Canonical Authors of the Philippines
 Order of the National Artists in
literature of the Philippines is an
order bestowed by the
Philippines on Filipinos who
have made significant
contributions to the development
of Philippine literature.
Members of the Order are
known as National Artists in
literature. Originally instituted
as an Award, it was elevated to
the status of Order in 2003.
EDITH L. TIEMPO
 National Artist Award for
Literature (1999), Carlos
Palanca; Memorial Awards for
Literature; Cultural Center of the
Philippines (1979, First Prize in
Novel); Gawad Pambansang
Alagad ni Balagtas (1988)
 poet, fictionist, teacher and
literary critic is one of the finest
Filipino writers in English whose
works are characterized by a
remarkable fusion of style and
substance, of craftsmanship and
insight. She was born on 22 April
1919 in Bayombong, Nueva
Vizcaya. Her poems are intricate
verbal transfigurations of
significant experiences as
revealed, in two of her much-
anthologized pieces, "The Little
Marmoset" and "Bonsai". As
fictionist, Tiempo is as morally
profound. Her language has
been marked as "descriptive but
unburdened by scrupulous
detailing." She is an influential
tradition in Philippine literature
in English. Together with her
late husband, Edilberto K.
Tiempo, she founded and
directed the Silliman National
Writers Workshop in
Dumaguete City. Tiempo's
published works include the
novel A Blade of Fern (1978), His
Native Coast (1979), The Alien
Corn (1992
Bienvenido L. Lumbera
 1st Asian Gay awardees,
National Artist, April, 2006
 Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Journalism, Literature, and
Creative Communication Arts,
1993, Pambansang Gawad
Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas,
Unyon ng mga Manunulat ng
Pilipinas (UMPIL)
 Professor Emeritus, University
of the Philippines, Philippine
Centennial Literary Prize for
Drama, Cultural Center of the
Philippines Centennial Honors
for the Arts
 born on April 11, 1932. He spent
most of his youth in Batangas
until he entered the University
of Santo Tomas in 1950 to
pursue a degree in journalism.
 He has a poetry collection
entitled Likhang Dila, Likhang
Diwa (1993), and Balaybay: Mga
Tulang Lunot at Manibalang, a
collection of new poems in
Filipino and those from Likhang
Dila, and Writing the
Nation/Pag-akda ng Bansa
(2000). He has also done several
librettos, among them Tales of
the Manuvu (1977) and Rama
Hari (1980 four historical
musicals Nasa Puso ang
Amerika, Bayani, Noli Me
Tangere: The Musical, and Hibik
at Himagsik Nina Victoria
Laktaw.
 “Knowing the limitations of the
native syllabary as a literary
medium, the student cannot
accept without qualification the
usual explanation that the friars
destroyed the relics of paganism
 among their converts, or that the
literature was recorded on highly
perishable materials which
disintegrated before scholars
could get a hold of them”
― Bienvenido L. Lumbera
Virgilio S. Almario
 Palanca Awardee, Two grand
prizes from CCP, Makata ng
taon, TOYM for literature
 Southeast Asia write award of
Bangkok, 2003 Philippine Artist
for Literature
 Virgilio Senadrin Almario (born
March 9, 1944), better known
by his pen name Rio Alma, is a
Filipino artist, poet, critic,
translator, editor, teacher, and
cultural manager. He is a
National Artist of the Philippines
and currently serves as the
chairman of the Komisyon sa
Wikang Filipino (KWF), the
government agency mandated
to promote and standardize the
use of the Filipino language. On
January 5, 2017, Almario
elected as the chairman of the
National Commission for
Culture and the Arts
 Growing up in Bulacan, Almario
completed his degree in A.B.
Political Science at UP Diliman
 His earliest pieces of literary
criticism were collected in Ang
Makata sa Panahon ng Makina
(1972) Later, in the years of
martial law, he set aside
modernism and formalism and
took interest in nationalism,
politics and activist movement.
 He has also translated for theater
production the plays of Nick
Joaquin, Bertolt Brecht,
Euripides and Maxim Gorki.
José Rizal, namely Noli Me
Tangere and El filibusterismo..
 is also the founder and workshop
director of the Linangan sa
Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo
(LIRA) ,
 He was a founding member of
the Gallan sa Arte at Tula
(GAT), along with fellow poets
Teo Antonio and Mike Bigornia.
Cirilo Bautista
• Cirilo F. Bautista (July 9, 1941 –
May 6, 2018) was a Filipino
poet, critic and writer of
nonfiction. He was conferred
with the National Artist of the
Philippines award in 2014.
 First Prize in Epic Writing
English Category, of the
National Centennial
Commission's Literary Contests,
1998. Sunlight on Broken Stones
published by DLSU Press, the
last volume in his The Trilogy of
Saint Lazarus. This epic of 3,050
lines on Philippine history.
 Palanca Awards Foundation for
achievements in the field of
literature, 1995. five First Prizes
in the Palanca Literary Contests.
 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial
Awards for Literature nine (9)
times for poetry, fiction and
essay. His prize-winning works
include: Philippine Poetics: The
Past Eight Years (essay), 1981;
Crossworks (collected poems),
1979. National Book Award
given by the Manila Critics
Circle five (5) times, for The
Archipelago, Sugat ng Salita,
Sunlight on Broken Stones.
 Bautista was born in Manila on
July 9, 1941 and spent his
childhood in Balic-Balic,
Sampaloc.
 He received his basic education
from Legarda Elementary
School and Mapa High School.
He received his degrees in AB
 Literature from the UST, MA
Literature from St. Louis
University, Baguio, and Doctor
of Arts in Language and
Literature from DLSU (1990).
 a Professor Emeritus of
Literature at the College of
Liberal Arts DLSU he was also a
columnist and literary editor of
the Philippine Panorama, the
Sunday Supplement of the
Manila Bulletin.
F.Sionil José
• Francisco Sionil José (born 3
December 1924) is one of the
most widely read Filipino
writers in the English language.
His novels and short stories
depict the social underpinnings
of class struggles and
colonialism in Filipino society.
José's works—written in
English—have been translated
into 28 languages, including
Korean, Indonesian, Czech,
Russian, Latvian, Ukrainian and
Dutch
 Five Carlos Palanca Memorial
Awards for Literature: his short
stories The God Stealer in 1959,
Waywaya in 1979, and his essay
A Scenario for Philippine
Resistance in 1979.
 His first award was the 1979
City of Manila Award for
Literature. The following year,
Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Journalism, Literature and
Creative Communication Arts.
other awards period includes the
Outstanding Fulbrighters Award
for Literature (1988) and the
Cultural Center of the
Philippines Award (Gawad para
sa Sining) for Literature (1989).
 in 2001, title of National Artist
for Literature.
 José was born in Rosales,
Pangasinan, the setting of many
of his stories. He spent his
childhood in Barrio Cabugawan,
Rosales.
 José Rizal's life and writings
profoundly influenced José's
work. The five-volume Rosales
Saga, in particular. Sionil José
also owns Solidaridad
Bookshop, which is on Ermita,
Manila.
 Authors like myself choose the
city as a setting for their fiction
because the city itself illustrates
the progress or the sophistication
that a particular country has
achieved. Or, on the other hand,
it might also reflect the kind of
decay, both social and perhaps
moral, that has come upon a
particular people. — F. Sionil
José,
Amado V. Hernandez
 Amado Vera Hernandez,
commonly known as Amado V.
Hernandez (September 13, 1903
– March 24, 1970), was a
Filipino writer and labor leader
who was known for his criticism
of social injustices in the
Philippines and was later
imprisoned for his involvement
in the communist movement. He
was the central figure in legal
case that took 13 years to settle.
 He was born in Tondo, Manila,
to parents from Hagonoy,
Bulacan.
 In 1932, he married the Filipino
actress Atang de la Rama.
National Artists: Hernandez for
Literature, de la Rama for
Theater, Dance and Music.
 On May 5, 1947, he led the
biggest labor strike to hit Manila
at that time. Hernandez was
arrested on January 26 on the
suspicion that he was among the
leaders of the rebellion
  It was while he was imprisoned
that he wrote his most notable
works. Isang Dipang Langit (A
Stretch of Heaven), which later
won a Republic Cultural
Heritage Award, and Bayang
Malaya (Free Nation), which
won a Balagtas Award. He also,
edited the prison's newspaper
Muntinglupa Courier.
 After five years of
imprisonment, the Supreme
Court allowed Hernandez to post
bail on June 20, 1956. He then
resumed his journalistic career
and won Don Carlos Palanca
Memorial Awards (four times)
and journalism awards given by
the National Press Club of the
Philippines (four times).
Lázaro Francisco
 Lázaro Francisco y Angeles,
also known as Lazaro A.
Francisco (February 22, 1898 –
June 17, 1980) was a Filipino
novelist, essayist and
playwright. Francisco is the
recipient of the National Artist
of the Philippines for Literature,
posthumously, in 2009
 Francisco was born on February
22, 1898 to Eulogio Francisco
and Clara Angeles, in Orani,
Bataan. He spent his childhood
years in Cabanatuan, Nueva
Ecija. He took his college
education at Central Luzon State
University, but was not able to
finish due to poverty.
 most of his writings were
focused on small farmers and
their current conditions with
foreign businessmen. This lead
him to win separate awards from
Commonwealth Literary
Contest in 1940 and 1946, for his
masterpieces, Singsing na
Pangkasal and Tatsulok.
 In 1958, he established the
Kapatiran ng mga Alagad ng
Wikang Pilipino, roughly
translated as "Brotherhood of the
Disciples of the Filipino
Language"
 He received other distinguished
awards and accolades in
literature in his lifetime,
including the Balagtas Award
(1969), the Republic Cultural
Heritage Award (1970)
 In 2009, National Artist of the
Philippines for Literature to
Francisco, posthumously
Alejandro Roces
 Alejandro Reyes Roces (13 July
1924 – 23 May 2011) was a
Filipino author, essayist,
dramatist and a National Artist
of the Philippines for literature.
He served as Secretary of
Education from 1961 to 1965,
during the term of Philippine
President Diosdado Macapagal.
Noted for his short stories, the
Manila-born Roces was married
to Irene Yorston Viola
 Anding attended elementary and
high school at the ADMU,
before moving to the University
of Arizona. He graduated with a
B.A. in Fine Arts and, not long
after, attained his M.A. from
FEU back in the Philippines.
 He was previously President of
the Manila Bulletin and of the
CAP College Foundation.
 In 2001, Roces was appointed as
Chairman of the Movie and
Television Review and
Classification Board (MTRCB).
 Roces won Best Short Story for
We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers.
Another of his stories, My
Brother’s Peculiar Chicken, was
listed as Martha Foley’s Best
American Stories among the
most distinctive for years 1948
and 1951.
 he also published books such as
Of Cocks and Kites earned him
the reputation as the country's
best writer of humorous stories,
“My Brother’s Peculiar
Chicken”. Fiesta, is a book of
essays, featuring folk festivals
such as Ermita's Bota Flores,
Aklan's Ati-atihan, and Naga's
Peñafrancia.
 Something to Crow About, on
the other hand, is a collection of
Roces’ short stories. About is the
first Filipino zarzuela in English.
This modern zarzuela tells the
story of a poor cockfighter
named Kiko who, to his wife's
chagrin, pays more attention to
the roosters than to her. Later in
the story, a conflict ensues
between Kiko’s brother Leandro
and Golem, the son of a wealthy
and powerful man, over the
affections of a beautiful woman
named Luningning. It was
resolve with a cockfight.
 Roces has won Patnubay ng
Sining at Kalinangan Award, the
Diwa ng Lahi Award, the
Tanging Parangal of the Gawad
CCP Para sa Sining, and the
Rizal Pro Patria Award. He was
finally bestowed the honor as
National Artist of Literature on
25 June 2003.
 Roces said, "You cannot be a
great writer; first, you have to be
a good person"
Carlos P. Romulo
 Carlos Peña Rómulo, QSC,
CLH, NA (14 January 1898 – 15
December 1985) was a Filipino
diplomat, statesman, soldier,
journalist and author. He was a
reporter at 16, a newspaper
editor by the age of 20, and a
publisher at 32. He was a co-
founder of the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines, a general in the US
Army and the Philippine Army,
Philippines' National Artists in
Literature His hometown is
Camiling, Tarlac and he studied
at the Camiling Central
Elementary School during his
basic education. Romulo served
eight Philippine presidents, from
Manuel L. Quezon to Ferdinand
Marcos.
 Romulo supported President
Ferdinand Marcos through most
of his presidency. Gregorio
Brillantes interviewed him in
1984, and he said he resigned
"heartsick" because of the
assassination of Aquino, whom
he considered a "friend.
 Romulo, in all, wrote and
published 22 books, which
includes The United (novel), I
Walked with Heroes
(autobiography), I Saw the Fall
of the Philippines, Mother
America and I See the
Philippines Rise (war-time
memoirs).
 He died, at 87, in Manila on 15
December 1985 and was buried
in the Heroes' Cemetery
(Libingan ng mga Bayani). He
was honored as "one of the truly
great statesmen of the 20th
century "Mr. United Nations"
José García Villa
 Jose Garcia Villa (August 5,
1908 – February 7, 1997) was a
Filipino poet, literary critic,
short story writer, and painter.
He was awarded the National
Artist of the Philippines title for
literature in 1973, as well as the
Guggenheim Fellowship in
creative writing by Conrad
Aiken. He is known to have
introduced the "reversed
consonance rhyme scheme" in
writing poetry, as well as the
extensive use of punctuation
 marks—especially commas,
which made him known as the
Comma Poet. He used the
penname Doveglion ("Dove,
Eagle, Lion"). These are from E.
E. Cummings in Doveglion,
Adventures in Value, a poem
dedicated to Villa. Villa was
born in Manila's Singalong
district.
 He graduated from the UP
IntegSchool and the UPHigh
School in 1925. Villa enrolled on
a Pre-Medical course in the UP,
but then switched to Pre-Law
course.
 Villa first published Philippine
Short Stories: Best 25 Short
Stories of 1928 in 1929, an
anthology of Filipino short
stories written in English. (2nd
anthology in PH)
 His first collection of short
stories that he had written were
published under the title
Footnote to Youth: Tales of the
Philippines and Others in 1933;
while in 1939, Villa published
Many Voices, his first collection
poems, followed by Poems by
Doveglion in 1941. Three years
later, he released a follow-up for
The Portable Villa entitled The
Essential Villa.
 Several reprints of Villa's past
works were done, including
Appasionata: Poems in Praise of
Love in 1979, A Parliament of
Giraffes and The Anchored
Angel: Selected Writings by
Villa that was edited by Eileen
Tabios with a foreword provided
by Hagedorn (both in 1999).
 His popular poems include When
I Was No Bigger Than A Huge,
an example of his "comma
poems", and The Emperor's New
Sonnet (a part of Have Come,
Am Here) which is basically a
blank sheet of paper.
Rolando Tinio
 Rolando Santos Tinio (March 5,
1937 – July 7, 1997) was a
Filipino poet, dramatist, director,
actor, critic, essayist and
educator
 Rolando Tinio is a Philippine
National Artist for Theater and
Literature in 1997. He was born
in Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila
As a child, Tinio was an active
participant in the Filipino movie
industry Tinio himself became a
film actor and scriptwriter. He is
often described as a religious,
well-behaved and gifted person.
Tinio graduated with honors (a
"magna cum laude" achiever)
with a degree in Philosophy
from the Royal and Pontifical
University of Santo Tomas at
age 18 in 1955.
 He published four seminal books
of poems between 1972 and
1993, in which, along with his
longtime friend, Bienvenido
Lumbera, helped, He had also
worked on his own projects such
as the Ateneo Experimental
Theater productions and other
serious dramas in Filipino.
 Circa 1976, Tinio also wrote the
lyrics for the six hymns of the
"Misa ng Alay-Kapwa" the
music for which was composed
by Fr. Eduardo P. Hontiveros,
SJ. ("Buksan ang Aming Puso.)
 Rolando Santos Tinio was
directing a musical when he
suffered a heart attack in Manila
on July 7, 1997. He died on July
8, 1997 at age 60. His wife,
theatre and film actress, Ella
Luansing had died some years
before. He has two children,
Antonio and Victoria.
 He was known for translating
Western classics, which includes
 the works of Sophocles,
Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov
and Verdi, into Tagalog.
Francisco Arcellana
 Francisco "Franz" Arcellana
(September 6, 1916 – August 1,
2002) was a Filipino writer,
poet, essayist, critic, journalist
and teacher. He was born on
September 6, 1916. he became a
member of The Torres Torch
Organization during his high
school years. Later on, he
received a Rockefeller Grant and
became a fellow in Creative
Writing at the University of
Iowa and at the Breadloaf
Writers' Conference from 1956–
1957.
 Arcellana pioneered the
development of the short story as
a lyrical prose-poetic form. His
works are now often taught in
tertiary-level syllabi in the
Philippines. Many of his works
were translated into Tagalog,
Malaysian, Russian, Italian, and
German. Arcellana won 2nd
place in the 1951 Don Carlos
Palanca Memorial Awards for
Literature for The Flowers of
May. Fourteen of his short
stories were also included in
Jose Garcia Villa's Honor Roll
from 1928 to 1939. and the
Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni
Balagtas for English fiction from
the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa
Pilipino (UMPIL) in 1988.
 The University of the
Philippines conferred upon
Arcellana a doctorate in humane
letters, honoris causa in 1989.
Francisco Arcellana was
proclaimed National Artist of the
Philippines in Literature on June
23, 1990 by CoryAquino.
 In 2009, or seven years after his
death, his family came out with
a book entitled Franz is a
collection of essays gathered by
the Arcellana family from
colleagues, friends, students and
family members, Nick Joaquin,
Butch Dalisay, Recah Trinidad,
Jing Hidalgo and others.
Levi Celerio
 Levi Celerio (April 30, 1910 –
April 2, 2002) was a Filipino
composer and lyricist who is
credited to writing not less than
4,000 songs. Celerio was
recognized as a National Artist
of the Philippines for Music and
Literature in 1997.
 He is also known for using the
leaf as a musical instrument
which led to being recognized as
the "only man who could play
music using a leaf" by the
Guinness Book of Records.
 He is also poet and was also a
film actor who appeared in
various Philippine films of the
1950s and 1960s.
 was born on April 30, 1910, in
Tondo, Manila to Cornelio Cruz
and Juliana Celerio and was born
to a poor family. His mother who
is a harpist and a member of a
church choir. He was estranged
from his father who is involved
in the real estate and jewelry
business.
 Despite of this, Celerio became a
close acquaintance of gang
leader Asiong Salonga. Celerio
later performed with the band as
its member while
simultaneously attending Torres
High School.
 He also attended the UP
Conservatory of Music to study
violin for two semesters. He
became the youngest member of
the Manila Symphony
Orchestra. Levi Celerio was a
member of the He temporarily
 worked as a comic illustrator and
later decided to shift to
songwriting.
 Later in his career, he had
Filipino Palindromes and Take
It From Levi, a collection of love
poems he wrote published.
 He is credited for writing more
than 4,000 songs, many of which
are dedicated to his wife and
children. He wrote Filipino folk,
Christmas, and love songs and
some of his songs were used in
feature films.
 Among Original Pilipino Music
(OPM) songs he composed are
"Ikaw", "Kahit Konting
Pagtingin", "Saan Ka Man
Naroroon?". He wrote the lyrics
of the famous Filipino lullabye
Sa Ugoy ng Duyan . He also
composed folk songs including
"Ako ay May Singsing",
 "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit",
officially title "Maligayang
Pasko at Manigong Bagong
Taon"
 On October 9, 1997, pursuant to
Proclamation No. 1114,
President Fidel V. Ramos
proclaimed him a National Artist
for Music and Literature.
 The UP conferred him an
honorary doctorate degree in
Humanities in 1991. The Film
Academy of the Philippines gave
Celerio the Lifetime
Achievement Award in 1989. He
is also the recipient of the CCP
Gawad Para Sa Sining in 1991,
and the Gawad Urian Award in
1993.
 Celerio died at the Delgado
Clinic in Kamuning, Quezon
City due to multiple organ
dysfunction. He also had a prior
episode of stroke.
 On his 108th Birth Anniversary
on April 30, 2018, Google
Philippines featured Celerio in a
Google Doodle.
 Levi Celerio was married to Lina
Celerio and has 12 children.
Carlos Quirino
 Carlos Quirino is a nephew of
Philippine president Elpidio
Quirino.He is a famous filipino.
He is best known for his early
biography of Jose Rizal. He also
wrote several works the
Philippine history and
biographies of President Manuel
Quezon and the painter Damian
Domingo. In 1997 he was
recognised as a National Artist
of the Philippines for Historical
Literature.
 Carlos Felix Lozada Quirino
(January 14, 1910 - May 20,
1999) was a Filipino biographer,
historian and cultural
administrator, has the distinction
of having written one of the
earliest biographies of Jose Rizal
titled The Great Malayan. In
1997, President Fidel Ramos
created historical literature as a
new category in the National
Artist Awards and Quirino was
its first recipient.
 His book Maps and Views of
Old Manila is considered as the
best book on the subject. His
other books include Quezon,
Man of Destiny, Magsaysay of
the Philippines, Lives of the
Philippine Presidents, Philippine
Cartography, Filipinos at War:
The Fight for Freedom from
Mactan to EDSA.
Atty. Ramon L. Muzones
 Muzones (March 20, 1913 –
Aug. 17, 1992) was a prolific
writer in Hiligaynon and
credited for developing and
popularizing Hiligaynon
literature through his poems,
short stories, essays, and novels.
 He wrote a total of 62 novels
during his lifetime. His obra
maestra called Margosatubig in
1946 was considered the first
Hiligaynon bestseller.
 His first novel for Hiligaynon
was Tibud nga Bulawan 1938.
Muzones scored many firsts in
Hiligaynon literature such as the
first Hiligaynon roman a clef,
Tamblot in 1948; and first
Hiligaynon political satire, Si
Tamblot Kandidato Man in
1949. His Dama de Noche in
1980 is deemed the longest
serialized Hiligaynon novel.
 Muzones was one of the
founders of Sumakwelan.
 He was awarded the Gawad
Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas
by the Unyon ng mga Manunulat
sa Pilipinas in 1988, the Gawad
CCP Para sa Sining in 1989, and
the Gawad Bonifacio sa
Panitikan Centennial Award
granted by the National
Commission for Culture and the
Arts on Nov. 22, 1997.
 Muzones was the first of 10
children of Santiago Muzones
from Miag-ao, Iloilo and
Florentina Larupay.
 He took his pre-law course at
FEU and his law degree at CPU
1952.
 Muzones married Adelaida de la
Cruz of Kabankalan, Negros
Occidental; they had seven
children.
N. V. M. Gonzalez
 Néstor Vicente Madali González
(September 8, 1915 – November
28, 1999) was a Filipino
novelist, short story writer,
essayist and poet. Conferred as
the National Artist of the
Philippines for Literature in
1997. He was born in Romblon,
Philippines. González, however,
was raised in Mansalay, Oriental
Mindoro. González was a son of
a school supervisor and a
teacher. As a teenager, he helped
his father by delivering meat
door-to-door. González was also
a musician. He earned his first
peso by playing the violin during
a Chinese funeral in Romblon.
González attended Jose J. Leido
Jr. Memorial National High
School (1927 to 1930). González
attended college at NU (Manila)
but he was unable to finish his
undergraduate degree. While in
Manila, González wrote for the
Philippine Graphic and later
edited for the Evening News
Magazine and Manila Chronicle
 member of the Board of
Advisers of Likhaan: the
University of the Philippines
Creative Writing Center,
founding editor of The Diliman
Review and as the first president
of the Philippine Writers'
Association. In 1950, González
returned and taught at the UST,
the PWU and the U.P. where he
was only one of two faculty
members accepted to teach in the
university without holding a
degree.
 On 14 April 1987, the University
of the Philippines conferred on
N.V.M. González the degree of
Doctor of Humane Letters,
honoris causa.
 As a National Artist, Gonzalez
was honored with a state funeral
at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.