A Reading List for Filipino Books: Discovering History Through Literature

Language holds history and drives change. Cozy up with Filipino literature that speaks straight to the soul.

Literature allows readers to empathize and discover nuances in historical and modern events, commonly missed in news articles and statistics, or hidden under political surveillance and censorship. It shines a light on the voices of people that are not commonly heard.

The Philippines, a country in Southeast Asia, has endured colonization, oppression and war conflicts. Its tumultuous history reflects in the literature that is produced and read by its people.

Filipino heritage speakers who live in the diaspora, don’t often encounter stories written by people of similar heritage, cultural context, nor are they represented in the media. Reading stories by authors of similar nationality, or books that have shaped Filipino culture allows them to reconnect with their homeland and feel represented. 

Filipino Books About Colonization

The Philippines was under Spanish colonization from 1565 to 1898, commencing with Miguel López de Legazpi's arrival and settlement in modern Filipino city of Cebu, and ending with the Spanish-American War.

1. Noli Me Tangere, 1887

   
   

Noli Me Tangere is a social and political novel written by Jose Rizal, Spanish-educated polymath and Filipino freedom fighter, and published in Berlin, Germany. He was relevant during the end of the Spanish colonial period for highlighting the inequitable treatment endured by native peoples by Spanish Catholics.

Noli Me Tangere is a book mandated in the Filipino education system for high schoolers. Despite the book being originally published in Spanish, and the wide-spread use of English in Filipino high schools, the book is often taught in Tagalog. Noli Me Tangere translates into “Touch Me Not,” metaphorizing how the social cancer of institutionalized oppression that Filipinos were subjugated to by the Spanish church was too painful to touch.

As for the plot, Noli Me Tangere takes place during Spanish Colonization in the Philippines. The story follows the main character, Crisóstomo Ibarra, as he pushes against the Spanish church to build a school and implement progressive reforms. Some broad themes found within the story are discussions on colonialism, religion, revolution and education. Noli Me Tangere connects with past and present Filipino culture by being the inciting incident for the Filipino revolution against Spanish rule, and remaining an insignia and teaching device in current Filipino high school curricula.

Why read Noil Me Tangere? 

Non-natives and heritage speakers alike should read Noli Me Tangere for its deep dive into Spanish rule over the Filipino people, and its impact on both the revolution and for inspiring many works of Filipino literature succeeding it. 

2. El Filibusterismo, 1891 

El Filibusterismo is the sequel to Noli Me Tangere, and was published 4 years later in Gante, Belgium. El Filibusterismo translates to “The Reign of Greed,” and this change of tone reflects in the story. While Noli Me Tangere has a focus on romance and a hopeful, peaceful reform, El Filibusterismo is a cynical descent into the madness of greed, politics, and failed revolution. However, El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere have the same goal of igniting Filipino consciousness and highlighting Spanish colonial oppression.

Why read El Filibusterismo?

If you’ve already given Noil Me Tangere a try, you will definitely enjoy El Filibusterismo for its character progression and plot! It challenges expectations on how hopeful reform occurs in tense political environments, and highlights the true nuances and downsides of fighting for a revolution.

Filipino Books About Dictatorships

Dictatorship in this article section spans across continents, countries, and languages to highlight Filipino authors' experiences with limited social control and legal power.

3. America Is in the Heart, 1946 

   
   

America Is in the Heart is a memoir originally written in English by Carlos Bulosan, and published in New York, America. Bulosan left the Philippines for America at the age of 17 in 1930, and never returned. Bulosan recounts in an interview with the New York Times that the story was written with bitterness and desire to make something of his experiences in America. 

America Is in the Heart is culturally significant and reached critical acclaim through its raw depiction of the authentic Asian-American working class experience. It specifically touches on the harsh personal realities of Bulosan and other Filipino migrant workers and laborers living on fisheries, and in the rural West of 1930s America. Authors like Carey McWilliams famously designated it as a social classic that truthfully mirrors the collective trauma and resilience of early Filipino migrants.

The novel’s plot dedicates a few of its earlier chapters to childhood stories in the Philippines. The book later shifts towards his migration to the United States, touching upon themes like migration, diaspora, impacts of pre-war to post-war, prejudice, abuse and injustice.

Heritage speakers would find America Is in the Heart interesting as it touches on stories from Filipino migrants of a different generation and how they may mirror their lives or their parents’. It is a unique perspective on what being a part of the diaspora can mean. America Is in the Heart also can help distinguish and connect between American-Filipino relations of the past and present. 

Why read America Is in the Heart?

You should read America Is in the Heart if you are interested in autobiographical novels, the early Asian-American experience, and the post-war era.

4. Mga Ibong Mandaragit, 1969

Amando V. Hernandez’s Mga Ibong Mandaragit was written in 1969 and is set during World War 2 and the Japanese Occupation. It was originally written in Tagalog, and translates into “Birds of Prey,” or “Preying Birds.” While fictional, it mirrors Hernandez’ experience as a guerilla intelligence officer during the Japanese occupation (1942-45).

Mga Ibong Mandaragit is often treated as an indirect sequel to Jose Rizel’s historical novel El Filibusterismo. Mga Ibong Mandaragit distinguishes itself through critiquing post-WWII neocolonialism, corruption, and the severe exploitation of the Filipino working class. More themes explored in the novel are: social injustice, class struggle, and nationalism. Hernandez has received awards like National Artist for Literature for his writing.

The plot follows the journey of guerilla warrior Mando “Andoy” Plaridel’s fight against Japanese forces, with help from the Commonwealth of the Philippines Army in Luzon. El Filibusterismo is also reopened within this book when Mando’s mentor Tata Matyas helps Mando locate discarded treasure mentioned at the end of El Filibusterismo, which Mando sells to fund pro-reform literature. 

Mga Ibong Mandaragit uniquely begins during September 1944, a time where Japanese forces were losing influence over Filipino guerillas, evidencing Hernandez’s desire for status, change and improved living conditions for Filipinos.

Reading Mga Ibong Mandaragit reminds natives and heritage speakers about the sacrifices made by martyrs for the Philippines, and allows foreigners and language learners to better understand Filipino patriotism and Japanese occupation. 

Why read Mga Ibong Mandaragit?

You should read Mga Ibong Mandaragit if you enjoy historical fiction, especially ones that explore the effects of colonialism, inequality, and political corruption. The novel offers a compelling look at the Philippines after World War II while connecting its historical events to issues that remain relevant today.

5. Dekada '70, 1983 

Dekada ‘70 (trans. The 70s) was written in Tagalog by Lualhati Bautista in 1983, and set in 1970s Philippines, honouring its name. Bautista was an activist and political critic alongside her work as an author, focusing on feminist issues. Dekada ‘70 occurs within the 20-year authoritarian rule in the ⁠Philippines by president Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos declared martial law from September 22, 1972 to 1981 which dictated military control over civilian government. Mass disappearances and killings of civilians, soaring nationwide dept—due to government officials borrowing from other countries at high rates—and the loss of democratic rights such as voting, were commonplace during martial law. 

Dekada ‘70 is culturally significant due to the heavy censorship that barred any opposition to the regime, making Bautista’s novel an important source to understand the reality of the time. It is, like Noli Me Tangere, widely studied in Philippine high schools and universities, as a definitive text on the martial law era. 

Dekada ‘70 has gained recognition through a film created in 2002 based on the novel, as well as awards (Palanca Award 1983), recommendations by editors, and Penguin Classics’ Vice President, Elda Rotor’s praise for its translation.

The historical fiction novel centers around a family living in the martial law era under Ferdinand Marcos, providing a perspective on life during the Marcos regime. The story is told through Amanda, a traditional mother whose political awakening and personal growth mirror the turbulent social and political changes in the Philippines. Themes in Dekada ‘70 include individual awakening, family resilience and gender inequality.

Filipinos, learners and heritage speakers are recommended to read Dekada ‘70 for varying reasons, like how it serves as a historical reminder of the times, a study of political awakening, and a critique of gender roles in Filipino society.

Why read Dekada ‘70?

You should read Dekada ‘70 if you’re interested in the conflicting roles of women and the importance of agency, privilege and social class.

6. Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa?, 1988

Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa? is also written in Tagalog by Lualhati Bautista, and set during the martial law era under Marcos’ regime. This book is similarly written under a feminist lens, but differentiates itself from Dekada ‘70 by highlighting the broader societal change of allowing women to work in the Philippines during this time. Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa? was also adapted into a film, directed by Chito S. Roño in 1998. 

Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa? tells the story of a women’s rights activist and working single mother named Lea, navigating the male-centered Filipino society of the time. Lea is also unconventionally raising two children from different men, subverting Filipino cultural norms. The main conflict centers around how one of the children’s father arrives to take them to the United States with him, leaving Lea in fear of losing her children, and trapped by the demands of her work schedule. Some themes in Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa? are family, gender, women’s rights and motherhood.

The title itself centers on motherhood—Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa? translating to "Child, Child... How Were You Made?" as both a comedic question regarding conception, and symbolically addressing the book’s core messaging of how societal factors shape a child’s upbringing.  

Why read Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa?

Similar to Dekada ‘70, learners should read Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa? to better familiarize themselves with critiques of patriarchal and hegemonic structures within Filipino society that take place with other difficult events, such as martial law. 

Filipino Books About Duterte's War on Drugs

Rodrigo Roa Duterte is the former president of the Philippines. He served 6 years, from 2016 to 2022. He received an arrest warrant on March 7th 2025, and has been found liable for crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court for charges like murder and attempted murder occurring during his “war on drugs” campaign, spanning November 1st 2011 to March 16th 2019.

7. Some People Need Killing, 2023 

   
   

Some People Need Killing was written in English by Patricia Evangelista, a journalist working in Manila, who focuses on human rights, conflict, and disasters. It is nonfiction, and documents President Rodrigo Duterte’s role in the extrajudicial killings of thousands of Philippine citizens. During his time as president, Duterte initiated the Philippine “war on drugs” campaign, focusing on reducing the prominence of illegal drugs in the nation.

Some People Need Killing shows how political rhetoric normalizes murder, and justifies state terror under the mantra “some people need killing,” but it also shows that this behavior leaves behind a residue of societal guilt in regards to complacency by voters of a broken system. Some People Need Killing is culturally relevant within the Philippines for its modern analytical breakdown of contemporary political landscapes reflective of similar policies across societies. The book can help better understand current societal issues stemming from the drug war, such as severe social and familial breakdown, school dropouts, and homelessness of orphaned children. Some People Need Killing has received titles like #1 Nonfiction Book of 2023 from TIME, and Top 10 Best Books of 2023 from ⁠The New York Times Book Review.

Themes in Some People Need Killing include dehumanization, societal guilt in regards to complacency in a broken system by voters, and the moral issue of how ordinary citizens justify state-backed murder.

Heritage speakers, natives and foreigners would find Some People Need Killing a valuable read for how applicable many of its themes are to other systems of power, especially in politically unstable and volatile regions. Heritage speakers and natives would find Some People Need Killing especially interesting, because it provides background information on present societal issues in the Philippines.

Why read Some People Need Killing?

Some People Need Killing is an important read for anyone interested in human rights, journalism, and the realities of political violence. It provides a powerful look at the Philippines’ drug war and the people whose lives were affected by it.

8. Patron Saints of Nothing, 2019

Focusing on the same events as Some People Need Killing, Patron Saints of Nothing was published in English, four years prior, by author Randy Ribay.

Patron Saints of Nothing is a fictional novel, and tells the story of a Filipino-American teenager who returns to the Philippines to learn more about his cousin who had been murdered, and discover why his family refuses to talk about it. The story highlights the reality of the drug war through a young adult lens. Themes in Patron Saints of Nothing include truth, justice, belonging, death, and guilt.

Patron Saint of Nothing has reached a wide variety of people, as a celebrated finalist for the 2019 ⁠National Book Award for Young People's Literature and winner of the 2019 Freeman Book Award.

Patron Saints of Nothing connects directly with the Filipino diaspora and heritage speakers by exploring dual identities, cultural belonging, and the challenges of understanding where you come from. Through its protagonist’s journey to reconnect with his Filipino heritage, Patron Saints of Nothing provides a deeply personal lens into Duterte’s war on drugs, which was responsible for the deaths of thousands. By connecting questions of identity and belonging with the realities of political violence in the Philippines, the novel encourages diaspora and heritage speakers to engage more deeply with both their culture and its history.

Why read Patron Saints of Nothing?

If you are interested in diaspora, culture, and identity, Patron Saints of Nothing offers a powerful exploration of what it means to reconnect with your heritage while confronting the difficult realities of the Philippines’ history and politics.