Notes on the Literary Forms of the Pre-colonial Period

Pre-colonial inhabitants of the Philippines have a rich oral tradition of literature, which is composed of folk speeches, folk songs, folk narratives, and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances.

Notes on Pre-Colonial Philippines

Early Philippine History

• Little is known about Philippine history before the Spaniards arrived.
• Written records made by the inhabitants of the Philippine islands were made of perishable bamboo or leaves.
• For a long time, Philippine history started with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.

Notes on the Philippines

Geographic Facts

The Philippines is a country located in Southeast Asia. It is an archipelago that has about 1,700 islands.The Philippines has three major groups of islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Notes on The Emergent Period (1935-1945)

The years 1935 to 1945 saw the emergence of a significant trend in Philippine literature in English. Jose M. Hernandez describes this period as a time of self-discovery and of rapid growth. Hernandez proceeds by the enumerating the qualities of the period:

1. The writers consciously and purposefully to create a national literature.
2. The writers had gained full control of the English language and could successfully manipulate it as a literary medium.
3. Experimentation with different literary forms and techniques and moods was the fashion.
4. Three groups of writers emerged:

• Those who were concerned with social consciousness
• Those whose main concern was craftsmanship
• Those who were determined to explore local color. Some of the writers of this group formed the Veronicans. 

Notes on The Apprenticeship Period (1910-1935)

In 1900 English became the official medium of instruction in Philippine schools. The first teachers were army men and their wives. In 1901 the Philippine Normal School was founded to train the Filipino teachers to take charge of elementary education. In the same year the army transport, Thomas, bought 600 American teachers to the country to be incorporated into the educational system. These teachers introduced English and American literature to the Filipinos.