Philippine folk literature

Second, even as the idea of a Southeast Asia was being conceived, the inclusion of the Philippines in the region was consistently in debate because of its very different cultural makeup.

This would be distinct from the folk literature of continental Southeast Asia, which includes Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and others.

Like all of Southeast Asia, however, whether peninsular or continental, Philippine folk literature shows strong cultural influences from India.

A major difference however, arises from the colonial influences in the development of Southeast Asian folk literature.

[11][12][13] The popularity of Philippine Komiks in the mid-20th century, and its revival in the 21st century, has also brought about the reinterpretation of Philippine folk literature in graphic form, with the increasing popularity of artists such as Gerry Alanguilan, Arnold Arre, Budjette Tan, Kajo Baldisimo, and the rise of fan communities through comic book conventions such as komikon resulting in crossover success in other media, including feature films and streaming media.

Juan Tamad ("Lazy John"), a best example of Philippine folklore published in 1919. It illustrates the main character's laziness to climb a guava tree and pick a bearing fruit.