Cebu cleric-writer-composer and late philosopher given the Parangal Hagbong during Gawad Ustetika for lifetime achievement in Thomasian letters
ARCHDIOCESE of Cebu Monsignor Rodolfo Villanueva and the late philosophy pedagogue Emerita Quito were given the Parangal Hagbong for their distinguished body of writings during the 33rd Gawad Ustetika last March 10 at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building.
Hagbong, from an old Tagalog word in Quezon Province meaning “laureate,” has been given by the Varsitarian since 1997 to UST alumni for lifetime achievement in letters.
Monsignor Villanueva was cited for his notable contributions to Philippine literature, arts, and culture as a fictionist, playwright, and composer.
Written under the pseudonym “Renato Madrid,” Villanueva’s short stories in the 1960’s were published by National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin, when the latter was editor of the Philippines Free Press. They subsequently won for Villanueva the Free Press and Palanca literary prizes.
In the 1980s, his stories were collected in “Southern Harvest,” which won the National Book Award of the Manila Critics Circle.
Quito meanwhile was given the Hagbong posthumously for her writings on philosophy. She died last Sept. 17; she was 88.
Former Varsitarian Filipino staffer Rogelio Sicat and National Artist for Theater and Literature Rolando Tinio were the first recipients of Parangal Hagbong. They received the award posthumously.
Msgr. Villanueva
Villanueva, 77, was ordained in 1963. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Theology at San Carlos Seminary in Cebu and his master’s degree in English from UST.
He also earned a bachelor’s degree in Music in Piano and master’s degree in Music Composition from State University in Minnesota.
Villanueva became a piano accompanist for the Schola Cantorum (singing school) at the Cebu seminary, Pro Musica Antiqua (a classical chamber group), and the composite chorus of the Minnesota school.
Villanueva, who headed for several years the Cebu Church’s Sub-commission on Sacred Music, mostly composed choral and solo vocal music. He also produced book publications and sound recordings of his music. He has a two-volume collection of choral arrangements which focuses on old and new Cebuano carols; it also preserves old Cebu “harana” and love songs.
Some of Villanueva’s collections widely used by the local church musicians are “Cancionero Cebuano,” “Twenty-Four Masses,” “Salterio Cebuano,” and the three volume “Festival Series.” His “Melodies of Carmel” is also among his large collections of religious songs in English.
Villanueva’s 40-minute ballet, “Fate of the Unprepared,” highlighted his musical career as it was commissioned by the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ Festival, first performed by Leopold Oehms (bamboo organ) and Rey Gillamac (piano) and presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines Dance Company.
Another highlight of Fr. Villanueva’s career as a musician is his “Scenes from a Martyrdom,” a full-length musical. He was also asked to write “something for Visayans,” as part of the celebration of the beatification of Visayan martyr Blessed Pedro Calungsod.
Lorenzo Niñal, Villanueva’s music and literature student in 1990, said Villanueva’s songs are always a time of “elevating the level of local music and Cebuano music.”
“There’s a classical touch to this music and at the same time, it’s so grounded to the Cebuano experience. [M]ost of his liturgical songs are in Cebuano,” he said. “Cebuanos are not aware that they are singing songs that have unusually high quality. Those are so different from a lot of liturgical songs of the masses.”
Much-awarded writer
As an esteemed writer, Villanueva received literary distinctions such as the Don Carlos Palanca Awards for Literature and National Book Awards, particularly for his short story collection, “Southern Harvest,” published by the New Day Publishers in 1987.
Villanueva also wrote novels that appear to combine sociology and religion, much like the fiction of his friend and literary mentor Nick Joaquin, such as “Devil Wings” and “Mass for the Death of an Enemy,” published in 1997 and 2000, respectively, by the Ateneo De Manila University Press.
Fr. Raul Go, a student of Villanueva in Cebu’s Calag Seminary in 1972 and who has studied at the UST Ecclesiastical Faculties, said Villanueva’s “sense of humor” is his most compelling quality as a writer.
“[I admire] the way he plays with words, the pun—the humor itself. Usually he writes in a conversational manner, […] light and [satirical] also. We used to laugh on the scenes where we are part of a play and then when we are asked to read his words,” he said.
Villanueva is boarding at the Carmelite Monastery in Cebu, after retiring from teaching. However, he maintains his post as a resident professor of Music and English at San Carlos Seminary College and a lifetime visiting faculty at the Dipolog and Dumaguete Seminaries.
Quito, philosopher
Emerita Quito graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at the University. She took higher studies at the Universite de Fribourg in Switzerland and University of Sorbonne in Paris.
Her 1969 dissertation, “La Notion de la Liberté dans la Philosophie de Louis Lavelleis,” was the first work in French written by a Filipino. It was accepted for publication by the Universite de Fribourg.
In 1973, she was given a grant by the French government to pursue studies in Comparative and Sanskrit Philosophy at the University of Sorbonne.
A former faculty of UST, Quito, known for being a strict professor, was one of those who tackled the Filipinization of UST at the turn of the 1970’s.
The UST Press published Quito’s “A New Concept of Philosophy” in 1967. It was actually the Discurso de Apertura or the inaugural address for UST’s academic year 1967 to 1968.
UST Press also published Quito’s “Herbert Marcuse and Contemporary Society” in 1970, which exerted a “catalytic effect on the phenomenon of student protest in the Philippines.”
In an article in the Varsitarian’s March 1970 issue, Quito urged faculty members to get involved in social concerns.
She explained that the “faculty can be the third force in driving the country’s social and political transformation.”
Quito promoted a Filipino oriented curriculum and challenged her fellow professors to teach in Filipino on the academic year 1970-1971.
Quito challenged Filipino philosophers to write in the national language through her 1971 article, “Philosophy in Pilipino, Anyone?,” published in the Manila Chronicle.
For the pre-martial-law Chronicle, Quito also wrote other articles such as “Mind,” “The Filipino Mind,” “The Oriental Mind,” “The Greek Mind,” “The Medieval Mind,” “The Renaissance Mind” and “The Contemporary Mind.”
In the 1987 article, “Ang Kaugnayan ng Wikang Pambansa at Edukasyon,” published in Malay of De La Salle University (DLSU), Quito condemned the use of foreign language in Philippine philosophy.
“Kung hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa tayo nakalilikha ng matatayog na panitikan o pilosopiya, ito ay sapagkat tayo ay nahaharangan ng wikang banyaga,” she wrote.
“Nahahati ang ating pagkatao sapagkat hindi natin maipahayag ang ating damdamin sa isang wikang akma sa ating kaluluwa.”
Strict aunt, learned
Benjamin Quito, Emerita’s youngest nephew, said he learned philosophy and French from her aunt. He described her as a “strict teacher” and a person “who hated mediocrity.”
“Every breakfast, she would tell me stories about her struggles when she was a student,” he said. “She would also tell me about philosophy, like, ‘For every question, there would arise another question,’ implying that we should not stop on asking questions about certain things.”
“My most memorable experience with her is when she taught me the French language when I was around 10 to 12 years old,” said Benjamin, a physician at the UST Hospital.
“She was very strict but admirable, due to her being gifted for knowing around five languages.”
After UST, Quito transferred to DLSU, where she became full professor and which gave her a Festchrift in 1990.
The Department of Philosophy of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters held a forum as a tribute to Quito at the UST Martyr’s Hall last March 8.
Leslie Anne Liwanag, DLSU vice chancellor for research and innovation, paid tribute to Quito, the subject of her doctoral dissertation, calling her a role model for “selfless dedication” to philosophy writing.
“In her philosophical works, she did not think of her own sake,” said Liwanag. “She gave recognition to the [social and philosophical] issues that were not discussed in the country.”
Liwanag, emphasized how Quito showed her dedication to Filipino philosophy by taking higher studies in foreign universities and applying them in the country upon her return.
“She used philosophy and its discourse to develop Filipinos’ social consciousness and make the Philippines know its own identity,” Liwanag said.
“Many of us go abroad for work or to practice our profession. But Emerita Quito, who went abroad, returned to our country and said, ‘Let’s discuss the Filipino philosophy.’”
