THE SWINGING PHILIPPINES

The Golden Age of Philippine Culture

Iglesia Filipina Independiente

Philippine Independent Church Isabelo de los Reyes was one of the founders of the church and suggested that Gregorio Aglipay be the head of the church. The church drew concepts of theology and worship from the Masonic Code and much of its support and inspiration from Miguel Morayta. Since this is a Filipino church, they canonized Jose Rizal and the GomBurZa as saints.

Gregorio Aglipay
Aglipay, despite his activism, was in fact a devout Catholic and decided to exhaust all means possible to reconcile with the Roman Catholic Church and the IFI. Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda asked Aglipay to confront the revolutionary leaders, offering them a level of autonomy for the Philippines if they would end the rebellion. May 5, 1899

Archbishop Nozaleda excommunicated Aglipay from the Roman Catholic Church since he joined the revolution and sent a letter to various clergy asking them to ask the Pope to appoint Filipinos in all local church positions. He was approached by Jesuit priests, rancisco Foradada and Joaquin Villalonga. They attempted to get him to sign a document swearing his allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church.

Aglipay said he would sign it if the Church would continue to work towards appointing more Filipino priests. Foradada asked him why he wanted more Filipino priests so badly, as he felt they were inefficient and vicious; this statement offended Aglipay. He severed his ties with the Roman Catholic Church despite damage control done by the Jesuits, and accepted de los Reyes' offer. On January 18, 1903, Aglipay was appointed Supreme Bishop (Obispo Maximo) of the Philippine Independent Church by the bishops of Manila, Cavite, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Cagayan, Pangasinan, and Abra.

Bernardino V. Nozaleda O.P. The Last Spanish Archbishop of Manila

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente Logo

Rev. Gregorio Aglipay

Don Isabelo de los Reyes

Iglesia ni Cristo
Founded by Felix Manalo in 1914. The official doctrines of the church profess that Jesus Christ is the founder of the INC and that Felix Manalo was the last messenger, sent by God to re-establish the Christian Church to its true, pristine form. They rejected traditional Roman Catholic and Protestant doctrines especially the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus & of the Holy Spirit. The INC began with a handful of followers on July 27, 1914 in Punta, Santa Ana, Manila; with Manalo as its head minister.

The Iglesia ni Cristo Logo

Felix Manalo Founder, Iglesia ni Cristo

The first Iglesia ni Cristo Temple Santa Ana, Manila

Architecture and Engineering

The Americans brought Art Deco and Neoclassical architectures in the Philippines as part of their colonial policies. Most of these are found in schools, colleges, universities, and public and government institutions. Modern urban planning was also developed during this period with Daniel Burnham planning Manila and Baguio. 1903

The combined efforts of Filipinos, Americans, Filipino-Chinese and Japanese nationals constructed a shorter route going to Baguio under the supervision of Col. Lyman Walter Vere Kennon of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Daniel Hudson Burnham

Burnhams Plan for Manila

Kennon Road Benguet

Lions Head

Art Deco

Metropolitan Theater

Jai Alai de Manila

Oriente Theater Cebu

Capitol Theater Quiapo, Manila

Luneta Hotel Before and After Restoration

Miramar Hotel Roxas Boulevard

Monte de Piedad Building Escolta

Natividad Building Escolta

Far Eastern University

UST Main Building

Neoclassical

Old Legislative Building National Museum

Department of Agriculture Department of Tourism

Supreme Court

Manila Post Office Building

Quezon Hall University of the Philippines

St. La Salle Hall De La Salle University

Adamson University Main Building

Literature and Language

This period was hailed as the golden age of Philippine Literature. Plays, poems, and novels were mostly written in this period. Most writers wrote mostly in English and Spanish. The Premio Zobel founded by Don Enrique Zbel de Ayala that aims to honor the best in Philippine literature in Spanish. The Tagalog Language was made as National Language upon the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

Don Enrique Zobel de Ayala Founder, Premio Zobel

Premio Zobel

Lope K. Santos
Father of the Philippine National Language and Grammar. He advocated for the development of the Tagalog language through his work, Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Grammar). He wrote his novel, Banaag at Sikat, it is considered as the "Bible of working class Filipinos In this novel, he discusses the social issues such as socialism, capitalism, and the works of the united associations of laborers.

Severino Reyes
He is highly acclaimed as one of the giants of Tagalog literature of the early 20th century. On June 14, 1902, his theatrical company, Grand Compania de Zarzuela Tagala, staged his play Walang Sugat (No Wounds). He co-founded the Liwayway, a Tagalog literary weekly. For many people, however, he will always be their Lola Basyang. He published in Liwayway his Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (Tales of Lola Basyang), a series of fairy tale stories told by Lola Basyang.

Liwayway Magazine Nov. 13, 1931 Issue

Walang Sugat

Theater
The American period introduced two genre of theater: the Sarswela and the Bodabil. Sarswela
From

the Spanish Zarzuela, it is a Spanish lyricdramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating dances. Also, sarswela tends to depict contemporary life with mixture of mild social comment, lilting music, and earthy humor on which a slight love story was usually made to rest.

Bodabil
From the American Vaudeville, it is popular genre of entertainment in the Philippines from the 1910s until the mid-1960s. It featured a hodgepodge of musical numbers, short-form comedy and dramatic skits, and even magic acts, often staged inside the theaters of Manila. Bodabil proved the vehicle for the popularization of musical trends and musicians, performance genres and performers. The typical bodabil shows would feature a mixture of performances of American ballads, torch songs and blues numbers; dance numbers featuring tap dancers and chorus girls and jitterbug showcases; and even the occasional kundiman.

List of Famous Sarswela

Severino Reyes

Walang Sugat (1902) Hindi Aco Patay (1903) Kahapon, Ngayon Bukas (1903) at

Juan Matapang Cruz

Aurelio Tolentino

Juan Abad

Tanikalang Guinto (1902) Anak ng Dagat (1922)

Patricio Mariano

Zorilla Theater The birthplace of Sarswela & Bodabil

Sarswela

Katy de la Cruz Premier Actress for Sarswela & Bodabil

Honorata Atang de la Rama Rogelio dela Rosa Sarswela & Bodabil Stars

Kundiman
Kundiman came around to be an art song at the end of the nineteenth century and by the early part of the twentieth century, its musical structure was formalized by Filipino composers such as Francisco Santiago and Nicanor Abelardo. They sought poetry for their lyrics, blending verse and music in equal parts. The melody and sentiment of the Kundiman tends not only toward the melancholy but also the cheerful and the commitment of the heart to passion is celebrated in every piece. The singer of the kundiman expresses the pain and beauty of love felt by every listener, for the kundiman is not merely entertainment but an embodiment of collective emotion.

Kundiman Maestros

Dr. Nicanor Abelardo

Dr. Francisco Santiago

Cinema
When two American entrepreneurs made a film in 1912 about Jose Rizals execution, the sensation they made it clear that the Filipinos need for material close to their hearts. This heralded the making of the first Filipino film. the first Filipino to make a film goes to Jose Nepumuceno, whom historians dub as the Father of Philippine Movies. Nepumucenos first film was based on a highlyacclaimed musical play of that day, Dalagang Bukid (Country Maiden) by Hemogenes Ilagan and Leon Ignacio.

Director, actor, writer and producer Julian Manansalas film Patria Amore (Beloved Country) was almost suppressed because of its anti-Spanish sentiments. This earned him the honor of being dubbed the Father of the Nationalistic Film. The first sound film in Tagalog was Ang Aswang, a monster movie inspired by Philippine folklore. Jose Nepomuceno's Punyal na Ginto (Golden Dagger), which premiered on March 9, 1933 was credited as the first completely sound movie to all-talking picture in the country.