Literature. gives people insights into their personal behavior and positive experiences beyond the personal environment.

Pre-Colonial Era (Early Times-564). This is the literary period before the coming of the Spaniards and considered as the first and longest literary history among the other periods.

Oral literature. marks the birth of literature in the Philippines.

Syllabary. Spaniards alphabet.

In Filipino, they call it alibata.

Syllabary or alibata was probably of Sanskrit or Arabic Provenance.

Forms of Literature during the Pre-Colonial Era

1. Pre-Colonial poetry. Early forms of poetry during the pre-colonial era were meant to be recited in a manner of songs and chants.

Without proper training and education in terms of writing, early Filipinos managed to show their artistic side of producing poems and other literary pieces with measurement and unified rhyming scheme.

• Proverbs (Salawikain). These are truths and wise sayings express in a language that popularly known. Are often called expressions of wisdom which is based on common sense and real life experiences.

Examples:

• Bago mo sabihin at gawin, makapitong iisipin. (Before you say and do, think about it seven times.)

• Kung di ukol, di bubukol. (If it isn't related to the matter at hand, it's irrelevant.)

• Tanaga. A poem in quatrain containing seven syllables each line with a monorine.

Example:

KAIBIGAN Emelita Perez Baes Palay siyang matino, Nang humangiy yumuko; Nguni't muling tumayo, Nagkabunga ng ginto.

• Folk song. This is a form of lyrical expression created by people according to their region. Example:

TAGALOG FOLK SONG Sitsiritsit, alibangbang Salaginto at salagubang Ang babae sa lansangan Kung gumiri'y parang tandang

• Riddles (bugtong). This is a game in a form of mystifying question and a mind puzzle intended to be solved.

Examples:

• Isang balong malalim, punong-puno ng patalim. (A deep well that is full of chisels.) Answer: (mouth/bibig)

• Dalawa kong kahon, buksan walang ugong. (My two boxes are opened without a sound.) Answer: (eyes/mata)

2. Prose narratives. were created in order to give an explanation about a certain natural phenomena. These are stories of mythological creatures, legends and humans with supernatural power transmitted orally and preserved as part of the region's history.

• Epic This is a long narrative poem about quests and exciting adventures of a hero with unusual strength and power.

• Myth This is a story of gods and goddesses told using a traditional language explaining mysteries, beliefs and cultural practices.

• Fables. These are stories intended to teach human values with animals as major characters attributing human qualities.

• Legends. These are stories explaining origins handed down from the past and passed through different generations. This is believed by some people but not proven scientifically.

• Folk tale. This is an imaginative narrative story told by ancient group of people.

Spanish-Colonial Era (1565-1898). The Spaniards attempted to teach Filipinos the Spanish language for they wanted their poems and other writings play a major role in the society.

The first Filipino alphabet called alibata was also replaced by the Roman alphabet.

During this period, Filipino writers started to write articles about the negative impacts and effects of colonization in the country.

Literary works during this era follow a universal theme of religion and other social issues.

Graciano Lopez Jaena was known to be highly intelligent man of his age. He took writing seriously at an early age in life. Editor of the newspaper "La Solidaridad."

Graciano Lopez Jaena Famous Writings : "Fray Botod". Botod means Botyok in Filipino language. The second word of his title means a big- bellied man. The character of the protagonist symbolizes the abusive and immorality of the friars.

Marcelo H. Del Pilar. founded the nationalistic newspaper called "Diariong Tagalog". known to be the "Master of Tagalog Language".

Fr. Jose Rodriguez issued “Caingat Cayo." (1888)

Vicente Garcia who wrote "Dasalan at Toksoñan" using the pen name V. Caraig.

Dasalan at Toksohan was a parody of the prayer Our Father as a defense for Jose Rizal.

Francisco Baltazar or fondly called as Balagtas is a genius writer of Tagalog poetry. known for his poem "Florante at Laura”.

Albanya. the setting, reflected the tyranny of the Spaniards during the Spanish- colonization era.

Jose Rizal was popular for his two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

Andres Bonifacio the husband of Gregoria De Jesus who is known as the "Father of Katipunan"

American-Colonial Period (1899-1945). evident during the period of American occupation in the Philippines that the public school system was their biggest contribution in the country.

Thomasites. were American soldiers who came to the Philippines to become teachers.

American-Colonial Period (1899-1945). This period also introduced the English Alphabet.

Contemporary Period (1946-present). Japanese did not resist the emerging progress of Filipino literary activity.

Amado V. Hernandez. was addressed as the greatest post war Filipino poet.

Amado V. Hernandez. He wrote "Dipang Langit" in 1961 and "Bayang Malaya" in 1969.

Before his death in 1970, he won the Republic Cultural Award and National Artist Award in 1973.

The literature of the Philippines is divided into four different periods: the Precolonial or Early Literature; the Period of Apprenticeship; the Period of Emergence; and the Period of Contemporary Literature.

The study of literature is important because it helps us review knowledge from the past that may guide us through the present and the future. Literature also holds a myriad of values such as compassion, truth, wisdom, and love that strengthen human relationships towards peace and progress.

Literature is the vast collection of written and oral accounts that may be records of real-life events or merely works of the imagination. It may be written in the form of either prose or poetry.