An In-Depth Look at 21st Century Filipino Literature: Trends, Themes, and Innovations

Introduction to 21st Century Literature from the Philippines
The 21st century has witnessed profound changes in the landscape of Filipino literature, reflecting the Philippines’ shifting social, political, and cultural dynamics. As the country navigates through the complexities of globalization, digital transformation, and social upheaval, its literature has evolved to address contemporary issues while building on its rich literary heritage. This exploration delves into the significant themes, trends, and notable figures shaping modern Filipino literature.

Historical and Cultural Context
Colonial Legacy and Post-Colonialism
To understand contemporary Filipino literature, it’s essential to appreciate its historical context. The Philippines, having experienced over three centuries of Spanish rule and subsequent American colonization, has a deeply entrenched colonial history. This past has significantly influenced Filipino literary forms, themes, and expressions.

The post-colonial period saw a rise in nationalistic and identity-driven literature, with writers grappling with issues of self and nationhood. As the country transitioned into the 21st century, this legacy continued to inform literature, but with new layers of complexity introduced by globalization and technological advancements.

The Role of Democracy and Social Change
The fall of Ferdinand Marcos' dictatorship in 1986 and the subsequent establishment of democratic governance marked a new chapter in Philippine history. This transition opened up space for more diverse voices and themes in literature. Writers began to explore and critique various aspects of Filipino society, including political corruption, human rights abuses, and social inequality.

Themes and Trends in 21st Century Filipino Literature
Identity and Multiculturalism
One of the most prominent themes in contemporary Filipino literature is the exploration of identity. Writers address the multifaceted nature of Filipino identity, which is shaped by ethnic diversity, colonial history, and globalization. The concept of identity is examined through various lenses, including personal, cultural, and national dimensions.

Ethnic and Cultural Identity: The Philippines is an archipelago with over 7,000 islands and more than 175 ethnic groups. This diversity is reflected in the literature of the 21st century. Authors from different regions bring their unique perspectives and cultural narratives to the forefront. For example, the literature of Mindanao often incorporates indigenous traditions and languages, while works from Luzon might reflect different historical and cultural experiences.

Gender and Sexuality: Contemporary literature also explores issues related to gender and sexuality. Female writers, in particular, have used their work to address gender inequalities and challenge traditional gender roles. Similarly, LGBTQ+ authors are gaining visibility, and their works often explore themes of identity, acceptance, and resistance a

1. 21st Century
Literature from
the Philippines
and the World
MS. ANGELICA L. ALEA
Subject Teacher
Introduction to the

2. What is
Literature?
• Is a body of written works.
• Originated from oral
traditions.
• Are imaginative works.
• Deals with stories and poetry.
• The content depends on the
author.
Literature is...

3. Three Points
of Literature
Authors
interpret
these human
experiences.
Literature
portrays
human
experience.
It is an art
form and a
style of
expression.

4. The
Literary
Periods

5. BC-1564
The Pre-
Colonial Period

6. Page 1
 The evolution of Philippine
literature depended on the influences
of colonization and the spirit of the
age. 
The first Filipino alphabet called
BAYBAYIN was replaced by the
Roman alphabet. 

8.  Indigenous Philippine literature was based on
traditions and customs of a particular area of the
country.
Philippines is an archipelago country, consisting
several islands, (7,107 islands to be exact), and each
of those islands has its specifications of cultures and
traditions, bearing different set of native literature.

9.  Ancient literatures were written on the
perishable materials like dried leaves,
bamboo cylinder, and bark of the trees.
Literatures were handed down to us
through the word of mouth.

10. Forms
A. Riddles
B. Proverbs
ORAL
LITERATURE
A. Lullabies
B. Drinking
Songs
C. Love
Songs
D. Songs of
Death
E. Religious
Songs
FOLK SONGS
A. Myths
B. Legends
C. Fables
D. Epics
FOLK TALES

11. RIDDLES (MGA BUGTONG)
• These are statements that contain
superficial words, but they function
figuratively and as metaphors, and
are in the form of questions.
• These are questions that demand
deeper answers.
• Deals with everyday life.
• It usually has mundane things as
answers.
• This is used in the past as a form of
game in small or large gatherings.

12. • These are statements that
are considered as wise.
• These are usually given by
parents or elders of the
community.
• There is belief that
experience is the best
teacher.
PROVERBS (MGA SALAWIKAIN)

13. • These are folk lyrics that are usually
chanted.
• These usually contain ideas on
aspirations, hopes, everyday life and
expressions of love for loved ones.
• It is bounded by the learning of good
morals.
• It is easy to understand because it is
straightforward and not figurative in
nature.
FOLK SONGS

14. Forms
these is locally known as the Hele. These are sung
to put to sleep babies. The content varies, but
usually, parents sing these with ideas on how hard
life is and how they hope that their child will not
experience the hardships of life.
LULLABIES
DRINKING SONGS
these are locally known as Tagay and are sung
during drinking sessions.

15. Forms
to many Filipinos, these are known as the Harana. It can also
be called Courtship Songs and are used by young men to
capture the heart of the girl that they love.
LOVE SONGS
RELIGIOUS SONGS
are songs or chants that are usually given during
exorcisms and thanksgiving during good harvest.
SONGS OF DEATH
are lamentations that contain the roll of good deeds that
the dead has usually done to immortaliz his or her good
image.

16. • These are stories of native Filipinos.
• These deal with the power of naturepersonified,
their submission to a deityusually Bathala- and
how this deity is responsible for the blessings and
calamities.
• These also tackle about irresponsibility, lust,
stupidity, deception, and fallibility that
eventually leads to the instilling of good morals.
Folk tales (Mga kwentong bayan)

17. Usual Themes
• Ceremonies needed to appease the
deities.
• Pre and Post apocalypse
• Life and Death
• Gods and Goddesses
• Heroes and Heroines
• Supernatural beings
• Animals

18. Forms
• Myths- these tackle the natural to
strange occurences of the earth and how
things were created with an aim to give
an explanation to things.
-There is Bathala for the Tagalogs and
the Gueurang for the Bikolanos. -
Paradise is known as Maca, while Hell is
Kasanaaan

19. Forms
through legends, the
natives uderstood
mysteries around
them. These stories
usually come with a
moral lesson that
give credit to
supernatural
powers,
supernatural
occurences, and
other out-ofthis-
world native
imagination.
Legends
Fables
are short or brief
stories that cater
the children of the
native Filipinos and
are usually
bounded by good
manners and right
conduct. These
stories use animals
as characters that
represent a
particular value or
characteristic.
Epics
are very lengthy
narratives that are
based on oral
traditions. These
contain
encounters of
fighters,
stereotypical
princes or heroes
that save a damsel
in distress.

20. 1521-1898
The Spanish
Period

21. The Spanish Period
• The start of the Philippine's more
colorful history took place in March 6,
1521 when Ferdinand Magellan docked
on the shores of Homonhon.
• The Filipinos were then called
“Ladinos”, meaning they were
latinized.

22. The Spanish Period
• Filipinos were called two things. One is
the “Taga-Bayan”, while the other is the
“Taga-bukid” or “Taga-bundok”.
• A person who is a Taga-bayan is
considered urbane and civilized and were
in easy range of the church and state.

23. The Spanish Period
• A person who is a Taga-bundok or
Taga-bukid is called a Bruto Salvage
(Savage Brute) or Indio and were the
ones who lived far from the center of
the Spanish power.

24. Forms
1. Religious Literature
a. Pasyon b. Senakulo c. Komedya
2. Secular or Non-Religious Literature
a. Awit b. Korido c. Prose Narratives
3. Propaganda Literature
4. Revolutionary Literature

25. Religious Literature
Revolves around the life and
the death of Jesus Christ.

26. Forms of Religious Literature:
Pasyon- it is about the passion
(journey and suffering) and the death
of Jesus
Christ.
Senakulo- it is the re-enactment of
the Pasyon.

27. Forms of Religious Literature:
Komedya- it depicts the European society
through love and fame, but can also
be a narrative about a journey, just like
Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. It is
also considered religous, because it
usually depicts the battle between the
Christians and the Saracens or the Moros.

28. Secular or Non-
Religious Literature
• Revolves around
tales of valiance and
adventure.

29. Forms of Secular or Non-
Religious Literature:
Awit- these are tales of chivalry where
a knight saves a princess. Florante at
Laura is a good example.
Korido- is a metrical tale or a tale that
follows the struture of a poem.

30. Forms of Secular or Non-
Religious Literature:
Prose Narratives- are easy to
understand instructional materials
that in a literary light that teaches
Filipinos on proper decorum.
Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na
si Urbana at Feliza (1864) is a good
example.

31. Propaganda Literature
• These were in the forms of satires,
editorials, and news articles that aimed to
attack the Spanish Rule.
• The propaganda trinity is composed of
Dr. Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, and
Graciano Lopez Jaena

32. Filipino writers in Spanish became
conscious for the search for freedom
a. Pasyon Dapat Ipag-alab ng Puso by
Marcelo H. del Pilar expressed his
rebellious writing style was identified.
b. Pascual Poblete’s Patnubay sa
Binyagan associated Filipinos’ struggle
for independence with Jesus’ life.

33. Filipino writers in Spanish became
conscious for the search for freedom
c. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo made very
powerful contributions among the
Filipinos the introduction of
rejecting Spanish rule. He also
influenced the succeeding writers.

34. Filipino writers in Spanish became
conscious for the search for freedom
d. The narrative poems Awit
and Corrido talked about world
of royals, warriors and lovers
(the basic concept in Florante
at Laura).

35. Filipino writers in Spanish became
conscious for the search for freedom
e. Komedya. Francisco Baltazar’s
Florante at Laura embodied the
concept of colonization and
oppression which gave voice to their
revolutionary action towards
freedom.

36. 1900-1942
The AMERICAN
Period

37. The American Period
• The Philippines had a great leap in
Education and Culture.
• The use of English alongside
Filipino was practiced.
• The Philippines Public School
system was introduced.

38. The American Period
• Free public instruction was given to
the Filipinos.
• The literature during the American
period was considered as imitative of
American model. Instead of asking the
students to write originals, students
ended up following the form of
American poets.

39. The American Period
Short story writers in English like
Manuel Arguilla in his “A Son is
Born,” was one of the foundations
of the Philippine literature, not in
Tagalog or in Spanish, but during
this time, in English. Poetry in
English was also founded.

40. The American Period
Sarzuela was overpowered by
English drama.
Even if Philippine literature was in
English, the preservation of the
content for Filipino experiences
was achieved.

41. Forms
1. Poetry- poetry under the
American rule still followed the
style of the old, but had contents
that ranged from free writing to
societal concerns under the
Americans.

42. Forms
2. Drama- was usually used in the
American period to degrade the
Spanish rule and to immortalize
the heroism of the men who
fought under the Katipunan.

43. Forms
3. Remake Novels- took up
Dr. Jose Rizal's portrayal of
social conditions by
colonial repression.

44. 1941-1945
The JAPANESE
Period

45. 1946- 1985
The REPUBLIC

46. The Japanese Period
• The Philippine literature came into
a halt.
• The use of the English language
was forbidden, and the use of the
Filipino language was mandated
under the Japanese rule.

47. The Japanese Period
• For some this was a problem,
but to most writers, it was a
blessing in disguise.
• Almost all news papers were
stopped except for some.

48. The Japanese Period
• Filipino literature was given a
break during this period. Many
wrote plays, poems, short
stories, etc. Topics and themes
were often about life in the
provinces.

49. Forms
1. Poetry
- The common theme of most
poems during the Japanese
occupation was nationalism,
country, love, and life in the
barrios, faith, religion and the
arts.

50. Forms
2. Fiction
- The field of the short story
widened during the Japanese
Occupation. Many wrote short
stories.

51. Forms
3. Drama
- The drama experienced a lull during
the Japanese period because movie
houses showing American films were
closed. The big movie houses were just
made to show stage shows. Many of the
plays were reproductions of English
plays to Tagalog.

52. Forms
4. Newspapers
- Writings that came out during this period
were journalistic in nature. Writers felt
suppressed but slowly, the spirit of
nationalism started to seep into their
consciousness. While some continued to
write, the majority waited for a better
climate to publish their works.

53. Forms
5. Essays
-Essays were composed to
glorify the Filipinos and at the
same time to figuratively
attack the Japanese.

54. 1946 to Present
The
Contemporary
Period

55. The Contemporary Period
This period started during the
rebirth of freedom in (1946-to
present). The Americans returned
in 1945. Filipinos rejoiced and
guerrillas that fled to the mountain
joined the liberating American
Army.

56. The Contemporary Period
On July 4, 1946, the Philippines
regained its freedom and the
Filipino flag waved joyously alone.
The chains were broken.

57. The State of Literature
during this Period
The early post-liberation period
was marked by a kind of “struggle
of mind and spirit” posed by the
sudden emancipation from the
enemy, and the wild desire to see
print.

58. The State of Literature
during this Period
a. Heart of The Islands (1947) – a collection of
poems by Manuel Viray
b. Philippines Cross Section (1950) – a
collection of prose and poetry by Maximo
Ramos and Florentino Valeros
c. Prose and Poems (1952) – by Nick Joaquin d.
Philippine Writing (1953) – by T.D. Agcaoili

59. The State of Literature
during this Period
e. Philippine Havest – by Amador Daguio
f. Horizons Least (1967) – a collection of works by
the professors of UE, mostly in English (short
stories, essays, research papers, poem and drama)
by Artemio Patacsil and Silverio Baltazar. The
themes of most poems dealt with the usual love of
nature, and of social and political problems. Toribia
Maño’s poems showed deep emotional intensity.

60. The State of Literature
during this Period
g. Who Spoke of Courage in His Sleep – by NVM
Gonzales
h. Speak Not, Speak Also – by Conrado V.
Pedroche
i. Other poets were Toribia Maño and Edith L.
Tiempo, Jose Garcia Villa’s Have Come, Am Here
has won acclaim both here and abroad

61. The New Filipino Literature during
this Period
Philippine literature in Tagalog
was revived during this period.
Most themes in the writings dealt
with Japanese brutalities, of the
poverty of life under the Japanese
government and the brave guerilla
exploits.

62. 1970 to 1972
Period of
Activism

63. A. Period of Activism
Many young people became activists
to ask for changes in the
government. In the expression of
this desire for change, keen were the
writings of some youth who were
fired with nationalism in order to
emphasize the importance of their
petitions.

64. The Literary Revolution
The youth became completely rebellious
during this period. This was proven not only
in the bloody demonstrations and in the
sidewalk expressions but also in literature.
Campus newspapers showed rebellious
emotions. The once aristocratic writers
developed awareness for society. They held
pens and wrote on placards in red paint the
equivalent of the word MAKIBAKA (To dare!).

65. Writing During the Period of Activism
The irreverence for the poor
reached its peak during this period
of the mass revolution. It was also
during this period that Bomba
films that discredit our ways as
Filipinos started to come out.

66. 1972-1980
Period of the
New Society

67. B. Period of the New Society
The period of the New Society started on
September 21, 1972. The Carlos Palanca
Awards continued to give annual awards.
Almost all themes in most writings dealt
with the development or progress of the
country –like the Green Revolution,
family planning, proper nutrition,
environment, drug addiction and
pollution.

68. B. Period of the New Society
The New Society tried to stop
pornography or those writings
giving bad influences on the
morals of the people. All school
newspapers were temporarily
stopped and so with school
organizations.

69. Filipino Poetry during the Period
of the New Society
Themes of most poems dealt with
patience, regard for native culture,
customs and the beauties of nature
and surroundings.

70. The Play under the New Society
The government led in reviving old
plays and dramas, like the Tagalog
Zarzuela, Cenaculo and the Embayoka
of the Muslims which were presented
in the rebuilt Metropolitan Theater, the
Folk Arts Theater and the Cultural
Center of the Philippines.

71. Radio and Television
Radio continued to be patronized
during this period. The play series
like Si Matar, Dahlia, Ito Ang
Palad Ko, and Mr. Lonely were the
forms of recreation of those
without television.

72. Filipino Films
A yearly Pista ng mga Pelikulang
Pilipino (Yearly Filipino Film
Festival) was held during this
time. During the festival which
lasted usually for a month, only
Filipino films were shown in all
theaters in Metro Manila.

73. Filipino Films
1. Maynila…Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag written by Edgardo
Reyes and filmed under the direction of Lino Brocka. Bembol
Roco was the lead role.
2. Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo, Nora Aunor was the
principal performer here.
3. Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon led by
Christopher de Leon and Gloria Diaz.
4. Insiang: by Hilda Koronel
5. Aguila: led by Fernando Poe Jr., Jay Ilagan and Christopher
de Leon

74. The Play under the New Society
The government led in reviving old
plays and dramas, like the Tagalog
Zarzuela, Cenaculo and the Embayoka
of the Muslims which were presented
in the rebuilt Metropolitan Theater, the
Folk Arts Theater and the Cultural
Center of the Philippines.

75. Comics, Magazines and other
Publications
In this period of the New Society,
newspapers donned new forms. News
on economic progress, discipline,
culture, tourism and the like were
favored more than the sensationalized
reporting of killings, rape and
robberies.

76. 1981-1985
Period of the
Third Republic

77. C. Period of the Third Republic
After ten years of military rule
and some changes in the life
of the Filipino which started
under the New Society,
Martial Rule was at last lifted
on January 2, 1981.

78. C. Period of the Third Republic
1. Filipino Poetry
• Poems during this period of the Third
Republic were romantic and
revolutionary. Writers wrote openly of
their criticism against the government.
The supplications of the people were
coached in fiery, colorful, violent,
profane and insulting language.

79. C. Period of the Third Republic
2. Filipino Songs
• Many Filipino songs dealt with
themes that were really true-to-life
like those of grief, poverty,
aspirations for freedom, love of
God, of country and of fellowmen.

80. Philippine Films during the Period
The yearly Festival of Filipino
Films continued to be held
during this period. The people’s
love for sex films also was
unabated. Below is the table of
the list of Philippine Films during
the Third Republic.

82. 1986-Present
Rebirth of
Freedom

83. D. Rebirth of Freedom
History took another twist. Once more, the
Filipino people regained their
independence which they lost twenty
years ago. In the span of four days from
February 21-25, 1986, the so-called People
Power (Lakas ng Bayan) prevailed.
Together, the people barricaded the
streets petitioning the government for
changes and reforms.

84. Newspapers and other Publications
Newspapers which were once
branded crony newspapers
became instant opposition
papers overnight. This was true
of BULLETIN TODAY which
became the opposition paper.

85. Books
The Philippine revolution of 1986 and
the fire of its spirit that will carry the
Filipinos through another epoch in
Philippine history is still being
documented just as they have been in
the countless millions who
participated in body and spirit in its
realization.