I. Introduction

          Philippine literature is the body of works, both oral and written, that Filipinos,
whether native, naturalized, or foreign born, have created about the experience of
people living in or relating to Philippine society.  It is composed or written in any
of the Philippine languages, in Spanish and in English, and in Chinese as well.
Philippine literature may be produced in the capital city of Manila and in the
different urban centers and rural outposts, even in foreign lands where descendants
of Filipino migrants use English or any of the languages of the Philippines to
create works that tell about their lives and aspirations.  The forms used by
Filipino authors may be indigenous or borrowed from other cultures, and these
may range from popular pieces addressed to mass audiences to highly
sophisticated works intended for the intellectual elite.

          Having gone through two colonial regimes, the Philippines has manifested the
cultural influences of the Spanish and American colonial powers in its literary
production.  Works may be grouped according to the dominant tradition or
traditions operative in them.  The first grouping belongs to the ethnic tradition,
which comprises oral lore identifiable precolonial in provenance and works that
circulate within contemporary communities of tribal Filipinos, or among lowland
Filipinos that have maintained their links with the culture of their non-Islamic or
non-Christian ancestors.  The second grouping consists of works that show
Spanish derivation or influence in the themes and forms employed, and these may
include literary works that are translations of original Spanish writings, or
adaptations of the same.  A third grouping comprises works belonging to the
American colonial tradition.  Literary production under this tradition shows the
impact of American colonial control, which facilitated through the educational
system the entry into Philippine literature of forms and themes from the
literature of England and the United States.