Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo: Summary and Reflection

NOLI ME TANGERE: SUMMARY

The young and idealistic Juan Crisostomo Ibarra returns home after seven years in Europe. The wealthy meztizo, like his father Don Rafael endeavors for reform primarily in the area of education in order to eliminate poverty and improve the lives of his countrymen. Upon learning about his father’s demise and the denial of a Catholic burial for his father Ibarra was provoked to hit Padre Damaso which eventually lead to his excommunication. The excommunication was later rescinded upon the intervention of the Governor General.

Padre Salvi, Ibarra’s mortal enemy accused Ibarra of insurrection. Ibarra’s letter to his beloved Maria Clara was used against him. Later in the story, Maria Clara will tell Ibarra that she did not conspire to indict him. She was compelled to give Ibarra’s letter in exchange for the letters of her mother before she was born. Maria Clara found out that the letters of her mother were addressed to Padre Damaso about their unborn child which means that she is the biological daughter of the priest and not of her father, Capitan Tiago.

Meanwhile, Ibarra was able to escape the prison with Elias, who also experienced injustice with the authorities. Ibarra was able to speak with Maria Clara about the letters and thereafter forgave her. Ibarra and Elias flee to the lake and were chased by the Guardia Civil. One was shot and the other survives. Upon hearing the news, Maria Clara believed that Ibarra was dead; she entered the nunnery instead of marrying Alfonso Linares.

The fatally wounded Elias found the child Basilio and his dead mother Sisa. The latter was driven to insanity when she learned that her children were implicated for theft by the sacristan mayor. Elias instructed Basilio to dig for his and Sisa’s graves and there is a buried treasure which he can use for his education.

Noli Me Tangere brilliantly described Philippine society with its memorable characters. The melancholic fate of Maria Clara and the insanity of Sisa characterized the country’s pitiful state, which was once beautiful, turned miserable. Reading Noli Me Tangere will open one’s mind about oppression and tyranny.

 

 

EL FILIBUSTERISMO: SUMMARY

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.

The hero of El Filibusterismo is a rich jeweler named Simoun. He was Crisostomo Ibarra of the Noli, who, with Elias’ help, escaped from the pursuing soldiers at Laguna de Bay, dug up his buried treasure, and fled to Cuba where he became rich and befriended many Spanish officials. After many years he returned to the Philippines, where he freely moved around. He is a powerful figure not only because he is a rich jeweler but also because he is a good friend and adviser of the governor general.

Outwardly, Simoun is a friend of Spain. However deep in his heart, he is secretly cherishing a terrible revenge against the Spanish authorities. His two magnificent obsessions are to rescue Maria Clara from the nunnery of Santa Clara and to foment a revolution against the hated Spanish masters.

The story of El Filibusterismo begins on board the clumsy, roundish shaped steamer Tabo, so appropriately named. This steamer is sailing upstream the Pasig from Manila to Laguna de Bay. Among the passengers are Simoun, the rich jeweler; Doña Victorina, the ridiculously pro-Spanish native woman who is going to Laguna in search of her henpecked husband, Tiburcio de Espadaña, who has deserted her; Paulita Gomez, her beautiful niece; Ben-Zayb (anagram of Ibañez), a Spanish journalist who writes silly articles about the Filipinos; Padre Sibyla, vice-rector of the University of Santo Tomas; Padre Camorra, the parish priest of the town of Tiani; Don Custodio, a pro-spanish Filipino holding a position in the government; Padre Salvi, thin Franciscan friar and former cura of San Diego; Padre Irene, a kind friar who was a friend of the Filipino students; Padre Florentino, a retired scholarly and patriotic Filipino priest; Isagani, a poet-nephew of Padre Florentino and a lover of Paulita; and Basilio, son of Sisa and promising medical student, whose medical education is financed by his patron, Capitan Tiago.

Simoun, a man of wealth and mystery, is a very close friend and confidante of the Spanish governor general. Because of his great influence in Malacañang, he was called the “Brown Cardinal” or the “Black Eminence”. By using his wealth and political influence, he encourages corruption in the government, promotes the oppression of the masses, and hastens the moral degradation of the country so that the people may become desperate and fight. He smuggles arms into the country with the help of a rich Chinese merchant, Quiroga, who wants very much to be Chinese consul of Manila. His first attempt to begin the armed uprising did not materialize because at the last hour he hears the sad news that Maria Clara died in the nunnery. In his agonizing moment of bereavement, he did not give the signal for the outbreak of hostilities.

After a long time of illness brought about by the bitter loss of Maria Clara, Simoun perfects his plan to overthrow the government. On the occasion of the wedding of Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez, he gives a wedding gift to them a beautiful lamp. Only he and his confidential associates, Basilio (Sisa’s son who joined his revolutionary cause), know that when the wick of his lamp burns lower the nitroglycerine, hidden in its secret compartment, will explode, destroying the house where the wedding feast is going to be held killing all the guests, including the governor general, the friars, and the government officials. Simultaneously, all the government buildings in Manila will be blown by Simoun’s followers.

As the wedding feast begins, the poet Isagani, who has been rejected by Paulita because of his liberal ideas, is standing outside the house, watching sorrowfully the merriment inside. Basilio, his friend, warns him to go away because the lightened lamp will soon explode.

Upon hearing the horrible secret of the lamp, Isagani realizes that his beloved Paulita was in grave danger. To save her life, he rushes into the house, seizes the lightened lamp, and hurls it into the river, where it explodes.

The revolutionary plot was thus discovered. Simoun was cornered by the soldiers, but he escaped. Mortally wounded, and carrying his treasure chest, he sought refuge in the home of Padre Florentino by the sea.

The Spanish authorities, however, learns of his presence in the house of Padre Florentino. Lieutenant Perez of the Guardia Civil informs the priest by letter that he would come at eight o’clock that night to arrest Simoun.

Simoun eluded arrest by taking poison. As he is dying, he confesses to Padre Florentino, revealing his true identity, his dastardly plan to use his wealth to avenge himself, and his sinister aim to destroy his friends and enemies.

The confession of the dying Simoun is long and painful. It is already night when Padre Florentino, wiping the sweat from his wrinkled brow, rises and begins to meditate. He consoles the dying man saying: “God will forgive you Señor Simoun. He knows that we are fallible. He has seen that you have suffered, and in ordaining that the chastisement for your faults should come as death from the very ones you have instigated to crime, we can see His infinite mercy. He has frustrated your plans one by one, the best conceived, first by the death of Maria Clara, then by a lack of preparation, then in some mysterious way. Let us bow to His will and render Him thanks!”

Watching Simoun die peacefully with a clear conscience and at peace with God. Padre Florentino falls upon his knees and prays for the dead jeweler. He takes the treasure chest and throws it into the sea; as the waves close over the sinking chest.

 

 

REFLECTION:

Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) is not merely an attack on the Spanish colonial regime. It is a charter nationalism. It calls on the Filipino to recover his self-confidence, to appreciate his own worth, to return to the heritage of his ancestors, to assert himself as the equal of the Spaniard. It is a romantic novel, book of feeling, work of the heart, and contains freshness, color, humor, lightness and wit despite that it depicts the sufferings of the Filipino people under the Spanish rule.

El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed)  was written in dedication of the three martyred priests namely Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora popularly known as GOMBURZA, whose tragic execution left unforgettable imprint in his mind. It is a political novel, book of the thought, work of the head and comprise bitterness, hatred, pain, sorrow and violence. Like Noli Me Tangere, El Fili aims at enlightening the society, and at bringing the Filipinos closer to the truth. In this novel, the society is urged to open its eyes to reality and rebel against the Spanish government for its oppression and abuse.

These two novels helped awaken the Filipinos to fought for their freedom and stand with their right. It had made me realized that war does not necessarily have to end through means of violence, it could always be ended peacefully, through words and maybe even forgiveness. Words are far stronger than any gun. Vengeance is not ours, it’s God. Evilness is at every corner but thou shall not fear because good will always prevail. 👊

 

References:

http://www.cebu-philippines.net/noli-me-tangere.htmlReferences:

http://hubpages.com/education/Life-and-Works-of-Rizal-Synopsis-of-El-Filibusterismo

Pre-Spanish Era in Philippine Literature with Reflection

PHILIPPINE MEDIA AND LITERATURE  DURING THE PRE-SPANISH ERA

The following are accounts of existence and developments of Philippine literature from the Pre-Spanish Colonization:

The Start of Recorded History

The end of Philippine prehistory is April 21 900 AD, the date inscribed in the oldest Philippine document found so far, the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. From the details of the document, written in Kawi script, the bearer of a debt, Namwaran, along with his children Lady Angkatan and Bukah, are cleared of a debt by the ruler of Tondo. From the various Sanskrit terms and titles seen in the document, the culture and society of Manila Bay was that of a Hindu-Old Malay amalgamation, similar to the cultures of Java, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra at the time. There are no other significant documents from this period of pre-Hispanic Philippine society and culture until the Doctrina Christiana of the late 16th century, written at the start of the Spanish period in both native Baybayin script and Spanish. Other artifacts with Kawi script and baybayin were found, such as an Ivory seal from Butuan dated to the early 11th century and the Calatagan pot with baybayin inscription, dated to the 13th century.

In the years leading up to 1000 CE, there were already several maritime societies existing in the islands but there was no unifying political state encompassing the entire Philippine archipelago. Instead, the region was dotted by numerous semi-autonomous barangays (settlements ranging in size from villages to city-states) under the sovereignty of competing thalassocracies ruled by datus, rajahs or sultans or by upland agricultural societies ruled by “petty plutocrats”. States such as the Kingdom of Maynila, the Kingdom of Taytay in Palawan (mentioned by Pigafetta to be where they resupllied when the remaining ships escaped Cebu after Magellan was slain), the Chieftaincy of Coron Island ruled by fierce warriors called Tagbanua as reported by Spanish missionaries mentioned by Nilo S. Ocampo, Namayan, the Dynasty of Tondo, the Confederation of Madyaas, the rajahnates of Butuan and Cebu and the sultanates of Maguindanao and Sulu existed alongside the highland societies of the Ifugao and Mangyan. Some of these regions were part of the Malayan empires of Srivijaya, Majapahit and Brunei.

The Kingdom of Tondo

Since at least the year 900, the thalassocracy centered in Manila Bay flourished via an active trade with Chinese, Japanese, Malays, and various other peoples in East Asia. Tondo thrived as the capital and the seat of power of this ancient kingdom, which was led by kings under the title “Lakan” and ruled a large part of what is now known as Luzon from or possibly before 900 AD to 1571. During its existence, it grew to become one of the most prominent and wealthy kingdom states in pre-colonial Philippines due to heavy trade and connections with several neighboring nations such as China and Japan. In 900 AD, the lord-minister Jayadewa presented a document of debt forgiveness to Lady Angkatan and her brother Bukah, the children of Namwaran. This is described in the Philippine’s oldest known document, the Laguna Copperplate Inscription.

Other facts:

•  An Indigenous form of communication was already in existence evidenced by writings on barks and bamboos. News were also announced by an umalokohan or the town crier.
•  Literature was already developing: forms included sabi, (maxim), bugtong (riddle), darangan (epic poetry), kumintang (war songs), and hudhud (wedding song).

Historical Background

Long time before the Spaniards and other foreigners landed on Philippine shores, our forefathers already had their own literature stamped in the history of our race. Our ancient literature shows our customs and traditions in everyday life as traced in our folk stories, old plays and short stories. Our ancient ancestors also had their own alphabet which was different from that brought by the Spaniards. The first alphabet used by our ancestors was similar to that of the Malayo-Polynesian alphabet. Whatever records our ancestors left were either burned by the Spaniards friars in the belief that they were works of the devil or were written on materials that easily perished, like the barks of trees, dried leaves and bamboo cylinders which could not have remained undestroyed even if efforts were made to preserve them. Other records that remained showed folk songs that proved the existence of a native culture truly our own. Some of these were passed on byword of mouth till they reached the hands of some publishers or printers who took interest in printing the manuscripts of the ancient Filipinos. The Spaniards who came to the Philippines tried to prove that our ancestors were really fond of poetry, songs, stories, riddles and proverbs which we still enjoy today and which serve to show to generations the true culture of our people.

10 Reasons Why Life Was Better In Pre-Colonial Philippines

While Filipinos nowadays are fairly knowledgeable of the Spanish, American, and Japanese eras in the Philippines, the same cannot be said when it comes to the country’s pre-colonial era. Which is a shame actually, because even before the coming of the three foreign races, our ancestors were pretty much living in a veritable paradise.

Let’s look at some of the compelling reasons why we think life was really better during the pre-Spanish Philippines.

10. Women Enjoyed Equal Status With Men.

During pre-colonial times, women shared equal footing with men in society. They were allowed to divorce, own and inherit property, and even lead their respective barangays or territories.

In matters of family, the women were for all intents and purposes the working heads, possessing the power of the purse and the sole right to name their children. They could dictate the terms of their marriage and even retain their maiden names if they chose to do so.

During this time, people also traced their heritage to both their father and mother. In fact, it could be said that pre-colonial Philippines was largely matriarchal, with the opinions of women holding great weight in matters of politics and religion (they also headed the rituals as the babaylans).

As a show of respect, men were even required to walk behind their wives. This largely progressive society that elevated women to such a high pedestal took a serious blow when the Spanish came. Eager to impose their patriarchal system, the Spanish relegated women to the homes, demonized the babaylans as satanic, and ingrained into our forefathers’ heads that women should be like Maria Clara—demure, self-effacing, and powerless.

9. Society Was More Tolerant Back Then.

While it could be said that our modern society is one of the most tolerant in the world, we owe our open-mindedness not to the Americans and certainly not to the Spanish, but to the precolonial Filipinos.

Aside from allowing divorce, women back then also had a say in how many children they wanted. Sexuality was not as suppressed, and no premium was given to virginity before marriage. Although polygamy was practiced, men were expected to do so only if they could support and love each of his wives equally. Homosexuals were also largely tolerated, seeing as how some of the babaylans were actually men in drag.

Surprisingly, with the amount of sexual freedom, no prostitution existed during the pre-colonial days. In fact, some literature suggests that the American period—which heavily emphasized capitalism and profiteering—introduced prostitution into the country on a massive scale.

8. The People Enjoyed A Higher Standard Of Government.

The relationship of the ruler to his subjects was very simple back then: In return for his protection, the people pay tribute and serve him both in times of war and peace.

Going by the evidence, we could say that our ancestors already practiced an early version of the Social Contract, a theory by prominent thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau which espoused the view that rulers owe their right to rule on the basis of the people’s consent.

Conversely, if the ruler became corrupt or incompetent, then the people had a right to remove him. And that’s exactly the kind of government our ancestors had. Although the datus technically came from the upper classes, he could be removed from his position by the lower classes if they found him wanting of his duties. Also, anyone (including women) could become the datu based on their merits such as bravery, wisdom, and leadership ability.

7. We Were Self-Sufficient.

In terms of food, our forefathers did not suffer from any lack thereof. Blessed with such a resource-rich country, they had enough for themselves and their families.

Forests, rivers, and seas yielded plentiful supplies of meat, fish, and other foodstuffs. Later on, their diet became more varied especially when they learned to till the land using farming techniques that were quite advanced for their time. The Banaue Rice Terraces is one such proof of our ancestors’ ingenuity.

What’s more, they already had an advanced concept of agrarian equity. Men and women equally worked in the fields, and anyone could till public lands free of charge. Also, since they had little-to-no concept of exploitation for profit, our ancestors generally took care of the environment well.

Such was the abundance of foodstuffs that Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the most-successful Spanish colonizer of the islands, was said to have reported the “abundance of rice, fowls, and wine, as well as great numbers of buffaloes, deer, wild boar and goats” when he first arrived in Luzon.

6. We Had Smoother Foreign Relations.

We’ve all been taught that before the Spanish galleon trade, the precolonial Filipinos had already established trading and diplomatic relations with countries as far away as the Middle East.

In lieu of cash, our ancestors exchanged precious minerals, manufactured goods, etc. with Arabs, Indians, Chinese, and several other nationalities. During this time period, many foreigners permanently settled here after marveling at the beauty of the country and its people.

Out of the foreigners, it was the Chinese who were amazed at the precolonial Filipinos the most, especially when it came to their extraordinary honesty. Chinese traders often wrote about the Filipinos’ sincerity and said they were one of their most trusted clientele since they did not steal their goods and always paid their debts.

In fact, some Chinese—out of confidence—were known to simply leave their items on the beaches to be picked up by the Filipinos and traded inland. When they returned, the Filipinos would give them back their bartered items without anything missing.

5. Our Forefathers Already Possessed A Working Judicial And Legislative System.

Although not as advanced (or as complicated) as our own today, the fact that our ancestors already possessed a working judicial and legislative system just goes to show that they were well-versed in the concept of justice.

Life in precolonial Philippines was governed by a set of statutes, both unwritten and written, and contained provisions with regards to civil and criminal laws. Usually, it was the Datu and the village elders who promulgated such laws, which were then announced and explained to the people by a town crier called the umalohokan.

The Datu and the elders also acted as de facto courts in case of disputes between individuals of their village. In case of inter-barangay disputes, a local board composed of elders from different barangays would usually act as an arbiter.

Penalties for anyone found guilty of a crime include censures, fines, imprisonment and death. Tortures and trials by ordeal during this time were also common. Like we’ve said, the system was not perfect, but it worked.

4. They Had The Know-how To Make Advanced Weapons.

A lantaka (rentaka in Malay), a type of bronze cannon mounted on merchant vessels travelling the waterways of the Malay Archipelago. Its use was greatest in precolonial Southeast Asia, especially in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Via Wikipedia.

Our ancestors—far from being the archetypal spear-carrying, bahag-wearing tribesmen we picture them to be—were very proficient in the art of war. Aside from wielding swords and spears, they also knew how to make and fire guns and cannons. Rajah Sulayman, in particular, was said to have owned a huge 17-feet-long iron cannon.

Aside from the offensive weapons, our ancestors also knew how to construct huge fortresses and body armor. The Moros living in the south for instance, often wore armor that covered them head-to-toe. And yes, they also carried guns with them.

With all these weapons at their disposal and the fact that they were good hand-to-hand combatants, you’d think that the Spanish would have had a harder time colonizing the country. Sadly, the Spanish cleverly exploited the regionalist tendencies of the precolonial Filipinos. This divide-and-conquer strategy would be the major reason why the Spanish successfully controlled the country for more than 300 years.

3. Several Professions Already Existed.

Aside from being farmers, hunters, weapon-makers, and seafarers, the precolonial Filipinos also dabbled—and excelled—in several other professions as well.

To name a few, many became involved in such professions as mining, textiles, and smiting. Owing to the excellent craftsmanship of the Filipinos, locally-produced items such as pots, jewelry, and clothing were highly-sought in other countries. In fact, it is reported that products of Filipino origin might have even reached as far away as ancient Egypt. Clearly, our ancestors were very skilled artisans.

2. The Literacy Rate Was High.

Using the ancient system of writing called the baybayin, the precolonial Filipinos educated themselves very well, so much so that when the Spanish finally arrived, they were shocked to find out that the Filipinos possessed a literacy rate higher than that of Madrid!

However, the high literacy rate also proved to be a double-edged sword for the Filipinos once the Spanish arrived. Eager to evangelize and subjugate our ancestors, the missionaries exploited the baybayin for their own ends, learning and using it to translate their various works. Consequently, the precolonial Filipinos became more easily susceptible to foreign influence.

1. We Already Had An Advanced Civilization.

Contrary to foreign accounts, our ancestors were not just some backwards, jungle-living savages. In reality, precolonial Philippines already possessed a very advanced civilization way before the coming of the Spanish.

Our ancestors possessed a complex working society and a culture replete with works of arts and literature. When the colonizers came, everything contradictory to their own system had to go. Sculptures, texts, religious ceremonies, and virtually anything else deemed obscene, evil or a threat to their rule were eliminated.

Conclusively, we can only speculate what would have happened had our ancestors never been colonized in the first place. Although the Spanish era (and the American period by extension) did have their good points, would it have really been worth it all in the end?

REFLECTION:

The article above just revealed how our country, the Philippines, flourished and value literature in  the early years. Our ancient literature shows our customs and traditions in everyday life as traced in our folk stories, old plays and short stories. Even before the Spaniards came, we really prove that we have a rich and beautiful literature.

It goes to show up that our forefathers really exert effort to persevere to make way and get a name in our literature. It also depicted in their ways of living, as above mentioned that even in diverse character we have one goal, to aim high and be marked as a truly blooded Filipinos, unique from different nationality.

They were really intelligent and productive  to come up with a notable and remarkable works that generation of today will truly be proud of. As a Filipino, we have a big responsibility to preserve and maintain what our ancestors has started. We are the one who can be a catalyst so that the future will still appreciate and enjoy our literature.

Let us always remember what E. M. Forster quoted,

“What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote.”

 

 

 

References:

http://musicmediaandculture.blogspot.com/2012/11/pre-spanish-era-philippine-literature.html

Precolonial Period in the Philippines: 18 Facts You Need To Know

 

Lengend Of Lansones

Originally Written by: ANDRE MAY C. MACARAYAN

Long time ago, in the village of Hambukhawi, there was an old woman telling story about this poisonous fruit, that whoever eats it will die easily. Because there was a thief from another village, named Kumaha, who were chased by the residents, decided to hide in Hambukhawi. Kumaha was starving and had nothing to eat but this fruit. He then ate it and several days, they found the theif died under the tree of this fruit. The story of the old woman spread throughout the village and the villagers feared this fruit. As described by the old woman, this fruit is yellow, oblong in shape and it clusters hanging invitingly on a tree. The fruits were located somewhere in the mountain or in the surrounding of the village.

One day, the only son of the chieftain named Hasula was asked by his father for a mission. For the reason that there were scarcities of food to eat to their village and the villagers were already starving, he asked his son to go to another village to deliver the message of help to another chieftain. The way to another village was a long journey. This mission was tasked only for Hasula so that his father will test how strong his son would be to be a next chieftain. It’s kind of survival and Hasula was to bring nothing but himself and the message he was about to deliver.

On his way to another village, at first two days, Hasula found it easy. But at his third day, he found it tough because he was lost in the forest with no food to eat. He was surrounded by this poisonous fruit, and because he knew that it will kill him, he didn’t attempt to eat one. He was really starving to death with no food around him but suddenly a beautiful woman appeared in the forest. She told him, “You may eat this fruit, but in a right manner. Pick it and pinch it until a small amount of the white sticky sap lets out from the fruit. Open it and eat it. This may save you from the hunger of death”. To his surprise, he passed out and went to sleep.

While sleeping, he had a dream about this beautiful woman who tends to be a fairy. The fairy on his dream told him to spread what she told him lately because it will give them good lucks. When he woke up, the fairy already disappeared. He found his dream strange and the appearance of the fairy but since he was so hungry, he didn’t hesitate what the fairy told him. He obeyed the fairy and ate the fruit. He then gained his strength. Instead of continuing his mission, he went back to Hambukhawi for the villagers to have immediate food and to stop death.

When he arrived, he abruptly spread what the fairy told him. They searched for the fruit and ate them as directed by Hasula on the process of eating it. To their surprise, nothing happened to them. The fruit was edible and has subtle sweetness that tantalizes the taste buds which was so delicious. The villagers came back to life. The fairy brusquely appeared and acknowledged Hasula for his obedience. She asked the villagers to plant for more and by that there was never been scarcity again. Hasula thanked the fairy for saving him and the entire village. Upon hearing it, the chieftain, father of Hasula felt so proud of his son. By that they learnt that the poisonous fruit they knew would kill them easily which they’d coined Lasones can be eaten by many. They termed it Lasones because it contains poison. Since then, the villagers started planting more Lasones trees and were never experienced hunger. Lasones, by the time passed by is now called Lansones.

Clusters of Lansones Fruit hanging invitingly on a tree.

 

Moral Lesson:

Don’t be deceive by the outer look, explore and you might discover something new that may change the way you live. Reminds us that there is an appropriate process  for doing things, even things untried some time recently, to wind up with a safe and positive result. We just need to be brave, be patient, be obedient and just trust because at the end it will reward us with beautiful and bountiful things. 🙂

Philippine Literature in the Spanish Colonial Period with Reflection

The existing literature of the Philippine ethnic groups at the time of conquest and conversion into Christianity was mainly oral, consisting of epics, legends, songs, riddles, and proverbs. The conquistador, especially its ecclesiastical arm, destroyed whatever written literature he could find, and hence rendered the system of writing (e.g., the Tagalog syllabary) inoperable. Among the only native systems of writing that have survived are the syllabaries of the Mindoro Mangyans and the Tagbanua of Palawan.

    The Spanish colonial strategy was to undermine the native oral tradition by substituting for it the story of the Passion of Christ (Lumbera, p. 14). Although Christ was by no means war-like or sexually attractive as many of the heroes of the oral epic tradition, the appeal of the Jesus myth inhered in the protagonist’s superior magic: by promising eternal life for everyone, he democratized the power to rise above death. It is to be emphasized, however, that the native tradition survived and even flourished in areas inaccessible to the colonial power. Moreover, the tardiness and the lack of assiduity of the colonial administration in making a public educational system work meant the survival of oral tradition, or what was left of it, among the conquered tribes.

  The church authorities adopted a policy of spreading the Church doctrines by communicating to the native (pejoratively called Indio) in his own language. Doctrina Christiana (1593), the first book to be printed in the Philippines, was a prayerbook written in Spanish with an accompanying Tagalog translation. It was, however, for the exclusive use of the missionaries who invariably read them aloud to the unlettered Indio catechumens (Medina), who were to rely mainly on their memory. But the task of translating religious instructional materials obliged the Spanish missionaries to take a most practical step, that of employing native speakers as translators. Eventually, the native translator learned to read and write both in Spanish and his native language.

       This development marked the beginning of Indio literacy and thus spurred the creation of the first written literary native text by the native. These writers, called ladinos because of their fluency in both Spanish and Tagalog (Medina, pp. 55-56), published their work, mainly devotional poetry, in the first decade of the 17th century. Among the earliest writers of note were Francisco de San Jose and Francisco Bagongbata (Medina). But by far the most gifted of these native poet-translators was Gaspar Aquino de Belen (Lumbera, p.14). Mahal Na Pasion ni Jesu Christo, a Tagalog poem based on Christ’s passion, was published in 1704. This long poem, original and folksy in its rendition of a humanized, indeed, a nativized Jesus, is a milestone in the history of Philippine letters. Ironically — and perhaps just because of its profound influence on the popular imagination — as artifact it marks the beginning of the end of the old mythological culture and a conversion to the new paradigm introduced by the colonial power.

       Until the 19th century, the printing presses were owned and managed by the religious orders (Lumbera, p.13). Thus, religious themes dominated the culture of the Christianized majority. But the native oral literature, whether secular or mythico-religious continued. Even among the Christianized ethnic groups, the oral tradition persisted in such forms as legends, sayings, wedding songs such as the balayan and parlor theater such as theduplo (Medina, p. 32).

       In the 18th century, secular literature from Spain in the form of medieval ballads inspired the native poetic-drama form called the komedya, later to be called moro-moro because these often dealt with the theme of Christians triumphing over Moslems (Lumbera, p. 15).

       Jose de la Cruz (1746 – 1829) was the foremost exponent of the komedya during his time. A poet of prodigious output and urbane style, de la Cruz marks a turning point in that his elevated diction distinguishes his work from folk idiom (as for instance, that of Gaspar Aquino de Belen). Yet his appeal to the non-literate was universal. The popularity of the dramatic form, of which he was a master, was due to it being experienced as performance both by the lettered minority and the illiterate but genuinely appreciative majority.

       Francisco Baltazar (1788 – 1862), popularly called Balagtas, is the acknowledged master of traditional Tagalog poetry. Of peasant origins, he left his hometown in Bigaa, Bulacan for Manila, with a strong determination to improve his lot through education. To support his studies, he worked as a domestic servant in Tondo. He steeped himself in classical studies in schools of prestige in the capital.

       Great social and political changes in the world worked together to make Balagtas’ career as poet possible. The industrial revolution had caused a great movement of commerce in the globe, creating wealth and the opportunity for material improvement in the life of the working classes. With these great material changes, social values were transformed, allowing greater social mobility. In short, he was a child of the global bourgeois revolution. Liberal ideas, in time, broke class — and, in the Philippines — even racial barriers (Medina). The word Filipino, which used to refer to a restricted group (i.e., Spaniards born in the Philippines) expanded to include not only the acculturated wealthy Chinese mestizo but also the acculturated Indio (Medina). Balagtas was one of the first Indios to become a Filipino.

       But the crucial element in Balagtas’ unique genius is that, being caught between two cultures (the native and the colonial/classical), he could switch codes (or was perceived by his compatriot audience to be switching codes), provide insight and information to his oppressed compatriots in the very style and guise of a tradition provided him by a foreign (and oppressive) culture. His narrative poem Florante at Laura written in sublime Tagalog, is about tyranny in Albanya, but it is also perceived to be about tyranny in his Filipino homeland (Lumbera).

      Despite the foreign influence, however, he remained true to his native traditions. His verse plays were performed to the motley crowd. His poems were sung by the literate for the benefit of the unlettered. The metrical regularity and rhyme performed their age-old mnemonic function, despite and because of the introduction of printing.

      Printing overtook tradition. The printed page, by itself, became the mnemonic device, the stage set for the development of prose. The first Filipino novel was Ninay, written in Spanish by Pedro Paterno, a Philippine-bornilustrado (Medina p. 93). Following the sentimental style of his first book Sampaguitas (a collection of poems in Spanish), the novel endeavored to highlight the endearingly unique qualities of Filipinos.

     National Hero Jose Rizal (1861 – 1896) chose the realistic novel as his medium. Choosing Spanish over Tagalog meant challenging the oppressors on the latter’s own turf. By writing in prose, Rizal also cut his ties with the Balagtas tradition of the figurative indirection which veiled the supposed subversiveness of many writings at that time.

       Rizal’s two novels, the Noli Me Tangere and its sequel El Filibusterismo, chronicle the life and ultimate death of Ibarra, a Filipino educated abroad, who attempts to reform his country through education. At the conclusion of the Noli, his efforts end in near-death and exile from his country. In the Filibusterismo, he returns after reinventing himself as Simoun, the wealthy jeweler, and hastens social decay by further corrupting the social fabric till the oppressed react violently to overthrow the system. But the insurrection is foiled and Simoun suffers a violent death.

       In a sense, Rizal’s novels and patriotic poems were the inevitable conclusion to the campaign for liberal reforms known as the Propaganda Movement, waged by Graciano Lopez Jaena, and M.H. del Pilar. The two novels so vividly portrayed corruption and oppression that despite the lack of any clear advocacy, they served to instill the conviction that there could be no solution to the social ills but a violent one.

       Following closely on the failed reformist movement, and on Rizal’s novels, was the Philippine revolution headed by Andres Bonifacio (1863 – 1897). His closest aide, the college-bred Emilio Jacinto (1875 – 1899), was the revolutionary organization’s ideologue. Both were admirers of Rizal, and like Rizal, both were writers and social critics profoundly influenced by the liberal ideas of the French enlightenment, about human dignity. Bonifacio’s most important work are his poems, the most well-known being Pag-Ibig Sa Tinubuang Lupa. Jacinto wrote political essays expressed in the language of the folk. Significantly, although either writer could have written in Spanish (Bonifacio, for instance, wrote a Tagalog translation of Rizal’s Ultimo Adios), both chose to communicate to their fellowmen in their own native language.

       The figure of Rizal dominates Philippine literature until the present day. Liberalism led to education of the native and the ascendancy of Spanish. But Spanish was undermined by the very ideas of liberation that it helped spread, and its decline led to nativism and a renaissance of literature in the native languages.

       The turn of the century witnessed not only the Philippine revolution but a quieter though no less significant outbreak. The educated women of the period produced significant poetry. Gregoria de Jesus, wife of Andres Bonifacio, wrote notable Tagalog poetry. Meanwhile, in Vigan of the Ilocano North, Leona Florentino, by her poetry, became the foremost Ilocano writer of her time.

About the Authors:

Francis C. Macansantos is a Palanca Literary Award veteran winning first prize for poetry in 1989 with UP Press publishing his book “The Words and Other Poems” in 1997.

Priscilla S. Macansantos has won in the 1998 Palanca Literary Awards for her poetry “Departures” and is now an Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines.

REFLECTION:

The existing literature of the Philippine ethnic groups at the time of conquest and conversion into Christianity was mainly oral, consisting of epics, legends, songs, riddles, and proverbs. Even if the Spaniards came to the country and made massive changes, it didn’t change the way the Philippine Literature as way it was before but it strengthens and built better foundation.

It is an accepted belief that the Spanish colonization of the Philippines started in 1565 during the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish governor-general in the Philippines. During these times, many changes occurred in the lives of Filipinos.  They embraced the Catholic religion, changed their names, and were baptized, the Doctrina Christiana which was the first book to be printed in the Philippines, and other notable literary works like poems, dramas, novels and theatrical plays.

This marked the birth of unique genuine writers like Jose de la Cruz ,  Francisco Baltazar and our own Jose Rizal. Our National Hero’s novels Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo came into existence. these novels were one of those noteworthy happenings in that period which awaken the mind of the Filipinos.

The Spanish Colonization led the Filipinos to what they are right now. This was the time where the country’s literature became more flourished and successful by the help of our ancestors. Let us not forget what they have done for us thus given us the responsibility to preserve it and pass it so that our future generation might still witness the greatness and richness of our literature. 😊

 

 

Reference:

http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/literary-arts/philippine-literature-in-the-spanish-colonial-period/