Waray Authors Works

Pedro Acerden

Filipino zarzuela playwright who wrote in Basuni Ha Kasingkasing – 1926

the Waray language. Luha Han Usa Nga Eruy – 1927
Can Ascion Gugma – 1930,
Acerden was born in 1898. He was a An Baybayon ni Cudoy – 1936.
driver for the Leyte Transportation Co.
and a tuba (coconut wine) dealer. He
was often commissioned to stage plays
during fiestas and May festivals. He
presented hadi-hadi and sarswela in
Carigara, Philippines.

Iluminado Lucente

1883–1960

Iluminado Lucente (May 14, 1883 – An Iroy nga Tuna

February 14, 1960) was a Philippine Baga Durogas Ngan Baga Tinuod
writer, primarily writing poetry and (1939)
drama in the Waray language. He is Hangin Gad La (1960)
considered to be one of the finest Pilipinas
writers in the Waray language. Lucente Gugma
was a member of the Sanghiran san Panhayhay (Ginsa-aran)
Binisaya ha Samar ug Leyte (Academy Bumangon Ka Pepe
of the Visayan Language of Samar and Debelopmental nga Istorya
Leyte). His most famous work is the It’s Just the Wind
poem An Iroy nga Tuna (The Drama
Motherland).Lucente was born on May Abugho
14 1883 into a well off family, to An Duha nga Sportsmen
Curicoco Lucente and Aurora Garcia, in Diri Daraga, Diri Balo, Diri Inasaw-an
Palo, Leyte. His family’s status allowed (Not a Maiden, Not a Widow, Not a
him to be tutored privately, before he Married Woman), 1929
attended University in Manila.Becoming Up Limit Pati An Gugma (Even Love is
Mayor of Tacloban in 1912, he was Off Limits)1945
elected to congress for Leyte, and later
became Secretary to the Governor, then
Secretary of the Senate, for Senate
president Franciso Enage.He wrote
about 30 plays, and was known for both
satire using character stereotypes and
linguistic humour, which often took the
form of plays on language, combining
the sounds of Spanish, English and
Waray.

Francisco Alvarado Panhayhay hin Bungtohanon, 1921,

Hinagpis ng Isang Taga-Bayan
Francisco Alvarado is a noted playwright An Marol, 1925, Ang Sampagita
of zarzuela in Lineyte-Samarnon Kaadlawon, 1925, Araw
(Waray). He was a member and literary Kagab-ihon, 1925, Gabi
luminary of the Sanghiran san Binisaya Nihaga, 1930
organization which was founded in 1909 Pilipinas, 1931
to cultivate the Waray language.

Nemesio Baldesco

Nemesio “Totoy” S. Baldesco Sr. (born Pagtaklob

1954 or 1955) is a Filipino poet and Hinumduman Kan Yolanda
pedicab driver from Calbayog, Samar Hinabang
who primarily does literary works in Siyahan Na Bagyo
Waray. He is a recipient of Gawad Bakhaw San Pagla-om
Parangal of UMPIL (Unyon ng mga
Manunulat sa Pilipinas). He is known as
the “Father of Waray Poetry” (Amay han
Siday). He was also given the
Gantimpalang Ani Award for Poetry in
1994 by the Cultural Center of the
Philippines (CCP) and the Gawad
Komisyon Karangalang Banggit for
Poetry by the Komisyon sa Wikang
Filipino (KWF) in 2007.
Norberto Romualdez

1875–1941

Norberto Romuáldez y López (June 6, Linguistics

1875 – November 4, 1941) (often Bisayan Grammar
referred to as Norberto Romuáldez, Sr. Drama
to distinguish him from his son with the An Pagtabang ni San Miguel (The Aid of
same name) was a Philippine writer, Saint Michael)
politician, jurist, and statesman. He was
the first Lopez-Romuáldez to attain An Anak han Manaranggot (The Tuba
national prominence, and is deemed the Gatherer's Child)
“Father of the Law on the National
Language”. He was the eldest son of
Doña Trinidad Lopez-Romualdez, the
Romualdez grand matriarch, and uncle
of Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the
daughter of his youngest brother
Vicente Orestes Lopez Romualdez.

Born to the prominent Lopez clan of

Leyte (originally from Granada in the
Andalusian region of Spain), he is the
grandson of Spanish friar and
silversmith Don Francisco Lopez.
Romuáldez grew up in Leyte, where the
Lopez family owned vast coconut and
abaca plantations, and first achieved
status as a writer in the Waray-Waray
language. His first Waray zarzuela was
An Pagtabang ni San Miguel (The Aid of
Saint Michael).

Romuáldez served as an Associate

Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court
during the American Period. He was
also a participant in the 1934-1935
Constitutional Convention which
resulted in the 1935 Constitution for the
Philippine Commonwealth.

Romuáldez died in 1941 after an

undisclosed illness.

Janis Claire B. Salvacion

Janis Claire Salvacion is a writer and a SISO SAKRADANG

Waray Poet. She finished Bachelor of
Arts in Communication at UP Tacloban. Siso sakradang is a chant parents sing
She is the author of a collection of whenever they play with their children
poetry entitled Siso Sakradang ug Iba the game of riding on their feet
pa nga mga Siday han Tagoangkan
published by the NCCA in 2010.

Janis Claire B. Salvacion finished her

BA Communication Arts, Major in
Literature from the University of the
Philippines in the Visayas Tacloban
College. She was a Fellow in the 4th
Visayas Creative Writing Workshop and
the 10th Iligan National Writers
Workshop, where she won the Jimmy Y.
Balaquit Literary Award for Poetry. Her
collection of poems, Siso Sakradang ug
iba pa nga mga Siday han Tagoangkan,
was included in the Ubod New Authors
Series II, published in 2010 by the
National Commission for Culture and
the Arts (NCCA) and the Ateneo
Institute of Literary Arts and Practices
(AILAP). Very recently, she was
adjudged winner of NCCA Writers Prize
2011 for the Poetry Category, Waray
language

Wilmo Orejola

Dr. Wilmo C. Orejola is a medical Ghost of Insurrection

doctor, a retired surgeon, inventor, and Learning Waray Vol.2: Waray- English
published author. His literary works English-Waray Dictionary
include innovative scientific research Learning Waray ( Words and
articles published in peer-reviewed Sentences) Vol.1
medical journals, a history book, An
Basaynon: A History of Basey, Samar
and Its People, a historical novel Ghosts
of the Insurrection, an epic poem A Mat
Weaver’s Story: The Legend of
Bungansakit, and a dozen published
short poems, including the award-
winning Ode to Galileo Galilei. Born and
raised in the Philippines’ Waray-
speaking region, he resides in New
Jersey with his children, families, and
grandchildren.

Voltaire Q. Oyzon

Voltaire Q. Oyzon teaches Waray An Maupay ha mga Waray

language, literature, and social science Mga Bukad han mga Bangin (Buds of
courses at Leyte Normal University. Maybes).