REGION IV-A AND IV-B BACKGROUND OF THE LITERATURE, AUTHORS AND

THEIR WORKS

1. Mars Ravelo (October 9, 1916 – September 12, 1988) - a Filipino graphic novelist

FAMOUS WORKS:

Darna – is a fictional superhero appearing in Filipino comics. After Narda swallows a

magic white stone, she transforms into the mighty warrior by shouting “DARNA!”

Dyesebel – is a popular mermaid character in the comic book, cinema and television. It
was first serialized in Pilipino Komiks in 1952-1953 and was later adapted into the big
screen that same year.

Captain Barbell – is a fictional Filipino comic’s superhero. He first appeared in Pinoy

Komiks #5 (May 23,1963). He is a thin and weakling person whose only dream was to
become strong and muscular.

2. Dr. Jose Rizal (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) – was a Filipino nationalist and
polymath during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He
became a writer and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement.

FAMOUS WORKS:

Noli Me Tangere – is the first novel written by Jose Rizal in 1887 and published in
Germany. The story line goes detailed with the society of the Philippines during Spanish
Colonial Period.

El Filibusterismo – is the second novel written by Jose Rizal. It is the sequel of Noli Me
Tangere. It was first published in 1891 in Ghent.

Mi Ultimo Adios – is a poem written by Jose Rizal on the eve of his execution by firing
squad on December 30, 1896. It is one of the last notes he wrote before his death.

3. Bienvenido Lumbera is Filipino poet, critic and dramatist. He is a National Artist of

the Philippines and a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism.

FAMOUS WORKS:

Ka BEL – is a poem made by Bienvenido Lumbera to give insights of being a real

honorable leader and the legacy of a true Filipino.

4. Paz Marquez Benitez born in 1894 in Lucena, Tayabas (now Quezon). He first
authored the modern English language short story.

FAMOUS WORK:
Dead Stars – published in the Philippine Herald in 1925. The dead stars symbolize a
dream for something that is non-existent.

5. Julian Felipe was the composer of the music of the Philippine national anthem,
formerly known as “Marcha Nacional Filipina”, now known as Lupang Hinirang.

FAMOUS WORK:

Lupang Hinirang – is the national anthem of the Philippines. It was composed by Julian
Felipe in 1898 and the lyrics were adapted from the Spanish poem Filipinas.

AUTHORS AND WORKS OF PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ARTISTS IN LITERATURE

FORM PRECOLONIAL TO CONTEMPORARY

 Zoilo Galang
 Child of Sorrow
 Edilberto K. Tiempo
 A stream at Dalton Pass and Other Stories
 More Than Conquerors
 Lysley A. Tenorio
 Help
 Monstress
 Felix Starro
 L’Amour CA
 Miguel Syjuco
 Ilustrado
 Michelle Cruz Skinner
 Mango Seasons
 Balikbayan
 In the Company of Strangers)
 Shirley Siaton
 Center
 The Oasis
 Hobo
 The Blue Sunset
 Rivals
 The One
 Alejandro R. Roces
 We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers
 My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken
 Of Cocks and Kites
 Fiesta, Something to Crow About)
 Jose Rizal
 Noli Me Tangere
 El Filibusterismo
 Alin Mang Lahi
 Makamisa
 Kundiman
 Mi Ultimo Adios
 Mi Retiro
 A Mi Musa
 Peter Solis Nery
 I Flew A Kite for Pepe
 First Few Notes of a Green Symphony
 The Essential Thoughts of a Purple Cat
 Rated R
 Shorts
 My Life as a Hermit
 Virginia R. Moreno
 La Loba Negra
 Itim Asu
 Batik Maker and Other Poems
 Straw Patriot
 Bayaning Huwad
 The Oynx Wolf
 Imaginative Community: 7 Poets in Iowa
 Francisco Arcellana
 Selected Stories
 Poetry and Politics: The State of Original Writing in English in the Philippines
Today
 The Francisco Arcellana Sampler
 Carlo Bulosan
 America is in the Heart
 The Laughter of My Father
 My Father’s Tragedy
 The Cry and the Dedication
 The Romance of Magno Rubio
 If You Want to Know What We Are
 My Father goes to Court
 Nick Joaquin
 Three Generations
 May Day Eve