This academic survey provides a historical and critical analysis of the development of letters in the Philippines, authored by the renowned Filipino lexicographer and linguist Jose Villa Panganiban. The work systematically divides Philippine literary history into distinct eras: the Pre-Hispanic Era, the Spanish Regime, the Propaganda and Revolutionary Period, and the American Regime. It seeks to explain how various external influences—including Arabian, Chinese, Spanish, and American—have shaped the country's literature. Written in the post-World War II era, the text emphasizes the urgency for Filipinos to undertake serious research into their literary past, cautioning against the long-held, but perhaps speculative, belief that Spanish friars destroyed all native manuscripts. The author argues that modern Filipino literature, written in the vernacular, Spanish, and English, is unique due to its multilingual foundation and rapid development. Panganiban’s central thesis regarding language is a pragmatic call for tolerance, asserting that a Filipino is a "naturally tri-lingual" polyglot who should embrace all three languages—Tagalog (as the national language), English (learned in schools), and Spanish (as a cultural heritage)—without internal conflict. Ultimately, the book serves as a foundational call for Filipinos to appreciate their homeland's literature to understand their collective "heritage" and the "genius of our race".
Philippine literature history and criticism