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FOR ZAMBOANGA CITY DIVISION USE ONLY

NOT FOR SALE

11/12
21st Century Literature from the
Philippines and the World

QUARTER 1
WEEK 1.1

Capsulized Self-Learning Empowerment Toolkit

Schools Division Office of Zamboanga City

Region IX – Zamboanga Peninsula
Zamboanga City

“Unido, Junto avanza con el EduKalidad Cree, junto junto puede!”

Written by: MARION B. GUERRERO

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CapSLET
Capsulized Self-Learning Empowerment Toolkit

21st Century
Literature
from the
SUBJECT & Philippines
QUARTER 1 WEEK 1.1 DAY ___________________________________
GRADE/LEVEL and the dd/mm/yyyy

World

Grade 11/12
TOPIC Precolonial Literature of the Philippines
Identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of
Philippine literary history from pre-colonial to the
contemporary.
Objectives:
LEARNING Code:
 Identify some forms of Philippine precolonial literature.
COMPETENCY EN12Lit-Ia-21
 Compose a short narrative on toponymy (the origin of
the name of a place).
 Appreciate the value of precolonial literature as a
Filipino cultural heritage.
IMPORTANT: Do not write anything on this material. Write your answers on the Learner’s
Activity and Assessment Sheets provided separately.

UNDERSTAND
Forms of Precolonial Philippine Literature

We, Filipinos had

literature long When did literature start in the Philippines?
before the arrival of Nobody knows exactly when. That is why the
the Spaniards. period of literary history before the Spaniards
arrived is the longest.
Literature is any printed material about significant human
experiences. What did early Filipinos write about? They wrote about
common experiences of life in their village like food-gathering,
creatures and objects of nature, work in the home, field, forest or sea,
caring for children, etc.
Where did they write their literary pieces? How come we still know them after hundreds of years?
Since paper was not yet invented during that time, our ancestors wrote on barks of trees, leaves or
even bamboo. Most of their literatures were passed down from one generation to another through oral
tradition. Each generation contributed in the development of the story in what is known as
communal authorship.

What is communal authorship? It means that the community where the story came from is the
author, or there is no one person who can claim that he/she wrote the tale.

Why did early Filipinos have literature? Stories were told to explain why things happen, to help
them understand better the world they live in. Others were shared to preserve their culture and
history, and some for entertainment. Literary pieces that teach a lesson on values or morals are
described as didactic.

Written by: MARION B. GUERRERO

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SOME FORMS OF PRECOLONIAL PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

Proverbs (salawikain) – statements that are wise and in figurative language. They are usually
written in rhyming scheme.

Kung Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo.

(What good is the grass if the horse is already dead.)

This proverb often pertains to help or relief that came too late. It can also refer
to orders that took too long to arrive that it is no longer needed.

Sayings (kasabihan) – are phrases that state a general truth but in more direct language. Like
proverbs, they too are usually written to rhyme.

Ang buhay ay parang gulong, minsan nasa ibabaw, minsan nasa ilalim.
(Life's a wheel, sometimes on top, sometimes at the bottom.)

It means that we sometimes experience favorable events in life but sometimes

we experience not so favorable ones; the ups and downs in life

Riddles (bugtong) – statements that demand deeper answers and deals with everyday life. It
usually has common things as answers and was used in the past as forms of entertainment
through a battle of wits among the listeners.

Heto na si Kaka, bubuka-bukaka. (Here comes Kaka, walking with an open leg.)
Answer: scissors
A

Folk Songs (awiting bayan) – are folk lyrics that are usually chanted. It usually contains 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
figurative in nature. (Ex. kundiman [sad love songs], hele/uyayi [lullaby], kumintang [war
songs], dalit [worship songs])

Folk Tales (kwentong bayan) - are stories of origin for certain places, their names and their
creation. These are also known as myths and legends. They are usually used to explain certain
events or phenomena.

Both legends and myths can have deities (gods and goddesses) as characters.
Their difference lies in their time setting. Legends have evidences of human
civilization, while myths do not.

Epics (epiko) – are very long poems about a hero and his adventures. The epic hero has all
the ideal qualities of a man and who also has superhuman capabilities. He goes on to a journey
usually to obtain a prize or defeat an enemy nobody has done before.

SAQ-1: What can you say about the nature of precolonial literature in the Philippines?
SAQ-2: Why do you think it is important to study about the different forms of precolonial
literature?

Written by: MARION B. GUERRERO

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Let’s Practice! (Write your answer on the separate sheets provided.)

Directions: Read the following selection and then answer the questions that follow.

Do you know where

Mt. Pulong Bato is?
Do you know how it
got its name?

In the far distant past, there lived in Zamboanga –so an aged

imam says –a very powerful sultan named Dakula. Sultan Dakula
was known far and wide for his wise rule, fearlessness in combat,
fabulous wealth, and a harem composed of six beautiful women. As
is always the case in any harem, a favorite exists. The favorite in
this case was a beautiful young girl named Sumping Pote.

Ask a Tausug friend or speaker what

Dakula and Sumping Pote means.

Sumping Pote was the very life of the Sultan. All of Dakula’s attentions were showered on
her that finally the five other women in the harem revolted. Dakula abolished the harem and took
Sumping Pote as his sole wife. The sultan and his wife lived happily and stretched their commerce
to lands beyond horizons. One day, a young handsome prince named Wata from a kingdom in
Celebes, came to negotiate a treaty of trade with Sultan Dakula.

The lakes, rivers, hills, and mountains of Sultan Dakula’s domain were so fascinatingly
beautiful that the young Prince Wata immediately fell in love with them. However, what
captivated the prince most was the enchanting Sumping Pote. Her charming ways outshone all the
beautiful princesses he knew back home. Before the treaty could be finalized, Sultan Dakula had
to leave for battle against a powerful pirate chief who plundered one of his coastal towns, and
thus, for one long month, the sultan was away.

When he returned, he sensed that something was wrong with Sumping Pote. One moonless
night, unable to sleep, the sultan decided to take a walk. To his horror, he came upon his wife in
the arms of the young prince by the seashore. They were ready to set sail. Were the sultan armed
with his kris, he would have put his unfaithful wife and the young prince to death. But as it was,
he was temporarily helpless and the prince had two dozen armed men. The prince and Sumping
Pote were already far out in the sea when the enraged sultan with his warriors overtook them in
swift vintas. A fierce fight happened right there on the sea, but because they were outnumbered,
the prince’s men were all killed. Only the lives of the Prince Wata and Sumping Pote were spared.
Sumping Pote begged for forgiveness, but the sultan, having been hurt beyond repair, turned
down her pleadings.

It was not an easy task for him. For many nights, the sultan could not sleep thinking where
he had failed his wife, but he could not forgive her and he condemned the prince. He finally
ordered to put his unfaithful wife, together with her lover, inside a bamboo cage and be thrown in
the sea. On the day of the execution, however, Sultan Dakula realized that his wife was not
entirely to blame. It was the treacherous act of the prince that led Sumping Pote into the web of
disloyalty. He decided then that Prince Wata must suffer a more dreadful punishment –one that
will set an example for others and for ages to come.

Sumping Pote implored that the prince be set free and instead be banished from
Zamboanga. But all the pleas of the sultan’s wife fell on deaf ears. Gravely hurt by Sumping
Pote’s defense of the prince, Sultan Dakula sentenced her to death by drowning. For his
punishment, Prince Wata was commanded to build a monument, one that would tower the sky for
the entire world to see, wonder about, and draw a lasting lesson from.

Written by: MARION B. GUERRERO

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Every day, under heavy guard, the prince carried stones from a nearby river and piled
them in one place. Years passed and the pile of rocks rose to a towering height. And one day,
Prince Wata, now a weary aged man, fell dead on the peak of the mountain of rocks he had built.
He was buried on the spot where he died. The mountain is now called Pulong Bato or literally,
“stone mountain.”

1. Why is this story considered as precolonial Philippine literature?

2. What form of precolonial literature is the story?
3. Is the story didactic? If yes, what lesson is it trying to teach its audience?
4. How come we still know of this story? How do you think was it preserved?
5. How do you think was this story relayed to the community?

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REMEMBER
Key Points

 The period of development of precolonial Philippine literature is the longest, as its date of
origin is unknown as early Filipinos did not keep written records of their history.
 The subject of precolonial Philippine literary pieces was mostly about everyday life in the
community, and the attempt to explain observed natural phenomena, such as the origin of the
name of a place.
 Many of these pieces survived because they were transmitted from one generation to another
by way of oral tradition. Details were added as these pieces were relayed, thus, no one writer
is identified –this is known as communal authorship.
 These literary pieces were commonly didactic –that is, they impart a lesson or moral.
 Examples of precolonial literary forms are: proverbs, sayings, riddles, folk songs, folktales,
and epics.

Written by: MARION B. GUERRERO

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TRY
Let’s see how much have you learned today!

Directions: Read each item carefully and answer the following questions. Write the letter of the
correct answer for items 1-10. (Answer on the Learner’s Activity and Assessment sheets.)

Ask a Chavacano speaker to help you answer the
following riddles.
1. Tiene un pono, ta come su mismo cuerpo.
A. candela
B. culebra
2. De negro si vivo, de colorao si muerto.
A. cangrejo
B. lomboy
3. Cielo arriba, cielo abajo, agua entre medio.
A. butung
B. danao
4. Mucho sila man hermana, todo coga.
A. amarro pelo
B. escoba
5. Si de dia largao, si denoche trancao.
A. corral
B. ventana
6. Why is the Precolonial Period considered to be
the longest in Philippine literary history?
A. It covered the entire time we were under
Spanish rule.
B. It covers works written in various languages.
C. Its date of origin is unknown.
D. It had works written on leaves or barks of
trees.
7. Which of the following statements is TRUE
about folk song (awiting bayan)?
A. It had lyrics that described familiar
community or life experiences.
B. It required musical instruments as
accompaniments.
C. It was limited to people of high social status.
D. It required practice for mastery.
8. Which of the following is NOT a
proverb?
A. An egg once broken will never be the
same.
B. He who cackles, laid the eggs.
C. Love and cough, cannot be hidden.
D. It dived. It rose.
9. What characteristic differentiates a legend
from a myth?
A. Their characters.
B. Their purpose.
C. Their place setting.
D. Their time setting.
10. Which of the following is TRUE about
epics?
A. It is a long narrative poem.
B. It deals with animal characters.
C. It explains the origin of things or
phenomena.
D. It is contemporary literature.
Toponymy is the narrative or description
about the origin of the name of a place.
Where did your barangay get its name?
Ask around and write a toponymy about it.
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Books
Bienvenido L. Lumbera, Philippine Literature: A History and Anthology, ed.
Cynthia N. Lumbera Mandaluyong City: Anvil Publishing, 2005, 1-458

REFERENCE/S Cheeno Marlo M. Sayuno, ed., 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the
World, Makati City: DIWA Learning Systems, Inc., 2019, 1-267

Written by: MARION B. GUERRERO

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Illustrations
Lorelyn Medina, Illustration of a Filipino Kid Boy Wearing Traditional Costume
of a Farmer Conical Hat, Kamisa De Chino, Red Scarf and Slippers, digital art, n.d.,
accessed July 03, 2020, www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/illustration-filipino-kid-
boy-wearing-traditional-1281081337

Pushkin, Illustration of a Pencil Character Giving Thumb’s Up, digital art, n.d., accessed
July 03, 2020, www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/illustration-pencil-character-
giving-thumbs-75925126

Nicole Solis, Precolonial Filipinx Culture, digital art April 05, 2018, accessed July 03,
2020, https://solicole.tumblr.com/post/172614225555/pre-colonial-filipinx-culture

This learning resource contains copyrighted materials. The use of which has not been
specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making this learning resource in our
efforts to provide printed and e-copy learning resources available for the learners about the
learning continuity plan of this division in this time of pandemic.
DISCLAIMER
OF LIABILITY Credits and respect to the original creator/owner of the materials found in this learning
resource. This material is not intended for uploading nor for commercial use, but purely for
educational purposes and for the utilization of Zamboanga City Division only. No
malicious infringement is intended by the writer.

Written by: MARION B. GUERRERO