10 FAMOUS WRITERS AND THEIR WORKS

EURAYLE JHIRO B. SAYGO

 Guillermo Gómez Rivera -is a Filipino multilingual author,
historian, educator and linguistic scholar whose lifelong work has
been devoted to the movement to preserve Spanish culture as an
important element of the Filipino identity.
He is the most senior academic director of the Academia Filipina
de la Lengua Española of the Real Academia Española. In 1975,
he was awarded the Premio Zóbel, the Philippines' highest literary
honor bestowed on the best works in Spanish. Due to his expertise
in the Spanish language as well as his knowledge of various
Philippine languages,
including Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Tagalog/Filipino, and Chavacano,
he was appointed secretary of the Commission on the Filipino
Language Committee of the Philippine Constitutional
Convention (1971–73).
Works
Theatre
El Caserón (La Fortaleza Escondida). Comedia Filipina en Tres Actos (1978);
Poems
Con címbalos de caña (2011)
La nueva Babilonia (2018);
Novel
Quis ut Deus, o el Teniente Guimô, el brujo revolucionario de Yloílo (2015)
Essays
The Filipino State And Other Essays: Is Rodrigo Duterte the Savior of the Filipino
People? (2018);
Musical recordings
Pascuas en Manila (1967);
Nostalgia Filipina. Antología del folclore filipino de los siglos XVIII y XIX (2007);
El collar de Sampaguitas y Zamboanga Hermosa (2009);
 Francisco Balagtas - also known as Francisco Baltazar, was a
prominent Filipino poet, and is widely considered one of the
greatest Filipino literary laureates for his impact on Filipino
literature. The famous epic Florante at Laura is regarded as his
defining work.
The surname "Baltazar", sometimes misconstrued as a pen name,
was a legal surname Balagtas adopted after the 1849 edict of
Governor-General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua, which mandated
that the native population adopt standard Spanish surnames
instead of native ones.
His mentor was José de la Cruz, otherwise known as Joseng
Sisiw.

Works
Complete works
Only 3 of Balagtas' works survived complete and intact to this day. Out of the 3, "Florante at
Laura" is considered Balagtas' defining work and is a cultural touchstone for the Philippines.
Florante at Laura or Pinagdaanang Buhay ni Florante at Laura sa Kaharian ng Albanya,
an awit (metrical narrative poem with dodecasyllabic quatrains [12 syllables per line, 4 lines per
stanza]); Balagtas' masterpiece
La India elegante y el negrito amante – a short play in one part
Orosman at Zafira – a comedia in three parts
Reconstructed/rediscovered works
Majority of the source material for Balagtas' work come from Hermenigildo Cruz' book which
itself is based on the surviving testimonies and memories of Balagtas' children at the turn of the
century. In his book, he reconstructs five (5) plays.
Rodolfo at Rosemonda
Nudo gordeano
Abdol at Misereanan – a komedya, staged in Abucay, Bataan in 1857
Bayaceto at Dorslica – a komedya in three parts, staged at Udyong on September 27, 1857
Balagtas also wrote in the Ladino style of poems that were popular among his contemporaries.
He is said to have written two (2) loas recorded in Cruz's book as well as numerous Ladinos and
didactic works.
 José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was a Filipino
nationalist and polymath during the tail end of the Spanish colonial
period of the Philippines. He is tagged as the national
hero (pambansang bayani) of the Filipino
people. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal became a writer
and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement which
advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain.
He was executed by the Spanish colonial government for the crime
of rebellion after the Philippine Revolution, inspired in part by his
writings, broke out. Though he was not actively involved in its
planning or conduct, he ultimately approved of its goals which
eventually led to Philippine independence.
He is widely considered one of the greatest heroes of the
Philippines and has been recommended to be so honored by an officially empaneled National
Heroes Committee. However, no law, executive order or proclamation has been enacted or
issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero. He was the author
of the novels Noli Me Tángere and El filibusterismo, and a number of poems and essays.

Works
Novels and essays
Noli Me Tángere, novel, 1887 (literally Latin for 'touch me not', from John 20:17)
El Filibusterismo, (novel, 1891), sequel to Noli Me Tángere
Alin Mang Lahi ("Whate'er the Race"), a Kundiman attributed to Dr. José Rizal
The Friars and the Filipinos (Unfinished)
Toast to Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo (Speech, 1884), given at Restaurante Ingles, Madrid
The Diaries of José Rizal
Rizal's Letters is a compendium of Dr. Jose Rizal's letters to his family members, Blumentritt, Fr.
Pablo Pastells and other reformers
"Come se gobiernan las Filipinas" (Governing the Philippine islands)
Filipinas dentro de cien años essay, 1889–90 (The Philippines a Century Hence)
La Indolencia de los Filipinos, essay, 1890 (The indolence of Filipinos)
Makamisa unfinished novel
Sa Mga Kababaihang Taga Malolos, essay, 1889, To the Young Women of Malolos
Annotations to Antonio de Moragas, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (essay, 1889, Events in the
Philippine Islands)
 Alejandro Reyes Roces 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 (granddaughter of Maximo Viola), with
whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth Roces-Pedrosa. Anding
attended elementary and high school at the Ateneo de Manila
University, before moving to the University of Arizona and
then Arizona State University for his tertiary education. He
graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts and, not long after, attained his
M.A. from Far Eastern University back in the Philippines.[1] He
has since received honorary doctorates from Tokyo University,
Baguio's St. Louis University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the Ateneo de
Manila University. Roces was a captain in the Marking’s Guerilla during World War II and a
columnist in Philippine dailies such as the Manila Chronicle and the Manila Times. He was
previously President of the Manila Bulletin and of the CAP College Foundation.
Literary works
During his freshman year in the University of Arizona, 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.
Roces did not only focus on short stories alone, as he also published books such as Of Cocks and
Kites (1959), Fiesta (1980), and Something to Crow About (2005). Of Cocks and Kites earned
him the reputation as the country's best writer of humorous stories. It also contained the widely
anthologized piece “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. The book
has been recently brought to life by a critically acclaimed play of the same title; the staged
version of Something to Crow 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. The resolution? A cockfight, of course. Something to Crow About
won the Aliw Award for Best Musical and Best Director for a Musical Production. It also had a
run off-Broadway at the La Mama Theater in New York.
Through the years, Roces has won numerous awards, including the 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.
When once asked for a piece of advice on becoming a famous literary figure Roces said, "You
cannot be a great writer; first, you have to be a good person".
 Edilberto Kaindong Tiempo also known as E. K. Tiempo, was a
Filipino writer and professor. He and his wife, Edith L. Tiempo, are
credited by Silliman University with establishing "a tradition in
excellence in creative writing and the teaching of literacy craft
which continues to this day" at that university.
Career
During his tenure there, he was department chair (1950-
69), graduate school dean, vice-president for academic affairs, and
writer-in-residence.Tiempo was also part-time professor in St. Paul
University Dumaguete teaching Fine Arts ,Drama and Graduate
School.
As a Guggenheim writing fellow in 1955, he submitted a collection
of short stories, A Stream at Dalton Pass and Other Stories, for his Ph.D. in English at
the University of Denver. This collection won a prize at the same time that his second
novel, More Than Conquerors, won the first prize for the novel.

Works
Novels
Watch in the Night (1953)
Cry Slaughter! (1957)
To Be Free (1972, ISBN 971-10-0014-8)
More Than Conquerors (1982, ISBN 971-10-0388-0)
Cracked Mirror (1984, ISBN 971-10-0145-4)
The Standard Bearer (1985, ISBN 971-10-0237-X)
Farah (2001, ISBN 971-10-1046-1)
Poetry
Inside Job
 Carlos Sampayan Bulosan was an English-
language Filipino novelist and poet who immigrated to America on
July 1, 1930.[2] He never returned to the Philippines and he spent
most of his life in the United States. His best-known work today is
the semi-autobiographical America Is in the Heart, but he first
gained fame for his 1943 essay on The Freedom from Want.

As a labor organizer and socialist writer, he was blacklisted. Denied

a means to provide for himself, his later years were of flight and
hardship, probably including alcoholism. He died
in Seattle suffering from malnutrition and an advanced stage
of bronchopneumonia. He is buried at Mount Pleasant
Cemetery on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle.
Upon his death, union leader Chris Mensalvas, wrote the following obituary: "Carlos Bulosan, 30
years old (sic), died 11 September1956, Seattle. Birthplace: Philippines, Address: Unknown;
Occupation: Writer; Hobby: Famous for his jungle salad served during Foreign-Born Committee
dinners. Estate: One typewriter, a twenty-year old suit, unfinished manuscripts, worn out sock;
Finances: Zero. Beneficiary: His people."
His works did not immediately garner widespread appreciation. For two decades after his death, his
work was largely forgotten, until a group of young Asian Americans rediscovered his works and led
to the republication of America is in the Heart in 1973.
Bulosan's works and legacy is heralded in a permanent exhibition, "The Carlos Bulosan Memorial
Exhibit," at the Eastern Hotel in Seattle's International District. Its centerpiece mural is titled
"Secrets of History" and was created by Eliseo Art Silva.
Works
America Is in the Heart
The Laughter of My Father
The Cry and the Dedication
My Father's Tragedy
The Romance of Magno Rubio
If You Want To Know What We Are
My Father goes to Court
 Lualhati Torres Bautista is one of the foremost Filipino
female novelists in the history of contemporary Philippine literature.
Her novels include Dekada '70, Bata, Bata, Pa'no Ka Ginawa?,
and ‘GAPÔ. Bautista was born in Tondo, Manila, Philippines on
December 2, 1945, to Esteban Bautista and Gloria Torres. She
graduated from Emilio Jacinto Elementary School in 1958, and from
Torres High School in 1962. She was a journalism student at
the Lyceum of the Philippines, but dropped out because she had
always wanted to be a writer and schoolwork was taking too much
time.[citation needed] Her first short story, "Katugon ng Damdamin," was
published in Liwayway Magazine and thus started her writing career.
Despite a lack of formal training, Bautista as a writer became known
for her honest realism, courageous exploration of Philippine women's
issues, and compelling female protagonists who confront difficult
situations at home and in the workplace with uncommon grit and
strength.
Works
Books
Bulaklak sa City Jail
Dekada '70
Bata, Bata… Pa'no Ka Ginawa?
‘GAPÔ
Sixty in the City
In Sisterhood
Sonata
Hinugot sa Tadyang (non-fiction)
Buwan, Buwan, Hulugan Mo Ako ng Sundang: Dalawang Dekada ng Maiikling Kuwento
Desaparesidos
Novelettes[edit]
Sila At Ang Gabi: Isang Buong Laot at Kalahati ng Daigdig (1994) ISBN 9712703290
Ang Babae sa Basag na Salamin (1994) ISBN 9716850328
Araw ng mga Puso ISBN 971685014X
Apat Na screenplay ISBN 9712704475
Ang Kabilang Panig ng Bakod
 Filipino Canadian author Edmundo Farolán started
winning literary awards as a young writer-scholar while
studying philosophy and letters in Madrid in the 1960s.
He taught English, Spanish, and Media in various
universities, including Webster University
Thailand, University of Silesia (Czech Republic), Dalian
University (China), University of Toronto and Corpus
Christi College.
Farolan obtained his bachelor's degree from Ateneo de
Manila University, Licenciatura (Cand.) from the
Universidad Central de Madrid, a master's degree in
Hispanic Studies from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D in Speech Communication
from Bowling Green State University . He has acted professionally and directed for the
Vancouver Actors' Theater and the Vancouver Experimental Theatre. He is the founding editor
of an arts and entertainment e-zine, ReviewVancouver, and Revista Filipina[2] He is the recipient
of the Premio Zobel in 1982, the Philippines' highest literary honor given to Filipinos writing in
Spanish.
Works
Lluvias Filipinas (1967)
The Rhythm of Despair (1974)
Gramatica y Practica (1979)
Don Segundo Sombra: traduccion tagala (1979)
Literatura filhispana: una antologia (1980)
Espanol para universitarios filipinos (1981)
Tercera Primavera (1981)
Oh Canada (1994)
2000 versos (2000)
Media and Culture (2003)
Religions and Intercultural Reciprocity (2004)
Intercultural Communication (2005)
Itinerancias: Comings and Goings(2006)
64 Solitudes (2008)
Love, Travels and other Memoirs of a Filipino Writer (2009)
Cuentos hispanofilipinos (2010)
 Jessica Tarahata Hagedorn (born 1949) is a Filipino
playwright, writer, poet, and multimedia performance artist.
Hagedorn was born in Manila to a Scots-Irish-French-
Filipino mother and a Filipino-Spanish father with one
Chinese ancestor. Moving to San Francisco in 1963,
Hagedorn received her education at the American
Conservatory Theater training program. To further
pursue playwriting and music, she moved to New York
City in 1978.
Joseph Papp produced her first play Mango Tango in 1978.
Hagedorn's other productions include Tenement Lover, Holy
Food, and Teenytown. Her mixed media style often
incorporates song, poetry, images, and spoken dialogue.
From 1975 until 1985, she was the leader of a poet's band --
The West Coast Gangster Choir (in SF) and later The
Gangster Choir (in New York).
Works
Chiquita Banana. Third World Women (3rd World Communications, 1972)
Pet Food & Tropical Apparitions (Momo's Press, 1975)
Dangerous Music (Momo's Press, 1975)
Mango Tango (Y'Bird Magazine January 1, 1977)
Dogeaters (Penguin Books, 1990)
Danger and Beauty (Penguin Books, 1993)
Charlie Chan is Dead: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American Fiction (editor) (Penguin
Books, 1993)
The Gangster of Love (Houghton Mifflin, 1996)
Burning Heart: A Portrait of the Philippines (with Marissa Roth) (Rizzoli, 1999)
Dream Jungle (Viking Press/Penguin), 2003)
Toxicology (Penguin Books, 2011)
 Gilda Cordero-Fernando is a writer and publisher from
the Philippines. She was born on June 4, 1932 in Manila, has
a B.A. from St. Theresa's College-Manila,[1] and an M.A. from
the Ateneo de Manila University.
Cordero-Fernando has two collections of short stories: The
Butcher, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker (1962) and A
Wilderness of Sweets (1973).[2] These books have been compiled
and reissued as the Story Collection (1994).[3]
Another book, Philippine Food and Life, was published in 1992
with Alfredo Roces.[4] Cordero-Fernando also worked on Filipino
Heritage, a 10-volume study on Philippine history and culture
published by Lahing Pilipino in 1978. Afterwards, she
founded GCF Books which published a dozen titles that deal with
various aspects of Philippine culture and society.
Cordero-Fernando is also a visual artist, fashion designer, playwright, art curator and
producer.[5] In February 2000, she produced Luna: An Aswang Romance.