Lualhati Bautista
Born
Lualhati Torres Bautista

(1945-12-02)December 2, 1945
Tondo, Manila, Commonwealth of the Philippines
DiedFebruary 12, 2023(2023-02-12) (aged 77)
Quezon City, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Alma materLyceum of the Philippines University
Occupations
Parent(s)Esteban Bautista (father)
Gloria Torres (mother)
Signature

Lualhati Torres Bautista (December 2, 1945 – February 12, 2023) was a Filipina writer, novelist, liberal activist and political critic. Her most popular novels include Dekada '70; Bata, Bata, Pa'no Ka Ginawa?; and ‘GAPÔ.

Biography

Bautista was born in Tondo, Manila, Philippines on December 2, 1945, to Esteban Bautista and Gloria Torres. She graduated from Emilio Jacinto Elementary School in 1958, and from Florentino Torres High School in 1962. She was a journalism student at the Lyceum of the Philippines, but dropped out because she had always wanted to be a writer and schoolwork was taking too much time. Her first short story, "Katugon ng Damdamin,"[1] was published in Liwayway magazine and thus started her writing career.[2]

Despite a lack of formal training, Bautista as a writer became known for her honest realism, courageous exploration of Philippine women's issues, and compelling female protagonists who confront difficult situations at home and in the workplace with uncommon grit and strength.

Career

Novels

Bautista garnered several Palanca Awards (1980, 1983, and 1984) for her novels ‘GAPÔ, Dekada '70 and Bata, Bata… Pa'no Ka Ginawa?, which exposed injustices and chronicled women's activism during the Marcos era.

‘GAPÔ, the Palanca Awards 1980 grand prize winner, published in 1988, is the story of a man coming to grips with life as an Amerasian. It is multilayered scrutiny of the politics behind US bases in the Philippines, seen from the point of view of ordinary citizens living in Olongapo City.

Dekada '70 is the story of a family caught in the middle of the tumultuous decade of the 1970s. It details how a middle-class family struggled and faced the changes that empowered Filipinos to rise against the Marcos government. These events happened after the bombing of Plaza Miranda, the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, the proclamation of martial law and the random arrests of political prisoners. The oppressive nature of the Marcos regime, which made the people become more radical, and the shaping of the decade were all witnessed by the female protagonist, Amanda Bartolome, the mother of five boys.

Bata, Bata… Pa'no Ka Ginawa?, literally, "Child, Child… How Were You Made?", narrates the life of Lea, a working mother and a social activist, who has two children. In the end, all three, and especially Lea, have to confront Philippine society's view of single motherhood. The novel deals with the questions of how it is to be a mother, and how a mother executes this role through modern-day concepts of parenthood.

Bautista's 2013 book In Sisterhood received the Filipino Readers' Choice Award Nominee for Fiction in Filipino/Taglish in 2014, organized by the Filipino Book Bloggers Group.[3]

In 2015, Bautista launched the book Sixty in the City, about the life of friends Guia, Roda and Menang, who are in their mid-60s and realize that there's a good life in being just a wife, mother and homemaker.[4]

Short stories

Two of Bautista's short stories won the Palanca Awards, namely "Tatlong Kwento ng Buhay ni Juan Candelabra" ("Three Stories in the Life of Juan Candelabra"), first prize, 1982; and "Buwan, Buwan, Hulugan mo Ako ng Sundang" ("Moon, Moon, Drop Me a Dagger"), third prize, 1983.

In 1991 Bautista with Cacho Publishing House, published a compilation of short stories entitled Buwan, Buwan, Hulugan Mo Ako ng Sundang: Dalawang Dekada ng Maiikling Kuwento.[5]

Screenplays

Bautista's venture as a screenwriter produced several critically acclaimed works. Her first screenplay was Sakada (Seasonal Sugarcane Workers), 1976, which exposed the plight of Filipino peasants. Her second film was Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap in 1984, which was nominated for awards in the Film Academy of the Philippines. Also written during the same year was Bulaklak ng City Jail, based on her novel about imprisoned women, which won almost all awards for that year from various awards guilds including Star Awards and Metro Manila Film Festival. In 1998 her work was used for Chito Rono's film adaptation of Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa, starring Vilma Santos. In 2000 she wrote Gusto Ko Nang Lumigaya, the screenplay for Maryo J. de los Reyes' political drama thriller.

Other activities

Bautista became a national fellow for fiction of the University of the Philippines Diliman Creative Writing Center in 1986. She also served as vice-president of the Screenwriters Guild of the Philippines and as chair of the Kapisanan ng mga Manunulat ng Nobelang Popular.

She was the only Filipino included in a book on foremost international women writers published in Japan in 1991.

Bautista was honored by the Ateneo Library of Women's Writings on March 10, 2004, during the 8th Annual Lecture on Vernacular Literature by Women. In 2005, the Feminist Centennial Film Festival presented her with a recognition award for her outstanding achievement in screenplay writing. In 2006, she was given the Diwata Award for best writer by the 16th International Women's Film Festival of the UP Film Center.[6][7]

Translations of her novels

Excerpts of Bautista's novels have been anthologized in Tulikärpänen, a book of short stories written by Filipino women published in Finland by The Finnish-Philippine Society (FPS), a non-governmental organization founded in 1988. Tulikärpänen was edited and translated by Riitta Vartti, et al. In Firefly: Writings by Various Authors, the English version of the Finnish collection, the excerpt from the Filipino novel Gapô was given the title "The Night in Olongapo," while the excerpt from Bata, Bata, Pa'no Ka Ginawa? was titled "Children's Party."[8][9][10][11]

A full translation of Bautista's best works could better represent the characteristics of Filipino writing in international publishing. Dekada '70 has been translated to the Japanese language and was published by Mekong Publishing House in the early 1990s. Tatlong Kuwento ng Buhay ni Julian Candelabra (1st prize, Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 1983) was translated in English and published by The Lifted Brow in Australia.

On January 5, 2022, Bautista revealed in a Facebook post an offer by Penguin Classics, an imprint of international book publisher Penguin Books, to publish Dekada '70 in English. The offer was made by Elda Rotor, vice president and publisher of Penguin Classics. News of the offer led to Bautista being congratulated by fellow writers and literary organizations in the Philippines, including the National Book Development Board, screenwriter Jerry Gracio, poet Merlie Alunan, and Ateneo de Manila University Press director Karina Bolasco.[12][13]

Controversy and criticism

Red tagging

On August 11, 2020, Filipino citizen Jefferson Lodia Badong red-tagged Lualhati Bautista in a Facebook comment, accusing her of being a member of the New People’s Army (NPA), an allegation that endangered Bautista's personal safety.[14] Bautista, on her Facebook wall, posted a screenshot of Badong's comment. The post trended and commenters admonished Badong for red-tagging, an act that endangers its target and is used to curtail free speech.[14] Badong wrote a public apology and made his account private. Badong deleted the apology minutes after posting it. In another post, Bautista threatened to sue Badong for cyberlibel along with a screenshot of his profile. Bautista later said that she is not proceeding with the case as Badong has sent her a private apology, which Bautista posted. In the aftermath, Badong has deactivated his account after he was continually shamed by supporters and friends of Bautista.[15][14][16][17][18][19][20]

Death

Bautista died at her home on February 12, 2023, at the age of 77.[21][22]

Works

Books

Novelettes

  • Sila At Ang Gabi: Isang Buong Laot at Kalahati ng Daigdig (1994) ISBN 9712703290
  • Ang Babae sa Basag na Salamin (1994) ISBN 9716850328
  • Araw ng mga Puso ISBN 971685014X
  • Apat Na screenplay ISBN 9712704475
  • Ang Kabilang Panig ng Bakod
  • Hugot sa Sinapupunan
  • Desisyon
  • Sumakay tayo sa buwan

Screenplays

  • Sakada (co-writer)
  • Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap
  • Bulaklak sa City Jail
  • Kadenang Bulaklak
  • The Maricris Sioson Story
  • Nena
  • Bata, Bata...Pa'no Ka Ginawa?: The Screenplay
  • Dekada '70
  • Gusto Ko Nang Lumigaya (screenplay)
  • Sex Object
  • Isang Kabanata sa Libro ng Buhay ni Leilani Cruzaldo (television drama)

Teleplays

  • Dear Teacher (co-writer)
  • Daga sa Timba ng Tubig
  • Mama
  • Pira-pirasong Pangarap
  • Balintataw (Episode title: "Labinlimang Taon"; 1987)[23]
  • Desaparesidos (1998)

Awards and honors

Year Award Category Work Result
1984 Metro Manila Film Festival[24] Best Story Bulaklak sa City Jail Won
Best Screenplay Won

See also

References

  1. ↑ Liwayway Magazine, November 17, 1963, issue
  2. ↑ Ong, Aihwa; Peletz, Michael G. (1995). Bewitching women, pious men : gender and body politics in Southeast Asia. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press. p. 217. ISBN 0520088611. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  3. ↑ Filipino Readers' Choice Award Winners, date retrieved: July 5, 2016
  4. ↑ Sixty in the City, Lualhati Bautista, date retrieved: July 4, 2016
  5. ↑ "Buwan, Buwan, Hulugan Mo Ako ng Sundang". Goodreads. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  6. ↑ Lualhati Bautista, Ateneo Library of Women's Writings, date retrieved: May 27, 2007
  7. ↑ Lualhati Torres Bautista: The Author, Geocities.com, date retrieved May 27, 2007]
  8. ↑ Firefly: Writings by Various Authors (Lualhati Bautista Translated into Finnish and English), Edited and Translated by Riitta Vartti, et al. Our Own Voice June 2001 (OOV Bookshelf 2001), date retrieved: 27 May 2007
  9. ↑ "Bata, Bata Pa'no Ka Ginawa? (Lea's Story): Title Page from Geocities.com". Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved October 7, 2010., date retrieved: May 27, 2007
  10. ↑ English Language Summary of Bata, Bata Pa'no Ka Ginawa? (Lea's Story) from Geocities.com, date retrieved: 27 May 2007
  11. ↑ Vartti, Riitta (editor). Preface to the Finnish anthology Tulikärpänen - filippiiniläisiä novelleja (Firefly - Filipino Short Stories), Kääntöpiiri Archived October 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine: Helsinki, Finland 2001/2007, retrieved on: April 14, 2007
  12. ↑ Madarang, Catalina Ricci (January 28, 2022). "'Dekada '70' Penguin edition? Lualhati Bautista gets offer to have novel published". Interaksyon.com. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  13. ↑ Lim, Ron (January 31, 2022). "Penguin Classics wants to publish Lualhati Bautista's 'Dekada '70'". GMA Lifestyle. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 "Author Lualhati Bautista hits back at Facebook user over red-tagging post". Rappler. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Facebook user deletes apology, changes profile name after drawing flak for red-tagging Filipino novelist". #PressOnePH. August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Lualhati Bautista thanks Filipino netizens who helped shut down red-tagging commenter". www.interaksyon.com. August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  17. ↑ Topics, Head (August 12, 2020). "Author Lualhati Bautista hits back at Facebook user over red-tagging post". Head Topics. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  18. ↑ CoconutsManila (August 12, 2020). "Novelist Lualhati Bautista *literally* shuts down troll claiming she's a communist rebel | Coconuts Manila". Coconuts. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Lualhati Bautista red-tagged by netizen; Award-winning author claps back". DailyPedia. August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Lualhati Bautista red-tagged by netizen; Award-winning author claps back". www.msn.com. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Writer, activist Lualhati Bautista dies at 77". Philstar.com. February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  22. ↑ Sarao, Zacarian Gavin (February 12, 2023). "Lualhati Bautista passes away at 77". Inquirer.net. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Mother's Love in 'Balintataw'". Manila Standard. Standard Publications, Inc. December 2, 1987. p. 10. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Metro Manila Film Festival:1984". IMDB. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
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