UNIT 2

CONTEMPORARY ARTS
IN THE PHILIPPINES

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 What I Need To Know

For the Learners

Congratulations for completing the previous module! You are now

ready for the next step which is Contemporary Arts in the Philippines. You
need to learn more effectively. Good luck!

Module Content

This module will let you know the individuals who made significant
contributions in the Philippine Arts. Here, you will get to know the two well-known
organizations in the Philippine Arts who was established to give appropriate
recognition to our local or national artist in the country. We have, the Order of the
National Artist of the Philippines and the National Living Treasures or Gawad sa
Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA).
.

These are the competencies included in this module:

• Defines contemporary arts in the Philippines (CAR11/12CAP-0b-3)

• Researches on various contemporary art forms (CAR11/12CAP-0c -e-4)

• Explains Filipino artists’ roles and identify their contribution to contemporary

arts (CAR11/12CAP-0c-e-5)

• Evaluates contemporary art forms based on the elements and principles

(CAR11/12CAP-0c -e-6)

• Compares forms of arts from the different regions (CAR11/12CAP-0c -e-7)

• Interprets and relates the significance of arts forms from the regions
(CAR11/12CAP-0c -e-8)

• Promotes arts from the regions (CAR11/12CAP-0c -e-9)

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 What Is It

Contemporary art generally refers to art being created now. Contemporary is

derived from the Latin prefix con, which means “together” or “with”, plus tempus,
which means “time”. The chronological view defines contemporary art as related to
this current period in art history, and refers to art that is new, recent, modern, or
pertains to the present moment. The historical usage, meanwhile, regards
contemporary art as a specific stage in the story of the evolution of art, referring to a
specific location in space and time.

Contemporary art emerged in the Philippines in reaction to social and cultural

realities during the 1970’s which is an era of repression and censorship of artistic
expressions. Philippine art became a means to oppose the regime, and the political
art of social realism flourished at this time. Socio realism is an art movement which
sought to expose the real condition of Philippine society and used art to transform it.
Progressive art developed a culture that would convey the authentic aspirations of
the Filipino people.

The end of Martial Law in the wake of EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986
brought the Philippines into the contemporary period, and the art produced in this
period is regarded as contemporary art.
Contemporary art as a Breaking of Norms - Contemporary art can be seen as a
transgression of established norm and rules. Established art forms are scrutinized
and contemporary art reworks them to see them with fresh eyes. Contemporary art is
ruled by the cult of the new, endeavoring to create works of art that are “radical” and
“interdisciplinary”.

Appropriation is an important preoccupation in contemporary art which is the

practice of creating a new work by taking a pre-existing image or from another
context and combining the borrowed image with new ones.

Contemporary art and Local Heritage - Contemporary art professes an awareness

of local heritage which is something that can be passed from one generation to the
next, can be conserved or inherited, and has historic or cultural value. These are
physical objects, places of heritage and the various practices of heritage unique to
the region or locality that are conserved or handed down from one generation to the
next.

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FUNCTIONS OF CONTEMPORARY ART:

Contemporary art for Pleasure - A visual delight in the work of art, can take many
forms including an appreciation of beauty or decoration, or delight in an element of
surprise. Most cultures that have a definition of beautiful, define it as something
pleasing to the eye, and often resembling an ideal of some sort.

Contemporary art as Profession - Artists earn a living through their art since art
and ideas are never free. They possess value in the complex web of the creative
industries that combine the creation, production and commercialization of creative
contents which are tangible and cultural in nature.

Contemporary art as Commentary - Art has been used to answer our need for
information. Artists who fulfill our need for commentary often speak in a language
easy to understand, they view art as primary goal to communication by means of
subject matter.

Contemporary art in Spirituality - Artists may create art to express spiritual beliefs
about the destiny of life controlled by the force of a higher power.

Contemporary art as Remembrance - Art can be a remembrance which is

something done as an aid to memory. We need to commemorate important events
and people that have shaped our history and show reverence for those who have
gone before us.

Contemporary art as Self-expression - Art fulfills an expressive function when an

artist conveys information about his or her personality, feelings or worldview.

What Is It

To be a National Artists is considered to be the highest national recognition given

to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of
Philippine arts which is awarded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts
together with Cultural Center of the Philippines.

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NATIONAL ARTIST FOR VISUAL ARTS:

Fernando Amorsolo (May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972)

Amorsolo is the first National Artist in the country and..

was known for using backlighting technique in painting,.
making his creations bright and cheerful.
Carlos “Botong” Francisco (November 4, 1912 – March
31, 1969)

Francisco revived the art of mural and was

considered.. to be the most distinguished mural painter for
about three.. decades and was known for using historical
events as.. subject matter for his murals.

Guillermo E. Tolentino (July 24, 1890 – July 12, 1976)

Honored as National Artist for Sculpture in 1973 and was known for designing the
seal of the Republic of the Philippines, and the gold and bronze medals for the
Ramon Magsaysay Award. Tolentino’s works include the “UP Oblation”.

Napoleon V. Abueva (January 26, 1930)

Abueva was considered to be the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture. He is

skillful in creating both representational and modern abstract sculptures using a wide
variety of materials. He was also known for creating “buoyant sculpture,” a type of
sculpture to be viewed from the surface of a pool.

Victorio C. Edades (December 23, 1895 – March 7, 1985)

Recognized as the Father of Modern Philippine Painting and was known for
using dark somber colors in his paintings. His works focused on factory workers,
laborers or other simple townspeople.

Vicente Manansala (January 22, 1910 – August 22, 1981)

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 He was known for his paintings depicting realistic..
themes using an abstract or a cubist style. He believed..
that.“the beauty of art is in the process, in the moment of..
doing a particular painting, closely associating it with the..
act of making love.

Hernando R. Ocampo (April 28, 1911 – December 28, 1978)

Ocampo was largely known for his abstract paintings. His works featured shapes
bounded with curved lines painted in intense colors. His masterpiece “Genesis” was
used as the basis of the design of the curtain of the Cultural Center of the Philippines
(CCP) Main Theater.
Cesar Legaspi (April 2, 1917 – April 7, 1994)

Legaspi was known for utilizing and refining cubism, a style involving breaking
parts into geometric shapes, in his paintings.

Elizalde Navarro (May 22, 1924 – June 10, 1999)

He was known for his hardwood masks reflecting the human and the animal,
abstract paintings in oil and watercolor, and assemblages. He was also known for his
fiction works for This Week of the Manila Chronicle, and for his figurative drawings for
Lydia Arguilla’s Juan tamad.

Ang Kiukok (March 1, 1931 – May 9, 2005)

He was known for his paintings expressing nationalism and sociological agenda
during the 60’s through vivid cubistic figures. His works include “Geometric
landscape,” “Pieta,” and the “Seated Figure.”

Benedicto Cabrera (April 10, 1942)

Known as “Bencab,” Cabrera was noted as the..

bestselling painter of his generation of Filipino artists and..
also known for his sketches of a scavenger named
“Sabel,. a symbol of dislocation, despair and isolation-the..
personification of human dignity threatened by life’s..
circumstance.”

Abdulmari Asia Imao (January 14, 1936 – December 16, 2014)

Imao was instrumental in popularizing the ukil, sarimanok and naga motifs in the
country as original Filipino creations. He helped in developing trust and confidence

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among cultural groups, which is needed in building a more humane community and
society.

Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (June 6, 1932 – February 2, 2011)

Alcuaz was mainly known for his oil and acrylic paintings, and sketches in ink,
pencil, and watercolor.

Francisco Coching (January 29, 1919 – September 1, 1998)

Tagged as the “Dean of Filipino Illustrators,” Coching is best known for his work
on comics and illustrations which lead to its recognition as popular art. He has
influenced cartoonists such as Larry Alcala, Ben Infante and Nestor Redondo.
Jose T. Joya (June 3, 1931 – 1995)

Joya is known for pioneering abstract expressionism in the Philippines. His most
notable work is the Granadean Arabesque (1958). He also represented the
Philippines in the 1964 Venice Biennale.

NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR ARCHITECHTURE:

Pablo S. Antonio (January 25, 1902 – June 14, 1975)

He was considered a pioneer in modern Philippine architecture. A prominent

feature of his designs is the use of natural light and cross ventilation. According to
Antonio, buildings should be planned with austerity in mind and its stability forever as
the aim of true architecture; that buildings must be progressive, simple in design but
dignified, true to a purpose without resorting to an applied set of aesthetics and
should eternally recreate truth.

Leandro V. Locsin (August 15, 1928 – November 15, 1994)

His designs usually features themes of floating volume and a mix of both eastern
and western aesthetics.

Ildefonso P. Santos (September 5, 1929 – January 29, 2014)

Santos pioneered landscape architecture in the Philippines. His work in the

Makati Commercial Center incorporated fountains, sculptures and landscapes to a
shopping area.

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NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR LITERATURE:

Historical Literature

Carlos Quirino (November 4, 1910 – May 20, 1999)

He is the first and so far the only National Artist for..

Historical Literature and was also known for writing “The.
Great Malayan,” which considered to be one of the
earliest. biographies of Jose Rizal.
Literature

Francisco Arcellana (September 6, 1916 – August 1, 2002)

Arcellana is a writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist and teacher, who is

recognized as one of the pioneers in writing modern Filipino short stories in English.
He also originated the lyrical prose-poetic form in writing short stories.

N.V.M Gonzales (September 8, 1915 – November 28, 1999)

Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzales is a fictionist, essayist, poet and teacher. He

earned numerous recognitions including the First Commonwealth Literary Contest in
1940, the Republic Cultural Heritage Award in 1960 and the Gawad CCP Para sa
Sining in 1990.

Nick Joaquin (May 4, 1917 – April 29, 2004)

He is considered as the most distinguished Filipino..

writer in English writing. His body of work extends from..
short stories to poems to essays which includes
journalism. and reportage. He used the name Guerre
Quijano de..
Manila as journalist.

F. Sionil Jose (December 3, 1924)

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 F.Sionil Jose is one of the most widely read Filipino writers founded the Philippine
chapter of the international organization PEN.

Alejandro Roces (July 13, 1924 – May 23, 2011)

Roces is known for his comic short stories which includes “My Brother’s Peculiar
Chicken.” He also led the campaign to change the country’s Independence Day from
July 4 to June 12.

Edith L. Tiempo (April 22, 1919 – August 21, 2011)

Tiempo is a poet, fictionist, teacher and literary critic who founded the Siliman
National Writers Workshop in Dumaguete City with her late husband Edilberto K.
Tiempo.
Virgilio S. Almario (March 9, 1944)

Also known as Rio Alma, who is among the notable..

modernist poets. He reinvented the traditional Filipino..
poetry forms.

Amado V. Hernandez (September 13, 1903 – May 24,

1970)

Hernandez is known for his contribution in the development of the Tagalog prose
through the use of colloquial style.

Carlos P. Romulo (January 14, 1899 – December 15, 1985)

Romulo is noted as a diplomat and an awarded journalist. He is the first Asian

President of the United Nations General Assembly, and the only Asian to win the
Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for his articles on the World War II.

Bienvenido Lumbera (April 11, 1932)

Lumbera is a multi-awarded poet, critic and librettist. His works includes Likhang
Dila, Likhang Diwa (poems in Filipino and English), 1993; Balaybay, Mga Tulang
Lunot at Manibalang, 2002; Sa Sariling Bayan, Apat na Dulang May Musila, 2004;
Tales of the Manuvu and Rama Hari.

Cirilo F. Bautista (July 9, 1941)

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 Bautista is a poet, fictionist and essayist. He founded Philippine Literary Arts
Council in 1981, the Iligan National Writers Workshop in 1993, and the Baguio
Writers Group.

Lazaro Francisco (February 22, 1898 – June 17, 1980)

Francisco is among the prominent writers in the Tagalog language. He

established the Kapatiran Ng Mga Alagad Ng Wikang Pilipino (KAWIKA) in 1958 to
support Tagalog as national language.

Jose Garcia Villa (August 5, 1908 – July 7, 1997)

Villa is recognized as one of the best contemporary..

poets. He is best known for introducing the reversed..
consonance rhyme scheme and his use of punctuation,.
especially commas.
NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR DANCE, MUSIC, FILM, AND
THEATER:

Cinema/Film

Lamberto V. Avellana (February 12, 1915 – April 25, 1991)

Avellana was tagged as the “The Boy Wonder of Philippine Movies” as early as
1939. Kalderong Pilak was the first film by a Filipino filmmaker shown in Cannes
International Film Festival.

Manuel Conde (October 9, 1915 – August 11, 1985)

Conde is known for producing and directing films..

based on old Filipino tales such as Siete Infantes de.. Lara
.(1950), Si Juan Tamad (1974), Ang Ibong Adarna..
(1941). He also brought to the silver screen stories from..
the other parts of the worlds like Genghis Khan (1950).

Eddie S. Romero (July 7, 1924 – May 28, 2013)

He is a screenwriter, film director and producer who is behind the Filipino classics
such as “Ganito Kami Noon...Paano Kayo Ngayon?”, “Banta ng Kahapon” and
“Aguila” as well as the 13-part series “Noli Me Tangere”.

Lino Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991)

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 Catalino “Lino” Ortiz Brocka is recognized for his films which explores the lives of
people in the marginalized sectors. Brocka also directed for theater organizations
such as the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and the Concerned
Artists of the Philippines (CAP).

Gerardo de Leon (September 12, 1913 – July 25, 1981)

De Leon is a prominent film maker in the 50’s and

60’s. producing classics such as “Daigdig ng Mga Api,”
“Noli Me. Tangere,” “El Filibusterismo,” “dyesebel” and
“Sisa.”

Ishmael Bernal (September 30, 1938 – June 2, 1996)

Bernal, who was hailed by the critics as “The Genius of the Philippine Cinema,” is
known for directing films that projects the realities of the Filipinos. He was hailed as
Director of the Decade of the 1970s by the Catholic Mass Media Awards; four-time
Best Director by the Urian Awards (1989, 1985, 1983 and 1977); and given the
ASEAN Cultural Award in Communication Arts in 1993.
Ronald Alan K. Poe (August 20, 1939 – December 14, 2004)

More known as Fernando Poe, Jr. He is an icon in

film. industry as an actor, director, writer and producer. He.
starred in films like “Mga Alabok sa Lupa” (1967),
“Partida”. (1985), “Ang Probinsyano” (1996), and among
others.

Dance

Francisca Reyes Aquino (March 9, 1899 – November 21, 1983)

She was known for her research on Philippine folk dances, which later resulted to
a thesis entitled “Philippine Folk Dances and Games.” It was distributed to public and
private schools.

Leonor Orosa Goquingco (July 24, 1917 – July 15, 2005)

She was known as the “Mother of Philippine Theater Dance,” Goquingco blended
folkloric and Asian styles in ballet choreography. She was a founding member of the
Philippine Ballet Theater and the Honorary Chair of the Association of Ballet
Academies of the Philippines.

Ramon Obusan (June 16, 1938 – December 21, 2006)

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 A dancer, choreographer, artistic director, researcher, and documentary
filmmaker. He was able to promote Filipino culture in other countries using the art of
dance through the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group.

Lucrecia Reyes – Urtula (June 29, 1929 – August 24, 1999)

Reyes-Urtula was the dance director of the Bayanihan Philippine Dance

Company, for which she choreographed different Philippine folk, ethnic dances,
pageants and festivals.

Alice Reyes (October 14, 1942)

Reyes is known in blending styles and movements from Philippine indigenous

dance, classical ballet, and modern dance in expressing Filipino subject matters. This
is said to be the “contemporary dance language that is uniquely Filipino.”
Music

Antonino Buenaventura (May 4, 1904 – January 25, 1996)

He was known for his marches including the..

“Triumphal March,” “History Fantasy,” “Echoes from the..
Philippines,” and “Ode to Freedom.” He was a conductor..
of.the Philippine Army Band. He wrote compositions for..
solo instruments, symphonic and orchestral works, which.
are based on Philippine folksongs.

Ernani Cuenco (May 10, 1936 – June 11, 1988)

He was known for the following songs: “Bato sa Buhangin,” “Gaano Kita
Kamahal,” “Inang Bayan,” “Isang Dalangin,” “Kalesa,” and “Pilipinas.” These works
brought contemporary Filipino music to a higher level. The song, “Gaano Kita
Kamahal”, he added elements of Kundiman. He played with the Filipino Youth
Symphony Orchestra and the Manila Symphony Orchestra from 1960 to 1968.

Francisco Feliciano (February 19, 1941 – September 19, 2014)

His major works include “Ashen Wings,” “Sikhay sa Kabila ng Paalam,” and
“Pamugun.” He was known for the use of modal scales in his operas and orchestral
works. He used indigenous music in his compositions.

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Jovita Fuentes (February 15, 1895 – August 7, 1978)

She was best known for her portrayal of Cio-cio San in Giacamo Puccini’s
Madame Butterfly in Italy in April 1925. When she returned to the Philippines, she
established the Artists’ Guild of the Philippines in an effort to instill love for opera in
her countrymen.

Jose Maceda (January 31, 1917 – May 5, 2004)

He conducted researches and fieldwork to explore.

Filipino traditional music further and to understand the.
nature of Philippine ethnic and traditional music. His.
efforts.gave birth to a huge number of recorded Philippine.
ethnic and traditional music.

Lucio San Pedro (February 11, 1913 – March 31, 2002)

Best known for his compositions “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan,” “Sa Mahal Kong Bayan,”
“Dance of the Fairies,” “Triumphal March,” and “Lahing Kayumanggi,” Lucio San
Pedro was the conductor of the Peng Kong Grand Mason Concert Band, the San
Pedro Band of Angono, and the Benda Angono Numero Uno. Working with these
bands and other town bands helped in the development of a civic culture among
Filipino communities.

Levi Celerio (April 30, 1910 – April 2, 2002)

Celerio is most known for his recognition as the only man who could play music
with a leaf in the Guinness Book of World Records. He also earned Lifetime
Achievement Award of the Film Academy of the Philippines for writing songs for local
movies. He was also known as the dean of Filipino lyricists.

Felipe Padilla de Leon (May 1, 1912 – December 5, 1992)

He was known for Filipinizing western music forms.

His.works, which include “Mariang Maikling Overture,”.
“Maynila Overture,” “Payapang Daigdig,” and “Ako’y.
Pilipino,” expressed sentiments and aspirations of the.
Filipino in times of strife and peace.

Lucrecia R. Kasilag (August 31, 1918 – August 16, 2008)

She was known for fusing Filipino ethnic music with Western musical influences.
She was also known for incorporating Filipino indigenous musical instruments in
orchestral works.

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Antonio J. Molina (December 16, 1894 – January 29, 1980)

Molina was known for introducing the pentatonic scale, whole tone scale, linear
counterpoints and the use of dominant ninths and eleventh chords in Philippine
music.

Ramon P. Santos (February 25, 1941)

Santos is a Filipino composer, musicologist and..

ethnomusicologist who was made a Chevalier de I’Orde..
des Arts et Lettres in 1987. He helped in advocating..
modern Philippine music that is still based on early Asian.
practices and way of life.

Andrea Veneracion (July 11, 1928 – July 9, 2013)

She was the founder of the world-renowned University of the Philippines Madrigal
Singers, or simply the Philippine Madrigal Singers, which is the first choir in the world
to win the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice. Veneracion is also
recognized as an important authority in the development of Philippine choral music.

Theater

Daisy Avellana (January 26, 1917 – May 12, 2013)

She co-founded the Barangay Theatre Guild,..

together with her husband, National Artist Lamberto..
Avellana, in 1939. This move made theatre and..
dramatic arts popular in the country. She was known..
as.director of films “Diego Silang” (1968) and “Walang..
Sugat” (1971).

Honorata “Atang” dela Rama (January 11, 1902 – July 11, 1991)

She was named National Artist for Theater and Music in 1987. She was known
as the Queen of Kundiman, and the first actress to portray a 15-year-old in the very
first Tagalog film, which was the film version of the Sarsuela “Dalagang Bukid.”

Salvador F. Bernal (January 7, 1945 – October 26, 2011)

Honored as National Artist for Theater Design in 2003, Bernal used local
materials including bamboo, abaca, hemp twine, and rattan in theater design for local
productions.

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Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero (January 22, 1910 – May 1, 1995)

He served as the director of UP Dramatic Club for 16 years since 1947. He

founded the UP Mobile Theater, which started the concept of theater campus tour.

Severino Montano (January 3, 1915 – December 12, 1980)

He organized the Arena Theater Playwriting Contest which became the initial
ground for playwrights to showcase their talents in writing while serving as Dean of
Instruction of the Philippine Normal College.

GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN (GAMABA):

Eduardo Mutuc (2005 awardee)

He dedicated his life in creating religious and secular art in silver, bronze and
wood. According to him, craftsmanship begins with respect for one’s tools and the
medium, and the only way to improve one’s skills is to immerse oneself, learn the
technique, and to practice.

Darhata Sawabi (2005 awardee)

She is a Tausug weaver of pis syabit – the traditional cloth tapestry worn as a
head cover. Women in Sulu province have grown up learning in weaving the pis
syabit and she is one of those who took the art of pis syabit making to heart.

Haja Amina Appi (2005 awardee)

She is recognized as a master mat weaver among the Sama indigenous

community for her unique designs, straightness of her edging (tabig), and fineness of
her sasa and kima-kima.

Lang Dulay (1998 awardee)

She is a T’boli traditional weaver of “tinalak” or T’boli cloth made of colorful abaca
fabrics. She used abaca fibers as fine as hair which speaks more eloquently than
words can.

Salinta Monon (1998 awardee)

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 She is a Tagabanwa-Bagobo traditional weaver of distinct abaca fabrics called
inabal. She developed a keen eye for the traditional designs and can identify the
designs as well as the author of a woven piece just by a glance.

Alonzo Saclag (2000 awardee)

He is a Kalinga master of dance and the performing arts who mastered not only
the Kalinga musical instruments but also the dance patterns and movements
associated with his people’s ritual.

Federico Caballero

He is a Sulod-Bukidnon epic chanter who works for the documentation of the oral
literature. He is considered as bantugan which means a person who has attained
distinction. He strikes to dispense justice in the community through his work as a
manughusay which is an arbiter of conflicts.
Masino Intaray (1993 awardee)

He is a prolific and pre-eminent epic canter and story teller recognized for his
outstanding mastery of various traditional musical instruments of the Palaw’an
people, such as basal, kulilal and bagit. He is an outstanding master of the basal,
kulilal (musical ensemble) and bagit; a gifted pot, bard artist, and musician.

Samon Sulaiman (1993 awardee)

He is Magindanaon, who is highly sophisticated in weaving, okir designs, jewelry,

metalwork and brassware which art is Southeast Asian yet distinct in character.

Uwang Ahadas (2000 awardee)

His near-blindness eyesight made music his constant companion. He is a Yakan,

a people to whom instrumental music is of much significance, connected as it is with
both the agricultural cycle and the social realm.

Ginaw Bilog (1993 awardee)

He is a Hanunoo Mangyan who is considered as a master of the ambahan

poetry. He shares old and new ambahans with his fellow Mangyans and promotes
this poetic form in every occasion. A common cultural aspect among cultural
communities nationwide is the oral tradition characterized by poetic verses which are
either sung or chanted.

Magdalena Gamayo (2012 awardee)

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 She is a master weaver who makes “inabel”, an Ilokano handwoven cloth. She
was awarded for her wide array skills in textile weaving. Her handiworks are finer
than most abel. Her blankets have a very high thread count and her deigns are the
most intricate that sometimes take up to five colors.

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 What Is It

Each visual art form not only exhibits the skills of the artists, but also showcases
the ideas coming from the mind of that artists. Understanding the elements and
principles of contemporary arts is vital in appreciating all of the art forms in the
Philippines. This lesson focuses on the elements and principles of contemporary arts
of performing arts and literature. Hence, Visual arts were tackled in our previous
lessons.

LITERATURE

This is a body of workshop that show the best that has been thought and said or
works that signify the achievements of a particular culture.

Types and elements of literature:

Prose and Poetry

Poetry refers to expressing of feeling or idea with the use of figurative or symbolic
language.
• Meaning. A writer can use idioms, new words, allusion, and connotations in
expressing his feelings or ideas.
• Figurative language. A writer may use of simile, metaphor, and other figures
of speech in expressing something in a different way aside from its literal
meaning.
• Imagery. This consists of descriptions and details that can trigger the readers’
senses.
• Sound and Rhythm. Sound is the emphasis on certain words while rhythm is
the position of beats or the sound pattern of the work.

Prose is a literature that is not poetry with two categories: informative and
persuasive, just like an essay.

• Theme or content. This is the general thought or idea of the composition.

• Style. This refers to the choices of words and sentence structures used to
convey the message.

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 • Form and structure. This is the sequence of topic and transitions that make
the whole essay.
• Plot or story line. This is the sequence of events in the story that gives the
flow of the narrative.
• Characters. This can be a person, an animal or even thing who takes part in
the story.
• Setting. This is the time and place where the story happened.
• Theme. This is the central thought of the story.
• Language and style. Style is the choices of words which includes the
sentence structures and figurative language that affect the mood of the story.
• Point of view. The narrator may present the author himself for the third-
person point of view. The narrator can also be one of the characters in the
story for the first-person point of view.

Traditions and Forms Of Philippine Poetry:

Ethnic Tradition

• Epic. This relates adventures of a super hero with powers and serves as a
code of values of a particular ethnic group.
• Folk song. A song that is transmitted orally from one generation to another
and known as awiting bayan in Tagalog.
• Proverbs. A concise statements that teach morality and tradition and usually
expressed as rhyming pair of lines that depict two different elements.
• Riddles. This describes an object in a different manner or in a way that is not
easily understood and may be a question for someone to discover the
meaning.
• Short poems. This usually has four lines, with 5-12 syllables per line.
• Poetic jousts. This may involve marriage negotiations between two families in
which every region has their own version.

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Spanish Colonial Tradition

• Metrical romance. This focuses on chivalric, folkloric, legendary, and

religious themes.
• Pasyon. This is written in a stanza with 5 lines with 8 syllables per line which
recounts the life of Jesus Christ. This is useful as a source of images, stories
of Jesus Christ.

Forms of Contemporary Prose In The Philippines:

• Folk narrative. Any story based on real or fictional events in the past told
among the people in a community.
• Myth. This is a story that explains the origin of the world and its first
inhabitants.
• Legend. Heroic and historical legend tackles episodes in the lives of great
men and women. Religious legend narrates display of miracles of God and of
the saints. Supernatural legend focuses on the existence of beings from the
underworld. Toponymical legend explains why a certain place has this name.
• Folktales. These are classified into animal tales or fables, magic tales,
humorous tales, novelistic tales, religious and didactic tales.
• Essay. This explains the insights or information using description, narration,
and humor.
• Novel. This defined as the lengthy and complex narrative of events based on
the author’s imagination.
• Short story. This is a concise secular narrative with romantic, realistic and
radical tradition.
• Komiks. This is a special form of contemporary literature which involves
drawing frames showing a set of characters with their actions and usually
contains a balloons enclosed with words or dialogue.

MUSIC

It is an arrangement of sounds to create a continuous and unified compositions.

Elements of Music:

• Melody. This is succession of consecutive notes or tones changing in pitch

and duration.
• Rhythm. It has three qualities: tempo which describes how fast or slow is the
music; meter which refers to the unit of time that is made up of beats or
pulses; and rhythmic pattern.
• Harmony. This is a combination of different tones or pitches played sung
together at the same time.
• Texture. This is the relationship of melodic and harmonic lines in music.
Dynamics. This is the degree of softness and loudness of music.

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 • Timbre. Also known as tone color which is the quality of sound generated by
the instrument or voice.
• Form. This refers to how the elements of music are organized.

Forms and Types Of Philippine Music:

Ethnic traditional music

• Ballad. A song that explains an event occurring in a community.

• Chant. A song with an unaccompanied melody and variable rhythm.
• Song debate. A song involving male and female singers who try to outsmart
each other about a certain topic.

European-influenced Religious and Secular music

• Art song. A composition characterized by merging the voice part, lyrics, and
the accompaniment together to achieve an artistic musical whole.
• Habanera/Danza. This is a social dance in duple time.
• Liturgical music. This is a vocal and instrumental compositions that go
together with the official rites of Christian churches.
• Kumintang. This is a dance of love accompanied by a guitar and a string
bass and documented as a war song.
• Pasyon chant. Refers to the various styles used throughout the country for
the singing of the pasyon.

American-inspired music

• Classical music. This music includes classical music from the western world;
and classical and modern music composed by Filipinos.
• Semi-classical music. These includes band and rondalla music, hymns and
marches, sarswela music, and stylized folk songs.
• Popular music. This includes original music composed by Filipinos which
utilizes Western and local musical influences.

DANCE

It is an art of involving a series a rhythmic human movements that are purposely

selected and involves a mindful effort to combine movements together.

Elements of Dance:

• Body element. This is how the body of the dancer moves, what part of the
body moves, what actions are performed, and how the body support itself.
• Space. This focuses on the area where the dance is performed.
Time. This is the accent, beat, duration, meter, rhythm, and acceleration.

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 • Energy. This is referred to as dynamics. This element describes how energy
is directed through the body, and how the body releases it.
• Relationship. This is how the person relates to the stage and to production
elements.

Forms and types of dances in the Philippines:

• Folk dance. This is a dance that are developed and performed together by
ordinary people. This includes ceremonial, combative, courtship, exorcism,
funeral, game, torture, comic, and religious dances.
• Ballet. This is a theatrical dance presentation in which a plot is integrated with
dancing, music, and stage design.
• Modern dance. A dance form that emerged during the 20 th century and still
considered theatrical but it veers away from the technique and style of ballet.
• Other forms of dance o Aerobic dance. Dancing to the tune of popular
music with the purpose of increasing consumption of oxygen over a period of
time.
o Bodabil dancing. This is used to be popular during the American
period.
o Jazz dance. This uses African dance techniques like isolation of
individual human body parts, rhythm, and polycentrism.
o Polynesian and Tahitian dance. These dances began from the
people living in the Polynesian chain. o Tap dance. A dance which
entails tapping with toes and heels to generate rhythmic patterns.

THEATER

It is an art form that involves performing carefully planned actions and emotions
in front of an audience. Philippine theater is described as a wide range of mimetic
performances that were created and presented during occasions.

Elements of theater:

• Performers. These are the persons who are on stage and portray their
characters for the audience.
• Audience. They serves as the witness of the performance and energy given
by the performers.

• Director. Serves as an overseer to the entire production and ensures that the
performers do their job well and the design works well.
• Performance space. This refer to the space in which the actors can perform
and space for the audience to stand.
• Design. This is essential in placing the overall feel of the production which
includes lighting, set, costumes, and sound.
Text. This is the script to be presented in a play or production.

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Form and types of Philippine theater:

• Dulang Pahiyang. Theater is not viewed as a separate activity, but as part of

life.
• Dulambayan. Also known as people’s theater and considered “theater in the
context of social movements”
• Teatrong Pansimbahan. This is concerned with spirituality and usually
performed depending on the events in the church calendar.

FILM

This refers to a sequence of moving pictures shown on television or in cinema.

Film making became an industry in the Philippines during the 1950’s.

Elements of Film:

• Time. This is considered as the most significant element of cinema.

• Techniques of cinema.
o Cutting or editing. Involves one shot with another, making sure that
these two shot are connected.
o Camera movement. This is done in order to have a smoother change
of view. o Framing. This helps bringing balance to the film as it is
being viewed.

Forms and types of Film:

• Aksyon (Action). This uses conflict as emphasis based on real-life stories or

actual experiences of persons and based from the tradition of metrical
romance or literary komedya.
• Animation. A film that involves creating illustrations or inanimate images and
bringing them to life.
• Bomba. A film that depicts nudity and sex but is different from X-rated
pornography.
• Dokyu (documentary). This is a motion picture that narrates news events or
explain other subject matter based on facts.
• Drama. This is a motion picture that dwells on personal problems and conflicts
which draws sentiment and emotion.
• Experimental. This attempts to create something innovative or that is never
done before with the camera.
• Fantasy. This depicts scenes in an imaginary world.
• Historical. This shows actual events that occurred in the past.
• Horror. This is shown to bring fear to the audience.
• Komedi (Comedy). This is to introduce or bring laughter to the audience.

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 Assessment

Let us check how much you learned from this module’s coverage.

Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answers on the space
provided.

1. He was known for using the backlighting technique in painting, making his
creations bright and cheerful.
a. Fernando Amorsolo c. Cesar Legaspi
b. Vicente Manansala d. Napoleon Abueva
2. He was known for using historical events as subject matter for his murals.
a. Hernando R. Ocampo c. Guillermo E. Tolentino
b. Carlos “Butong” Francisco d. Victoro C. Edades
3. He was considered to be the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture.
a. Fernando Amorsolo c. Napoleon V. Abueva
b. Hernando R. Ocampo d. Color
4. He was the first and so far the only National Artist for Historical Literature.
a. Francisco Arcellana c. Alejandro Roces
b. Nick Joaquin d. Carlos Quirino
5. He was known for his contribution in the development of the tagalog prose
through the use of colloquial style.
a. Carlos P. Romulo c. Virgilio S. Almario
b. Bienvenido Lumbera d. Amado V. Hernandez
6. She was known in blending styles and movements from Philippine indigenous
dance, classical ballet, and modern dance in expressing Filipino subject
matters.
a. Ronal Alan K. Poe c. Alice Reyes
b. Manuel Conde d. Ramon Obusan
7. He was known for using modal scales in his operas and orchestral works.
a. Ernani Cuenco c. Levi Celerio
b. Francisco Feliciano d. Jose Maceda
8. He was most known from his recognition as the only man who could play
music with a leaf in the Guinness Book of World Records.
a. Levi Celerio c. Jovita Fuentes
b. Jose Macedad. Antonio Buenaventura
9. He was known for Filipinizing western music forms.
a. Felipe Padilla de Leon c. Ramon P. Santos
b. Antonio Molina d. Andrea Veneracion
10.An educator and musician known for introducing the pentatonic scale, whole
scale, linear counterpoints, as well as the use of dominant ninths and eleventh
chords in Philippine Music.
a. Lucresia R. Kasilag c. Ramon P. Santos
b. Antonio J. Molina d. Salvador F. Bernal

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References

Deped Curriculum Guide

Gerard Lico, Glecy Cruz Atienza, Imelda Cajipe Endaya, J Pilapil Jacobo, Ramon P.
Santos. Sining Rehiyon Contemporary Philippine Arts fron the Regions. C&E
Publishing House, Inc. Quezon City: 2018

Wilson K. Panisan, Leslie B. Gazzingan, Gregorio L. Samar, Corie Chuza G.

Boongaling. Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions. Mutya Publishing
House,
Inc. Malabon City:2016

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he_Philippines_2.jpg
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nes.jpg
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pines.jpg
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