Did You Know: Amado V. Hernandez born today

MANILA, Philippines–Today, Sept. 13, is the 116th birth anniversary of poet, playwright, novelist and National Artist for Literature Amado V. Hernandez.

Born in 1903, he grew up in Tondo, Manila.

He worked as a journalist for several publications and his writings resulted in his imprisonment from 1951 to 1956.

One of his best works, the “Mga Ibong Mandaragit” which he wrote while in prison, is a socio-political novel that exposes society’s ills as evident in the agrarian problems of the ’50s.

He died on March 24, 1970 and was named a National Artist in 1973. —Marielle Medina, Inquirer Research