Philippine Literature during the Spanish Regime

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This is lecture about the literature that Filipinos had during the Spanish colonization... which was over 300 years.

April 14, 1521

On this year the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (serving the Spanish royalty) arrived at the islands of the Philippines and erected a wooden cross on the shores of Cebu

What happened in April 14, 1521

began the Spanish colonization and introduced Roman Catholicism in the Philippines


The Dominicans introduced the xylographic press

Xylographic press

It is printing that involved wood cutting and made possible the production of religious literature

Folk songs

These are songs that reflect the folk way of Filipinos and it is also defined as spontaneous expressions

Doctrina Christiana

It is the first book printed in the Philippines. It is in Filipino and Spanish and is for the exclusive use of missionaries. It is used as a script to convert Filipinos into Catholics

Religious Literature

Examples of these and booklets on catechism, religious stories of Martyrs and saints, passion of the Christ, and prayer books.


It is a shadow play using puppets made from cardboard skillfully manipulated by a narrator behind the screen


It is an elaborate debate about religion.


It is a less elaborate debate that is also considered a parlor game

Duplo and Karagatan

Both are debates and were means to relieve the monotony and sadness of the prayers for the dead in funerals


It is a play that depicts battles between Christians and Muslims in the Philippines. In these plays, the Muslims are the villains and in the end, the Christians always win


It has 4 lines in a stanza, and 12 syllables in a line. An example of this is Florante at Laura.


It has 4 lines in a stanza, and 8 syllables in a line. An example of this is Ibong Adarna

Metrical tales

These are tales that were poetic originally


These are native Filipinos who were taught Spanish and served as translators to the Spanish government


This is a kind of literature that was meat to be performed on a stage. It shows communication between the actors and the audience.


These are rich Filipinos during the Spanish Era

The Propaganda movement

included the upper class Filipinos, liberals, and students attending European universities.

Upper class Filipinos, liberals, and students attending European universities

strove to awaken the sleeping intellect of the Spaniards to the needs of our country

Diariong Tagalog

This was the first native daily newspaper founded by Marcelo H. del Pilarr in 1882 (July - October)

La Solidaridad

This was a biweekly newspaper in Barcelona, Spain, established in1889 by Graciano Lopez Jaena. It went out of business in 1895.

Jose Rizal's Novels

(One:) Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) in 1886
(Two:) El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed) in 1891

Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo

Although they were banned, they were smuggled into the Philippines and rapidly gained wide readership (which lead to Filipino national consciousness)

Marcelo H. del Pilar


Jose Rizal

Laon Laan

Antonio Luna

Taga Ilog

Mariano Ponce



Jose Maria Panganiban


Dr. Pedro Paterno


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