21st Bicolano

• Around 5 million people speak variations of Bikolano dialect in the Bicol region. From Camarines Sur to Naga to Albay Sorsogon and every locality in between.
• Bikolano literature has flourished, providing a lively literary flavor unrivalled by any other literary tradition
• Bicolano literature has its:

  1. Roots in orally transmitted poems

  2. and mythical narrative reflected the history of the people
• Mariano Perfecto


  First Bikolano writer who published Bikola newspaper, responsible for the development of the first printing press named "Imprenta de Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia"
• Bikolano literature was dominated by religious writing at that time
• Protest drama became a form of expressing the people's growing resentment of the Spanish rule
• Corridor


  Dramatic genre popular among the Tagalog-speaking folk, adapted into the local "Bikolcorrido" with " Magamang Oobre being a popular example.
• Luis Guevarra Dato


  • Filipino poet, writer, educator and politician from Baao, Camarines Sur
  • One of the first Filipinos to write and publish works in English
  • Considered an "authority on the Bicol language and culture"
  • Worked as a newspaperman for the Bicol Star, Naga times, and other newspapers
• Luis Guevarra Dato's works

  • Manila: A Collection of Verses (1926)
  • My Book of Verses, I (1936), II undated
  • The Land of Mai: A Philippine Epic, Volume I (1975)
• Marne L. Kilates

  • Published three books of poetry, Children of the Snarl (Aklat Peskador, 1987), Poems en Route (UST Publishing House, 1998), and Mostly in Monsoon Weather (UP Press, 2007)
  • Published nine book of translation of Filipino Poetry into English.
  • Active user of the new medium of the Internet, publishes and edits the online poetry & art magazine called Poet's Picture book, All Our Nameable Days and past works
• Damiana Ligon Eugenio


  • Filipino female author, had several publications in the field of Philippine folklore and a professor at the UP Diliman at the Department of English and Comparative Literature for the college of Arts
  • Graduated BSE from the University of the Philippines as Cum Laude
  • Completed her M.A degree in English Literature and folklore
• Ang Duwende is a Bicolano Folklore by Damiana Ligon Eugenio
• The story is about two sisters who forgot to close the doors and windows at night, and a dwarf-like creature called a duwende entered their house
• The duwende is described as a mischievous but helpful creature, who can play tricks on people but also protect their friends
• After the duwende entered the house, it caused a fire by kicking over a lamp, and from then on the sisters and the whole town of Legaspi became more careful about closing their doors and windows at night to avoid the duwende
• The Transformation of the literature can be traced by going through local and national history
• "Comedia" writers such as Sabas Armenta , Juan Alvarez Guevarra and Juan Miraflor have protest plays credited to their names
• The Mother of Philippine Folklore:


  Damiana Ligon Eugino (September 27, 1921 - October 10, 2014)
• A cloud Named Looking-for-You is written by Marne L. Kilates
• Marne L. Kilates is born on November 5, 1952 (age 64 years old), in Daraga, Albay, Bicol
• "Ang Duwende" is written by Damiana Ligon Euginio a Bicolano Folklore
• Day on the Farm is by Luis G. Dato
• Bicolano Authors:


  Luis Guevarra Dato (July 4, 1906 - January 1985)

  Marne L. Kilates (November 5, 1952)

  Damiana Ligon Eugenio (September 27, 1921 - October 10, 2014)