Biag Ni Lam-Ang: Gerardo Blanco

Some Iloko writers credit
Pedro Bucaneg, who collaborated with Lopez in the translation of the

Doctrina into Iloko, for having been the first known Ilokano poet, and as the "Father of Ilokano Poetry
and Literature." Bucaneg, blind since childhood, authored the popular epic known as Biag ni Lam-
ang ("Life of Lam-ang") written in the 17th century. The earliest written form of the epic poem was
given by Fr. Gerardo Blanco to Isabelo de los Reyes, who published it in El Ilocano from December
1889 to February 1890, with Spanish translation in prose, and also reprinted it in his El Folklore
Filipino, under the title Vida de Lam-ang.
Ilocano literature developed in many ways. During the 18th century, the missionaries used religious
as well as secular literatures among other means to advance their mission of converting the Ilokanos
to Christianity. The century also saw the publication of religious works like Fr. Jacinto
Rivera's Sumario de las Indulgencias de la Santa Correa in 1719 and the Pasion, a translation of
St. Vincent Ferrer's sermons into Iloko by Fr. Antonio Mejia in 1845.
The 19th century likewise saw the appearance of Leona Florentino, who has since been considered
by some as the "National Poetess of the Philippines". Her poems which have survived, however,
appear to the modern reader as being too syrupy for comfort, too sentimental to the point of
mawkishness, and utterly devoid of form.
Fr. Justo Claudio Fojas, an Ilokano secular priest who wrote novenas, prayerbooks, catechism,
metrical romances, dramas, biographies, a Spanish grammar and an Iloko-Spanish dictionary, was
Leona Florentino's contemporary.
Isabelo de los Reyes, Leona's son, himself wrote poems, stories, folklore, studies, and seemingly
interminable religious as well as political articles. The achievement of both Claudio Fojas and de los
Reyes is possibly more significant than the critical reader of Iloko literature today is ready to admit.
The comedia, otherwise known as the moro-moro, and the zarzuela were presented for the first time
in the Ilocos in the 19th century. The comedia, a highly picturesque presentation of the wars
between Christians and Muslims, and the zarzuela, an equally picturesque depiction of what is at
once melodrama, comic-opera, and the skit interminably preoccupied with the eternal theme of boy-
meets-girl-who-always-live-happily-ever-after-against-seemingly-impossible-odds are still as popular
today as they were when first staged in the Ilocos.
The comedia was scripted from the corridos like Principe Don Juan, Ari Esteban ken Reyna
Hipolita, Doce Paris, Bernardo Carpio, Jaime del Prado. Marcelino Mena Crisologo helped
popularize the zarzuela based on the culture and tradition of the Ilokanos particularly those
in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. So did Pascual Agcaoili y Guerrero (1880–1958) of Ilocos Norte who wrote and
staged "Daguiti Agpaspasukmon Basi," and Isaias R. Lazo (1887–1983) of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
who wrote comedia and zarzuela.
The year 1892 saw the printing for the first time of the first Iloko novel, written by Fr. Rufino
Redondo, an Augustinian friar, titled "Matilde de Sinapangan." Another Iloko novel which was written
before the end of the 19th century by one Don Quintin Alcid was "Ayat, Kaanonto Ngata?" ("Love,
When Shall it Be?").
Video compact discs of some popular Ilocano folk songs. After, the Tagalogs, the Ilocanos has the best
preserved repertoire of folk songs in the Philippines.
Arturo Centeno of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, also wrote three novels titled Apay a Di Mangasawa? ("Why
Doesn't He Get Married?"), Dispensara and Padi a Puraw Wenno Naamo a Kibin ("A White Priest or
a Good Guide").
20th century literature[edit]

The 20th century was comparatively more intense in literary activity. Some of the literature in this
period are "Biag ti Maysa a Lakay, Wenno Nakaam-ames a Bales" ("Life of an Old Man, or a
Dreadful Revenge") by Mariano Gaerlan (1909); "Uray Narigat no Paguimbagan" ("Improvement
Despite Obstacles") by Facundo Madriaga (1911); "Mining Wenno Ayat ti Cararua" ("Mining or
Spiritual Love") by Marcelino Peña Crisologo (1914); "Nasam-it ken Narucbos nga Sabong dagiti
Dardarepdep ti Agbaniaga" ("Sweet and Fresh Flower of a Traveller's Dreams") by Marcos E.
Millon (1921); "Sabsabong ken Lulua" ("Flowers and Tears") by R. Respicio (1930); "Apay a
Pinatayda ni Naw Simon?" ("Why Did They Kill Don Simon?") first known detective novel in Iloko
by Leon C. Pichay (1935); "Puso ti Ina" ("A Mother's Heart") by Leon C. Pichay (1936).
When the Bannawag magazine, a sister publication of Liwayway, Bisaya and Hiligaynon, hit the
streets on Nov. 3, 1934, Iloko literature reached a headland. Many Ilokanos started to write literary
pieces.
The early Bannawag short stories showed sustained growth. The short stories written in the 1920s
were poor imitations of equally poor American fiction. Early short story writers had practically no
literary background in their attempts.
The growth of the short story was not apparent until Bannawag resumed publication in 1947. Most of
the stories published dealt with themes of war; guerrilla activities, Japanese atrocities, murder,
pillage and death. By the latter part of the decade, writers of different ages emerged, and from their
ranks came stories that were less verbose, tighter, and with more credible characterization than
those written previously.
While many articles have been written by Ilokanos and non-Ilokanos about the Ilocos Region, few
scholarly studies have been conducted. Among these scholars were Leopoldo Y. Yabes of
the University of the Philippines, who made a brief survey of Iloko literature in 1934. His findings
showed that Iloko literature began with Pedro Bucaneg.
In 1940, Thomas B. Alcid of the University of Santo Tomas made a study on the Iloko prose fiction
and discussed the Iloko short story and the Iloko novel and their possibilities in Philippine literature.
His study showed that the short stories and novels at that time were still young and needed more
improvement.
In 1954, Mercedes F. Guerrero of the Manuel L. Quezon Educational Institution (now MLQU) made
a masteral thesis titled "Critical Analysis of the Outstanding Iloco Short Stories Published in the
Bannawag from 1948 to 1952." Her findings showed that the Iloko stories offer a mine of information
about the ideals and customs of the Filipino people. In the display of emotions and feelings, the Iloko
author has been free or spontaneous in dealing with the life he portrayed. Most often he has been
compassionate with his characters. He has treated a wide variety of subjects that there is no
important place of Filipino life that has not been depicted. There are stories on mere trifling matters
as well as their own nation-slaking subjects. These are stories about persons, about animals, about
places and about events.
Guerrero also found out that the Ilokano author served his society by: 1.) Preserving the ideals,
customs and traditions of the people. 2.) Bringing out the social consciousness of the era—its mood,
conflicts, struggles, and rehabilitation. 3.) Awakening man's sensibilities to the joys, sorrows, loves,
hatreds and jealousies of the people. 4.) Casting away sectional sentiments and prejudices and
bringing about fuller understanding of the different ethnic groups.
A related literature published by Dr. Marcelino A. Foronda, Jr. in 1967, titled "Dallang: An
Introduction to Philippine Literature in Iloko," discussed the traits and characteristics of the Ilokanos.
Of their literature, he stated: "...The Ilokano language is so highly developed as to have produced
the greatest number of printed works in any Philippine language, next to Tagalog.

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Some Iloko writers credit

Pedro Bucaneg, who collaborated with Lopez in the translation of the

20th century literature[edit]

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