The Rebirth of Freedom (1946-1970)

Historical Background in the Post War-Contemporary Period

 It is also known as the “Recovering Era.”

 The Americans returned to the Philippines in 1945 to end the Japanese rule.
 The Filipinos were jubilant and the Guerillas who fled in the mountains joined the liberating American Army.
 It is a period when Philippines gained independence from both America and Japan.

The Philippine Literature during the Post War-Contemporary Period:

 It is the transitional period in Philippine literature from the American style to the modern style of writing
 The post liberation period was characterized by “struggle of mind and spirit” posed by the sudden
emancipation from the Japanese rule and the strong desire to experience the freedom of writing.
 The Filipinos gained more confidence in expressing themselves. Meanwhile, post war problems in
connection to language and print – like economic stability, the threat of new ideas and morality-had to be
dealt with side by side.
 The newspapers like the Free Press, Morning Sun of Sergio Osmena Sr., Daily Mirror
of Joaquin Roces, Evening News of Ramon Lopez and the Bulletin of Menzi, proved that
there were more readers in English than in any other vernaculars like Tagalog, Ilocano
or Hiligaynon during this period.

 In year 1946, Ginto sa Makiling, a novel by Macario Pineda, was published. It is the first work that appeared
after the Second World War to be recorded.
 Lazaro Francisco, a famous Tagalog novelist, is described as a realist with social and moral ideals. The
influence of Rizal is reflective on his work. He produced the following three novels:
1. “Sugat Sa Alaala” (1950) reflects the horrors of the war experience as well as the human capacity for
nobility, endurance, and love under the most extreme circumstances.
2. “Maganda Pa Ang Daigdig” (1956) deals with the agrarian issue
3. “Daluyong” (1962) deals with the corruption produced by the American-style and American-educated
pseudo-reformers.
 Amado Hernandez, the poet who was also a union leader and social activist, wrote novels encouraging social
change. These novels include: “Luha ng Buwaya” (1963) (Lumbera) discusses the struggle between the
oppressed peasantry and the class of politically powerful landlords. “Mga Ibong Mandaragit” (1969) deals
with the domination of Filipinos by American industry.
 The writers in English dominated the genres of Post-war poetry and fiction. They educated and trained in
writers’ workshops in the United States or England.
 Later on, most of the said writers return to the Philippines as educators. With their credentials and solid
standings, they influenced the form and direction of the next generation mainly in accordance with the
dominant tenets of the formalist New Critics of America and England.
 Whether written in English or any of the native languages, the Philippine novel has remained social-realist.
 The prize-winning poet-critic Lilia Quindoza Santiago, is, the most comprehensive compilation of feminist
writing in the Philippines after “Sa Ngalan Ng Ina” (1997) which was written during the post-war period.

The Challenges Faced by the Government:

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 In the 1950s, the Guerilla warfare, also known as the HUKBALAHAP, (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon)
was causing problems in the government, but in the Magsaysay administration, they vanished, neutralized,
or were gone.

 During this period, journalists indulged in more militant attitude in their reporting. Gradually, as peace and
order were restored, the tones and themes of their writings turned to the less pressing problems of economic
survival.

Common Themes of Philippine Literature during the Post War-Contemporary Period:

1. Romanticism
2. Nationalism
3. Independence
4. Nature
5. Expression of Feelings

Filipino Writers During the Post-War Period

1. N.V.M. Gonzales (1915-1999)
 Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez, also known as N.V.M. Gonzalez, is
fictionist, essayist, poet, and teacher. He articulated the Filipino spirit in
rural, urban landscapes.

 Born in the Philippines in 1915 in the province of Oriental Mindoro,

Gonzalez conveyed enthusiasm for music at a very early age. He
discovered to perform the violin and made his own guitars by hand. For
college, he studied at National University at Manila, Philippines, but did
not finish his degree.
 Gonzalez published his initial essay in the Philippine Graphic and his first poem was printed in 1934.
These early publications began Gonzalez’s literary career. He went to The Diliman Review and worked
as a member on the Board of Advisers of Likhaan: The University of the Philippines Creative Writing
Center and president of the Philippine Writers’ Association.

 Gonzalez’ absence of college degree did not stop him from pursuing teaching, and he received teaching
positions at numerous universities in the Philippines, including the University of the Philippines (U.P) and
the Philippine Women’s University. In fact, Gonzalez was one of only two faculty members at U.P. to
teach without holding a college degree. Since then, he has taught at several universities in California.
 During his writing career, Gonzalez wrote five novels, eight short fictions and multiple essays, with his
work translated into languages like English, Chinese, German, Russian, and Indonesian.

 Gonzalez has received numerous awards including the City of Manila Medal of Honor in 1971, the
Cultural Center of the Philippines award in 1990, and the role of Regents professor at the University of
California at Los Angeles in 1988-9.

 Gonzalez passed away in 1999 at the age of 84, leaving behind his wife, four children, and five
grandchildren. In 2016, Gonzalez’s son, Dr. Michael Gonzalez, led an N.V.M. Gonzalez Workshop in
Oriental Mindoro. This workshop was in honor of the 2015 centenary of Gonzalez’s birth and was held in
the province of Gonzalez’s childhood.

Source: [Link]
Retrieved July 10, 2020
ABOUT THE BAMBOO DANCERS:

The Bamboo Dancers is a historical novel by the Filipino novelist NVM Gonzalez. Published in 1959 by
Bookmark, this novel follows the travels of an Americanized Filipino man and his struggles to embrace his
own roots in rural culture. Praised for its subtlety and careful handling of culture clashes, The Bamboo Dancers
is one of a series titled Filipino Literary Classics. Prior to his death in 1999, Gonzalez received both the 1960
Philippine Cultural Heritage Award for Literature, and the 1961 Rizal Pro-Patria Award. He received National
Artist status in 1997. The narrative follows the journey of protagonist Ernie Rama.

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The Bamboo Dancers

N.V.M. Gonzalez

Summary

Ernie is a sculptor with a study grant in the United States. He is aloof and avoids becoming involved
with anyone. He has only a passing understanding of his Filipino roots and does not have any clear identity.
As part of his journey, Ernie receives the opportunity to travel. His travels and his work
bring him into contact with other Filipinos who, like him, have left the rural culture
behind and are fulfilling their ambitions in the West. Firstly, while still in the US, Ernie
meets an old acquaintance – a girl working in the US on a writers’ fellowship.

Ernie and this young girl begin an affair. They spend a week living together in a
borrowed New York apartment. Because of their sexual relationship, the young girl
questions her morality, and the pair decide to marry. However, it is not long before
she changes her mind. She instead becomes engaged to a young and emerging
American writer, Herb Lane, who joins the USIS and has an interest in the Far East.
They begin their travels to the Philippines, so they can be married. However, Herb dies on the way and the
girl is referred to a hospital on obstetric grounds.

Meanwhile, Ernie learns his brother is in California. He works as a resident physician in a local hospital.
After leaving his wife and child in Manila, he pursued a sexual relationship with a young nurse. The relationship,
however, does not last long, and he sets off home to reunite with his family. When he goes home to Manila,
he returns with many luxury goods, including a car and a television. After being apart for so long, he finds he
no longer has a functional relationship with his wife, and he does not feel any real affection towards her. He is
also not on good terms with a housemaid, who feels threatened by him sexually and goes out of her way to
avoid him. Again, the reader observes all of this through Ernie’s perspective, but is left with the sense none of
it affects him as it perhaps should.

While in New York, Ernie meets three other Filipinos – a young man and his two girlfriends with which
he shows restrained public affection. There is a sense that all these characters are inherently disconnected
and floating through life on the surface. Ernie travels to Japan where he learns of the tragedies around
Hiroshima. Again, he seems unmoved by the bomb casualties and does not let anything affect him.
Furthermore, Ernie learns Herb is not the gentleman he believes him to be. Herb, who dies in Taipeh, attacks
his fiancé in a drunken brawl and subsequently runs over a Chinese girl. His actions, combined, cause an anti-
American demonstration.

Ernie continues to show no genuine interest in his brother’s problems or his old fiancé’s plight. He shows
no remorse and is seemingly unaffected by the breakdown of their own relationship. To make matters worse,
at the end of the novel, Ernie suffers a near-death experience. He almost drowns. Surprisingly, no one seems
to notice or be affected by it, and Ernie does not tell anyone. There is a sense that Ernie questions his identity,
but this is a question left unresolved by the end of the story. Death in this context may be a metaphor for the
death of one cultural identity and the embracing of another, with no real harmony between the two.

Throughout, Gonzalez uses bamboo dancing as a symbol. Bamboo

dancing, or tinikling, is a traditional Filipino dance which involves the beating of
bamboo sticks together. This symbolizes the clashing of two ideologies – local
Filipino culture and imported Western elements. It may also serve as a reminder
of the dangers inherent in traveling and losing a sense of identity. In the Bamboo
Dancers, Gonzalez deliberately uses a detached narrative perspective to
reinforce Ernie’s personality problems and the overall apathy experienced by the
characters in the book. Readers are left with the feeling that these characters
could be anyone suffering a similar cultural disenchantment.

Source: [Link]
Retrieved July 11, 2020

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2. Macario Pineda (1912-1950)
 Macario Pineda was born on April 10, 1912 in Malolos, Bulacan. His
parents, Felisa de Guzman and Nicanor Pineda are established poetical
debater. Macario Pineda married Avelina Reyes and they had seven
children. He finished his high school studies at Bulacan High School and
worked afterwards in the municipality office.

 Macario Pineda is a well-known Filipino writer. He is a renowned author

because of his Tagalog works. Even though he wrote some stories in
English, all his writings in Filipino were much appreciated by the readers.
He also authored works in Liwayway, Malaya, Bulaklak, Ilang-ilang,
Daigdig, at Sinag-tala.

 His works shows distinctive characterization and remarkable narration.

Readers are astounded with his works because he uses native contexts,
excellent use of the Filipino language which reflects traditional Filipino customs. His works were always
included in the list of the anthology of the great writers, Ang 25 Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang Pilipino
ng 1943 and Maikling Kuwentong Tagalog, 1886-1948.

Ginto sa Makiling

Macario Pineda

Summary

Nagsimula ang kwento sa pagtatakda sa isang mamamahayag na alamin ang pagkawala ng isang
matandang dalaga sa paraang hindi maipaliwanag. Ang naatasan ay matagal nang nadinig ang kwento na
itinuturing palang isang kwento ng pag-ibig sa lugar. Agad nitong pinuntahan ang tiyuhin na si Doro na
nakasaksi sa kaganapan na ito mula pa nang pagkabata.

Si Edong ay isang binatang umiibig sa dalagang si Sanang nang habang nangunguha ng bulaklak na
Dapong sa isang napakarikit na hampas ay nakapinsala sa pugad ng ibon. Sa kagandahang loob ni Edong at
pagnanais sagipin ang inakay na nawalay, ay nahulog ito sa mataas na bangin. Hinanap ng mga kasamahan
nito si Edong o ang bangkay nito, ngunit wala silang nakuha at pinagpalagay nang patay ito. Nagdulot ito ng
labis na kalungkutan kay Sanang. Sa ikalawang linggo ng pagluluksa ni Sanang na kinasaksihan ng buong
baryo, sa unang pagkakataon ay nagpasya siya muling lumabas ng tahanan. Bigla sa araw ding iyon lumitaw
si Edong, maayos ang kalagayan liban sa kaunting pag ika- ika ng paglakad. Ito ay ikinagulat ng lahat maging
ni Sanang.

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Dito pinagtapat ni Edong kay Sanang ang pangyayaring sumagip sa buhay nito at babago sa kanilang
buhay. Kinailangang bumalik ni Edong sa Makiling at sa pagkakataong ito ay isinama niya ang musmos na si
Doro sa mahiwagang bayan na tanging musmos lang at mga karapat-dapat ang makatutuntong. Dito
nananahan si Maria Makiling kasama ang iba pang kinapal na nakaambag sa kabutihan ng lahi. Ito’y mundong
hindi nalalayo sa panahong iyon liban sa ang mga suliraning binubunga ng kasakiman ng tao ay ‘di umiiral.
Dito na mananahan si Edong na kung tutuusin ay kinuha na ng
kamatayan ngunit dahil sa kagandahang loob ay nabigyan ng
pagkakataong mabuhay muli sa mahiwagang bayang ito. Dito
pumapasok ang suliranin ng kwento pagkat ang hinahayaan lang
mamuhay dito ay ang piniling ilan at natapos na ang buhay sa natural na
mundo. Gaano man kamahal ni Edong si Sanang at gaano man ang kabutihan nito ay di maaaring manahan
sa bayan ng Makiling, liban sa kung malalampasan nito ang pagsubok na itinakda ni Maria Makiling. Bumalik
si Edong at Doro dala ang regalo nina Maria Makiling at ng isa pang mahiwagang babae na si Urduha para
kay Sanang, regalong babago sa buhay – hindi lamang ng buhay ni Sanang kundi kasabay ng pamilya nito
(isang bayong ng ginto). Dito nasubok ang katatagan at karupukan ng mga tauhan sa kwento, naglitawan ang
mga suliraning hindi gumambala noong payak pa ang pamumuhay ng pamilya. Mula rin nito ay hindi na
makikita ni Sanang ang kasintahan hanggang malampasan ang pagsubok na itinakda.

Source: [Link]
Retrieved July 12, 2020
3. Stevan Javellana (1918–1977)

Stevan “Esteban” Javellana, a Filipino novelist and short story writer in the English
language, was born in 1918 in Iloilo. During the Japanese occupation, he fought as one
of the guerillas. After the World War II, he graduated from the University of the Philippines
College of Law in 1948. He stayed in the United States afterwards but he died in the
Visayas in 1977 at the age of 59.

Javellana wrote Without Seeing the Dawn, which was his only and best-selling war
novel in the United States and Manila. This was published by Little, Brown and Company
in Boston in 1947. He also wrote short stories that were published in 1950s by Manila
Times Magazine in among which are Two Tickets to Manila, The Sin of Father
Anselmo, Sleeping Tablets, The Fifth Man, The Tree of Peace and Transition.

Source: [Link]
Retrieved July 12, 2020

Without Seeing the Dawn

Stevan Javellana

Summary

Set in a small farming village called Manhayang, Sta. Barbara, somewhere in Negros. Like most rural
baranggays, the hardworking and closely-knit village folk there had simple needs, simple wants, and simple
dreams. They were living their own simple lives when the violence of war reached their place and brought
death to their village, their homes and their hearts.

Here revolves the story of Ricardo "Carding" Suerte, son of Juan Suerte. An industrious, strong and
sometimes quick-tempered young man, he aspired to marry Lucia, the daughter of the teniente del barrio.

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Though his father thought he was not yet prepared and had wished to send him to school, he gave his blessing
to the decision of his son. He consented to asking Lucia’s hand from her parents in the traditional
pamamanhikan, accompanied by the village’s best orator and the godmother of the lass. After agreeing to the
conditions of the village chief, the marriage was set. Tatay Juan gathered up almost all of his hard-earned
savings for the dowry and expenses for the wedding feast. In the meantime, Carding excitedly built their house
despite the advice of the elderly- that building one’s house in May will bring misfortune to its inhabitants.

And so it came to pass that after the grand wedding and the feast that followed – which was even
attended by their representate – the newlyweds lived happily on the land entrusted to Tatay Juan by Don
Diego, but not for long. Misfortune struck early when their first child was stillborn. A more difficult trial came
when Lucing disgraced herself, her family and her husband by having an affair with Luis, the son of their
landlord. Caught naked, he was beaten up by the strong, angry husband whose honor and pride were hurt.
The couple patched things up, but the land that Carding and Juan Suerte had been tilling for a very long time
was given to another tenant. With no land to till, the pair tried their luck in the city. There, in Iloilo, Carding met
Rosing and Nestong. The latter was his fellow stevedore and union member, and the former, a prostitute
besotted with him, and also the reason why his wife left him and returned to their barrio. Soon, Carding followed
Lucing with news that the representante entrusted them with land to till in Badlan. Lucing too, had news for
her husband: she was again pregnant.

They moved to Badlan and worked harder than ever. They were blessed not only by a promise of a
bountiful harvest, but also with a healthy son they named Crisostomo. Sadly, their landlord sold the land, and
they were given time to harvest what they sowed. Misfortune was like a shadow though. A great flood
destroyed everything that they had – harvest and carabao as well.

Wanting to own their own piece of land, they were convinced to move to Mindanao, but Carding was
drafted for military service. When he returned, he found his wife heavy with another child. At first, the truth was
kept from him. What he knew was that his father and his son died of some illness. But
later it was revealed that the Japanese soldiers who attacked their village killed his
father and son and raped his wife. He was enraged when he learned the truth. As his
neighbors, relatives and friends in barrio Manhayang were tortured, raped and
massacred by the Japanese soldiers, Carding too became an executioner to his
enemies, and not even his friend nor the brother of his mother-in-law were spared. He
also almost killed the child that his wife had just delivered, were it not born dead. For that, Lucing was so
enraged that she sent him away.

The Japanese ordered everyone to enter a collective barrio or else be considered guerrilla supporters
and be shot. But the villagers of Manhayang also refused to be considered enemies of their own sons, and so
they decided to evacuate in barrios farther away. However, Lucing was hesitant to go. She was waiting to see
her husband despite everything, knowing that he will be leading the suicide attack to the Japanese ga rrison.
When they did see each other, Carding asked for her forgiveness and left her what cash he had as he bade
her farewell. In the end, Lucing refused to flee for she knew that she was still his wife, duty-bound to receive
the corpse of her beloved husband.

Source:

[Link]

Retrieved July 12, 2020

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