Virgilio S. Almario
- Poet
- literary critic
- lecturer
- editor
University of the East
University of the Philippines Centennial Award, Amado V. Hernandez Award, Balagtas Award for Poetry and Essay
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Books-aj.svg_aj_ashton_01.svg/16px-Books-aj.svg_aj_ashton_01.svg.png)
Virgilio Senadren Almario (born March 9, 1944), better known by his pen name Rio Alma, is a Filipino author, poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher, and cultural manager.[1] He is a National Artist of the Philippines. He formerly served as the chairman of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), the government agency mandated to promote and standardize the use of the Filipino language. On January 5, 2017, Almario was also elected as the chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).[2]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Virgilio_Almario.jpg/220px-Virgilio_Almario.jpg)
Early life and education
Growing up in Bulacan, Almario sought his education at the City of Manila and completed his degree in A.B. Political Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
His life as a poet started when he took master's units in education at the University of the East where he became associated with Rogelio G. Mangahas and Lamberto E. Antonio. He did not finish the program.[3]
He only took his M.A. in Filipino in 1974 at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Career
A prolific writer, he spearheaded the second successful modernist movement in Filipino poetry together with Mangahas and Antonio. His earliest pieces of literary criticism were collected in Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina (1972), now considered the first book of literary criticism in Filipino. Later, in the years of martial law, he set aside modernism and formalism and took interest in nationalism, politics and activist movement. As a critic, his critical works deal with the issue of national language.
Almario campaigned against the usage and proliferation of siyokoy words in the Filipino language, which according to him were improperly derived from English and Spanish.[4] He also advocated the use of Filipinas as the Philippines official name in both Filipino and English languages.[5]
Aside from being a critic, Almario engaged in translating and editing. He has translated the best contemporary poets of the world. He has also translated for theater production the plays of Nick Joaquin, Bertolt Brecht, Euripides and Maxim Gorki. Other important translations include the famous works of the Philippines' national hero, José Rizal, namely Noli Me Tangere and El filibusterismo. For these two, he was awarded the 1999 award for translation by the Manila Critics Circle.[6][7]
Almario has been a recipient of numerous awards such as several Palanca Awards, two grand prizes from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Makata ng Taon of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, the TOYM for literature, and the Southeast Asia Write Award of Bangkok.
He was an instructor at the Lagao Central Elementary School from 1969 to 1972. In 2003, he was appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Letters at the University of the Philippines Diliman. On June 25 of the same year, he was proclaimed National Artist for Literature.[8]
Almario is also the founder and workshop director of the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), an organization of poets who write in Filipino.[9] Award-winning writers and poets such as Roberto and Rebecca Añonuevo, Romulo Baquiran Jr., Michael Coroza, Jerry Gracio, and Vim Nadera are but some of the products of the LIRA workshop.
He was a founding member of the Gallan sa Arte at Tula (GAT), along with fellow poets Teo Antonio and Mike Bigornia.
Works
Poetry collections
- Mga Retrato at Rekwerdo (1984)
- Palipad-Hangin. (1985)
- Katon Para sa Limang Pandama. (1987)
- Sentimental. (2004)
- Estremelenggoles. (2004)
- Memo Mulang Gimokudan. (2005)
- Dust Devils. (2005)
- Sonetos Postumos, book of poems with translation by Marne Kilates and paintings by National Artist Ang Kiukok. (2006)
- Tatlong Pasyon sa Ating Panahon, poems for children with illustrations by Mark Justiniani, Neil Doloricon, Ferdinand Doctolero. (2006)
- Buwan, Buwang, Bulawan. (2009)
- UP Diksyunaryong Filipino
- Kulo at Kolorum
- Baklang Kolorum
- Pasyon Kay EJ (At sa mga Atletang Pinoy sa Paris Olympics) (2024)[10]
Filmography
- Sariling Gunita (2022), a documentary film directed by Mark Daniel De Castro. [11]
References
- ^ UP Newsletter; 4 April 2008; Volume xxviii Number 03
- ^ "National Artist Virgilio Almario elected as new NCCA Chair". The Manila Bulletin. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- ^ Dacanay, Alvin I. (5 Jul 2018). "Poet, essayist Rogelio Mangahas dies at 79". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2023-04-02 – via PressReader.
- ^ "Nauna pa sa 'Jejemon' at 'Bekimon:' Ang 'Siyokoy' sa wikang Filipino" [‘Siyokoy’ came first than ‘Jejemon’ and ‘Bekimon’ in the Filipino language]. GMA News (in Filipino). 19 August 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ Esmael, Paterno II (29 June 2013). "Kill 'Pilipinas,' language commission says". Rappler. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ "National Book Development Board". nbdb.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2009-11-18.
- ^ "National Book Development Board". nbdb.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2009-11-18.
- ^ Biography - RioAlma.com http://rioalma.com/about/ Archived 23 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine retrieved at 27 August 2009, 10:39PM
- ^ "Almario, Virgilio". CulturEd: Philippine Cultural Education Online. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- ^ "National Artist Virgilio Almario writes poem for EJ Obiena, other Filipino athletes". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ "A Personal Reminiscence". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
External links
Media related to Virgilio Almario at Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Virgilio S. Almario
- The Official website of Rio Alma
- v
- t
- e
- 1973 Juan Nakpil
- 1976 Pablo Antonio
- 1990 Leandro Locsin
- 2006 Ildefonso P. Santos Jr.
- 2014 José María Zaragoza
- 2018 Francisco Mañosa
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/National_Artist_of_the_Philippines.svg/80px-National_Artist_of_the_Philippines.svg.png)
- 1973 Francisca R. Aquino
- 1976 Leonor Orosa
- 1988 Lucrecia Reyes
- 2006 Ramon Obusan
- 2014 Alice Reyes
- 2022 Agnes Locsin
- 2006 Ramón Valera
- 2022 Salvacion Lim Higgins
- 1976 Lamberto V. Avellana
- 1982 Gerardo de León
- 1997 Lino Brocka
- 2001 Ishmael Bernal
- 2003 Eddie Romero
- 2006 Fernando Poe Jr.
- 2009 Manuel Conde
- 2018 Kidlat Tahimik
- 2022 Nora Aunor
- 2022 Marilou Diaz-Abaya
- 2022 Ricardo Lee
- 1997 Carlos Quirino
- 1973 Amado V. Hernandez
- 1973 José Garcia Villa
- 1976 Nick Joaquin
- 1982 Carlos P. Romulo
- 1990 Francisco Arcellana
- 1997 N. V. M. Gonzalez
- 1999 Edith Tiempo
- 2001 F. Sionil José
- 2003 Virgilio S. Almario
- 2003 Alejandro Roces
- 2006 Bienvenido Lumbera
- 2009 Lazaro Francisco
- 2014 Cirilo F. Bautista
- 2018 Ramon Muzones
- 2018 Resil B. Mojares
- 2022 Gémino Abad
- 1973 Antonio Molina
- 1976 Jovita Fuentes
- 1988 Antonino Buenaventura
- 1988 Lucrecia Kasilag
- 1991 Lucio San Pedro
- 1997 Levi Celerio
- 1997 Felipe Padilla de León
- 1997 José Maceda
- 1999 Ernani Joson Cuenco
- 1999 Andrea Veneracion
- 2014 Ramon Santos
- 2014 Francisco Feliciano
- 2018 Ryan Cayabyab
- 2022 Fides Cuyugan-Asensio
- 1987 Atang de la Rama
- 1997 Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero
- 1997 Rolando Tinio
- 1999 Daisy Avellana
- 2001 Severino Montano
- 2003 Salvador Bernal
- 2018 Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio
- 2022 Tony Mabesa
- 1972 Fernando Amorsolo
- 1973 Botong Francisco
- 1973 Guillermo Tolentino
- 1976 Napoleon Abueva
- 1976 Victorio Edades
- 1981 Vicente Manansala
- 1990 Cesar Legaspi
- 1991 Hernando R. Ocampo
- 1997 Arturo R. Luz
- 1999 J. Navarro Elizalde
- 2001 Ang Kiukok
- 2003 José T. Joya
- 2006 Benedicto Cabrera
- 2006 Abdulmari Imao
- 2009 Federico Aguilar Alcuaz
- 2014 Francisco Coching
- 2018 Larry Alcala
- National Commission for Culture and the Arts
- Cultural Center of the Philippines