The Philippines had its own established literature long before colonizers arrived, as shown through folk stories, plays, and short stories that demonstrated customs and traditions. However, much of the early written literature was destroyed by Spanish friars who saw them as works of the devil, or they perished because they were written on materials like tree bark that did not last. Some oral traditions survived like folk songs, and over time some manuscripts were published that showed the native Filipino culture. The Spanish acknowledged that early Filipinos enjoyed poetry, songs, stories, riddles and proverbs, some of which are still part of Filipino culture today.
The Philippines had its own established literature long before colonizers arrived, as shown through folk stories, plays, and short stories that demonstrated customs and traditions. However, much of the early written literature was destroyed by Spanish friars who saw them as works of the devil, or they perished because they were written on materials like tree bark that did not last. Some oral traditions survived like folk songs, and over time some manuscripts were published that showed the native Filipino culture. The Spanish acknowledged that early Filipinos enjoyed poetry, songs, stories, riddles and proverbs, some of which are still part of Filipino culture today.
The Philippines had its own established literature long before colonizers arrived, as shown through folk stories, plays, and short stories that demonstrated customs and traditions. However, much of the early written literature was destroyed by Spanish friars who saw them as works of the devil, or they perished because they were written on materials like tree bark that did not last. Some oral traditions survived like folk songs, and over time some manuscripts were published that showed the native Filipino culture. The Spanish acknowledged that early Filipinos enjoyed poetry, songs, stories, riddles and proverbs, some of which are still part of Filipino culture today.
The Philippines had its own established literature long before colonizers arrived, as shown through folk stories, plays, and short stories that demonstrated customs and traditions. However, much of the early written literature was destroyed by Spanish friars who saw them as works of the devil, or they perished because they were written on materials like tree bark that did not last. Some oral traditions survived like folk songs, and over time some manuscripts were published that showed the native Filipino culture. The Spanish acknowledged that early Filipinos enjoyed poetry, songs, stories, riddles and proverbs, some of which are still part of Filipino culture today.
Long before the Spaniards and other foreigners landed or set foot 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 ancestors also had their own alphabet which was different from that brought by the Spaniards. The first alphabet used by our ancestor 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 by word 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.
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REFLECTION:
Philippines has its own existing Literature way long before colonizers arrived and destroyed whatever written literature they could find. They already have their own literature that they can consider their literary works during that time. These literary works are in the form oral, consisting of epics, legends, songs, riddles, and proverbs. These literary works are already present even before the Spaniards arrived. We have lots of legends, sayings and superstitious beliefs that we carry and still believed on it until now. These matters somehow helped and lead us of what we are now. We should never forget all the literary works that the first Filipinos has made and preserved those so that we can still share it to the future generation.
As a Filipino, we should be thankful that we are freed from our colonizers.
Now we should treasure every literary works we have and be proud of it. This literary works somehow affects our way of living now. We should protect and preserve them all because only us Filipinos can do it.
