10 famous filipino writers

8/10/2019 10 Famous Filipino Writers

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10 FAMOUS FILIPINO WRITERS

1. CARLO J. CAPARASCarlo J. Caparas is a comic strip creator, writer, director and producer who became sensational

known for his created local superheroes and comic book characters that are still popular toFilipinos until now. Some of his creations turned Filipino icons such as Panday (a Blacksmithhero) and many others. As a producer and director, Carlo J. Caparas produced box-office movies

based on comics and true-to-life stories and crimes. In 2009 he received National Artist Awardgranted by the President of the Philippines.

2. MARS RAVELOMars Ravelo is also a comic strip creator and writer who became phenomenal in the Philippinesfor his created superheroes such as Darna (a Filipino version of Wonder Woman), Dyesabel(name of the Filipino mermaid/heroine), and many others. During his time, the Golden Age ofComics flourished. Like Carlo J. Caparas, Mars Ravelos creations and writings were turnedinto films and became box- office hit during 1960s to 1980s. Ravelo was also the highest paidcomic writer during his time. Until now, his creations is still influential to Philippinecontemporary literature.

3. LOUIE MAR GANGCUANCOThe youngest among the list, Louie Mar Gangcuanco published his debut novel entitled Oros- Nakpil, Malate at the age of 18. The novel illustrates the pink culture in the streets of Orosa and Nakpil, which is known as the haven of gay Filipino culture. The novel became an instant hit, becoming a bestseller months after it was released. His work was featured in the top-rating TVshow, Sharon, in June of the same year. In August 2006, Louie Mar was awarded the Y IdolAward (Youth Idol Award) by Studio 23s Y Speak. Later that month, the Sentro ng WikangFilipino conferred a Sertipiko ng Pagpapahalaga for Orosa-Nakpil, Malate. His phenomenalnovel is endorsed by prominent people and institutions including the multi-awarded director,Jose Javier Joey Reyes, Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan (former DOH secretary) and Dr. Raul Desturaof the National Institutes of Health Philippines.After one year of circulation, Orosa-Nakpil, Malate made it to the Best Sellers List released by

National Book Store in April 2007. With him in the list are authors Mitch Albom of One MoreDay, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro of The Fifth Horseman, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez ofMemories of My Melancholy Whores. The book landed on the Top 8 spot, overtakinginternational authors Steve Berry and Kiran Desai.

4. GILDA OLVIDADO

Gilda Olvidado is a popular Filipino novelist and writer, known for her extraordinary lovestories. She became famous du ring the 1970s with her remarkable novels Sinasamba Kita (IWorship You), Babangon akot Dudurugin Kita (Sweet Revenge). She also wrote screenplthat later turned into blockbuster such as Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig? (Where is LoveHiding?) who made her rise into popularity after the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts andSciences recognized it as the best story. Today, Gilda Olvidados fans are still counting, waitingthe release for her next novel.


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5. NICK JOAQUIN Nick Joaqun was born in Paco, Manila, one of the ten children of Leocadio, a colonel underGeneral Emilio Aguinaldo in the 1896 Revolution, and Salome Marquez, a teacher of Englishand Spanish. Being read poems and stories by his mother, Joaquin taught himself by readingwidely at the National Library of the Philippines and the library of his father, who by that time

was a successful lawyer after the revolution. This developed further his interest in writing.At age 17, Joaqun was first published in the literary section of the Pre-World War II Tribuneunder writer and editor Serafn Lanot. Before publishing in the Tribune, Joaquin worked as a

proofreader of the paper.After winning a Dominican Order-sponsored nationwide essay competition for La Naval deManila, the University of Santo Tomas awarded Joaqun an honorary Associate in Arts (A.A.)and a scholarship to St. Alberts Convent, the Dominican monastery in Hong Kong. Upon hisreturn to the Philippines, he joined the Philippines Free Press, starting as a proofreader. Soon, hewas noticed for his poems, stories and plays, as well as his journalism under the pen nameQuijano de Manila. His journalism was markedly both intellectual and provocative, an unknowngenre in the Philippines at that time, raising the level of reportage in the country.

Joaqun deeply admired Jos Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Joaqun paid tribute toRizal by way of books such as The Storytellers New Medium Rizal in Saga, The CompletePoems and Plays of Jose Rizal, and A Question of Heroes: Essays in Criticism on Ten KeyFigures of Philippine History. He also translated the heros valedictory poem, in the originalSpanish Mi Ultimo Adios, as Land That I Love, Farewell! Joaqun served as a member of Motion Pictures under President Diosdado Macapagal andPresident Ferdinand E. Marcos. Joaquins first move as National Artist was to secure the releaseof imprisoned writer Jos F. Lacaba. Later, at a ceremony on Mount Makiling attended by FirstLady Imelda Marcos, Joaqun delivered an invocation to Mar iang Makiling, the mountainsmythical maiden. Joaqun touched on the importance of freedom and the artist. As a result, forthe remainder of the Marcos regime, Joaqun no longer received invitations to address importantcultural events.

6. LUALHATI BAUTISTALualhati Bautista is one of the foremost Filipino female novelists in the history of contemporaryPhilippine Literature. Her novels include, Dekada 70 (Decade 70), Bata, Bata, Pano KaGinawa? (Child, Child How were you made?, and GAP (shor t name for Olongapo,Philippines). In addition to being a novelist, Lualhati Bautista is also a movie and television screenwriter and ashort story writer. Her first screenplay was Sakada (Seasonal Sugarcane Workers), a storywritten in 1975 that exposed the plight of Filipino peasants. Bautista has received recognitionfrom the Philippines Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and the Surian ngWikang Pambansa in 1987. Her award-winning screenplays include Bulaklak sa City Jail (AFlower in City Jail) (1984), Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap (If The Clouds are Parted) (1984), SexObject (1985). For screenplay writing, she has received recognition from the Metro Manila FilmFestival (best story-best screenplay), Film Academy Awards (best story-best screenplay), StarAwards (best screenplay), FAMAS (finalist for best screenplay), and URIAN awards. Two of hershort stories have also won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, TatlongKuwento ng Buhay ni Julian Candelabra (Three Stories in the Life of Julian Candelabra), first

prize, 1982; and Buwan, Buwan, Hulugan mo Ako ng Sundang (Moon, Moon, Drop Me a


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Sword), third prize, 1983. Bautista also authored the television dramas Daga sa Timba ng Tubig(The Mouse in the Bucket of Water) (1975) and Isang Kabanata sa Libro ng Buhay ni LeilaniCruzaldo (A Chapter in the Book of Life of Leilani Cruzaldo) (1987). The latter won best dramastory for television from the Catholic Mass Media Awards.Bautista was honored by the Ateneo Library of Womens Writings on March 10, 2004 during the

8th Annual Lecture on Vernacular Literature by Women. In 2005, the Feminist Centennial FilmFestival presented her with a recognition award for her outstanding achievement in screenplaywriting. In 2006, she was recipient of the Diwata Award for best writer by the 16th InternationalWomens Film Festival of the UP Film Center. She is also the only Filipino included in a book on foremost International Women Writers

published in Japan, 1991.

7. F. SIONIL JOSEF. Sionil Jose is one of the most widely-read Filipino writers in the English language. His novelsand short stories depict the social underpinnings of class struggles and colonialism in Filipinosociety. Joss works written in English have been translated into 22 languages, including

Korean, Indonesian, Russian, Latvian, Ukrainian and Dutch.Jose Rizals life and writings profoundly influenced Joss work. The five volume Rosales Sagain particular, employs and interrogates themes and characters from Rizalswork.Throughout his career, Sionil Joss writings espouse social justice and change to better the liveof average Filipino families. He is one of the most critically acclaimed Filipino authorsinternationally, although much underrated in his own country because of his authentic FilipinoEnglish and his anti-elite views.In 1980, Sionil Jose received Ramon Magsaysay Award (Asias Nobel Prize) for Literature.

8. FRANCISCO BALAGTASFrancisco Baltazar, known much more widely through his nom-de-plume Francisco Balagtas,was a prominent Filipino poet, and is widely considered as the Tagalog equivalent of WilliamShakespeare for his impact on Filipino literature. The famous epic, Florante at Laura, is regardedas his defining work.Balagtas learned to write poetry from Jos de la Cruz (Huseng Sisiw), one of the most famous

poets of Tondo. It was de la Cruz himself who personally challenged Balagtas to improve hiswriting. (source: Talambuhay ng mga Bayani, for Grade 5 textbook)In 1835, Balagtas moved to Pandacan, where he met Mara Asuncin Rivera, who wouldeffectively serve as the muse for his future works. She is referenced in Florante at Laura asCelia and MAR. Balagtas affections for Celia were challenged by the influential Mariano Capule. Capule wonthe battle for Celia when he used his wealth to get Balagtas imprisoned under the accusation thathe ordered a servant girls head be shaved. It was here that he wrote Florante at Laura In fact,the events of this poem were meant to parallel his own situation.He wrote his poems in Tagalog, during an age when Filipino writing was predominantly writtenin Spanish.Balagtas published Florante at Laura upon his release in 1838. He moved to Balanga, Bataan in1840 where he served as the assistant to the Justice of peace and later, in 1856, as the MajorLieutenant. He was also appointed as the translator of the court.


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Balagtas is so greatly revered in the Philippines that the term for Filipino debate inextemporaneous verse is named for him: balagtasan.

9. BOB ONGBob Ong, is the pseudonym of an anonymous Filipino contemporary author known for using

conversational Filipino to create humorous and reflective depictions of life as a Filipino.A Filipino Literary critic once commented: Filipinos really patronize Bob Ongs works because, while most of his books may have anelement of comedy in them, this is presented in a manner that replicates Filipino culture andtraditions. This is likely the reason why his first book and those that followed it, can beconsider ed true Pinoy classics. The six books he has published thus far have surpassed a quarter of a million copies. His wordsof wisdom were applied by some of the Filipinos to their daily lives.

10. JOSE RIZALFor obvious reasons, he is the most influential and the most bestselling author/writer until now.

Jose Rizal was a prolific poet, essayist, diarist, correspondent, and novelist whose most famousworks were his two novels, Noli me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El filibusterismo TheFilibuster). These ar e social commentaries on the Philippines that formed the nucleus ofliterature that inspired dissent among peaceful reformists and spurred the militancy of armedrevolutionaries against the Spanish colonial authorities.His books are still cracking the bestselling list.

10 famous filipino writers

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