PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN THE JAPANESE ERA

(1941 - 1945)
 Japanese period has been called one of the darkest days in the history and literary
tradition of the Philippines. The wartime experiences and events of the troubled times left
indelible imprints to the lives of the Filipino nation. However, there are still few and
remaining bright spots in this generally dark and gloomy days.
 Between 1941 and 1945, Philippine Literature was interrupted in its development when
the Philippines was again conquered by another foreign country, Japan. Philippine
literature in English came to a halt. Except for the tribune and the Philippine review, almost
all newspapers in English were stopped by the Japanese.
 Tagalog was favored by the Japanese military authority, writing in English was consigned
to limbo.
 This had an advantageous effect on Filipino Literature, which experienced renewed
attention because writers in English turned to writing in Filipino. Juan Laya, who use to
write in English turned to Filipino because of the strict prohibitions of the Japanese
regarding any writing in English. The weekly LIWAYWAY was placed under strict
surveillance until it was managed by Japanese named Ishiwara.
 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.
 The arrival of the Japanese caused tremendous fear, hardships and suffering among the
Filipinos. The Filipino way of life was greatly affected during the Japanese period. The
Filipinos lost their freedom of speech and expression. The development of art was also
stopped. Filipinos greatly feared the "zoning". There were Filipinos spies hired by the
Japanese to point those who were suspected of being part of the guerilla movement. The
Japanese made some changes in the system of education.
POST-JAPANESE EFFECT:

 It picked up after the war, however, with a fervor and drive for excellence that continue to
this day. Stevan Javellana's "Without Seeing the Dawn" (1947), the first postwar novel in
English, was published in the United States. In 1946, the Barangay Writers Project was
founded to help publish books in English.
 Because of the strict prohibitions imposed by the Japanese in the writing and publishing
of works in English, Philippine literature in English experienced a dark period. The few
who dared to write did so for their bread and butter or for propaganda.
 Writing 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.
o CARLOS P. ROMULO – He was a noteworthy writer during the period. He won the
Pulitzer Prize for his bestsellers I SAW THE FALL OF THE PHILIPPINES, I SEE
THE PHILIPPINES RISE and his MOTHER AMERICA AND MY BROTHER
AMERICANS. He also wrote THE LAUGHTER OF MY FATHER (1944), THE
VOICE OF BATAAN (1943), SIX FILIPINO POET (1942).
o Journalists include Salvador P. Lopez, Leon Ma. Guerrero, Raul Manglapuz, and
Carlos Bulosan.
o Nick Joaquin produced THE WOMAN WHO LOOKED LIKE LAZARUS.
o F. B. Icasiano wrote essays in THE PHILIPPINE REVIEW.
 o Alfredo Litiatco published WITH HARD AND SLING
o Jose P. Laurel published FORCES THAT MAKE A NATION GREAT (1943).
o The Commonwealth Literary Awards
o Like the Molave – Rafael Zulueta da Costa (Poetry)
o How my Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife – Manuel E. Arguilla (Short Story)
o Literature and Society – Salvador P. Lopez (Essay)
o His Native Soil – Juan Laya (Novel)
o President Manuel L. Quezon’s autobiography THE GOOD FIGHT was published
posthumously.
o Radio broadcasts echoes the mingled fear and doubts in the heats of the people.
o Other writers of this period were Juan Collas (1944), Tomas Confesor (1945),
Roman A. dela Cruz and Elisa Tabuñar.
 Against a background marked by political unrest and government battles with Hukbalahap
guerrillas, writers in English in the postwar period honed their sense of craft and
techniques. Among the writers who came into their own during this time were:
o Nick Joaquin, o Dominador Ilio,
o NVM Gonzalez, o T.D. Agcaoili,
o Francisco Arcellana, o Alejandro R. Roces,
o Carlos Bulosan, o Sinai C. Hamada,
o F. Sionil Jose, o Linda Ty-Casper,
o Ricaredo Demetillo, o Virginia Moreno,
o Kerima Polotan Tuvera, o Luis Dato,
o Carlos Angeles, o Gilda Cordero-Fernando,
o Edilberto K. Tiempo, o Abelardo
o Amador Daguio, o Tarrosa Subido,
o Estrella Alfon, o Manuel A. Viray,
o Alejandrino Hufana, o Vicente Rivera Jr., and
o Gregorio Brillantes, o Oscar de Zuñiga, among
o Bienvenido Santos, many others.

 Fresh from studies in American universities, usually as Fulbright or Rockefeller scholars,

a number of these writers introduced New Criticism to the country and applied its tenets
in literature classes and writing workshops. In this way were born the Silliman Writers
Summer Workshop (started in 1962 by Edilberto K. Tiempo and Edith L. Tiempo) and the
U.P. Writers Summer Workshop (started in 1965 by the Department of English at the U.P.).
To this day, these workshops help discover writing talents and develop them in their craft.
o New Criticism emphasizes explication, or "close reading," of "the work itself." It
rejects old historicism's attention to biographical and sociological matters. Instead,
the objective determination as to "how a piece works" can be found through close
focus and analysis, rather than through extraneous and erudite special knowledge.
It has long been the pervasive and standard approach to literature in college and
high school curricula.
o New Criticism, incorporating Formalism, examines the relationships between a
text's ideas and its form, between what a text says and the way it says it. New
Critics "may find tension, irony, or paradox in this relation, but they usually resolve
it into unity and coherence of meaning" (Biddle 100). New Criticism attempts to be
a science of literature, with a technical vocabulary, some of which we all had to
 learn in junior high school English classes (third-person, denoument, etc.).
Working with patterns of sound, imagery, narrative structure, point of view, and
other techniques discernible on close reading of the text, they seek to determine
the function and appropriateness of these to the self-contained work.
NEW LITERARY KINDS EMERGED:

 Three types of poems emerged during this period. They were:

1. Haiku – a poem of free verse that the Japanese like. It was made up of 17 syllables
divided into three lines. The first line had 5 syllables, the second, 7 syllables, and the
third, five. The Haiku is allegorical in meaning, is short and covers a wide scope in
meaning.
2. Tanaga – like the Haiku, is short but it had measure and rhyme. Each line had 17
syllables and it’s also allegorical in meaning.
3. Karaniwang Anyo (Usual Form) – usual common form of poetry

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

 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. Francisco Soc Rodrigo,
Alberto Concio, and Narciso Pimentel founded the organization of Filipino players named
Dramatic Philippines.
o Jose Ma. Hernandez – wrote PANDAY PIRA
o Francisco SocRodgrigo– wrote PULA, SA PUTI
o Clodualdo del Mundo– wrote BULAGA
o Julian Cruz Balmaceda– wrote SINO BA KAYO?, DAHIL SA ANAK, and HIGANTE
NG PATAY.
 The field of the short story widened during the Japanese Occupation. Many wrote short
stories. Among them were: Brigido Batungbakal, Macario Pineda, Serafin Guinigundo,
Liwayway Arceo, Narciso Ramos, NVM Gonzales, Alicia Lopez Lim, Ligaya Perez, and
Gloria Guzman.
 The best writings in 1945 were selected by a group of judges composed of Francisco
Icasiano, Jose Esperanza Cruz, Antonio Rosales, Clodualdodel Mundo and Teodoro
Santos.
First Prize: Narciso Reyes with his LUPANG TINUBUAN
Second Prize: Liwayway Arceo’s UHAW ANG TIGANG NA LUPA
Third Prize: NVM Gonzales’ LUNSOD NAYON AT DAGAT-DAGATAN

SOURCES:

 https://www.slideshare.net/xenhiroshima/elena-23726607?fbclid=IwAR0a4xyC1ZVME8-
0C3M9BYFKemfMV9W1Vt8xnHm0H1ZMd0fHn0YIWGfVUFw
 https://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/new.crit.html