National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares dies at 83

He wrote and edited books on Philippine history, literature, politics, and culture.

National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares has died a day after celebrating his birthday. He was 83.

His children announced his passing in a Facebook post on Saturday, Sept. 5.

“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our beloved father, Resil Buagas Mojares,” they wrote. “He joined our creator today, in the early morning of September 5th. He had just celebrated his 83rd birthday yesterday, and we are grateful to have spent his final day honoring and celebrating his life.”

The family described Mojares as “a pillar of our family,” adding that while they will miss him dearly, they find comfort in knowing he is “now reunited with our dear mother, Sally,” who died in 2022.

“We will share details of the wake and memorial service as soon as they are finalized,” they added.

Born on Sept. 4, 1943, in Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte, Mojares grew up in a family of public school teachers. He spent most of his life in Cebu, where he built a career in literature, history, and cultural studies. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of San Carlos, then completed a doctorate in Literature at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Mojares founded the Cebuano Studies Center at the University of San Carlos. He led the center for more than two decades and later became professor emeritus.

He wrote and edited dozens of books on Philippine history, literature, politics, and culture. His best-known works include “Origins and Rise of the Filipino Novel,” “The War Against the Americans: Resistance and Collaboration in Cebu, 1899–1906,” “House of Memory,” “Brains of the Nation,” and “Isabelo’s Archive.” He also received multiple Philippine National Book Awards and other honors in the Philippines and abroad.

In 2018, Mojares was proclaimed National Artist for Literature. According to Proclamation No. 606, “the works and achievements of Resil B. Mojares as a teacher, scholar, essayist, fictionist, and historian brought about the promotion of regional literature and history, as well as the formation of Cebuano and national identity.”

He is survived by his children Kim Carmel, Mark Soren, Ressa Gail, and Anna Leigh, as well as five grandchildren.