The Biography of Some of the Talented Authors in the Philippines

Oscar de Zuniga

He was born on June 29, 1912 in San Roque, Cavite but grew up in Tondo, Manila. After graduating
from Mapa High School, he attended college for only seven months because of financial difficulties.
He got his first taste of newspaper work and literature by working for The Sunday Tribune Magazine.
He wrote under the pseudonym Mariano Huertas. His works include Love Song and Other Poems
(1960). And The Arid Year: Prose and Poems (1960). Although he has been writing for a long time, he
claims he only really started writing late in 1947.

Ricardo Demetillo

He was born on June 10, 1920 but died on 1998. He was a Filipino essayist, poet, and playwright.
Moreover, he was one of the most important and prolific literary figures in the Philippines during the
Twentieth Century and has won numerous awards for his writing while he was a seminarian at the
Protestant Central Philippine College (now Central Philippine University) in 1939. He pursued his
talent at Indiana University as a Rockefeller scholar and completed his master’s degree in fine arts in
English and creative writing at the State University of Iowa in 1952. He taught at Silliman University
and later at the University of the Philippines, where he taught literature and the humanities.
Demetillo is the author of poetry collections, including “No Certain Weather,” “La Via: A Spiritual
Journey,” “Barter in Panay: An Epic,” and “Daedalus and Other Poems.” He also published a play
titled “The Heart of Emptiness is Black” and a novel titled “The Genesis of a Troubled Vision.”
Demetillo’s notable awards include the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the
Southeast Asian Writers Awards, and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas of the Unyon ng
mga Manunulat ng Pilipinas. He passed away in 1998.

Nick Joaquin

Nicomedes “Nick” Joaquin y Marquez, fondly called “Onching” by close family and friends, was born
on May 4, 1917, in Paco, Manila. There are varying accounts on the date of his birth, some cite it as
September 15, 1917. This could stem from how Joaquin himself refrained from revealing his date of
birth because he disliked the fuss of people coming over and celebrating his birthday. Joaquin was
the fifth out of the ten children of Don Leocadio Joaquin and Salomé Marquez.

The Joaquin family lived in a two-story residential and commercial building, greatly uncommon at
that time, on Herran Street (now Pedro Gil Street) in Paco, Manila. Joaquin was said to have had an
extremely happy childhood. The Joaquins had lived a handsome life until Don Leocadio lost the
family fortune in a failed investment on an oil exploration project in the late 1920s. The family
moved out of their Herran home and into a rented house in Pasay. Don Leocadio passed not long
after. The young Joaquin was only twelve years old and this signalled a big change in their family.

Nick Joaquin was a prominent Filipino writer and journalist. He is considered one of the greatest
Filipino writers of all time. Joaquin’s works are known for their exploration of Philippine history,
culture, and identity.

Joaquin began his writing career in the 1930s and gained recognition for his short stories, essays,
and plays. He wrote in English, which was the language of government and education in the
Philippines at that time. Joaquin’s writing style was characterized by his deep understanding of
Filipino society and his ability to capture the complexities of Philippine life.
One of Joaquin’s most famous works is the novel “The Woman Who Had Two Navels” (1961), which
explores themes of truth and illusion, past and present, and the search for identity in Filipino society.
He also wrote plays such as “A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino” (1952), which portrays the
disintegration of a family in postwar Manila.

In addition to his fiction, Joaquin was a prolific journalist and essayist. He worked for the Philippine
Free Press and wrote feature articles on a wide range of topics, including arts, culture, history, and
politics. His journalistic writing was characterized by his eloquence, insight, and ability to capture the
essence of Philippine society.

Throughout his career, Joaquin received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to
Philippine literature and culture. In 1976, he was named a National Artist of the Philippines, the
highest recognition given to Filipino artists. He was also awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts in 1996.

Nick Joaquin’s writings continue to be celebrated and studied in the Philippines and beyond. His
works provide a deep understanding of Philippine history, culture, and identity, and his legacy as a
writer and journalist remains influential in the literary landscape of the Philippines.

Manuel A. Viray

Manuel A. Viray was a Filipino poet, an educator, short story writer and an essayist. He was born on
April 13, 1917, in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines, and passed away on May 11, 1997, in
Norfolk City, Virginia, USA. He was known for his works such as “Shawl from Kashmir and Other
Stories” and “Wounded Stag: 54 Poems.” Viray was not only a writer but also an educator, teaching
creative writing and literary criticism in universities in Manila, Philippines. He served as a foreign
service official in the Philippines embassies in several countries, including the United States, from
1955 to 1973. His last post was the Philippines ambassador to Cambodia. He is survived by three
daughters, two living in the U.S. and one in Paris, France.

Manuel A. Viray had a career as an educator in the Philippines. He taught creative writing and
literary criticism in universities in Manila, Philippines. In addition to being a writer and poet, Viray
also served as an educator, imparting his knowledge and expertise to students. Unfortunately, I
couldn’t find more specific information about his teaching career or the universities he taught at.
However, it is evident that Viray made significant contributions to the literary and educational
landscape of the Philippines.

Anatolio S. Litonjua

He was born on the 3 rd of July year 1911 in Kawit, Cavite or San Roque, Cavite. He died on the 13 th of
November year 1978 at Quezon City. He was a son of Isabel Sarinas whole his father is not
mentioned anywhere. He married Lydia Gonzalez and they had 1 child.

Members:

1. Ducol, Djerhan D.
2. Alimosa, Princess Ansarah F.
3. Ahmad, Jaizah
4. Basher, Sittie Aniema B.
5. Kamarodin, Nismah
6. Kurangking, Jhaima M.
7. Lawi, Jalalia G.
8. Macapia, Norhanisa