Comparative Literature played a significant role in Philippine literary history. It served as an academic instrument that challenged Western literary perspectives and provided alternatives to Western literary canon. If English literature was entrenched through the classroom, the classroom was likewise used to resist Anglo-American dominance through Comparative Literature. The Comparative Literature program at the Department of English and Comparative Literature in the University of the Philippines renewed interest in Philippine literature, both in English and the local languages. It opened the gates to the other literatures of the world, especially from Asia, Africa and Latin America, eventually choosing Southeast Asia as an area of emphasis. At the same time, it affirmed a Filipino point of view in the reading of texts.