Jonalyn Bacay BSA
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE FRIDAY 7:00-10:00
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF LOPE K. SANTOS
Lope Santos y Kanseco, 1879-1963, BA 1912, Escuela Derecho de Manila (now Manila Law
College Foundation), was the 5th Philippine Legislature senator of the twelfth senatorial district. Santos
was an expert in dupluhan (poetical debate) early 1930s; he died on May 1, 1963. He was a writer,
educator, lawyer and politician. Among the positions that he held were that of governor of the province
of Rizal under the Nacionalista Party. He was appointed as the first Filipino governor of the newly
resurveyed Nueva Vizcaya until 1920, and was also a senator at the 5th Philippine Legislature of
the twelfth senatorial district in 1918. Santos was also a professor of Filipino grammar and Tagalog
orthography where he organized various symposia, lectures and headed numerous departments for the
national language in leading Philippine universities. From 1908-1955, Santos joined various literary and
labor organizations - the labor group Union Obrera Democratica Filipina (Philippine Democratic Labor
Union) was renamed as Union del Trabajo de Filipinas and was dissolved in 1907. In 1906, Santos started
published his first novel, Banaag at Sikat (From Early Dawn to Full Light) and was then considered as the
first socialist-oriented book in the Philippines which expounded principles of socialism and seek labor
reforms from the government. He served in many other civic roles including as a member of the United
Nations, as President of the Samahan ng Mananagalog, Academia de Tagalistas, Taniba ng Inang Wika,
Alagad ni Bonifacio, and as director to the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa.
Jonalyn Bacay BSA
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE FRIDAY 7:00-10:00
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AURELIO TOLENTINO
Nationalistt writer and playwright Aurelio Tolentino (1869-1915) is buried under a sad
monument in Guagua, Pampanga, often grazed by vehicles that consider it a nuisance on the road. In
college, I read “Kahapon, Ngayon, at Bukas” and learned how an actor hesitated in trampling the US flag
as part of the play, prompting Tolentino to go on stage and do it himself, which caused a riot and led to
one of the nine imprisonments of his life.
My translation from the original Spanish of his unpublished handwritten autobiography from
1908:“My life story is poor and unhappy. I was born in Guagua, Pampanga on October 15, 1869. My
parents were middle class. In 1883 I began [secondary school] at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in
Manila. In 1891, while studying law in the University of Santo Tomas, my father died and I left the
race.“In August 1892, shortly after Andres Bonifacio founded the ‘Kataastaasa’t Kagalang-galang na
Katipunan ng manga Anak ng Bayan (KKK)’ that later rocked Spanish dominion in these islands, I joined
and later rose to became one of the members of the KKK Supreme Council. In 1894, Andres Bonifacio,
with more than seven companions and I, went to Pamitinan Cave in San Mateo [Rizal] where we
initiated into the Katipunan an old man, Felix, chief of all the remontados and outlaws that lived in those
forests. With charcoal we wrote on the wall inside the cave the words: ‘Viva la Independencia de
Filipinas!’
“Toward the end of August 1896 and the beginning of September that year, when the first phase
of the Philippine revolution exploded, I served as Notary in the District of Morong. I was arrested for
being a Katipunero and a Mason. After being tortured on various occasions, I was pardoned on May 17,
1897. “In 1898 [Emilio] Aguinaldo returned from Hong Kong and I became one of those who helped in
the second phase of the Revolution against the American Occupation and successively founded, with
other companions, the daily newspapers: ‘La Patria,’ ‘El Liberal’ and ‘Filipinas.’ In the latterI was Director
for two terms. I suffered various detentions for certain articles that were deemed contrary to the
political government in those days. I was convinced that it was impossible to live the life of a journalist,
so I wroteand presented successive theatrical works like the following: ‘Lagrimas Malayas,’ a tragedy in
three acts; ‘Sinukuan,’ a fantastic melodrama in three acts; ‘Filipinas and España,’ a drama in three acts;
‘Sinagtala,’ ‘Kambal,’ ‘Duplo,’ ‘Neneng,’ ‘Hindi Sinadya,’ ‘Dos jarrones de oro’ and ‘Makata’—one-act
zarzuelas; ‘Puñal del Muerto,’ a lyrical drama in three acts; ‘Rizal y los Dioses,’ an opera fantastica in
three acts; and ‘Ayer, Hoy, y Mañana,’ a drama in three acts that was presented and created a great
tumult in the Libertad theater, where, on May 14, 1903, were in attendance more than 20 detective
agents who assaulted the stage with revolvers in hand. These [American] agents didn’t understand a
word of Tagalog, the language of my drama. I was processed in the Office of the Chief of Police [of
Manila], conducted to Bilibid prison, and much later sentenced to two years of hard labor, and a fine of
2,000 dollars for the crime of sedition. I appealed this sentence and in December of the same year 1903
I was released on bail of 7,000 pesos.
“On February 8, 1904, I knew I was to be arrested again because I was implicated with Artemio
Ricarte who arrived from Hong Kong. I was subjected to water cure, I walked in the forests searching for
Ricarte and other insurgent chiefs and we formed a new Revolutionary Dictatorial Government. Being
unanimously elected Dictator in this Government, I addressed various communications to the Insular
Government, calling for certain reforms in its administration, offered definitive peace in the whole
Archipelago, and promised to mediate legal guarantees for all the chiefs, officials, soldiers and armed
forces of the Revolution. On June 14, 1904, during these negotiations, I was captured and condemned to
six years in prison and hard labor with over 5,000 dollars fine.“On February 5, 1907, I was released on
parole on condition that I presented myself to the authorities at the beginning of every month for five
years. In this last date I wrote in succession the following theatrical works: ‘Nuevo Cristo,’ a drama in
three acts; ‘Germinal,’ ‘La Rosa,’ ‘Paz Buen Viaje,’ ‘Boda Maldita,’ ‘Liceo,’ ‘Manila Satirica’ and ‘Aray!’ all
one-act zarzuelas. “Here is a synthesis of my sad life, full of worries, torture, misery and sufferings
Jonalyn Bacay BSA
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE FRIDAY 7:00-10:00
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JOSE CORAZON DE JESUS
On November 22, 1896, Jose Corazon de Jesus, a noted Filipino poet who used Tagalog poetry to
express the Filipinos' desire for independence during the American occupation, was born in Sta. Cruz.
Manila. During the early years of the American regime, De Jesus worked as a journalist for the
revolutionary newspapers Independence, The Brotherhood, The Union, Renaissance and Democracy. He
later joined the Nacionalista Party which wanted the independence of the Philippines from the United
States. He received his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1920. Having been busy writing column for the
Tagalog newspaper Taliba, De Jesus had no chance of practicing his legal profession.
In his column “Buhay Maynila” (Manila Life) under the pseudonym Huseng Batute, he satirized
society under the American colonizers and espoused independence for the Philippines.De Jesus's works
also appeared in several magazines and newspapers, notably Ang Democracia, Taliba, Liwayway, El
Debate and Sampagita, in addition to his articles that have appeared in various anthologies and
textbooks from grade school to college. De Jesus was also known as “King of Balagtasan” as he was
acclaimed winner of the showdown on debate in 1925. One of his famous works, the Tagalog poem
Bayan Ko (My Country, 1929) was used as lyrics for a patriotic song that became popular during the
dictatorial regime of the late President Ferdinand Marcos in the 1980s. De Jesus died on May 26, 1932,
and was buried in Manila's North Cemetery.
Jonalyn Bacay BSA
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE FRIDAY 7:00-10:00
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF DEOGRACIAS ROSARIO
Si Deogracias Rosario (Dé·yo·grá·syas Ro·sár·yo) ay isang mangangatha, mamamahayag, at
makata. Kinikilala siyá bilang “Ama ng Makabagong Maikling Kuwentong Tagalog.” Unang naging aktibo
si Rosario sa larangan ng pamamahayag. Naging bahagi siyá ng pahayagang Ang Demokrasya noong
1912 at ng satirikong magasing Buntot Pagi noong 1914. Noong 1917, naging reporter siyá ng Taliba at
pagkaraa’y naging katuwang na editor nitó. Sumulat din siyá sa Pagkakaisa ng Bayan at ng Photo-
News (ngayo’y Liwayway). Pinamunuan din niyá ang iba’t ibang samahang pampanitikan at pangwika.
Isa siyá sa itinuturing na cuarteto ng Ilaw at Panitik, at naging pangulo pa nitó, gayundin ng Kalipunan ng
mga Kuwentista, at Kalipunan ng mga Dalubhasa ng Akademya ng Wikang Tagalog.
Ngunit mas nakilala si Rosario sa mga naging ambag niyá sa larangan ng maikling kuwento.
Itinuturing na unang maikling kuwento sa Tagalog ang kaniyang akdang “Kung Ipaghiganti ang Puso” na
inilathala sa Liwayway noong21 Marso 1924. Ilan pa sa mga kinikilalang mahuhusay niyáng kuwento ang
“Aloha” (1932), “Ako’y Mayroong Isang Ibon” (1932) at “Greta Garbo.” Ang mga kuwento niyá ay
napabilang na sa mga antolohiya ng pinakamahuhusay na akda. Nakapagsulat si Rosario ng mahigit sa 80
maikling kuwento, dalawang maikling nobela, dalawang de-seryeng nobela, at maraming personal na
sanaysay, artikulo, at tula na inilathala sa Photo-News. Nagkaroon din si Rosario ng kolum sa Taliba—ang
“Mga Sulyap na Pang-Sabado ni D.A.R.” na nagtampok ng mga rebyu ng aklat at mga ulat tungkol sa mga
pangyayari sa larangan ng panitikan. Ipinanganak siyá noong 17 Oktubre 1894 sa Tondo, Maynila sa
isang mahirap na pamilya. Nag-aral siyá sa Manila High School (ngayo’y Araullo High School). Nagsimula
siyáng magsulat sa napakabatà ng edad na 13. Namatay siyá noong 26 Nobyembre 1936. (GSZ)
Jonalyn Bacay BSA
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE FRIDAY 7:00-10:00
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENIGNO RAMOS
On October 13, 1930, Benigno Ramos released a printed newspaper, called Sakdal (accuse or
accusation). The original purpose of the paper was to accuse high government officials of acts, which
they declare to be detrimental to the country and the Filipino people. The paper tackled issues which
were of interest to the Filipno masses such as corruption and mismanagement under the Nacionalista
Party administration, immediate independence for the Philippines, and the land reform problem. Its
radical populist stance on such issues won it a large following in the Manila hinterland and in the rural
areas, such that by 1933, subscribers of the newspaper met in a convention in Manila to form the Sakdal
Party. They did unexpectedly well in the Philippine elections of 1934, although still unable to pose a
challenge to Nacionalista Party dominance.
The Sakdal Party advocated independence from the United States of America, which later
led them to collaborate with Japan because they believed Japan could liberate the Philippines and grant
true independence. Because of poor harvests and frustrations with the government's lack of response to
peasant demands, the Sakdalistas took up arms and seized government buildings in a number of
locations on May 2 to 3, 1935. The insurrection, suppressed by the Philippine Constabulary, resulted in
approximately 100 dead. Consequently, Ramos went into exile in Japan. Benigno Ramos was born in
1893, educated in Bulacan and went on to work there as a teacher and later as a Philippine Senate Staff.
He became a member of the Nacionalista Party and a close associate of Manuel L. Quezon. In 1930 he
joined a "wildcat strike" by teachers in Manila, causing Quezon to demand his resignation.
