Nick Joaquin Notes

Nicomedes “Nick” Joaquin y Marquez, fondly called “Onching” by close family and friends
was born on May 4, 1917 in Paco, Manila. There are varying accounts on the date of his
[3]

birth, some cite it as September 15, 1917. This could stem from how Joaquin himself
refrained from revealing his date of birth because he disliked the fuss of people coming
over and celebrating his birthday.

Before becoming one of the leading practitioners of Philippine literature in English, he

was a seminarian in Hong Kong – who later realized that he could better serve God and
humanity by being a writer. This is reflected in the content and style of his works, as he
emphasizes the need to restore national consciousness through important elements in
Catholic Spanish Heritage.

He was conferred the title of “National Artist for Literature” by the former president and
Mrs. Marcos during the special rites at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1976, on
the condition that the Regime release Pete Lacaba, the author of the poem "Prometheus
Unbound" from detention.
 Nick Joaquin Notes

They are often set in old Manila, the walled city of Intramuros, and sometimes Paco – as
a symbol of congruence, the glory and culture of the past, rather than a geographical
concept. His characters are mostly cultured intellectuals of past generations, while the
opposing characters are usually from the materialistic modern age. Unless they are
portrayed to adjust better than old men, women seldom have significant roles in this
cultured world of the past.

In a number of articles, he criticizes the futile copying of Western (mostly American)

patterns and defends Philippine culture's uniqueness and independence. He
highlights the importance of restoring national awareness via Catholic Spanish
Heritage. His understanding of the past's relevance to the present is part of a
determined effort to maintain the Catholic past's spiritual legacy and true faith - which
he sees as the only answer to our current problems.

This is a play that the central topic is familial strife, as well as the blending of
traditional Filipino identity and cultural character with current and Western values.
 Nick Joaquin Notes

What is the most significant literary work of Nick Joaquin?

He was well known as a historian of the brief Golden Age of Spain in the
Philippines, as a writer of short stories suffused with folk Roman Catholicism,
as a playwright, and as a novelist. Joaquin wrote his works in English. The
novel The Woman Who Had Two Navels (1961) examines his country's
various heritages.