21st Century Authors from

other Regions
CIRILO F. BAUTISTA- was a poet, fictionist and essayist from Quezon City, died
in pneumonia at 76. His poetry and fiction, lectures and creative writing
workshops which inspired young writers to develop their creative talents are
some of his aesthetic contributions in the field of art and letters that made him
a National Artist.
Recognitions: Palanca Awards Hall of Famer for winning (9) times for poetry,
fiction and essay. National Artist for Literature in 2014 Literary Works:
“Sunlight on Broken Stones (2000)” “Tinik sa Dila: Isang Katipunan Ng Mga Tula
(2003)” “The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus (2001)
 Roberto Ong
also known for his pseudonym “Bob Ong.” A web developer and
contemporary novelist from Quezon City, known for his
conversational writing technique which creates a comical and
reflective descriptions of Philippine life. His books with an element
of comedy replicates the manner of Filipino culture and traditions,
the reason why Pinoys patronized his work and became the
“Phantom of Filipino Literature.”

Literary Works:  “Stainless Longganisa (2005)”

“Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas (2003)”
“ABNKKBSNPLAKO (2001)  “Kapitan Sino (2009)
Jason Paul Laxamana
a writer, Indie filmmaker, book author and a pride
of Pampanga. Laxamana wrote his own scripts in
his film and used this as a medium of
communication to the viewers, for he believes
that a good communicator would make people pay
attention. For without an audience, a film is just
a light projected on a screen.
Recognitions: Gawad Urian Award for Best
Screenplay nominee for “Babagwa” (2014)
Gawad Urian Award for Best Screenplay and Best
Direction nominee for “The Coffin Maker (2015)
 Gilda Olvidado
a Cebuana movie and television writer and a
melodrama novelist. Some of her well-known
novels in pocketbooks have been turned into
live-action movies by film industries in this
country, and were also made into a telenovela.
Literary Works: “Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig
(1987)”
The “Temptation of Wife (2012)”
“The Half Sisters (2014)”
Recognitions: FAMAS Awardee for Best Story
for the film (“Saan Natatago ang Pab-ibig”)
 Felipe Landa Jocano
is an Ilonggo educator and an author from
Cabatuan, known for his significant body of
work in the field of Philippine cultural
anthropology for documenting and translating
the famous Western Visayan folk epic,
“Hinilawod.” He was tagged as “the country’s
first and foremost cultural anthropologist” and
a proponent of the Core Population Theory of
peopling of Southeast Asia.
Published works: Slum as a Way of Life  Folk
Medicine in a Philippine Municipality  Growing
Up in a Philippine Barrio
 NOTABLE AUTHORS FROM WESTERN
VISAYAS
Hiligaynon is the Lingua Franca of Western Visayas which is composed of the
Provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique and Aklan on the Island of Panay; Negros
Occidental and Guimaras. Kinaray-a or Hiraya is the mother language in Central
and Southern towns of Iloilo, Province of Antique and Capiz. Folk literature of
these places includes riddles or “paktakon,” proverbs or “hurubaton,” ritual
chants, songs and poems called “binalaybay” and tale or “sugilanon.” When
Spaniards came, the production of new forms of folk literature started and were
translated in Spanish text of prayers and lives of the saints. Religious literature
indeed flourished during the Spanish era. When the Americans came, golden age of
Hiligaynon literature took place. English literature had a great influence in
Hiligaynon writers. The creation of the Presidential Commission for Culture and
Arts and new management of the Cultural Center of the Philippines during the Cory
Revolution of 1986 gave birth to new writers and new writings in Hiligaynon.
 Leoncio P. Deriada
is known as the “Father of Contemporary West
Visayan literature,” an Ilonggo multilingual
writer, multi-awarded novelist, playwright, and
poet whose works became a Palanca Hall of
Fame in 2001 after winning 15 prizes, five of
which are first prizes in various categories.
Published works: The Road to Mawab and
Other Stories (1984)
The Dog Eaters (1986)
The Week of the Whales and Other Stories
(1994)
 Alicia Tan Gonzalez
a native of Bacolod City, whose specialization and
expertise is in Creative Writing in Hiligaynon. She was
a Carlos Palanca Hall of Fame Awardee for winning five
first places in the Hiligaynon Category for Maikling
Kwento.
Published works: Istoryahan Ta Ka Uli (2016)
Ilongga: Madamo nga Guya (2014)
May Isa ka Kuring nga Hari kag Iban pa nga (2010)
Sa Taguangkan sang Duta kag Iban pa nga Sugilanon
(2009)
 Melchor F. Cichon
a creative writer and a librarian from Aklan
who received different awards in literature
like the “Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni
Balagtas Award” in 2001. He is also known as
the “Father of Aklanon Literature.”12
Published works: Ham-at Madoeom Ro Gabii
(1999)
Philippine Oddities, Love Can Find a Way and
Other Proverbs on Love (2005)
 PETER SOLIS NERY
a multi-award-winning Filipino poet, fictionist,
and playwright from Dumangas, Iloilo. His
poetry and short stories made him the Hall of
Fame awardee of Palanca Awards in 2012. His
screenplays have also won the Philippine
Centennial Literary Prize, 2001 Cinemanila
International Film Festival and other national
film competitions.
Published works: Love in the Time of
Bakunawa (2012)
Cory, Full of Grace (2012)
 John Iremil E. Teodoro
a multi-lingual writer, university professor and
freelance journalist from Antique who
pioneered the Philippine gay literature. He is a
multiawarded poet and playwright author of
Kiniray-a literary works, and a five-time
awardee of the Palanca Awards.
Published works: “Kung ang Tula ay Pwedeng
Pambili ng Lalaki
Mga Tula (2006)
“Hasang: Mga Kwento ng Pag-Ibig (2016)”
 Ramon Muzones
as a writer and lawyer and the posthumous recipient of the National
Artist of the Philippines for Literature award in the Philippines in
2018.He wrote in Hiligaynon and popularized Hiligaynon Literature
A Karay-a Muzones was born in Iloilo City[ and was the oldest of ten
children of Santiago Muzones and Florentina Larupay. He received his
law degree at Central Philippine University in 1952. He wrote 62 novels
in the course of his life, the first of which was Tibud nga Bulawan in
1938. He was a founder of an organization for Hiligaynon writers called
Sumakwelan.
Shri-Bishaya (1969)
Malala nga Gutom (Malignant Hunger, 1965) ]
Babae Batuk sa Kalibutan (Woman Against the World, 1959)
Ang Gugma sang Gugma Bayaran (Love with Love Be Paid, 1955)
Si Tamblot (1948)
Margosatubig: The Story of Salagunting
 Magdalena Gonzaga Jalandoni
was a Filipino novelist, playwright, short story writer, poet, sculptor and painter.
She is now remembered as one of the most prolific Filipino writers in
the Hiligaynon language. Hailing from Western Visayas, her works are said to have
left permanent and significant milestones in Philip
She began writing at a young age wherein she already had her poems published at
the age of 12. She published her first novel Ang Mga Tunoc Sang Isa Ca Bulac (The
Thorns of a Flower), which was later followed by many novels, compilations of
poems and short stories. Jalandoni only wrote for publication purposes due to the
male-dominated society at the time. Back then, female voices in literature were not
taken seriously by the general public. Although her mother strictly forbade her to
take literature seriously, she refused to do so and devoted her life entirely to
literature.
Ang Matam-is Kong Pagkabata (My Sweet Childhood)
Ang Guitara (The Guitar)
Anabella, Juanita Cruz, Sa Kapaang Sang Inaway (In the Heat of War), Ang Dalaga sa
Tindahan (The Young Woman in the Market) and Ang Kahapon ng Panay (The Past of
Panay)