Virgilio S. Almario

Virgilio Almario
Virgilio Almario at a poetry reading in June 2011
Born	Virgilio Senadrin Almario (1944-03-09) March 9, 1944 San Miguel, Bulacan, Philippine Commonwealth
Pen name	Rio Alma
Occupation	Poet, literary critic, lecturer, editor
Nationality	Filipino
Alma mater	University of the Philippines
Literary movement	Philippine Modernism
Notable awards	National Artist of the Philippines, University of the Philippines Centennial Award, Amado V. Hernandez Award, Balagtas Award for Poetry and Essay
Spouse	Emelina B. Soriano
Children	Asa Victoria, Ani Rosa, Agno Virgilio
Literature portal

Virgilio S. Almario, (born March 9, 1944) better known by his pen name, RIO ALMA, is a Filipino artist, poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher, and cultural manager.^[1] He is a National Artist of the Philippines and currently serves as the chairman of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), the government agency mandated to promote and standardize the use of the Filipino language.

Growing up in Bulacan among peasants, Almario sought his education at Manila and completed his degree in A.B. Political Science at the University of the Philippines.

His life as a poet started when he took master’s course in education at the University of the East where he became associated with Rogelio G. Mangahas and Lamberto E. Antonio.

A prolific writer, he spearheaded the second successful modernist movement in Filipino poetry together with Rogelio Mangahas and Teo 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 critic, his critical works deal with the issue of national language.

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, Euripedes 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.^[2][3]

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 1969-1972. He only took his M.A. in Filipino in 1974 in the University of the Philippines. In 2003, he was appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Letters in the said university. On June 25 of the same year, he was proclaimed National Artist for Literature.^[4]

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. 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.

"Magdangal", a poem by Virgilio S. Almario.

Sculpture by Napoleon V. Abueva (Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center).

Works

Poetry Collections

• 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)

References

1. ↑ UP Newsletter; 4 April 2008; Volume xxviii Number 03
2. ↑ http://nbdb.gov.ph/nbdb-awb/index.php?filter=E
3. ↑ http://nbdb.gov.ph/nbdb-awb/index.php?filter=N
4. ↑ Biography - RioAlma.com http://rioalma.com/about/ retrieved at August 27, 2009, 10:39PM

External links

• Image of Virgilio S. Almario
• The Official website of Rio Alma

National Artists of the Philippines
Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas
Architecture	1973 Juan Nakpil 1976 Pablo Antonio 1990 Leandro Locsin 2003 Ildefonso P. Santos Jr. 2014 Jose Maria Zaragosa
Cinema	1982 Gerardo de León 1991 Ishmael Bernal 1997 Lino Brocka 2003 Eddie Romero 2006 Fernando Poe Jr. 2009 Manuel Conde
Dance	1973 Francisca R. Aquino 1976 Leonor Orosa 1988 Lucrecia Reyes 2006 Ramon Obusan 2014 Alice Reyes
Fashion	2006 Ramon Valera
Historical literature	1997 Carlos Quirino
Literature	1973 Jose Garcia Villa 1973 Amado V. Hernandez 1976 Nick Joaquin 1982 Carlos P. Romulo 1990 Francisco Arcellana 1990 N. V. M. Gonzalez 1992 Rolando Tinio 1999 Edith Tiempo 2001 F. Sionil José 2003 Virgilio S. Almario 2003 Alejandro Roces 2006 Bienvenido Lumbera 2009 Lazaro Francisco 2014 Cirilo F. Bautista
Music	1973 Antonio Molina 1976 Jovita Fuentes 1987 Atang de la Rama 1988 Antonio Buenaventura 1988 Lucrecia Kasilag 1991 Lucio D. San Pedro 1997 Levi Celerio 1997 Felipe de Leon 1997 José Maceda 1999 Ernani Cuenco 1999 Andrea Veneracion 2014 Ramon Santos 2014 Francisco Feliciano
Theater and films	1976 Lamberto V. Avellana 1997 Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero 1997 Rolando Tinio 1999 Daisy Avellana 2001 Severino Montano 2003 Salvador Bernal
Visual arts	1972 Fernando Amorsolo 1973 Botong Francisco 1973 Guillermo Tolentino 1976 Napoleon Abueva 1976 Victorio C. Edades 1981 Vicente Manansala 1990 Cesar Legaspi 1991 Hernando R. Ocampo 1997 Arturo R. Luz 1999 J. Elizalde Navarro 2001 Ang Kiukok 2003 José T. Joya 2006 BenCab Cabrera 2006 Abdulmari Asia Imao 2009 Federico Aguilar Alcuaz 2014 Francisco Coching
National Commission for Culture and the Arts Cultural Center of the Philippines National Arts Center