
native tongue.
 Ladinos – bilingual natives
Gaspar Aquino de Belen
 The most gifted among the Ladinos
 He wrote the Mahal na Pasion ni Jesu Christo, a Tagalog poem based on

Christ’s passion, was published in 1704.
 Printing overtook the oral tradition, and it set for the development of prose.
 The first Filipino novel was “Ninay” , written in Spanish by Pedro Paterno.
SPANISH INFLUENCES ON PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

 Alibata/Baybayin
 Ancient literature in Tagalog
 Christian Doctrine
 Spanish Language
 European Legends and Traditions
 Grammar books in Tagalog
 Religious Tone
THEMES AND DESCRIPTION OF CONTEXT
 RELIGION
o Spaniards wanted to spread Christianity to the Filipino.
o They burned the old literature of the Filipinos for it is believed that those are
works of the devil
o 19th century: the printing presses were owned and managed by the
religious orders
 GOVERNMENT/ POLITICS
o Filipinos who fought for freedom
o Filipinos start to question and portray the meanings of “liberty and

freedom” in their works.
o Evident in works of Dr. Jose Rizal (ex. Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo)
CHARACTERISTICS OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING SPANSH COLONIZATION

 Has various styles and ways such as lyrical, song, corrido, duplo, comedya etc.
 The main theme is religion
 Most written literature is based on the Spanish culture
LITERARY FORMS
BOOKS
1. Doctrina Cristiana
- 1593: 1st published book in the Philippines in xylography (craved in wood)
- Written by Fr. Juan de Placencia and Fr. Domingo Nieva.
- Originally written in Spanish
- With accompanying Tagalg translation.
- Content: written prayers, 10 commandments, 7 sacraments and 7 Deadly Sins.
- Has 87 pages
2. Nuestra Señora del Rosario

- 1602: 2nd published book in the Philippines
- Written by Fr. Blancas de San Jose
- Published and printed in Sto. Tomas University with the help of Juan de Vera, a
Chinese National.
- Content: biographies of saints, novena, and questions and answers about religion.
3. Barlaan at Josaphat
- 1780: 3rd published book but the 1st novel in the Philippines.
- based on writings in Greek by San Juan Demasceno
- Translated in Tagalog by: Fr. Antonio de Borja.
4. Urbana at Feliza
- Written by Modesto de Castro (Father of Classical Prose in Tagalog).
- Content: letters of Urbana and her sibling Felisa.
- About the good deeds that greatly influence the behavior of the society in the
Philippines
5. Pasion
- About the life and sufferings of Jesus Christ
- Read and sing during Holy week.
- Has 4 versions based on the writer of this book
1. Fr. Mariano Pilapil
2. Gaspar Aquino de Belen
3. Aniceto dela Marced
4. Don Luis de Guian
- Most common version is the version of Fr. Mariano Pilapil with 8 syllables in each
line and 5 lines in each stanza.
6. Mga Dalit kay Maria

- Collection of songs praising the Virgin Mary
- First book in Bicol language by Fr. Marcos Libson (1754)
OTHER COMPOSITIONS
1. Noli Me Tangere(Touch Me Not)

- Originally published: 1887
- Author: José Rizal
- Original language: Spanish
- Followed by: El Filibusterismo
- Characters: María Clara, Padre Dámaso, Crisostomo Ibarra, Capitán
Tiago, Elías
- Genres: Novel, Satire
- Idea: Noli me Tangere is the first novel written by Filipino patriot and national hero
Dr. José P. Rizal in 1887 and published in Germany. The story line goes detailed
with the society of the Philippines during Spanish colonial period and features
aristocracy behind poverty and abuse of colonialists.
2. El filibusterismo(The Reign of Greed)
- Originally published: 1891 in Ghent,Belgium
- Original language: Spanish
- Preceded by: Noli Me Tángere
- Characters: Simoun, Kabesang Tales, Juli, Paulita Gomez, Doña
Victorina, MORE
- Genres: Novel, Fiction
- Idea: This novel is a sequel to the Noli. It has a little humor, less idealism,
and less romance than the Noli Me Tangere. It is more revolutionary and more
tragic than the first novel.
3. La Solidaridad(The Solidarity)
- Founded: 1889
- Political alignment: Independent
- Language: Spanish
- Ceased publication: 1895
- Format: Broadsheet
- Editors: Graciano López Jaena, Marcelo H. del Pilar, José Rizal
- La Solidaridad was established to express the goal of the Propaganda Movement
towards achieving assimilation with Spain. The first issue of La Solidaridad came
out on February 15, 1889. A fortnightly and a bi-weekly newspaper, La Solidaridad
serves as the principal organ of the Reform Movement in Spain.
4. Florante at Laura
- Author: Francisco Balagtas
- Genre: Fiction, epic poetry
- Published: 1838
- Country: Captaincy General of the Philippines
- Florante at Laura (lit. "Florante and Laura") is a Filipino epic written by Francisco
Balagtas Baltazar in prison. The work is dedicated to "Selya", his beloved at the
time, and is an allegory to the state of the Philippines under Spanish colonialism,
as well as the state Balagtas was in while incarcerated. Set during The Crusades,
the work itself is about the life of Florante, duke of the Kingdom of Albania; Aladin,
prince of Persia; Adolfo, the evil Big Bad greedy for power; and Laura, Florante's
beloved.
5. Mi Ultimo Adios
- Mi Último Adiós is a poem written by Philippine national hero Dr. José Rizal
on the eve of his execution by firing squad on 30 December 1896. Wikipedia
- Originally published: 1897
6. Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala (Art and rules of the Tagalog language)
- Written by Fr. Blancas de San Jose and translated to Tagalog by Tomas Pin
pin in 1610.
7. Compendio de la Lengua Tagala (Understanding the Tagalog language)

- Written by Fr. Gaspar de San Agustin in 1703.
8. Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala (Tagalog vocabulary)

- The first Tagalog dictionary written by Fr. Pedro de San Buenaventura in 1613.
9. Vocabulario de la Lengua Pampanga (Pampanga vocabulary)

- The first book in Pampanga written by Fr. Diego in 1732.
10. Vocabulario de la Lengua Bisaya (Bisayan vocabulary)

- The best language book in Visayan by Mateo Sanchez in 1711.
11. Arte de la Lengua Ilokana (The Art of the Ilocano language)

- The first Ilocano grammar book by Francisco Lopez.
12. Arte de la Lengua Bicolana (The Art of the Bicol language)

- The first book in the Bicol language and written by Fr. Marcos Lisbon in 1754
FOLK SONGS
Folk songs manifest the artistic feelings of Filipinos
1. Leron leron sinta (Tagalog)

- "My Dear, Little Leron"
- Popular Filipino folk song from the Tagalog region
- Traditionally a work song.
- Often presented as a children's song
2. Pamulinawen (Ilokano)
- 'Pamulinawen' = alabaster
- Alabaster - a very hard stone; In the song's context, symbolizes the resistance
of a woman to her lover's courtship gestures
3. Dandansoy (Bisaya)
- A Visayan folk song
- Sung as a lullaby
- Dandansoy is a name of a boy
- The singer is leaving Dandansoy to go back to her hometown.
4. Sarong banggi (Bikolano)

- A protest song that is disguised as a love song
- A “metaphorical message that speaks of a longing for national liberation.”
- Moral lesson: Freedom and sovereignty are important and needed by us,
Filipinos.
5. Atin cu pung singsing (Kapampangan)

- Expresses the great sentimental value placed by Filipinos on inherited objects
from parents
- About a missing heirloom piece, a ring with a single gem
RECREATIONAL PLAYS
There are many recreational plays performed by Filipinos during the Spanish times. Almost
all of them were in poetic form. Here are examples:
1. Tibag
- The word tibag means to excavate. This ritual was brought here by the Spaniard
to remind the people about the search of St. Helena for the Cross on which Jesus
died.
2. Lagaylay
- This is a special occasion for the Pilareños of Sorsogon during Maytime to get
together.
As early as April, the participating ladies are chosen and sometimes,

mothers volunteer their girls in order to fulfill a vow made during an illness or for a
favor received.In some parts of Bicol, a different presentation is made but the
objective is the same –praise, respect and offering of love to the Blessed Cross by
St. Helen on the mound she had dug in.
3. Cenaculo
- This is a dramatic performance to commemorate the passion and death of Jesus
Christ. There are two kinds: the Cantada and Hablada.
In the Hablada the lines are spoken in a more deliberate manner showing
the rhythmic measure of each verse and the rhyming in each stanza and is more
dignified in theme; the Cantada is chanted like the Pasion. The Cenaculo is
written in octosyllabic verse, with 8 verses to the stanza. The full length versions
take about 3 nights of staging.
Performers come in costumes with wigs and performers are carefully

chosen for their virtuous life. One performs the role of Jesus Christ and another the
role of the Virgin Mary. Many famous Cenaculo players come from the Tagalog
regions although there are also those from Ilocos, Pampanga, Bicol and both
Sibulanon and Hiligaynon.
4. Panunuluyan
- This is presented before 12:00 on Christmas Eve. This is a presentation of the search
of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph for an inn wherein to deliver the baby Jesus.
5. Salubong (or Panubong)

- The Salubong is an Easter play that dramatizes the meeting of the Risen Christ and
his Mother. It is still presented in many Philippine towns.
6. Carillo (Shadow Play)

- This is a form of dramatic entertainment performed on a moonless night during a
town fiesta or on dark nights after a harvest.
7. Zarzuela
- Considered the father of the drama; it is a musical comedy or melodrama three
acts which dealt with man’s passions and emotions like love, hate, revenge,
cruelty, avarice or some social or political problem.
8. Sainete
- This was a short musical comedy popular during the 18th century. They were
exaggerated comedies shown between acts of long plays and were mostly
performed by characters from the lower classes. Themes were taken from
everyday life scenarios.
9. Moro-Moro
- A play that depicts a Christian princess who is captured by the Mohammedans.
The father organizes a rescue party where fighting between the Moros and
Christians ensues.
10. Karagatan
- This is a poetic vehicle of a socio-religious nature celebrated during the death of
a person.
11. Duplo
- Duplo replaced the Karagatan. This is a poetic joust in speaking and reasoning.
12. Balagtasan
- This is a poetic joust or a contest of skills in debate on a particular topic or issue.
13. Dung-aw - This is a chant in free verse by a bereaved person or his representative
beside the corpse of the dead.

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PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING SPANISH COLONIZATION

 The Spanish colonizers wanted to undermine the native oral tradition by

 The church authorities adopted a policy of spreading the Church doctrines by

 The task of translating religious instructional materials forced the Spanish

 Ladinos – bilingual natives

Gaspar Aquino de Belen

 The most gifted among the Ladinos

 He wrote the Mahal na Pasion ni Jesu Christo, a Tagalog poem based on

SPANISH INFLUENCES ON PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

o Spaniards wanted to spread Christianity to the Filipino.

o Filipinos who fought for freedom

o Filipinos start to question and portray the meanings of “liberty and

CHARACTERISTICS OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING SPANSH COLONIZATION

2. Nuestra Señora del Rosario

6. Mga Dalit kay Maria

1. Noli Me Tangere(Touch Me Not)

7. Compendio de la Lengua Tagala (Understanding the Tagalog language)

8. Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala (Tagalog vocabulary)

9. Vocabulario de la Lengua Pampanga (Pampanga vocabulary)

10. Vocabulario de la Lengua Bisaya (Bisayan vocabulary)

11. Arte de la Lengua Ilokana (The Art of the Ilocano language)

12. Arte de la Lengua Bicolana (The Art of the Bicol language)

Folk songs manifest the artistic feelings of Filipinos

1. Leron leron sinta (Tagalog)

4. Sarong banggi (Bikolano)

5. Atin cu pung singsing (Kapampangan)

As early as April, the participating ladies are chosen and sometimes,

Performers come in costumes with wigs and performers are carefully

5. Salubong (or Panubong)

6. Carillo (Shadow Play)

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