DID YOU KNOW: July 9, 2019

Today, July 9, is the 78th birth anniversary of poet, fictionist and essayist Cirilo F. Bautista.

Over his four-decade literary career, Bautista was considered the foremost of his generation by peers and critics alike.

Aside from writing, he also conducted workshops nationwide, giving literary opportunities to all.

His creative endeavors as a writer, teacher and critic played a significant role in developing the Philippine literary scene, continuing to influence writers to this day.

In 1995, he was named to the Hall of Fame of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.

After being named a National Artist for Literature in 2015, he died on May 6, 2018. —Ishani Sharma, Inquirer Research junior intern