National Artists for Literature

He is the author of the five-novel masterpiece, the Rosales saga, consisting of The Pretenders, Tree, My Brother, My Executioner, Mass, and Po-on. In the novel, he captures the sweep of Philippine history while simultaneously narrating the lives of generations of the Samsons whose personal lives intertwine with the social struggles of the nation.

• Virgilio S. Almario

• Amado V. Hernandez

• F. Sionil Jose

• Jose Garcia Villa

A poet, fictionist, teacher, and literary critic, she is one of the finest Filipino writers in English. Her works are characterized by a remarkable fusion of style and substance, of craftsmanship and insight. Her poems are intricate verbal transfigurations of significant experiences as revealed in two of her much-anthologized pieces, “The Little Marmoset” and “Bonsai.” As a fictionist, she is as morally profound. Her language has been marked as “descriptive but unburdened by scrupulous detailing.” She is an influential tradition in Philippine literature in English.

• Ophelia Dimalanta

• Rebecca Anonuevo

• Edith L. Tiempo

• Estrella Alfon

He was a playwright, thespian, poet, teacher, critic, and translator who marked his career with prolific artistic productions.

He gained a chief distinction as a stage director whose original insights into the scripts he handled brought forth productions notable for their visual impact and intellectual cogency.

• Carlos P. Romulo

• Rolando S. Tinio

• Levi Celerio

• Nick Joaquin

It is the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts; namely, Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film, Broadcast Arts, and Architecture and Allied Arts. The order is jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and conferred by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.

• Order of National Artists

• 13 Artists Awards

• Ten Young Outstanding Men

• Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan

He is considered one of the finest contemporary poets regardless of race or language. He introduced the reversed consonance rhyme scheme, including the comma poems that made full use of the punctuation mark in an innovative, poetic way. The first of his poems, “Have Come, Am Here,” received critical recognition when it appeared in New York in 1942, and soon enough, honors and fellowships were heaped on him: Guggenheim, Bollingen, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Awards.

• Bienvenido Lumbera

• Alejandro Roces

• Gemino H. Abad

• Jose Garcia Villa

He is a renowned Filipino writer known for his profound essays and short stories that explore the complexities of Filipino identity and culture. His notable works include May Day Eve and The Woman Who Had Two Navels.

• Nick Joaquin

• Jose Rizal

• Manuel Arguilla

• Francisco Arcellana

She is a celebrated Filipino author and academic, recognized for her contributions to Philippine literature in English. Her novel His Native Coast is a significant work that delves into themes of identity and belonging.

• Ninotchka Rosca

• F. Sionil Jose

• Edith L. Tiempo

• Jessica Hagedorn