L8 Eastern Visayas Literature

LITERATURE
OF EASTERN
VISAYAS
GEOGRAPHY
• Eastern Visayas, also known as Region VIII, is composed
of the three main islands namely Samar, Biliran, and
Leyte. These islands are comprised of the six provinces
namely Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran,
and Leyte, and Southern Leyte.
• Tacloban City is the only
highly urbanized place in this
region which serves as the
sole regional center and hub
of investment, trade, and
development.
GEOGRAPHY
• Mining, farming, fishing, beverage manufacturing, home
industries, and tourism are the major sources of
livelihood of the people.
• Aside from rice, the region also produces sugar, coconut,

banana, fruits, root crops, and vegetables.
LANGUAGE
• Waray-Waray – lingua franca of Eastern Visayas,

including the islands of Zumarraga and Homonhon,
formerly called “Samareño” and “Binisaya”
• Cebuano – second most widely used language in Region
VIII and is also colloquially known as “Kana”
LANGUAGE
• Abaknon – a unique dialect spoken in Capul Island,

Northern Samar which is neither Waray nor Cebuano, but
a potpourri of several dialects; also known as Capul
language
• Baybayanon – used in Baybay City, Leyte
• Kinabalian – used in the municipality of San Juan,
Northern Leyte
• Boholano – used by the people in Southern Leyte
ETHNIC GROUPS
• Waray – majority of inhabitants of • Cebuano
Region VIII • Biliranon
• Samareños – inhabitants of the • Ticaonon
island of Samar
• Leyteños – inhabitants of the island
of Leyte
• Bantoanon – natives of Romblon
who migrated to Eastern Visayas
• Rombloanon – natives of Romblon
who migrated to Eastern Visayas
LITERATURE FROM THE PAST
TO THE PRESENT
• The literature of Eastern Visayas is more popularly

known as Waray literature.
• Waray literature caught the attention of German priests

who managed a local university in Tacloban City, which
paved way to collecting, recording, and documenting
literary works together with scholars and researchers.
TO THE PRESENT
• FRANCISCO PEDRO
CHIRINO– a Jesuit historian who
said that the Bisayans had verses
about the creation of the world,
paradise, the deluge and other
invisible things which they sang
while doing mundane activities
such as sailing, tilling the fields,
feasting, and even mourning the
dead.
TO THE PRESENT
• FRANCISCO IGNACIO ALCINA

• - a Jesuit historian who documented the poetic forms of
Waray literature in as early as 1668 which collected the
following literary works:
➢ Candu – poem or songs about history which is sung by

paracandu
➢ Diibtang – semi goddesses whose exploits are recounted
in an epic that is spoken by elderly men who were still
tattooed and related it with elegance and grace
TO THE PRESENT
➢ Cabungao and Bubu nga Ginbuna – two celebrated

lovers whose story is told in the coast of Ibabao, the eastern
coast of Samar
➢ Daragangan – men of great strength, valour, and unusual
courage whose exploits are celebrated in songs ➢
Ambahan – meaning “multitude,” a song sung by the
community
➢ Bical – a witty, humorous, and satirical joust where the
man usually says critical things of the woman and vice-
versa; requires two persons to exchange verses in strict
metrical time
TO THE PRESENT
➢ Balac – a metaphorical, flowery, bombastic,

grandiloquent, and verbose courtship song with
accompaniment of stringed musical instruments and is
performed by a man and woman and usually dealt with the
affairs of love
➢ Siday – poem that celebrates the beauty of a woman or
bravery of a man and is performed by the most skilled of
the folk poets
➢ Awit – most popular Waray poetry and is oftentimes
used in coordinating certain activities like rowing a boat,
weaving, or walking home from the fields
TO THE PRESENT
➢ Canogon – poems for mourning the dead

➢ Titigoon – riddles for games
➢ Susumaton – stories told during gatherings
➢ Sareta – a narrative poem that recounted the acts of
bravery and moments of weaknesses of the Waray gods and
goddesses
➢ Luwa – poem that is best recited orally than sung due to
its formal nature
TO THE PRESENT
• Theater tradition had gained its popularity in place.

These had been incorporated to the performance of
poetry, rituals, and mimetic dances.
• As an effect of a century-long Spanish colonization and

a long period of American occupation, Christianity and
other foreign cultures and beliefs had washed away the
old rituals, poetic forms and narratives known by
people.
TO THE PRESENT
• Some literary forms had undergone reinvention during

the Spanish and American colonization:
➢ Balac had retained its form even its name had changed
according to the languages of the colonizers.
• Balac became popular with the term amoral, a term
derived from the word “amor,” during the Spanish
colonization.
• After amoral, balac was renamed ismayling, a term
derived from the English word “smile,” during the
American occupation.
TO THE PRESENT
➢ Comedia and zarzuela are plays that were introduced by

the Spaniards and were popularized and performed during
fiestas up to 1930s. These were later on replaced by
operettas as introduced by the Americans.
➢ Sinulog a dramatization of the Moro Raids of the coasts
of Samar in the 18th century and how the Spanish priests
and Warays repulsed these raids. The raids aimed to capture
men and women for sale as slaves, especially the binocol or
the women known for their beauty and fairness of skin.
TO THE PRESENT
➢After the colonization of Spaniards and Americans, only
siday, susumaton, and titigoon are the ancient Waray
literary works that survived up to the present time, together
with ismayling.
• A young Waray writer said in a regional literature

conference “we have no literature,” as the word waray
means “nothing,” and that the only literature they have
“comes out only during drinking sprees”.
• Luwa, siday, awit – oral forms of literature that are
present in the modern time
TO THE PRESENT
TO THE PRESENT
ASSIGNMENT:
Let’s summarize your notes! On a bond

paper, write at least 10 bullet information
you learned from week 1-8
Take a picture of your work and upload it on

Canvas.
Refer to the following format:
WEEK # _ Topic
Subtopic 1 •
•
•
•
•
Subtopic 2 •
•
•
•

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LITERATURE

• Aside from rice, the region also produces sugar, coconut,

• Waray-Waray – lingua franca of Eastern Visayas,

• Abaknon – a unique dialect spoken in Capul Island,

• The literature of Eastern Visayas is more popularly

• Waray literature caught the attention of German priests

• FRANCISCO IGNACIO ALCINA

➢ Candu – poem or songs about history which is sung by

➢ Cabungao and Bubu nga Ginbuna – two celebrated

➢ Balac – a metaphorical, flowery, bombastic,

➢ Canogon – poems for mourning the dead

• Theater tradition had gained its popularity in place.

• As an effect of a century-long Spanish colonization and

• Some literary forms had undergone reinvention during

➢ Comedia and zarzuela are plays that were introduced by

• A young Waray writer said in a regional literature

Let’s summarize your notes! On a bond

Take a picture of your work and upload it on

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