Philippine Literature: History and Importance through Time
Philippine literature flourished and developed over different periods of history,
mixed with the cultures of different colonizers that controlled our country for a long time. It
started from folktales and legends that mainly focused in our untouched and nature-oriented
culture. This slowly faded when the Spaniards came to our land that pushed our literature and
words of mouth out of our minds. Catholicism bloomed and our culture evolved with new ways
and themes of writing. Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio and other heroes used writing as their
weapon in seeking reform. Patriotism and nationalism were planted to Filipinos wanting to be
free of Spain’s reign. The introduction of the English language overtaken Spanish writing in
1930, newer literary forms rise such as free verse and modern story. The solid foundation of
English as the medium of instruction in all schools made writers show new ideas and
individuality. The country got colonized after by the Japanese, Philippine Literature in English
was stopped and writers are forced to use only the Filipino language. Tanka and and haiku were
mixed to our literature. After the country got free from any colonization, literature evolved
once more with different publications written in several languages. Filipinos kept writing
poems, short story novels and essays that are cultural, gender, society, personal related. Today
the written forms have never stopped to develop into more complex forms and are now written
in digital forms that are easily shared by countless people around the world.
The writing style has changed countless times and can be observed when reading
and analyzing works from each period. The culture, lifestyle, work ethic, etc., are seen in every
word in the literary text that the writer used. Example like Jose Rizal’s famous works, “Noli Me
Tángere” and “El Filibusterismo” show the status of our country in the Spanish period. Even if it
has fictional characters, the themes and topics shown in the novel reflects to what Filipinos
experienced. We get a grasp on how the world moved in the past just by reading. This shows
the importance of literature in our history and it will forever evolve with our society and
culture.
As a Filipino student living in the contemporary period of literature, it is very
fascinating to see how literary works changed through the years and its importance in telling
the past. The Philippines has been impacted by several nations which are now shaping our own
culture. Researching the background of the author is important to know what his/her
motivation is in writing. This can help in understanding one’s work from different eras and how
the genre changed or differs in each period.
Literature is an artform that is preserved through time. We should continue in
maintaining this history with endless appreciation and recognition no matter what chapter of
the world’s narrative we are in.
