iBlog La Salle

University Fellow and Professor Emeritus Dr. Cirilo F. Bautista was recently declared National Artist for Literature by President Benigno S. Aquino III last June 20, 2014 by virtue of Proclamation No. 809. The title of National Artist was introduced in 1972 and is given to Filipinos “who have made distinct contributions to arts and letters” and “to the heritage of our society.” Dr. Bautista is joined by new National Artists Alice Reyes for Dance; Francisco V. Coching (posthumous) for Visual Arts; Francisco F. Feliciano and Ramon Santos for Music; and Jose Maria V. Zaragoza (posthumous) for Architecture. Malacanang recognized the works and achievements of Dr. Bautista as a poet, fictionist, and essayist who has “greatly contributed to the development of the country’s literary arts and strengthened the Filipino’s sense of nationalism.”

Dr. Bautista earned his Doctor of Arts in Language and Literature at De La Salle University in 1990 and was an exchange professor and honorary fellow in various universities abroad. He has received notable literary recognitions including the first Hall of Fame Award of the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature, numerous National Book Awards, and the grand prize winner in the Centennial Literary Contest. His poems have appeared major literary publications in the Philippines, the United States, Japan, the Netherlands, China, Romania, Hong Kong, Germany, and Malaysia. In addition to his academic responsibilities, Dr. Bautista is also a columnist and literary editor of the Philippine Panorama, the Sunday supplement of the Manila Bulletin.