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Alejandro R. Roces: A Filipino Literary Icon

Alejandro Roces was a Filipino short story writer and essayist considered the country's best writer of comic short stories. He championed Filipino culture by bringing attention to local festivals and traditions. Roces also led campaigns to change the country's Independence Day and the language used on stamps, currency, and passports. Due to his love for his country, Roces fought as a guerilla during World War 2 and founded a major opposition party under martial law. Roces received numerous national and international awards for his writing.

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Sean Andre Santos
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90 views3 pages

Alejandro R. Roces: A Filipino Literary Icon

Alejandro Roces was a Filipino short story writer and essayist considered the country's best writer of comic short stories. He championed Filipino culture by bringing attention to local festivals and traditions. Roces also led campaigns to change the country's Independence Day and the language used on stamps, currency, and passports. Due to his love for his country, Roces fought as a guerilla during World War 2 and founded a major opposition party under martial law. Roces received numerous national and international awards for his writing.

Uploaded by

Sean Andre Santos
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Alejandro Reyes Roces

National Artist
Secretary of Education

“You cannot be a great writer; first, you have to be a good person.”


Alejandro Roces, is a short story writer and essayist, and considered
as the country’s best writer of comic short stories. He is known for his widely
anthologized “My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken.” In his innumerable newspaper
columns, he has always focused on the neglected aspects of the Filipino cultural
heritage. His works have been published in various international magazines and
has received national and international awards.
Ever the champion of Filipino culture, Roces brought to public
attention the aesthetics of the country’s fiestas. He was instrumental in
popularizing several local fiestas, notably, Moriones and Ati-atihan. He
personally led the campaign to change the country’s Independence Day from
July 4 to June 12, and caused the change of language from English to Filipino
in the country’s stamps, currency and passports, and recovered Jose Rizal’s
manuscripts when they were stolen from the National Archives.
His unflinching love of country led him to become a guerilla during
the Second World War, to defy martial law and to found the major opposition
party under the dictatorship. His works have been published in various
international magazines and received numerous national and international
awards, including several decorations from various governments.

“You cannot be a great writer; first, you have to be a good person.”


The story is entitled “We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers” because the
Filipinos drink when they are happy, when they are sad, and when the
Americans recaptured the Philippines. Instead of drinking whiskey or beer, the
Filipinos drink lambanog. Lambanog is a Filipino alcoholic beverage. The
Filipinos, then, do not drink foreign drinks like whiskey, rum, brandy, tequila,
gin, champagne, sake, and vodka because these drinks are strong drinks.
Lambanog is considered as a mild drink because it can be produced from the
coconut tree.

Alejandro Roces served as Secretary of Education from 1961 to 1965


during the term of the Ninth Philippine President Diosdado Pangan Macapagal.

I have learned from the selection is that Filipinos do not need


expensive drinks to drink when they are happy or sad; some of the foreign drinks
are harmful to us. They make their own drinks from trees; these drinks are
natural.
Another is Filipinos are hospitable people. Although hospitality is
practiced from other countries, the Philippines’ style of hospitality is different
from other countries.

“We Filipinos are mild drinkers.” “The pine tree is tall and stately.
It symbolizes America.” “The coconut tree symbolizes the Philippines. It starts
up from the sky but then its leaves sway down to Earth, as if remembering the
land that gave it birth. It does not forget the soul that gave it life.” “The custom
here is to always give back to the Earth a little of what we have taken from the
Earth.”

“You cannot be a great writer; first, you have to be a good person.”

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