NATIONAL

ARTISTS OF THE
PHILIPPINES FOR
LITERATURE
FRANCISCO
ARCELLANA
National Artist for Literature (1990)
(September 6, 1916 – August 1, 2002)

Francisco Arcellana, writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist,

and teacher, one of the most important progenitors of the
modern Filipino short story in English. He pioneered the
development of the short story as a lyrical prose-poetic
form. For Arcellana, the pride of fi ction is “that it is able to
render truth, that is able to present reality ”. Arcellana kept
alive the experimental tradition in fi ction, and had been
most daring in exploring new literary forms to express the
sensibility of the Filipino people. .Some of his short stories
are Frankie, The Man Who Would Be Poe, Death in a Factory,
Lina, The Mats, and his poems being The Other Woman, This
Being the Third Poem This Poem is for Mathilda, To Touch
You and I Touched Her, among others.
)
NESTOR VICENTE MADALI
GONZALEZ
National Artist for Literature (1997)
(September 8, 1915 – November 28, 1999)

A Filipino novelist, short story writer, essayist and,

poet. N.V.M. Gonzalez was a prominent Filipino writer
who made signifi cant contributions to Philippine
literature. Some of his most notable works included
the short story collection "Seven Hills Away " and the
novel " The Bamboo Dancers." Gonzalez was honored
with several prestigious awards for his writings that
explored daily Filipino life and culture, particularly
among rural communities. His exemplary works have
been published in several languages including Filipino,
English, Chinese, German, Russian, and Indonesian.
NICK JOAQUIN
National Artist for Literature (1976)
May 4, 1917 – April 29,2004)

Filipino writer and journalist best known for his

short stories and novels in the English language. He
also wrote using the pen name Quijano de Manila.
Joaquin was conferred the rank and title of National
Artist of the Philippines for Literature. He has been
considered one of the most important Filipino
writers, along with José Rizal and Claro M. Recto.
Among his voluminous works are The Woman Who
Had Two Navels, A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino,
Manila, My Manila: A History for the Young, The
Ballad of the Five Battles, Rizal in Saga, Almanac for
FRANCISCO SIONIL JOSÉ
National Artist for Literature (2001)
December 3, 1924 – January 6, 2022

A Filipino writer who was one of the most widely read

in the English language. His work written in Engliash
have been translated into 28 languages, including
Korean , Indonesian , Czech, Russian, Latvian,
Ukrainian, and Dutch. He was often considered the
leading Filipino candidate for the Nobel Prize in
Literature. His fi ve novel masterpiece, The Rosales
Saga, depicts the lives of the Samsons whose
personal stories intertwine with the social struggles
of the country. The titles in the Rosales Saga novels
are Po-on (1984), The Pretenders (1962), My Brother,
My Executioner (1973), Mass (1974), and Tree (1978).
JOSE GARCIA VILLA
National Artist for Literature (1973)
August 5, 1908 – February 7, 1997

A Filipino poet, literary critic, short story writer,

and painter. He was awarded the National Artist
of the Philippines title for literature in 1973.He
is known to have introduced the "reversed
consonance rhyme scheme" in writing poetry as
well as the extensive use of punctuation marks
especially commas which made him known as
the Comma Poet. His notable works include The
Anchored Angel, The Emperor 's New Sonnet,
and Footnote to Youth.
EDITH L. TIEMPO
National Artist for Literature (1999)
April 22, 1919 – August 21, 2011

A Filipino poet , fi ction writer, teacher and literary

critic in the English language. She was conferred the
National Artist Award for Literature in 1999.Her
poems are intricate verbal transfi gurations of
signifi cant experiences as revealed, in two of her
much anthologized pieces, "Halaman" and "Bonsai” .As
fi ctionist, Tiempo is as morally profound. Her
language has been marked as "descriptive but
unburdened by scrupulous detailing." She is an
infl uential tradition in Philippine Literature in English
VERGILIO S. ALMARIO
National Artist for Literature (2003)
March 9, 1944)

A Filipino author, poet, critic, translator, editor,

teacher, and cultural manager. He is a National Artist
of the Philippines. He formerly served 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 (NCCA).Apart from his new poems, Almario's
works include the children's story "Ibong Adarna," and
Filipino translations of Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere"
ARMADO V. HERNANDEZ
National Artist for Literature (1973)
September 13, 1903 – March 24, 1970

A Filipino writer and labor leader who was known for

his criticism of social injustices in the Philippines and
was later imprisoned for his involvement in the
communist movement.He wrote Isang Dipang Langit
(A Stretch of Heaven), which later won a Republic
Cultural Heritage Award, and Bayang Malaya (Free
Nation), which later won a Balagtas Award. Also written
in prison was his masterpiece Luha ng Buwaya (Tears
of the Crocodile).
CARLOS P. ROMULO
National Artist for Literature (1982)
January 14, 1899 – December 15, 1985

A Filipino diplomat, statesman, soldier, journalist and

author. He was a reporter at the age of 16, a
newspaper editor by 20, and a publisher at 32. He was
a co-founder of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, a
general in the US Army and the Philippine Army,
university president, and president of the United
Nations General Assembly.Romulo, in all, wrote and
published 22 books, including The United (novel), I
Walked with Heroes (autobiography), I Saw the Fall of
the Philippines, Mother America, and I See the
Philippines Rise (war-time memoirs).
CARLOS L. QUIRINO
National Artist for Literature (1997)
January 14, 1910 – May 20, 1999

He was a Philippine biographer and historian. Not only

known for his works on biographies and history but
also on varied subjects such as the old maps of the
Philippines and the culinary legacy of the country. He
was the fi rst Filipino to be recognized as the National
Artists in Historical Literature in 1997.Known for his
early biography of Jose Rizal entitled " The Great
Malayan" (1940), he also wrote several works on
Philippine history, as well as biographies of President
Manuel Quezon and the painter Damian Domingo.
ALEJANDRO R. ROCES
National Artist for Literature (2003)
July 13, 1924 – May 23, 2011)

A Filipino author, essayist, dramatist and National

artist of the Philippines for literature. Roces won Best
Short Story for We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers. Another
of his stories, My Brother 's Peculiar Chicken, was
listed as Martha Foley 's Best American Stories among
the most distinctive for years 1958 and 1951. Roces
did not only focus on short stories alone, as he also
published books such as OF cocks and the kite (1959),
Fiesta (1980), and Something to Crow About (2005). Of
Cocks and Kites earned him the reputation as the
country 's best writer of humorous stories.
LAZARO FRANCISCO
National Artist for Literature (2009)
February 22, 1898- June 17, 1980

He was a Filipino novelist, essayist and playwright.

Francisco was posthumously named a National Artist of
the Philippines for Literature in 2009.His reputation as
the “Master of the Tagalog Novel” is backed up by
numerous awards he received for his meritorious
novels in particular, and for his contribution to
Philippine literature and culture in general. His
masterpiece novels—Ama, Bayang Nagpatiwakal,
Maganda Pa Ang Daigdig and Daluyong—affi rm his
eminent place in Philippine literature
BIENVENIDO LUMBERA
National Artist for Literature (2006)
April 11, 1932 – September 28, 2021

A Filipino poet, critic and dramatist. Lumbera is known

for his nationalist writing and for his leading role in
the Filipinization movement in Philippine literature in
the 1960s, which resulted in his being one of the many
writers and academics jailed during Ferdinand Marcos
regime .His works include Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa
(poems in Filipino and English), 1993; Balaybay, Mga
Tulang Lunot at Manibalang, 2002;
Sa Sariling Bayan, Apat na Dulang May Musika, 2004;
“Agunyas sa Hacienda Luisita,” Pakikiramay, 2004.
CIRILO F. BAUTISTA
National Artist for Literature (2014)
July 9, 1941 – May 6, 2018

Cirilo Bautista was highly praised poet, fi ctionist , and

essayist. He was also a Palanca Hall Famer, winning
countless awards and honors. His best known work is
the epic poetry trilogy “ The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus,”
made up of the “ The Archipelago (1970), “ Telex Moon”
(1981) and “Sunlight on Broken Stones” (1999).