Alejandro

R. Roces
-Naungayan, Jericho R.
-Poloyapoy, Julius
• Alejandro(Anding) Reyes Roces was born on
July 13, 1924 at Manila, Philippines.
• TheManila-born Roces was married to Irene
Yorston Viola (granddaughter of Maximo
Viola) with whom he had a daughter,
Elizabeth Roces-Pedrosa.
• Anding attended elementary and high school
at the Ateneo de Manila University, before
moving to the Arizona State University for his
tertiary education.
• Hegraduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine
Arts and, not long after, attained his Master
of Arts from Far Eastern University (FEU)
back in the Philippines.
• Also Anding was given an honorary
doctorates from Tokyo University, Baguio's
St. Louis University, Polytechnic University
of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila
University.
• Hewas also a captain in the Marking's
Guerilla during World War II and a columnist
in Philippine dailies such as the Manila
Chronicle and the Manila Times.
• He
was also previously the President of the
Manila Bulletin and of the CAP College
Foundation.
National Artist for Literature (2003)
• Ever the champion of Filipino culture, Roces
brought to public attention to the aesthetics of
the country’s fiestas.
• He personally led the campaign to change the
country’s Independence Day from July 4 to
June 12, and caused the change of language
from English to Filipino in the country’s
stamps, currency, and passports, and recovered
Jose Rizal’s manuscripts when they were stolen
from the National Archives.
• He was instrumental in popularizing
several local fiestas, notably, Moriones
and Ati-atihan.
• His
unflinching love of country led him to
become a guerilla during the Second
World War, to defy martial law and to
found the major opposition party under
the dictatorship.
• His
works have been published in various
international magazines and received
numerous national and international
awards, including several decorations
from various governments.
Literary Works of Anding
• Alejandro Roces, is a short story writer and
essayist and considered as the country’s best
writer of comic short stories.
• Inhis innumerable newspaper columns, he
has always focused on the neglected aspects of
the Filipino cultural heritage.
• His works have been published in various
international magazines and have received
national and international awards.
• Some Literary works of Anding:
My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken(short story)
Of Cocks and Kites
Fiesta
Something to Crow About
• MyBrother’s Peculiar Chicken, was listed as
Martha Foley’s Best American Stories among
the most distinctive for years 1948 and 1951.
• "My Brother's Peculiar Chicken" is about two
brothers who argue over a chicken that they
have found. They cannot determine whether it
is a hen or a rooster and agree to disagree.
• After trying to get their parents and their
townspeople to determine if the chicken is male
or female, the brothers they decide to bring it
into the cockpit and make it fight to a rooster.
But during the fight there is a turn of events,
things gone different for what they have
expected.
•A lovesick expression came into the rooster's
eye, instead of fighting, the rooster began to do
some love dance but the peculiar chicken
suddenly stub its spur into the rooster and the
fight is over. The brothers couldn't believe
what they had saw.
• Kikothinks he convinced his brother that the
chicken is a rooster, but he chicken act
something strange. It began to quiver, and egg
came out and drop into his brothers hand.