Palace declares a Day of National Mourning for National Artist Resil Mojares

Philippine flag to fly at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Sept. 12.

The Palace has declared Saturday, Sept. 12, as a Day of National Mourning for National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares.

Under Proclamation No. 1434, signed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on behalf of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the government recognized Mojares’ passing as “a great loss to the Filipino people” and to the country’s cultural and artistic community.

The proclamation cited Mojares’ contributions as a teacher, scholar, essayist, fictionist, and historian, saying his work helped promote regional literature and history while shaping both Cebuano and Filipino national identity.

It also described him as “a pivotal figure in Philippine literature and cultural studies” whose scholarship enriched the nation’s understanding and appreciation of its literary and cultural heritage.

As part of the observance, the Philippine flag will be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Sept. 12 at all government buildings and installations in the Philippines and abroad, in accordance with the Flag and Heraldic Code and Proclamation No. 1001, as amended.

Mojares died on Sept. 5, a day after celebrating his 83rd birthday. His family announced his passing through Facebook, saying they had spent his final day honoring and celebrating his life.

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.”

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