Keeping a pulse on Philippine literature

Philippine literature, coming a long way from its humble pre-Spanish beginnings and nationalistic propagandas to modern 21st century writings, is an expression of our culture and experiences. As long as there are those who write their ideas on paper and share them with others, it’s hard to think we could actually run out of things to read from any group of people. Yet there are Lasallians who believe that our country’s literature is heading towards its “death” under Filipinos’ alleged preference for foreign words. Is there a reason to be worried?

A taste for the exotic

We asked around to know what Lasallians prefer in reading books and many have shown a preference towards foreign titles, particularly those by Western authors. Harry Potter, The Fault in Our Stars, and A Song of Ice and Fire dominate students’ bookshelves. It is apparent that authors such as George R. R. Martin and Stephen King come up more than Filipino writers in their answers.

So, why the lack of interest in local books? The most unfortunate stereotype given by students was that Filipino literature was cliche or baduy. They see a common, predictable formula in the plots of novels, films, and teleseryes in Philippine media and are tired of it. In response, they sought more creativity in foreign works. Local literature has to “change in order to compete” as some would say.

Another reason given was the lack of publicity. There is the idea that the lack of attention given to Filipino authors keeps their titles from proliferating among Filipinos, seeing that popular bookstores like Fully Booked have mostly foreign titles on display as soon as you walk in. Students are said to read local works because of school work, but read none of it outside of class. It was commented that it’s not something people would read if it’s not required for school and that few are interested in reading these for leisure.

Language was frequently cited as a reason why students do not read local literature. They find it difficult to enjoy works in Filipino because they barely understand what they are about. Having trouble with their Filipino subjects and struggling to communicate in Filipino appears to be a bigger trend in today’s youth with schools often encouraging the use of English as the main medium for communication. While Filipino authors also have publications in English, there are certainly those that have been put off because of the language barrier.

For these reasons, there are Lasallians who think that Filipino writers are having problems trying to compete with foreign writers and that nobody is reading their own country’s books. Even those who prefer reading locally written books expect a bleak future for what they love to read because they think there are not enough like them who enjoy Filipino works.

Perhaps these problems stem from colonial mentality due to imported goods being dubbed as a form of “higher quality” compared to locally produced products. But how much truth is there to what these students have said? Should the whole brand of Filipino literature really be thought to be failing in the face of imported ones?

There’s always more to write and read

Not all Lasallians think negatively about our country’s literature, of course, but the fact stands that there are those who believe it’s in a sorry situation. It also seems that these beliefs may actually be wrong. Mr. Eros Atalia, the author of Ligo na U, Lapit na Me, helps us understand the truth in these issues.

Contrary to the common thought that fewer Filipinos read their kapwa Filipinos’ works, Mr. Atalia shares that this is just not true. “Sa datos ka pumunta. Doon mo makikita kung totoo ba na hindi na nagbabasa ang mga Pilipino at totoo ba kung hindi na tayo nagbabasa ng local books o local authors. Hindi totoo yun,” says Mr. Atalia, advising that the data from the National Book Development Board (NBDB) suggest higher Filipino readership. And true to his word, the most recent NBDB Readership survey shows that the most read non-school books among those surveyed are actually in the Filipino language. The majority of readers surveyed either prefer Filipino literature or would read local titles as much as foreign ones.

Furthermore, the language of most non-school books read has consistently been Filipino books throughout the NBDB surveys done in 2003, 2007, and 2012. This contradicts the idea that people only read local literature when they’re forced to. In reality, Filipinos more often read their country’s books because they want to. Are the Lasallians who say otherwise just part of the 11% that exclusively read foreign titles?

The extremist view held by a few students that the nation’s literature is dying is even more ludicrous given the nature of literature itself. As Mr. Atalia said, “‘Yan naman ang maganda sa literature, sa sining. Patuloy siyang tumatanggap.” Jose Rizal is still on the same shelves as Bob Ong. A good book never dies unless we all start burning books, which probably wouldn’t work with the onset of Wattpad and published works from the site-slash-app anyway.

Philippine literature is in no immediate danger of losing readers or writers. It may be more likely that DLSU is simply abundant with the sort of people who aren’t into it, thus giving the image that “nobody is reading it.” Could it be because of the high number of English-only speakers in the university that makes it more likely that the people asked would be unable to understand Philippine literature? The language barrier was, after all, one of the more commonly mentioned problems.

We are what we read

As for those who have complaints about the quality of Filipino writing, that remains subjective. Different works of art speak to different people and books are no different. “Nagsusulat ako para sa Pilipino, para sa grupong alam ko, kilala ko. Hirap naman kasing pumasok sa sensibilidad ng buong mundo,” says Mr. Atalia, pointing out that you can’t always reach every single person with what you write. While some kinds of books are more popular, it does not imply that these well-received writings are what everyone should be reading. Each appeals to different readers of different cultural backgrounds.

Debating on whether we should read local or foreign will only end in an impasse. On the idea of telling someone what to read, Mr. Atalia has this to say: “Ang panget naman yata kung sabihan kayo ng kapitbahay niyo na ‘This is the way you run your home’ diba?” He believes that whether you think one book’s better than whatever another person is reading, you respect that person’s decision of what to read. If you like what’s written, it’s written for you. If not, remember that it may be for someone else.

There is more to a written work than the words and sentences that it holds. It is a person’s thoughts written down on paper—thoughts meant to speak to people who think and feel the same way, or even otherwise. It is a man’s way of voicing out desires and fantasies, and of reaching out. The ones writing the words that fill our bookshelves found this to be their voice. Whatever you’re looking for, there are always authors out there, just like Eros Atalia, Bob Ong, and Lualhati Bautista, or even foreign ones like J.K. Rowling, Stephen Hawking, and Mark Millar who are just waiting for readers to speak to. The challenge is to listen for what you’ll like.