BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR

FRANCISCO SIONIL JOSE

Francisco Sionil Jose was born on December 3, 1924 is one of the most widely-read
Filipino writers in the English language. His novels and short stories depict the social
foundations of class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society. José's works - written in
English - have been translated into 22 languages, including Korean, Indonesian, Russian,
Latvaian, Ukrainian, and Dutch. He was born in Rosales, Pangasinan, which had been the setting
of many of his stories. He spent his childhood in Barrio Cabugawan, Rosales, where he first
began to write. Jose was of Ilocano descent whose family had migrated to Pangasinan before his
birth. In order to run away from poverty, his forefathers traveled from Ilocos towards Cagayan
Valley through the Santa Fe Trail. One of the greatest influences to Jose was his industrious
mother who went out of her way to get him the books he loved to read, while making sure her
family did not go hungry despite of poverty and landlessness. Jose started writing in grade
school, at the time he started reading. In the fifth grade, one of Jose’s teachers opened the school
library to her students, which is how Jose managed to read the novels of Dr. Jose Rizal, Willa
Cather’s My Antonia, Faulkner and Steinbeck. Reading about Basilio and Crispin in Rizal’s Noli
Me Tangere made the young Jose cry, because injustice was not an unfamiliar thing to him.
When Jose was five years old, his grandfather who was a soldier during the Philippine
revolution, had once tearfully showed him the land their family had once tilled but was taken
away by rich mestizo landlords who knew how to work the system against illiterates like his
grandfather. Jose attended the University of Santo Tomas after World War II, but dropped out
and became involved into writing and journalism in Manila. In later years, he edited various
literary and journalistic publications, started a publishing house, and founded the Philippine
branch of PEN, an international organization for writers. Jose received numerous awards for his
work. “The Pretenders” is his most popular novel, which is the story of one man's alienation
from his poor background and the corruption of his wife's wealthy family. Throughout his career,
Jose's writings support social justice and change to better the lives of average Filipino families.
He is one of the most critically acclaimed Filipino authors internationally, although much
underestimated in his own country because of his authentic Filipino English and his anti-elite
views. Jose also owns Solidaridad Bookshop, which is on Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila.
The bookshop offers mostly hard-to-find books and Filipiniana reading materials. It is said to be
one of the favorite haunts of many local writers. It was in 1962 when his first novel, The
Pretenders which is the first leg of his five-novel masterpiece was published. The Rosales saga,
as the 5 novels were called, consisted of Tree, My Brother, My Executioner, Mass, and Po-on.
 SUMMARY

Luis Asperri, an editor of a magazine finally came back to work after 5 days. Letters,
telegrams, and other congratulatory messages had filled his desk. It greeted him with a sense of
fulfilment rather than a disturbing event. He quickly went through them and placed it all a
drawer. Eddie, his officemate answered the ringing phone and told Luis that the publisher or the
“old Man” as they called him would like to see Luis. Dantes, the publisher greeted Luis with a
relieved voice. Luis explained that he wasn’t feeling well and the publisher understood. Dantes
invited Luis to come to his office right away because there are officers who will come and make
clear some things about Luis’ special issue. Walking to Dantes’ office, he passed by his
officemates and his secretary, Miss Vales who was also rumoured to be his illegitimate sister.
Arriving at Dantes’ office, the publisher offered Luis a drink which Luis refused because
according to him, it was still early. As Dantes stood, walked and think, he began asking Luis that
why should he feel uncomfortable with his money and told him that it is not a crime to be rich.
Luis, the son of Don Vicente, a wealthy haciendor , said No and that he never considered himself
as a criminal. Confidently speaking, he said that he enjoyed living in the comforts of his
inheritance from his father. Dantes said that anyone who’d see Luis would know that he hated
the rich that they are unprincipled persons he also added that though like this, the poor will
always be with the rich and it’s not their fault since the poor are stupid are they are stupid
because they are poor. Furthermore, they are also lazy, and lacked imagination and will to work
hard. Luis then asked if the poor needed to always go with them, the rich. Dantes who would like
to broaden the discussion said to Luis that they had to go back to the nature of man, to the start of
evil, to theology. After asking a series of questions and having discussions on topics like they
would want to see the Philippines grow prosperous like the America, to whom they were going
to modernize, that Dantes will not live forever and how he find ways that rich people do in order
to cheat a little about death, that cancer, heart attack and old age complications would be the
reason for Dantes death, that the government is not providing medicines to the hospitals in order
to cure the sick. Dantes, said that it is the government’s responsibility to provide medicines to the
hospitals and not his. He also added that no one can lecture him about the rights or needs of the
poor. Then the intercom buzzed with the voice of Miss Vales telling them that the two officers
had arrived. Dantes said quickly to Miss Vales to serve the officers something and that they’d be
ready in a moment. Dantes turned to Luis telling him that all he cared is that nothing would
happen to his organization and that he is not interested on what is right or wrong because there is
only one side that is right and that is his side. Luis would have to agree to all of what Dantes
would say since the publisher would be backing up for Luis. Before the officers came in, Dantes
and Luis had another discussion about the Army about the fact that there is no army for the poor
because the army is an instrument of the state and of the powerful. The two officers finally came
in. Dantes introduced them to Luis. The two officers were Colonel Cruz and Major Guttierez.
Dante also explained to Luis that the officers are there to interrogate Luis about the massacre
particularly of the hidden information about this event. Luis answered that there was nothing to
talk about since everything was in the magazine he also added that there is no point in discussing
it. In a very unfriendly voice, the colonel told Luis that there are still many things to be discussed
about the facts that were not included and the mistakes. Dantes almost interrupting told them to
deal with the issue calmly. Luis tried to defend himself saying that he had seen the grave where
the victims were buried without even a descent burial, he had talked with some of the villagers
who escaped, and that he needed no additional proof. The colonel was unconvinced so he lighted
a cigarette and told to Luis that since he is so sure, he should hear the side of the officers and
their side. According to them, the things Luis didn’t mention are the following: the villagers
were active Huk supporters, that there is a leader of the Huk in Central Luzon from their village.
The office continued to speak when Luis interrupted him to justify that twenty villagers were
killed and not one guards or troops. The Major stated that they weren’t killed because they were
trained well then he handed Luis some papers he got from his portfolio. These papers were from
his father, Don Vicente. Dantes read the paper and told Luis that his father thinks that he was
prejudiced when he wrote the article, there was no massacre but an encounter instead and that the
two officers knew why Luis was prejudiced. Dantes asked Luis about his opinion and about the
fact that his own father proves that something is in error. Furthermore the officers added that
they had the whole village examined and there was no grave found. The village was burned due
to the rooftops of the houses which were made of plant material. Two villagers were killed in
that event and the officers pointed out that Luis knew who they are. The bodies were taken away
by the villagers themselves and buried it decently. Then the officer challenged Luis to have
someone go there and dig the land to find the mass grave. According to Luis they would never
know if somebody had dug up the bodies and reburied it in another location and that the refugees
were scattered which he could no longer collect testimony from people who are afraid. The
officers stood up shook hands with Dantes and left the place. According to Dantes, what the
officers wanted was for Luis to withdraw and declare that there was no massacre but Luis
refused to do so since it wasn’t an issue of his father and him in Dantes’ publication but an issue
between his father and him that needed to be resolved by themselves. When Luis was about to
leave the place he told Dantes that he could print his withdraw and that if Dantes would keep the
magazine, he suggested keeping Eddie. Arriving at his office, Luis began explaining to Eddie
that he knew the village and its people so well and that he was shaken of the incident because his
Grandfather and Mother were among the victims. Eddie then embraced him but Luis pushed him
away since to him, he needed no sympathy because no one could comfort him except the truth.
 ANALYSIS

Dantes the publisher thought too much about winning every conversation. He was greatly
overwhelmed by his power because of his wealth. I think it wouldn’t hurt to be humble. He was
also too one sided and only thinks that what he says are the only right things. He is a man who
likes to be appreciated and is flattered very much. Luis the editor did not care much about losing
his job since he had his own principle that he would tell the truth. Morals of this story includes
that we should learn to be humble and to hear all sides of the story and not only be one sided. We
should learn to accept ideas from other people and not only stick to our own ideas. Most
important of all, we should tell the truth because the truth will set us free.
 Biography of Nick Joaquin

Joaquín was born in Paco, Manila. He dropped out of high school and did odd jobs on Manila's
waterfront and elsewhere. He taught himself by reading widely at the National Library of the
Philippines and the library of his father, Leocadio Joaquín, who had been a lawyer and a colonel
in the Philippine Revolution. This developed further his interest in writing. His mother was
named Salome Marquez Joaquin. Joaquín was first published in the literary section of the Pre-
World War II Tribune under writer and editor Serafín Lanot.

After winning a Dominican Order-sponsored nationwide essay competition for La Naval de

Manila, the University of Santo Tomas awarded Joaquín an honorary Associate in Arts (A.A.)
and a scholarship to St. Albert's College, the Dominican monastery in Hong Kong. However, he
dropped out after only a year. Upon his return to the Philippines, he joined the Philippines Free
Press, starting as a proofreader. Soon this two-time dropout was noticed for his poems, stories
and plays, as well as his journalism under the pen name Quijano de Manila. His journalism was
markedly both intellectual and provocative, an unknown genre in the Philippines at that time,
raising the level of reportage in the country.

Joaquín deeply admired José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Joaquín paid tribute to
Rizal by way of books such as The Storyteller's New Medium - Rizal in Saga, The Complete
Poems and Plays of Jose Rizal, and A Question of Heroes: Essays in Criticism on Ten Key
Figures of Philippine History. He also translated the hero's valedictory poem, "Land That I Love,
Farewell!"

Joaquín served as a member of the Philippine Board of Censors for Motion Pictures under
President Diosdado Macapagal and President Ferdinand E. Marcos. According to writer Marra
PL. Lanot, Joaquín was untouched by Marcos' iron fist. Joaqun's first move as National Artist
was to secure the release of imprisoned writer José F. Lacaba. Later, at a ceremony on Mount
Makiling attended by First Lady Imelda Marcos, Joaquín delivered an invocation to Mariang
Makiling, the mountain's mythical maiden. Joaquín touched on the importance of freedom and
the artist. As a result, for the remainder of the Marcos regime, Joaquín no longer received
invitations to address important cultural events.

Joaquín died of cardiac arrest in the early morning of April 29, 2004. He died in his home in San
Juan, Metro Manila. At the time of his death, he was editor of Philippine Graphic magazine and
publisher of its sister publication, Mirror Weekly, a women’s magazine. He also wrote columns
(“Small Beer”) for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Isyu, an opinion tabloid.
 Biography of Francisco Sionil Jose

Francisco Sionil Jose has been called a Philippine national treasure. Born on December 3, 1924
in Rosales, Philippines, he was introduced to literature in public school and later at the
University of Santo Tomas. While working as a journalist in Manila, he moonlighted writing
short stories and eventually novels. In the late fifties Jose founded the Philippine branch of PEN,
an international organization of poets, playwrights, and novelists. In 1965 he started his own
publishing house SOLIDARIDAD, and a year later he began publishing the remarkable
Solidarity, a journal of current affairs, ideas, and arts, still going strong today.

Jose wrote in English rather than in his national language Tagalog, or his native language
Illocano. In 1962 he published his first novel The Pretenders. Today his publications include
twelve novels, seven books of short stories, a book of verse, and five important books of essays.
His works are available in 28 languages. He has been awarded numerous fellowships and
awards, most notable being the 1980 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and
Creative Communication Arts, the most prestigious award of its kind in Asia, and most recently,
and the 2004 Pablo Neruda Centennial Award from Chile.

Jose lives and works in Manila where with his wife Teresita and a faithful staff he still runs the
Solidardad Publishing House and the Solidarity Bookstore, still considered the best little
bookstore in Asia. On occassion he leaves Manila for Japan, US, or Europe, where he finds the
peace to write or teach.

Random House has recently published Three Filipino Women, and the Rosales saga in three
volumes: Sins, Dusk, and Don Vincente in North America. The last three are in the Modern
Library Editions.

In June of 2001, Jose was awarded the prestigious title of Philippine's National Artist for
Literature in an official ceremony at Malacañang.

In March 2002's issue of the Discovery magazine, Jose's book Ermita was rated as one of the top
ten English-language novels set in Southeast Asia, along side Joseph Conrad's "Heart of
Darkness," Graham Greene's "The Quiet American," James Clavell's "King Rat."and others.
 Written Report in
English 13 Philippine Literature

Except the truth

by

Francisco Sionil Jose