Philippine literature is the literature associated with the
Philippines and includes the legends of prehistory, and the colonial
legacy of the Philippines. Most of the notable literature of the
Philippines was written during the Spanish period and the first half of
the 20th century in Spanish language. Philippine literature is written
in Spanish, English, Tagalog, and/or other native Philippine languages.
Philippine Literature is a diverse and rich group of works
that has evolved side by side with the country’s history. Literature has
started with fables and legends made by the ancient Filipinos long
before the arrival of the Spanish influence. The main themes of
Philippine literature focus on the country’s pre-colonial cultural
traditions and the socio-political histories of its colonial and
contemporary traditions.
It is not a secret that many Filipinos are unfamiliar with
Philippine literature especially those written long before the Spanish
arrived in our country. This is due to the fact that the stories of
ancient time were not written, but rather passed on from generation to
generation through word of mouth. Only in 1521 did the Filipinos become
to be acquainted with literature due to the influence of the Spaniards
on us. But the literature that the Filipinos became acquainted with are
not Filipino made, rather, they were works of Spanish authors.
So successful were the efforts of colonialists to blot out the
memory of the country's largely oral past that present-day Filipino
writers, artists and journalists are trying to correct this inequity by
recognizing the country's wealth of ethnic traditions and disseminating
them in schools and through mass media.
The rise of nationalistic pride in the 1960s and 1970s also
helped bring about this change of attitude among a new breed of
Filipinos concerned about the "Filipino identity."
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