VIRGILIO

SENADRIN
ALMARIO 
■ Virgilio Senadrin Almario (born March 9, 1944),
better known by his pen name Rio Alma, is a Filipino
 artist, author, poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher,
and cultural manager.[1] 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 was
also elected as the chairman of the 
National Commission for Culture and the Arts 
■ A prolific writer, he spearheaded the second
successful modernist movement in Filipino poetry
together with Mangahas and Antonio. His earliest
pieces of literary criticism were collected in Ang
Makata sa Panahon ng Makina (1972), now
considered the first book of literary criticism in
Filipino. Later, in the years of martial law, he set
aside modernism and formalism and took interest in
nationalism, politics and activist movement. As a
critic, his critical works deal with the issue of 
national language CCA)
■ Aside from being a critic, Almario engaged in
translating and editing. He has translated the best
contemporary poets of the world. He has also translated
for theater production the plays of Nick Joaquin, 
Bertolt Brecht, Euripides and Maxim Gorki. Other
important translations include the famous works of the 
Philippines' national hero, José Rizal, namely Noli
Me Tangere and El filibusterismo. For these two, he
was awarded the 1999 award for translation by the 
Manila Critics Circle.[4][5]
■ Almario has been a recipient of numerous awards
such as several Palanca Awards, two grand prizes
from the Cultural Center of the Philippines,
the Makata ng Taon of the Komisyon sa Wikang
Filipino, the TOYM for literature, and the 
Southeast Asia Write Award of Bangkok.
■ In 2003, he was appointed Dean of the College of
Arts and Letters at the University of the Philippines
DIliman. On June 25 of the same year, he was
proclaimed National Artist for Literature
KUMINTANG SA
PAGBABANGON
By: Virgilio Almario
Sa pagbukad ng paninging may talulot ng
apoy,

Babangon kang mandirigma:

May subyang ng araro sa dibdib,

May langis ng makina sa noo,

May pulbura ng armalayt sa kamao.
Tumatabal sa talahib ang dila mong tutungayaw

Sa suga ng pamahiin at ketonging pananalig:

Ang ragasa ng hininga’y isasabol

Sa milagro’t garapata ng sutana.
 Pagkat ngayon ang himagsik ay ningas

Na sumisigsig sa himaymay ng hinagpis,

Pumipitag sa himig ng katutubong adhikain,

Naghuhunos sa pagitan ng karimlang mapaniil

At latak ng matitimyas at napugtong panagimpan.

 At pagbukad ng paninging may talulot ng apoy,

Kamalaya’y batbat-talim na bubulwak:

Bawat titiis na tumalsik ay balaraw

Na tatarak, walang pangingimi’t paghuhunosdili,

Sa bundat na mga tiyan at masesebong lalamunan.

CACTUS
By: Tita Lacambra Ayala
 Tita Lacambra Ayala
■ She is a poet, writer and multimedia artist.
■ She was born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte but she
grew up in Benguet.
■ She earned her BS in Education, Major in
English, Minor in History at UP in 1953.
 Excuse the cactus
Thirsting on the sill
excuse its quills
stuck out;
they’re only an attempt
at self-defense.
 See how it bleeds
to fossils the old sand
itself looking to be such
a fussy fossil.

Not quite futile.

 It should require
Some sort of guile
some genius
to subsist on sun
some lake sand
(have both for free!)
and come out looking
freshly green,
 (juicy even)

As if in spite of
as in fun.