Resil B. Mojares
This essay briefly introduces Bisayan studies as a field of academic research, with a focus on literature and history. It outlines the designation of the Visayas as a distinct region by Spanish colonizers, despite linguistic diversity, and the development over the following centuries of a collective regional identity. It describes a shift in scholarly interests towards local culture and history in the 1970s that saw the creation of regional study centres in the Philippines. Finally, it provides a survey of the current state of the field, suggesting future avenues for research. © 2023 SOAS University of London.
University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
