Senate commends nat’l artistF. Sionil Jose, son of Rosales

By Yvonne Almirañez

ROSALES, Pangasinan -- The Senate today adopted Senate Resolution No. 1045, commending National Artist Francisco Sionil Jose for his distinguished contribution to literature and journalism.

Senate Resolution No. 1045, introduced by Sen. Loren Legarda, recognized Sionil Jose’s “artistic and literary genius, and his perseverance to instill national pride through the arts.”

Born in Rosales, Pangasinan, on Dec. 3, 1924, Sionil Jose is considered as one of the country’s most prominent writers in the English language, his works having been translated to twenty-two languages, including Czech, Indonesian, French, Korean, Russian, Latvian and Dutch.

He has received numerous accolades, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Pablo Neruda Award, Chevalier dansl’Ordre des Arts et Lettres, and the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for literature, among others.

He was bestowed the title of National Artist of the Philippines for Literature in 2001.

“He has been an inspiration to several generations of writers and journalists through his essays, his role as a publisher, his lectures, his iconic bookshop, Solidaridad, and his founding of the Philippine chapter of the PEN, an international organization of poets, writers and novelists,” the Resolution said.