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Philippine Short Story in English
Philippine Short Story - The short story is still the most popular form of literature in the Philippines. The output in short stories is richer and more significant than that of any other form of literature.
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Long before the Americans came, the Filipinos already had a body of short stories: legends, myths, stories of humor, fantasy, adventure and the like prevalent in each region. The Americans however brought to the Philippine the short story as a distinct literary form.
The first significant short story in English was "Dead Stars" by Paz Marquez Benitez oublished in 1925. Other early short story writers were Loreto paras-Sulit, Paz Latorena, Arturo B. Rotor and Jose Garcia Villa. The early themes were of love and romance. Later the writers dealt with varied subjects, such as social problems, nationalism, Christians and Mohammedans, the experiences of war and modern influences against tradition. For example, Nick Joaquin turned to Spanish Philippines, F. Sionil Jose wrote of the migrating Ilocano, N.V.M. Gonzales pictured the strength of the peasants, Brillantes depicted the people's hopes and dreams.
Filipino writers learned to set their themes against a background of local color as they tried to express the Filipino soul. Among the contemporary writers are Gregorio Brillantes, Romy V. Diaz, Gilda Cordero Fernando, Juan T. Gatbonton, Kerima Polotan Tuvera, Edilberto and Edith Tiempo, Wilfrido Nolledo, F. Sionil Jose, and Maximo D. Ramos.