II. The Middle Period – 1930 to 1960
Filipino writers in English began by mastering
vocabulary, learning the mechanics of grammar, and imitating established
Western writers. Indeed, the early period of Philippine Literature in English
was a time of learning by trial and error. But by 1925 the extent and quality
of writing had greatly improved. Perhaps, it is wrong to say that the early
period ended in 1930. For it really faded out around the mid 20s and the middle
period of Philippine Literature began somewhere in the early 30s. The transition
was gradual and it overlapped.
In 1937 a Brief History of the Philippine
Literature was published by Teofilo del Castillo. This book was of
special importance since it was one of the first authoritative and objective
studies of Philippine Literature.
A few years later, on February 26, 1939, the
Philippine Writers League was formed. This was a highly influential
organization during its brief existence. Its aims were to provide a center for
the cultural activities of Filipino writers, to uplift cultural standards, to
stimulate the social consciousness of the writer, to arrange for lectures and
conferences, to establish friendly relations with writers for other countries,
and to defend freedom of thought and expression. Its first president was
Federico Mangahas, while Salvador P. Lopez, Jose A. Lansang, and I. P.
Caballero served as Vice – Presidents.
At this time one of the outstanding spokesman for
more social consciousness in literature was Salvador P. Lopez. He defined
proletarian literature as “The interpretation of the experience of the working
class in a world that has been rendered doubly dynamic by its struggles.” He
stressed that the writer must champion the cause of the proletariat and
interpret the experience of the working class in a world. Lopez directed the
writer’s attention to the real Philippines so that he saw and described things
which had never been notice or portrayed before.
In 1940 the first Commonwealth Literary Awards
were granted by President Quezon. In the English division the winners were:
easy - Salvador P. Lopez forLiterature and Society; short story -
Manuel E. Arguilla for How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife and
Other Short Stories; poetry - R. Zulueta da Costa forLike the
Molave; and the novel - Juan C. Laya for His Native Soil.
The recognition that these awards provided was an
excellent stimulus for all writers. Hopes were high for further developments in
Philippine literature. But these hopes were shattered on December 7, 1941, when
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and war began in the Pacific. A period of uncertainty
and fear began as the Japanese entered Manila on January 3, 1942. Martial Law
was immediately proclaimed. Most writers left the city and fled to the
mountains. Many joined the army and fought in Bataan and Corregidor. Some died
in prison camps or were executed. Among the promising writers who died during
the war years were Manuel E. Arguilla, A.G. Dayrit, A.E. Litiaco, and Francisco
B. Icasiano.
Victoria Abelardo has described Filipino writing
during the Japanese occupation as being pessimistic and bitter. There were some
efforts at escapist literature, but in general the literary output was minor
and insignificant. Because of strict censorship, few literary works were
printed during the war years. However, some publications were allowed such
as The Tribune, Philippine Review, Pillars, Free Philippines, and
Filipina.
On February 28, 1945, the long-exiled
Commonwealth Government was reestablished in Malacañang. As the country
recovered from the war, its writers turned first to journalistic efforts and
then to creative works. The Filipino writer observed a country that was
devastated by war, shattered economically, and struggling politically. Many
journalists freely described what they saw and commented on necessary changes.
It was a time of reevaluation and rebuilding. There was a sudden growth of
periodicals such as The Manila Posts, The Evening News, The
Philippine-American, The Manila Times, and The Manila
Chronicle. At the same time Philippines Free Press and
the Philippines Heraldresumed publication. Once again various
college journals appeared such as Literary Apprentice(University of
the Philippines), Varsitarian (University of Santo
Tomas), National (National University), andAdvocate (Far
Eastern University). Among te new journals were Crossroads (Far
Eastern University),Sands and Coral (Silliman University), Standard(Arellano
University), and Dawn (University of the East).
With the proclamation of philippine Independence
on July 4, 1946, most writers felt a new sense of responsibility and freedom.
The writers seemed more perceptive of their country and the world around them.
At first, a number of guerilla and liberation stories appeared. Stevan
Javellana's Without Seeing the Dawn was the first postwar
Filipino novel published in the United States. In 1946 the Barangay Writers
Project was organized to publish books by Filipino writers in English. N.V.M.
Gonzalez served as first president. Within a few years, they publishedHeart
of the Island (1947) by Manuel A. Viray,Philippine Cross Section (1950)
by Maximo Ramos and Florentino B. Valeros, and Philippine Poetry Annual(1950)
by Manuel A. Viray.
At this time literary awards provided further
encouragement for creative writing. Delfin Fresnosa and Manuel A. Viray began
in 1947 to publish annual honor roles for the best short stories and poems. TheFree
Press in 1949, resumed its annual short story awards with first place
going to Nick Joaquin for his "Guardia de Honor." In 1950 the Carlos
Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature were created. Juan T. Gatbonton's
"Clay" won first prize in the English Short Story division.
The early 1950's were a time of political unrest
and even warfare as the government struggled with the Hukbalahap guerillas. The
writers read each others works as well as the works of Ameriacan and European
models. Their study of techniques and thematic treatments resulted in a
literature that was varied in form and content. N.V.M. Gonzalez explored his
Mindoro land, while Nick Joaquin wrote old Manila legends in modern form.
Signatures, the
first Philippine poetry magazine in English, bgan publishing in 1955. It was
founded by Clemente Cancio, poet and neurosurgeon. The first editors were A.G.
Hufana and R.V. Diaz. In that same year, a new Philippine Writers Association
was organized with N.V.M. Gonzalez as its first president.
