Filipino Authors

CERES ALABADO

CERES ALABADO Born: Manila ; October 26, 1923. Fictionist, teacher. Her parents are Dr. Gervacio Cuyugan, a surgeon, and Jacinta Santos, a nurse. She is married to Corban Kabiling Abalado, a lawyer. They have five children. She finished primary schooling at the Lucena Elementary School and secondary schooling at the Philippine Women's University (PWU), 1939. She earned her bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in education from the PWU, 1950; and master's degree in education, with distinction, from the same university, 1956. She obtained a diploma from the Institute of Children's Literature in Connecticut, USA; and took a piano teacher's music course from the Holy Ghost College in Manila, 1943. Alabado taught at the PWU, where she also served as administrative officer, and at the Ateneo de Manila University Graduate School of Education. She served as coordinator for the National Economic Council of the University of the Philippines, US Assistance for International Development (USAID) library research project, 1968-1970, and consultant for Nutrition Center's Aklat Adarna writing workshop which later put out the children's book series, Bulilit (Kid). She has attended various international conferences on juvenile literature.

Alabado founded the Children's Literature Association of the Philippines and Pamana Inc, both aimed at developing children's literature; and the Filipino Library, the first to publish Filipino picture books for children. Her other organizational affiliations are the Children's Museum and Library Inc, Association for Childhood Education International, Education Forum, and Philippine Librarians Association.

Alabado's published books of juvenile literature, including those for preschoolers and teenagers, are The Little Lizard and Other Stories, The Big Lonely House and Other Stories, Tupo and the Blow Pipe and Other Stories, What is Christmas?, Possession, The Terrible Devil, Tasaday, The Rattan Gatherer, What is Red?, What is Blue?, What is Yellow?, Dog, What Do You Say?, Asog, I See Red in a Circle, and Batang RP (RP Child). She also wrote Writing for Children in the Philippines and in the Third World. Alabado has been anthologized in numerous publications in the United States. She was editor of Kosmik, a science magazine for children. She wrote the novel Kangkong 1986, and has also written for television, radio, and the movies.

Alabado received the PWU Jubilee Award, the Catholic Mass MediaAwards, and the Philippine Board of Books for Young People (PBBY) General Achievement Award.

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CLEMENTE ALEJANDRIA

CLEMENTE ALEJANDRIA (Clemente Bulucon Alejandria)

Born: Canaman, Camarines Sur; November 23, 1895. Poet,playwright. His parents are Geronimo Alejandria and Victoria Bulocon. He finished his segunda ensenanza (high school) at the Seminario-Colegio de Nueva Caceres , Naga,later studying again in the Canaman Public School . He was a member of the writer's organization Sanghiran nin Bikol.

Of his many works, only three poems are said to be extant: “Pagoroaggoyog” (Just Hum to Yourself), published in Sanghiram, 1927; “Estrella Del Sur” (Star of the South) and “Sa Madaling Osip” (In Short), which appeared in Bicolnon magazine,1940. Other poems were published in Kalendariong Bikol. His plays, now said to be all lost, include Prinsipe Lizardo (Prince Lizardo) and Prinsipe Fernando (Prinsipe Fernando).

Alejandria won second prize in the 1926 poetry contest for his translation of Jose Rizal's “Mi ultimo adios” (My Last Farewell).

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PEDRO AUNARIO

PEDRO AUNARIO (Pedro Rivero Aunerio)

Born: Ermita, Manila; June 29, 1878 Died: January 27, 1943. Essayist. His parents are Hugo Aunario and Maximiana Rivero. He was married to Cristina Maglaque with whom he had 11 children. He started as a reporter for newspapers like La Patria, La Aurora, La Fraternidad, La Democracia, and El Renacimiento, then became associate editor of La Vanguardia in 1916. Aside from his daily articles, he also contributed to Renacimiento Filipino, Cultura Filipina, Philippine Review, and The Citizen.

Aunario served in the government as representative of the Mountain Province at the Philippine Assembly between 1916 and 1923, and member of the Independence Mission headed by Manuel L. Quezon in 1919. He was also a correspondent of the Royal Spanish-American Academy.

A crusading journalist, Aunario became known for his vitriolic editorials and exposes of anomalies in government. One of his frequently anthological articles, “Oracion del Periodista” (The Journalist's Prayer), is an exhortation to his colleagues to adhere to ethical responsibilities.

Aunarios' first collection of articles, En el yunque cotidiano (On the Daily Anvil), won the Premio Zobel in 1934.His second, Pugnas de lenguas (The Fight Between Languages), consisting articles published in La vanguardia in 1938-1940,won the Commonwealth literary award for the essay category in 1940. In the banner article “Pugna de Lenguas,” he proposed the establishment of an Academy of Foreign Languages which would make world literary classics available to the masses.

References:

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