Week 3 - Philippine Literature at the time of U.S. Colonialism Flashcards
The American colonization over the Philippines began in 1898 and
ended in 1946, lasting almost fifty years. It had been divided into phases.
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The first phase of the American Period in the Philippines was
from1898 to 1935. It began with the Spanish-American war which started in
Cuba.
On May 1, 1898, the Americans led by U.S. Navy Admiral George
Dewey, along with Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, attacked the Spanish Navy in
Manila Bay. Faced with defeat, the Philippines was relinquished to the United
States by Spain after a payment of US $20 million in accordance with the
infamous “Treaty of Paris”.
Emilio Aguinaldo declared Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898,
a declaration opposed by the US who had plans of taking over the colony. In
February 1899, Aguinaldo led a new revolt against the U.S. rule. This sparked
the Philippine-American War.
The poorly equipped Filipinos were overpowered by the Americans in
open combat, but they were the fiercest of opponents in guerilla warfare. The
revolutionary capital of Malolos was captured on March 31, 1899, but
Aguinaldo and his government were able to escape and re-establish in San
Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Things had turned south, however, when Gen. Antonio
Luna, who was the most capable military commander of Aguinaldo, was
murdered in June. In 1901, the revolution ended with the capture of
Aguinaldo by Gen. Frederick Furston at Palanan, Isabela. Thus the Philippines
became a US colony.
1st phase
The Second Phase of the American Period was from 1936 to 1946. It
was characterized by the establishment of the Commonwealth of the
Philippines and the Japanese occupation during the World War II.
At this time, the US Congress provided a 10 year period of transition
to independence. Manuel L. Quezon was elected President of the
Commonwealth.
The Japanese attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941, and
occupied Manila on January 2, 1942. The US and the rest of the Allied forces
invaded the Philippines on October 1944, and the Japanese surrendered on
September 2, 1945.
2nd phase
The American Period had an influence to the literature of the Philippines.
Two significant developments in education and culture helped shape the literature
of the country at that time. One was the introduction of free public instruction for
all children of school age and two, the use of English as a medium of instruction
in all levels of education in public schools.
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Free public education made knowledge and information accessible to a
greater number of Filipinos, giving them the opportunity to improve their social
status and join the educated masses who became a part of the country’s middle
class.
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The use of English as medium of instruction opened the Filipino mind to
Anglo-American models of thought, culture and life ways. It was these two
factors that shaped the Philippine Literature during the time of US Colonialism.
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As the country was under the American influence, a lot of Philippine
literature were written in English, and were inevitably imitative of American
models of writing
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Nevertheless, the fact that everyone had the opportunity to access
education had helped a lot in nurturing many gifted poets, novelists, and various
writers in both Filipino, Spanish, and English languages.
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There were three groups of writers at the time of US colonialism. They
were divided according to mediums they used in literature: Spanish, the English,
and the Filipino. These writers all have their own styles in writing and come up
with various works that gave life to the Philippine Literature during the American
Period.
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The writers in Spanish, in their desire to honor Jose Rizal and other
heroes, were accustomed to write works that have themes of nationalism. This
group includes Cecilio Apostol, Fernando Ma. Guerrero, Jesus Balmori, and Claro
M. Recto.
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was considered a colossus in Spanish-Filipino poetry. He
was recognized in the Hispanic world as the ―greatest Filipino epic poet writing in Spanish‖. Claro M. Recto, also a poet in Spanish, spoke of him as ―the greatest
writer of both prose and poetry.‖ He was also a corresponding member of the
Royal Academy of the Spanish Literature.
His works were critically acclaimed that they appeared in the World
Anthology of Spanish Poetry and in the famous Enciclopedia España. Some of
them were even translated in German.
In 1895, his poem El Terror de Los Mares Indicos (The Terror of the
Indian Seas) opened the world of Spanish poetry for him. One of his famous
Spanish poems was the short poem Al Heroe Nacional. Apostol had written
numerous poems in English and Spanish, most of which have nationalistic themes
and are dedicated to Dr. Jose Rizal.
Cecilio Apostol (1877-1938)
Weep not in the mystery of the tomb.
Over the Spaniards’ momentary triumph,
For a bullet in your cranium destroye
Your idea, in turn, an empire destroyed.
Al Heroe Nacional by Cecilio Apostol (translated in English)
was a law graduate at University of Sto, Tomas,
but he pursued a career in journalism and became an editor of La Independencia
and El Renacimiento. He was also the founder of La Vanguardia and La Opinion.
He grew up in a Spanish-speaking family, hence it became natural
for him to use Spanish as his medium in writing poetry. He published his first
poetry compilation entitled Crisalidas in 1914. His second compilation, Aves y
Flores (Birds and Flowers) was published posthumously in 1970.
Just like Apostol, his poems dealt mostly with patriotism.
Coincidentally enough, he died on June 12, 1929, which was the Philippine
Independence Day.
Fernando Ma. Guerrero (1873-1929)
Filipinas es un nido
formado de hermosas flores,
Es un idilio de amores
sobre un mar embravecido.
Es la impávida matron
que, heredera de titanes,
tiene por solio volcanes
y centellas por corona
Mi Patria by Fernando Ma. Guerrero (excerpt)
was already gifted in the literary arts even in his teens. He
published his first poetry book titled Rimas Malayas (Malayan Rhymes) at the age
of 17. He had also joined and won in various literary contests.
During his days at the UST, he continued to excel in literature. At that
time, he often engaged in poetical jousts known as balagtasan, with fellow
poet Manuel Bernabe.
Balmori wrote for La Vanguardia. He had a daily column of satirical
verses titled Vida Manileñas under the penname ―Batikuling‖. He compiled his
columns later in the book titled El Libro de Mis Vidas Manileñas (The Book of
the Lives of Manileñas).
He received the Premio Zobel award for his contributions to Philippine
Literature, and became a Poet Laureate in Spanish.
Jesus Balmori (1887-1948)
Querido amigo: se trame lo que se trame
y se legisle y ore y se cante y se ame
en toda Filipinas, mientras alumbre el sol
se seguirá escribiendo y hablando en español
No hay peligro que muera el castellano idioma
sobre el tallo en que un día floreciera fecundo
el pueblo lo conserva como un precioso aroma
y con él se perfuma ante Dios y ante el mundo
Triunfará sobre el cálculo y la ruin amenaza
y se hará en nuestros labios ritmo de gloria eterno
lo defienden los hombres más aptos de la raza
y lo guardan las leyes más justas del gobierno
No existe valor patrio a su valer análogo
ni late en nuestra historia otro motivo igual
en español Mabini redactó su Decálogo
y en español cantando dio su vida Rizal
Puedo decir, henchido de orgullo soberano
que bajo el exotismo de nuestra vida extraña
en Filipinas se habla y escribe en castellano
como se escribe y se habla en España
Luciendo hasta cegar su clámide suntuaria
marchará el español bajo arcos triunfales
mientras cincele Briones su prosa lapidaria
y cante Bernabé sus versos inmortales
Es el verbo que se hace pálida luz de luna
cuando hombres y mujeres van del amor en pos
el verbo con que Recto deslumbra la tribuna
y Monseñor Guerrero habla en nombre de Dios
Es la seda primorosa con que la sampaguita
el seno de la virgen del terruño engalana
y es el santo rosario que ofrece la abuelita
cuando se hace la noche filipina y cristiana
¿Cómo vas a extinguirte, dulce idioma español?
¿Cómo vas a dejarnos, romancero de amores?
¡Si has de morir será cuando se muera el sol
cuando no queden pájaros ni mujeres ni flores!
Cuando la voz de Cronos con acento apagado
resuene señalando una nación en ruinas:
¡Aquí existió un país florido y encantado
que en honor de Felipe se llamó Filipinas
El Castellano en Filipina by Jesus Balmori
