Colonization stifled native writing, however. Only after about two centuries later did the people begin to write poems and plays adapted from Biblical stories – this time in the Spanish writing system. These dramatic tropes were street presentations during May festivals, Christmas, Easter and Lent. In 1890, the first Bikol newspaper An Parabareta (the Newsman) was published by Mariano Perfecto, who also established the first printing press. Imprenta de Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia. In the midst of numerous devotionals and religious poems, there appeared two protest plays – “An Pagguiao kan mga pastores can pagcamondag ni Jesus duman sa portal sa belen” (The awakening of the shepherds of Jesus birth) by Mariano Perfecto and “Comedia na dapit sa Dios o magna cahayagan can pagcamondag ni Jesus” (A play about God or matters concerning the birth of Jesus). The first play says that the people accepted the faith but not the Spaniards; the second tries to localize the character Mary, humanize Herodes and make the coronation of Mary an occasion of revelry through two comic characters.
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