Cover (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
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Internationally revered writer, F Sionil Jose, passes away on January 6, 2022, at the fruitful age of 97
A legacy passed on through his pen: F Sionil Jose, National Artist of the Philippines for Literature and Palanca Award Winner, passed away on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 9:30pm. He was 97. The writer, who was best known for the epic The Rosales Saga, was confined at the Makati Medical Centre while scheduled for an angioplasty.
His last words to the public are memorialised on his Facebook page, wherein he wrote: Thank you brave heart. There are times when as an agnostic I doubt the presence of an almighty and loving God. But dear brave heart you are here to disprove this illusion, to do away with the conclusion that if you doubt Him, you kill Him. I cannot kill you dear heart; you have to do that yourself. . . Thank you dear brave heart and dear Lord for this most precious gift.
Read more: F Sionil Jose's Open Letter To Writers: Advice From A National Artist for Literature
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A staunch nationalist, F Sionil Jose promoted the Filipino identity through history. His own work, The Rosales Saga, narrates a hundred years of Philippine history, which at the fruitful age of 97, he has experienced much of. He also famously argued that the Philippines is not yet a "true nation" and encouraged his audience to develop a stronger sense of self-sacrifice for the country. The writer was also a follower of Jose Rizal's works, using them as a focal point for many of his discussions.
Though some of his opinions have proven controversial, no one can deny that his ideas have made their mark on Philippine culture. Even before he was conferred as a National Artist in 2001, he had already won numerous accolades throughout the decades including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts and the CCP Centennial Honours for the Arts.
He was a hardworking man and continued to work up until his nineties. He was a columnist for The Philippine Star and had spent much of his time writing at his bookshop, Solidaridad Bookshop, in Ermita.
While we lose a great artist, it is always comforting to know that F Sionil Jose's legacy will forever remain an indelible part of Filipino culture. Among many others, he has proven that the pen is truly mightier—and much more memorable—than the sword.
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