U. S.

Colonialism
1898 - 1945
Philippine literature during the American rule was influenced by two factors, first of
which is, education. With the Americans providing free education, many were given the
chance to study and English was used as the language of instruction. Unlike the
Spanish, the foreigners were willing to teach their language to the Filipinos. Free
education served as the stepping stone for others to improve their social status.

Early literary works in English showed styles of which is American. It can also be seen
that writers who just started learning English cannot fully showcase their talent because
of the lack of mastery of the language.
The downfall of the Spanish colonialism freed the printing industry from religious
censorship. With the printing industry in the hands of patriotic investors, the printing
press was used to block the American culture from entering the Philippine lifestyle.
Newspapers in our different dialects flourished all over the archipelago. With some
newspapers having a space for literary pieces, writers were given the chance to show
and prove the true talent of the Filipinos. Some of these newspapers were Muling
Pagsilang (1903, Tagalog), Ang Kaluwasan (1902, Cebuano), Makinaugalingon (1913,
Ilonggo), and Nueva Era (1908, Ilokano). The best known magazines that capitalized on
short stories and poems were Liwayway (1922, Tagalog), Bisaya (1930, Cebuano),
Hiligaynon (1934, Ilonggo), and Bannawag (1934, Ilokano).

Writers during the American Period drew ideas from the Propaganda Movement and the
Revolutionary Movement to encourage the Filipinos to continue to fight against the U.S.
Colonialism. The demand for independence was supported by a campaign to make the
Americans aware of the Filipino culture. Some writers who use the Spanish language
began to shift to the American language for the fact that a larger population can now
comprehend the said language. It is a fact that Filipinos during the Spanish period were
not given the chance to learn the language, resulting in a very small population of
people capable of understanding the literary works.

The literary genres that flourished during the American Period were poetry, sarswela,
short story, and the novel. Poetry was written in the three languages - Filipino, Spanish,
English, and in the different dialects. Some of the known poets during the American
period were Maximo Kalaw, Carlos P. Romulo, Maria Agoncillo, Paz Marquez Benitez,
Salvador P. Lopez, Jose Garcia Villa, Carlos Bulosan, and many others. There were three
collection of poems printed namely Filipino Poetry edited by Rodolfo Dato, The English
German Anthology of Poets edited by Pablo Laslo, and a pre-war collection by Carlos
Bulosan. The balagtasan, named after Francisco F. Balagtas, is a debate in verse, a
poetical joust done almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the
pros and the cons of a certain issue. The first ever balagtasan was held in March 1924
at the Insituto de Mujeres, with Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes as rivals.
Jose Corazon de Jesus, known also as Huseng Batute, became the first ever king of the
Balagtasan.
Short stories in English of early Filipino fictionists are marked with American style. This
all changed with the founding of the U. P. Writers Club in 1926 whose aim was to
enhance and propagate the "language of Shakespeare." With the publication of Paz
Marquez Benitez' "Dead Stars," it was made the landmark of the maturity of the Filipino
writer in English. Many writers followed Benitez like Icasiano Calalang, Arturo Rotor, A.
E. Litiatco, Paz Latorena, and Manuel Arguilla started publishing stories manifesting
skills in the use of the foreign language and a keen Filipino sensibility.

The combination of the foreign language and the culture of a Filipino enabled fictionists
to produce great literary works. The public can now relate to the story because the
public also experiences what the story has to say and they can now understand the
language being used by the writer. Works like "His Native Soil" by Juan C. Laya, "How
My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife" by Manuel Arguilla, and many others depicted
the Filipino life in English. The other novelists of this period are Jose Garcia Villa,
Francisco Arellana, Fernando Maria Guerrero, Amador Daguio, and Sinai Hamada.

With the founding of the Philippine Writers League in 1936, Filipino writers began
discussing the value of literature in the society they live in. This move was led by
Salvador P. Lopez whose works centered on proletarian literature.

It was during the early American period that the sarswela gained popularity. Most of the
sarwelas if not all are directed against the American imperialists. The works of Severino
Reyes ("Walang Sugat") and Patricio Mariano ("Anak ng Dagat") are equally remarkable
sarwelas during the period. Here are the other noted sarswelistas: Aurelio Tolentino,
Juan Abad, Juan Matapang Cruz, and Juan Crisostomo Sotto.

Among the Ilokano writers, noted novelists were Leon Pichay, Hermogenes Belen, and
Mena Pecson Crisologo whose Mining wenno Ayat ti Kararwa is considered to be the
Ilokano version of Noli Me Tangere. Magdalena Jalandoni and Ramon Muzones are the
most prominent writers in the Visayas region. Their works depicted love, farm life, and
the social life the region is having.

The latter stages of the American period continued to produce great poets like Julian
Cruz Blamaceda, Florentino Collantes, Pedro Gatmaitan, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Lope K.
Santos, Alejandro Abadilla, Teodoro Agoncillo, and Inigo Ed. Regalado. They used a
modern style of poetry that is made up of free verse.

Liwayway Arceo and Genoveva Edroza Matute are two fictionist writers that became
popular during the American rule. Their works "Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa" and "Ako'y
Isang Tinig" respectively are used as models for fine writing. Both writers use a style of
storytelling that uses language through poignant rendition. Teodoro Agoncillo's "25
Pinakamahusay na Maikling Kuwento" included the foremost writers of fiction before
World War II.
PHILIPPINE MUSIC DURING THE AMERICAN COLONIZATION

Musical Characteristics:

When the Americans came, they brought blues, folk, R&B, and rock and roll. They also
made music a part of the educational curriculum. This developed the skills of Filipinos in
music and so they used this skill to imitate Western music to create local versions of
Western music. Eventually, the Philippines catered its own talents like Lea Salonga at a
much later date. What was popular during this time though were the juke boxes, AM
radio, American dance hall, vaudeville, jazz, the Broadway musical, and vinyl records
where they listened to American rock bands.

Musical Forms:
Songs became a hybrid of other forms of music that were popular then, such
as kundiman. Nevertheless, the influence of the Americans in Filipino music proved to
be evident during the 1960’s (during the popularity of the Beatles) and 1970’s (“disco
fever”).
The less “formalized and institutionalized” forms of music were heard and made popular
in concert halls called kabaret, vaudeville shows showcasing comic, raucous, and even
lewd sketches accompanied by jazz music, and even sometimes, traditional grass-root
kundiman.

Publications are printed in a variety of languages. In English the three top are
the Manila Bulletin (circulation of around 320,000), Philippines Star (222,900)
and Philippines Inquirer (148,800). In Filipino they are People's
Tonight (320,900), Pilipino Ngayaon (272,000) and Taliba (226,800). In Taglish, the
top three are People's Journal (372,500), Headline Manila (105,100) and News
Today (75,000). The top three Chinese papers are the World News (36,000), United
Daily News (32,000) and China Times (30,000).

Consequences of the American colonial rule

During the Spanish period the Spaniards had given enormous land properties to the
Catholic church. One of the first things the Americans did was to take care for the
redistribution of these land properties. To do so they first had to pay an amount of US
$7.2 million to the Vatican in 1904. The small farmers or tenants didn't get any land
however. The land became property of some large landowners. Most of the small
farmers couldn't pay the asked price or couldn't prove that they were the former
owners of the land.
The economic development during the 'American period' was rather typical colonial.
The Philippine economy was strongly related to and depending on the United States.
The Philippine economy was focused on mining and exporting crops. Industrial growth
didn't take place.

Quezon, the first Philippine president

The Philippines was controlled by the Americans from

1900-1942. In 1934 an act was established, which made
it possible that the Philippines could have a
"Commonwealth of the Philippines".
The first president of this Commonwealth was Manuel Quezon. The first
president was given certain power
for some internal affairs.

Consequences of the American colonial rule

During the Spanish period the Spaniards had given enormous land properties to the
Catholic church. One of the first things the Americans did was to take care for the
redistribution of these land properties. To do so they first had to pay an amount of US
$7.2 million to the Vatican in 1904. The small farmers or tenants didn't get any land
however. The land became property of some large landowners. Most of the small
farmers couldn't pay the asked price or couldn't prove that they were the former
owners of the land.
The economic development during the 'American period' was rather typical colonial.
The Philippine economy was strongly related to and depending on the United States.
The Philippine economy was focused on mining and exporting crops. Industrial growth
didn't take place.
 Quezon, the first Philippine president

The Philippines was controlled by the Americans from

1900-1942. In 1934 an act was established, which made
it possible that the Philippines could have a
"Commonwealth of the Philippines".
The first president of this Commonwealth was Manuel Quezon. The first
president was given certain power
for some internal affairs.

HIGHLIGHTED ARTWORKS DURING PRE-CONQUEST OR

COLONIAL PERIOD:

 Literature
* Oral Literature - Rituals like chants and songs.
* Written Literature - Cave drawings and Writings like the one
that is found in Angono.
 Visual Arts
* Painting- Carvings, Pottery/Body Ornamentation.
* Sculpture- Pottery/Carvings and Woodwork/Metal Work and
expression.
 Architecture
*Dwelling and Houses/ Shelters/worship areas.

Islamic Colonial Period

1301

HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS DURING ISLAMIC COLONIAL PERIOD:

- Stated in Sulu in the 13th century, when Sayvid Abbubakar of
Arabia arrived.

HIGHLIGHTED PERSONALITY:
- Sayvid Abbubakar- He is a missionary who facilitated the
building of religious schools, and teaching of Arabic reading,
and writing.
HIGHLIGHTED ARTFORMS:
 Literature
*Quran reading was introduced.
*Arabic language and writing were taught.
 Architecture- Mosque/Torogan/ Masjid was built
 Visual Arts
* Sculpture and Painting
- Ukkil/Okkir/Sarimanok/Sunduk was dominant in every Muslim
design.

Spanish Colonial Period

1521 - 1898

HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS and PERSONALITY DURING SPANISH

COLONIAL PERIOD:
-The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 marked the
beginning of an era of Spanish interest and eventual
colonization.
-In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos named the
archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain.
- The arrival of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi from New Spain
(Mexico) in 1565 established the first Spanish settlement in
the archipelago, which remained a Spanish colony for more
than 300 years.

HIGHLIGHTED ARTFORMS DURING SPANISH COLONIAL

PERIOD:
 Literature
* Manyan of Mindoro
*Doctrina Christiana
 Visual Arts
ARTFORMS:
 Visual Arts
*Basi Revolt
*Spolarium
*Virgenes Christianas expuestas al Populacho
-Silver Medallist- Felix Resurrection Hidalgo-Madrid
*Carta Hydrograpica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas
- By Francisco Suarez and Nicolas dela Cruz Bagay.
- First scientific map of the Philippines.
Paintings
* Religious/ Secular
Sculpture
* Santos, Furniture, Relieves, Altar Pieces, Jewelry,
Metalwork,
and fiesta ornamentation.
 Architecture
*Plaza Complex was introduced.
*Churches were built in cruciform following the shape of the
Latin Cross.
*Bahay na bato/Bahay na Tisa

 Music and Dance

*Pasyon at Pabasa- introduced in 1972.
*Kundiman or Balitaw
*Opening of the Suez Canal
 Theater
* Zarzuela of Sarsuela
*Senakulo
*Komedya
*Moro-moro
*Araguio or Arakyo

American Occupation

1898 - 1940

HIGHLIGHTED ARTWORKS DURING AMERICAN OCCUPATION;

-Visual Arts
-Paintings
*Fernando Amorsolo- His painting depicts Filipino culture.
*Landscapes, portrait, genre, interior, and still life.
-Sculpture
*Freestanding, relief, and public.
-Architecture
*Daniel Burnham- Commissioned to design Manila and Baguio.
* Government Structure, Public Works, apartment, health, and
public education.
-Theater
*Vaudeville

Japanese Occupation

1942 - 1945

HIGHLIGHTED PERSONALITY:
- Victorio Edades together with Calos "Botong" Francisco and
Galo Hernandes considered the "Triumvirate" pioneered
modern arts in the country.
HIGHLIGHTED ARTFORMS DURING JAPANESE OCCUPATION:
 Visual Arts
*Paintings and Sculpture- (Aggression, nationalism, symbolic
protest, Aspiration for peace)
*Propaganda
*Modern Art
 Architecture
* Public Works

Post War

1946 - 1969

HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS DURING POST WAR:

-1946-1969 was considered the dark period of Philippine
history. Because of World War 2 many artworks, buildings, and
lives have been destroyed by the war.
HIGHLIGHTED ARTWORKS DURING POST WAR:

Paintings and Sculpture

*Modern, Conservative, Abstract, Experimental, and Public Art.

Architecture
*Real estate, Safe housing, accessories, tenements, squatters,
convention arch, commercial/business, condo, and malls,
subdivision, development, and low-cost housing.

70's - Contemporary

1970

HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS AND PERSONALITY DURING 7O'S-

CONTEMPORARY:
-Culture and art became highlighted during the Marcos regime
when Imelda Marcos thought of having a home for the arts and
the Cultural Center of the Philippines was built.

HIGHLIGHTED ARTWORKS DURING 70'S-CONTEMPORARY:

-Visual Arts
*Paintings and Sculpture - Figurative, Non-figurative, Art for art
sake, Multimedia, Mixed Media, Transmedia.

-Architecture
*Real estate, Safe housing, accessories, tenements, squatters,
convention arch, commercial/business, condo, and malls,
subdivision, development, and low-cost housing.