Alejandro Roces is a short story and essayist who is widely regarded as the country's greatest writer of comedy short tales. He is well known for his extensively anthologized short story "My Brother's Peculiar Chicken." In his numerous newspaper essays, he has always concentrated on the underappreciated facets of Filipino culture. His views on various issues such as feminism, religion, and government corruption have made him a controversial figure in some circles.
Born on April 11, 1936 in San Fernando, Cebu City, the son of Felipe Roces and Elisa Almario-Roces, he finished high school at St. Paul's College in London, England. He returned to the Philippines in 1957 to take up work with the Department of Agriculture. He later joined the staff of the now-defunct daily newspaper The Manila Chronicle as an editorial writer. It was here that he began to publish some of his stories which were later collected into book form.
His first collection, I Do My Best, Which Is Good Enough, appeared in 1973 from the University of the Philippines Press. This was followed by several other books over the years, most recently Short Stories 3: More Than You Wanted to Know (2010) and Essays 2: More Than You Wanted to Know (2011).
In addition to writing, Roces has also been active in politics.
Filipino writers' stories have long been a part of our life and our country. They provide moral lessons, stretch our imaginations beyond attainable concepts, widen our thoughts, and help us think more creatively. These tales have had an impact on and affected Philippine history. For example, José Rizal's novel Noli me tangere has been called the first modern novel in the world. It influenced many people to rethink their beliefs about religion and government.
Another example is that Luna Bayani's story "Ang Mga Adarna" (The Herdsman) was so influential in shaping the intellectual movement known as Hukayakkanpañan that it led to its adoption as the official ideology of the Philippines. Hukayakkanpañan means "the cultivation of man", and it advocates for education and progress through literature and art.
Finally, Félix Hidalgo de la Cruz's poem "Malolos na Pambansa" (Old Capitol) inspired many people to support the revolution against Spain. This poem is also considered as the first Filipino epic because it tells the story of Filipinos fighting against Spanish colonialism.
These are just some examples of how Filipino writers have changed the course of history. There are many others who have made significant contributions to Philippine culture and society.
Nicomedes "Nick" Marquez Joaquin (May 4, 1917 – April 29, 2004) was a Filipino writer and journalist best known for his English-language short tales and novels. Quijano de Manila was another pen name he used when writing.
He was born on May 4, 1917 in San Andrés, Provincia de Rizal (now Province of Rizal) to Maria Luisa Quijano and Nicomedes Marquez. His family moved to Manila when he was still a young boy so that he could get an education. He worked as a school teacher before joining the journalism industry.
His first story "The Grave Digger's Badge" was published in 1946 in the magazine Short Stories. The following year, he wrote another short tale titled "The Snare". These were the only two stories he wrote but they attracted much attention from publishers who were looking for new talent. In 1949, he joined the staff of the newspaper La Vanguardia where he stayed for eight years.
During this time, he also wrote articles for other newspapers and magazines including Ad Astra and Confianzas. He finally quit his job to focus on writing full time. In 1967, he published his first novel titled A Thief's Dream which was followed by another novel titled The Blue Lantern in 1969.
"The Father of Philippine Journalism" Del Pilar is popularly considered as the "Father of Philippine Journalism" for his 150 articles and 66 editorials, which were largely published in La Solidaridad and different anti-friar pamphlets. These articles and editorials discussed issues such as freedom of expression, electoral reform, abolition of slavery, and an independent foreign policy. He also advocated for the preservation of nature during his visits to schools across the country.
Del Pilar was born on May 1, 1864 in San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain. He studied at the University of Madrid and graduated with a degree in law in 1886. The same year, he married Maria Santos Bonifacio who was eight years younger than him. They had nine children together before divorcing in 1896. In 1897, he married Ana Correa Suarez who had two children with Del Pilar. She was a famous poet herself who lived until 1958.
He started writing for newspapers when he was only nineteen years old. Three years later, he became one of the editors of La Solidaridad. It was during this time that he wrote many of his influential articles which led to his imprisonment twice by the friars for libel and other charges. After being freed on bail, he would continue to write against the friars until they were ousted from power in 1898.
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