Tagalog literature has been born, cradled, nourished
and peaked into fruition in the provinces of Southern Luzon, Central Luzon
and the present Metropolitan Manila or the National Capital Region.
Among the Southern Tagalog provinces are Cavite,
Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Aurora, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro,
Marinduque, Palawan and some towns of Rizal province. In Central Luzon,
there are three provinces where Tagalog is predominantly used and these are
the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Bataan and Bulacan. Metro Manila is comprised
of cities composing the national capital region namely Manila, Quezon City,
Pasay City, Caloocan City, Mandaluyong City, Pasig City, Marikina City,
Muntinlupa City and suburban towns of Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Pateros
and Taguig. Some parts of the provinces that are not originally Tagalog
cannot escape the onslaught of Tagalog language and culture, like some parts
of the Bicol region and Pampanga.
THE CRADLE OF CULTURE
Tagalog region is the birthplace of a rich tradition
of Philippine culture in language, politics, economy and literature.
The oldest university in the Philippines, University
of Sto. Tomas is located in Manila. The first printing press was
established in Manila. This gave way to the publication of the first book,
Doctrina Cristiana in xylography in 1593, written in Spanish and Tagalog
versions. The bible was first translated into Tagalog in Barlaan and
Josaphat in 1708 and 1712. The life of Christ in epic tradition known
popularly today as Pasyon was written in Tagalog by various writers
like Gaspar Aquino de Belen and Fr. Mariano Pilapil.
The literary tradition in the Tagalog regions
specially outstanding in the field of oral literature like bugtong
(riddle), proverbs, native songs. These oral literatures are always in
poetic forms, usually seven-syllabic rhymes, so Asian in form and
Considering this rich and envigorating cultural
matrix, it is not surprising that it is the Tagalog region that was destined
to be the birthplace of historic men in Philippine politics, culture and
literature that includes Francisco Balagtas Baltazar, Jose Rizal, Andres
Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Emilio Jacinto, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Jose P.
Laurel, Claro M. Recto, Amado V. Hernandez, Lope K. Santos, Lazaro
Francisco, Faustino Aguilar, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Alejandro Abadilla,
Modesto de Castro.
It is not noticeable that such men are not only man
of history that played a great role in Philippine independence movement but
men of letters as well.
THE LITERARY TRADITION
It is the pens of these men that shaped the political
consciousness of the Filipinos.
Balagtas could be said to have voiced out the first
concept of nationhood in Philippine politics and literature in his epic
poem, Florante at Laura. Says Balagtas:
Sa loob at labas ng bayan kong sawi
Kaliluha'y siyang nangyayaring hari
Kagalinga't bait ay nilulugami
Ininis sa hukay ng dusa't pighati.
In and out of my miserable country
Repression is the dominant king
Goodness and well-meant intention are suppressed
Doomed in the grave of sufferings and grief.
Although Balagtas used Albania as an allegory, the
situations clearly spoke of the Philippines. This epic poems of Balagtas
had inspired a generation of young writers of the period, like Marcelo H.
del Pilar, who spearheaded the Propaganda Movement in Europe and Jose Rizal,
whose novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo set the conflagration of
revolutionary spirit and movement.
While Rizal was living in banishment in a far-flung
town of Dapitan in Mindanao island, a man of the masses, Andres Bonifacio
founded the Katipunan, a revolutionary organization that sought total
independence from the Spanish yoke.
Even the revolutionary struggle of the people was
guided by the light of literature. Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto, his close
associate in the revolutionary struggle were men of letters, both writing
nationalist essays and poems.
Jacinto in his essay, "Liwanag at Dilim" (Light and
Darkness), discoursed on the spirituality of man's natural desire for
freedom. On the other hand, Bonifacio spoke of the dimension of love of
country in his poem, "Pag-ibig sa Tinibuang Lupa" (Love for the Native
Land). He says:
Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya
Sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila
Gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa
Aling pag-ibig pa, wala na nga, wala.
Which love can be more powerful
More pure and noble
Than the love for one's native land
Which other love, there is no such.
This tradition of Tagalog literature has been
bequeathed upon the national consciousness of the Filipinos all over the
Philippines. Manila being the center of the country in all aspects of
national life of the Filipinos becomes the logical conduit of national
consciousness emanating from the literary legacy of the region's gifted
During the long period of Philippine subjugations by
foreign dominations -- Spanish, American and Japanese -- vigorous literary
traditions have been nurtured.
In the contemporary Philippine society, Tagalog
literature is continuing its role bequeathed upon it by historical
However, Tagalog literature now, more and more is
given a new name -- Filipino literature. But this is another story.