This document provides biographies of several important writers from Region 1 (Ilocos Region) in the Philippines and their contributions to Philippine literature. It discusses Pedro Bucaneg as the "Father of Ilocano Poetry and Literature" and his translation of religious texts into Ilocano. Leonora Florentino is described as the "Mother of Philippine Women's Literature" and some of her famous poems are mentioned. Isabelo de los Reyes is called the "Father of Philippine Folklore" and his many written works are listed. It also provides brief biographies of Carlos Bulosan, F. Sionil Jose, Santiago Villafania and Melchor Orpilla, important writers from the Iloc

1. Writers in Region 1 And Their
Contributions In The
Development Of Literature
Princess M. Cuison

2. Region 1: Ilocos Region
• Its literature is known as one of the most
colorful regional Filipino literatures.
• Prior to Spanish colonial period, the
Ilocano literature is purely alive in forms
of written and oral literature. Ancient
poets expressed themselves through folk
and war songs.

3. Region 1: Ilocos Region

4. FATHER OF ILOCANO POETRY
AND LITERATURE

5. Pedro Bucaneg
• Birthday: March 1592
• Hometown: Ilocos Sur
1592-1630
He was blind since birth,
he is the acknowledged author
of the Ilocano epic
Biag ni Lam-ang .

6. WORKS
Pedro Bukaneg was the legendary
“first Ilokano man-of-letters,” who,
according to stories, translated to
Iloko many church doctrines,
including the Doctrina Cristiana from
Latin and Spanish. Bukaneg’s
translation works of religious
teachings were said to have facilitated
the Ilokanos’ conversion to
Christianity.

7. WORKS
• He translated Doctrina Cristiana to
Ilocano which was printed in 1953 as one
of the first books in the Philippines and
was intended for the use in the local
population.
• In 1621, the Ilocano translation was
printed in the Augustinian Convent in
Manila.
• Arte de Lengua Iloca, the first grammar
book, co-authored with Fr. Francisco
Lopez.

8. WORKS
• Blind since birth but grew up smart and
talented.
• Took lessons in Latin and Spanish and
also learned the local dialects.
• Eventhough he’s blind he continued to
write poems, songs and grammar books
through dictation.
• He also pioneered the Ilocano version of
Balagtasan, The Bukanegan.

9. MOTHER OF PHILIPPINE
WOMEN’S LITERATURE

10. Leonora Florentino
• Birthday: April 19, 1849
• Poet in Spanish and Ilocano
• At age 10, she can write poems
in Ilocano and speaks well in
Spanish.
• Was really intelligent,
yet she wasn’t allowed to study
due to her gender.
• She was instead tutored by her mother and a
series of private teachers.
1849- 1884

11. LIFE
• She married a politician, Elias delos
Reyes at the age of 14. Together they
had 5 children.
• Due to the feminist nature of her
writings, she was left by her husband.
She lived alone in exile and separated
from her family.
• She died at the age of 35.

12. WORKS
Her well-known works are
• Rucronoy (Dedication)
• Cablaw (Good greetings)
• Nalpay a Namnama (Vanishing Hope)
• Benigna
• Para ken Carmen
• Pacada (Farewell)

13. WORKS
• Most of her works got lost but the
preserved ones are in the library of
Madrid, Londres at Paris.
• Although Florentino died at a young
age, her works are known not only in
the Philippines but throughout Europe.
• She is believed to be the first Filipina
recognized as a lady poet.

14. Vanishing Hopes
But would it be my greatest joy
To know that it is you I love
For to you do I vow and a promise I make
It’s you alone for whom I would lay my
life.

15. FATHER OF PHILIPPINE
FOLKLORE

16. Isabelo de los Reyes
• Birthday: July 7, 1864
• Hometown: Vigan, Ilocos Sur
• Prominent politician, writer
and labor activist
• Original founder of
Aglipayan Church, an
independent Christian protestant
church in the catholic tradition.
1864- 1938

17. LIFE
• He was also known as Don Belong due to his
anti- catholic writings
• Won an award at the age of 23 for his first
written book.
• He became a journalist, editor and a
publisher in Manila.
• Imprisoned in 1897 for revolutionary
activities
• Deported to Spain, and was jailed until 1898

18. LIFE
• While being there, he got influenced by the
writings of European socialists and Marxists.
• Returning to the Philippines in 1901, he
founded the first labor union in the country.
• He was also active in seeking independence
from the US
• After serving the Philippines in the 1920s. He
settled into private life and religious writing
• Had a total of 27 children with 3 successive
wives.

19. WORKS
• Biblia Filipina (Philippine bible)
• Oficio Divino
• Catequesis (Catechism)
• Plagerias (Prayers)
• Ang singsing ng dalagang Marmol (1905
novel)
• Calendario Algipayano

20. Carlos Bulosan
• Birthday: November 2, 1913
• Hometown: Binalonan,
Pangasinan
• Most of his youth was spent
in the countryside as a farmer.
• His hometown is the starting
point of his famous semi-
autobiographic novel, America
is in the Heart.
• Left for America on July 22,
1930 at the age of 17.
1913- 1956

21. LIFE
• Upon arriving in Seattle, he experienced
racism and was forced to work in a low
paying job.
• He worked as a farmworker, harvesting
grapes and doing other types of hardwork in
the fields of California. He also worked as a
dishwasher with his brother in the famous
Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.

22. LIFE
• Carlos Bulosan's works and legacy is
heralded in a state of the art permanent
exhibition known as 'The Carlos Bulosan
Memorial Exhibit" displayed at the historic
Eastern Hotel in the heart of Seattle's
International District highlighted with a
massive centerpiece mural titled: 'Secrets of
History created by renowned artist Eliseo Art
Silva.

23. WORKS

24. AMERICA IS IN THE HEART
“The old world is dying, but a new world is
being born. It generates inspiration from
the chaos that beats upon us all. The false
grandeur and security, the unfulfilled
promises and illusory power, the number of
the dead and those about to die, will charge
the forces of our courage and
determination. The old world will die so that
the new world will be born with less
sacrifice and agony on the living.”

25. WORKS

26. F. Sionil José
1971- present

27. Biography
• Birthday: December 3, 1924
• Hometown: Cabugawan,
Rosales, Pangasinan
1924-
present
• Education: University of Sto.
Tomas
• He is the founder of the
Philippine Chapter of the
International Organization
PEN. (Poets, Playwrights,
Essayists, Novelists)

28. WORKS
• Studied at University of Sto. Tomas
after World War II but dropped out and
plunged into writing and journalism in
Manila.
• His writings talked about social justice
and change to help improve the lives of
average Filipino families.
• He owns a bookshop that sells hard
tofind Filipiniana reading materials.

29. WORKS
• Jose is one of the most widely-read
Filipino writers in the English language.
His novels and short stories depict the
social underpinnings of class struggles
and colonialism in Filipino society.
José's works - written in English - have
been translated into 22 languages,
including Korean, Indonesian, Russian,
Latvian, Ukrainian and Dutch.

30. WORKS
The Rosales Saga

31. • The Rosales Saga, also known as the Rosales
Novels, is a series of five historical and political
novels. Chronologically, it is composed of five
interconnected novels, namely Po-on (written in
1984), Tree (written in 1978), My Brother, My
Executioner (written in 1973), The Pretenders
(written in 1962), and Mass (written in 1973).The
Rosales Saga traced the five generations of two
families, namely the Samsons (poor farmers) and
the Asperri (wealthy mestizos) through Spanish
and American periods in the history of the
Philippines until the period after Philippine
Independence. José begun writing the series in
1962 and completed it in 1984.
ROSALES SAGA

32. AWARDS
• U.S. Department of State Smith-Mundt grant, 1955;
• Asia Foundation grant, 1960;
• National Press Club award, for journalism, 3 times;
• British Council grant, 1967;
• Palanca award, for journalism, 3 times, and for novel,1981;
• ASPAC fellowship, 1971;
• Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio award, 1979;
• Cultural Center of the Philippines award, 1979;
• City of Manila award, 1979;
• Magsaysay award, 1980;

33. AWARDS
• East-West Center fellowship (Honolulu), 1981;
• International House of Japan fellowship, 1983;
• Outstanding Fulbrighters award, 1988, for literature;
• Cultural Center of the Philippines award, 1989, for
literature.

34. Santiago Villafania
1971- present

35. Biography
• Birthday: January 31, 1971.
• Hometown: Tuliao, Sta. Barbara,
Pangasinan
1971-
present
• Education: Bachelor of
Arts
• Major in English at the
University of
Pangasinan in 1991.

36. Biography
• Some of his poems have appeared in local
and international print and web
publications. His poetry collection in
Pangasinan language Balikas na Caboloan
is among the works published by the
National Commission for the Culture and the
Arts (NCCA) under its UBOD New Writers
Series (2005).

37. AWARDS
• WRITER OF THE YEAR (2004)
by the Ulupan na Pansiansia'y Salitan
Pangasinan (Association for the
Preservation of the Pangasinan
Language
• Award of Merit (2005)
by the Association of Writers and
Authors for Regional Development (Region I)
for his first book, Pinabli tan arum ni'ran
Anlong(Beloved and Other Poems) published
in 2003.

38. Melchor Orpilla
1971- present

39. Biography
• Birthday: January ,6 1971.
• Hometown: Alaminos City,
• Pangasinan
• He won first prize
(Pangasinan language)
in the 2006 Gawad Komisyon
poetry-writing contest in major Philippine
languages spearheaded by the Komisyon sa
Wikang Filipino.
1971-
present

40. Biography
• His two poems Manëgkal and Insipan a
Dalin were featured in Chris Gozum’s
Pangasinan films entitled Anacbanua and
Lawas kan Pinabli. He came up with a
proposal for Pangasinan orthography and
presented it as part of his academic
completion leading to the degree of Master
in Development Management at PSU-
Urdaneta Graduate School.

41. Biography
• He writes about his personal journeys as a
son, husband, writer, OFW, critic and
nationalist.
• Currently, he is teaching as an Assistant
language Teacher (ALT) for English in two
Prefectural High Schools in Kanagawa,
Japan.

42. WORKS

43. WORKS
“Say bilay na sakey a salita
Walad mabunan literatura”
-Melchor Orpilla