MANILA, Philippines — Bienvenido “Bien” Lumbera, National Artist for Literature and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communications, has died, leaving a mark as a champion of the Filipino language and a believer in the artist as activist. Lumbera was named to the Order of the National Artist in 2006 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Lumbera spent most of his life writing, studying, and teaching the Filipino language, publishing poems in 1953 before he left college. His teaching career spanned stints at Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, UST, and Hanover College, among others. In 1976, he began teaching at UP’s Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature, where he was eventually named professor emeritus.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 28, 2021 20:37 UTC