Virgilio Almario

Virgilio S. Almario

Virgilio S. Almario, better known by his pen name, Rio Alma, is a Filipino artist, poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher, and cultural manager. He is a National Artist of the Philippines. He grew up in a farming community in Camias, San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan and spent his entire boyhood among peasants amidst the Hukbalahap insurrection in the 1950s. He completed his A.B. Political Science at the University of the Philippines in 1963 and immediately accepted a teaching job in San Miguel High School, his alma mater. A prolific writer, he spearheaded the second successful modernist movement in Filipino poetry together with Rogelio G. Mangahas and Lamberto E. Antonio. His earliest pieces of literary criticism were collected in Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina (1972), now considered the first book of literary criticism in Filipino. Later, in the years of martial law, he set aside modernism and formalism and took interest in nationalism, politics and activist movement. As critic, his critical works deal with the issue of national language.

The earliest pieces of Almario's literary criticism were also published in the Dawn, the University of the East's weekly organ. Some of them were collected in Ang Makata Sa Panahon ng Makina (1972) and now considered as the first book of literary criticism in Filipino. He later shed off his modernist and formalist interests in favor of a nationalist and politically engaged orientation and joined the activist movement. He was eased out of his teaching job when martial law was declared, married Emelina B. Soriano in the afternoon of New Year 1973, and busied himself with research projects on literary history and the search for native traditions in Philippine literature while blacklisted by the military. This library work resulted in a seminal essay on the novel and some major critical studies including Taludtod at Talinhaga (1965; 1991), Balagtasismo Versus Modernismo (1984), Kung Sino ang Kumatha Kina Bagongbanta, Ossorio, Herrera, atbp. (1992), and Panitikan ng Rebolusyon (g 1896) (1993).

His critical works encompass vital studies on the issue of a national language, some of which are gathered in the books Filipino ng mga Filipino (1993) and Tradisyon at Wikang Filipino (1998). He also produced a stylebook, the Patnubay sa Masinop na Pagsulat (1981), and has produced the biggest monolingual dictionary in Filipino which he initiated while director of the U.P. Sentro ng Wika in 1996.

The sustained superior quality of his literary outputs and his vision of a national literature in Filipino have been rewarded by awards and recognitions, including several Palanca awards, two grand prizes from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Makata ng Taon of the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, the TOYM for literature, and the Southeast Asia Write Award of Bangkok. He was recognized as an outstanding citizen by his own province in Dangal ng Lipi Award (1993), by Manila in its Gawad Patnubay ng Sining (1992), and by Quezon City in its Gantimpalang Quezon (1993). He was declared one of the outstanding writers and artists of the century during the CCP centennial celebration.

Aside from being a critic, Almario engaged in translating and editing. He has translated the best contemporary poets of the world. He has also translated for theater production the plays of Nick Joaquin, Bertolt Brecht, Euripedes and Maxim Gorki. Other important translations include the famous works of the Philippines' national hero, José Rizal, namely Noli Me Tangere and El filibusterismo. It was deemed as the best translation by the Manila Critics Circle.

Since 1973, he has also dedicated his weekends for young writers. He opened his apartment for workshops and consultations that helped develop younger generations of poets. In 1985, he opened the Rio Alma Clinic which is now managed by the organization LIRA (Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo) while he serves as head lecturer.

Reference:

January 14, 2010 1:20pm

<http://nationalartists.panitikan.com.ph/>

January 14, 2010 1:34pm

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgilio_Almario>