Writers mourn, laud poet Santiago Villafania, 53

MANILA, Philippines: Writers on Tuesday are mourning the unexpected passing of Santiago B. Villafania, a bilingual poet known for his tireless promotion of the language and literature of his native Pangasinan province, at age 53.

Writers mourn, laud poet Santiago Villafania, 53

In posts on Villafania’s Facebook account, his eldest daughter Wenna Louise Villafania Aquino wrote that he died of cardiac arrest at the Nazareth General Hospital in Dagupan City early on Monday.

Writers took to social media to express shock and sadness over Villafania’s passing, and to voice gratitude and pay tribute. In a statement, writers’ group Philippine Center of International PEN — of which he was vice president — praised the author as “a champion of the language of his native Pangasinan, and his deep love for his tongue and his culture was felt not only among his fellow Filipinos, but across the world, through poems that have been translated into several languages and read in many global settings.”

Poet Mark Angeles called Villafania a “great bard brother and mentor” and fictionist Maryanne Moll described him as a “very important writer,” while author and editor Alma Anonas-Carpio said he “brought light to this world by championing Pangasinan, as well as fellow writers.”

Playwright and professor Glenn Sevilla Mas told The Manila Times that Villafania was “really proud of his [mother] language … and always found ways to champion it: in his books, in his poetry performances, in literary festivals and conferences, in providing opportunities for writers who wrote in it.”

“His passing is a great loss to literature, especially to the literary community of Pangasinan,” he said.

Villafania was born in Tuliao village, Santa Barbara town, Pangasinan on Jan. 31, 1971 to Alberto Villafania and Elisa Bergantinos. He completed his bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Pangasinan in 1991, and was writing in that language before shifting to his mother tongue in 2000.

Villafania published six poetry collections: “Balikas ng Caboloan” (Verses from Caboloan) (2005); “Malagilion: Sonnets tan Villenelles” (Malagilion: Sonnets and Villenelles) (2006), a finalist in the Best Book of Poetry category at the 2007 National Book Awards; “Pinabli and Other Poems” (Beloved and Other Poems) and “Bonsaic Verses” (both 2012); “Ghazalia: Maralus ya Ayat” (Ghazalia: Immaculate Desire) (2013); and “As I Tango” (2016).

His poems were also published in the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) literary journal Ani, and in the Philippines Free Press, Philippines Graphic and Sunday Times magazines. Some of his works had also been translated into Arabic, Hindi, Italian and Spanish.

He also wrote for the Balon Silew literary magazine and had a column in the Sunday Punch provincial newspaper.

The CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art said Villafania’s poetry was “a continuation of the romantic tradition that characterized early ‘anacbanua’ (native literati) writings after World War 2.”

“Sentimental and nostalgic, Villafania’s verses reestablish the significance of Pangasinan language, culture and identity amid the discourses of the nation and the global,” it added.

For his contributions, Villafania received the Asna Award for Culture and the Arts from the provincial government in 2010; Writer of the Year Award from Ulupan in 2004; and the Award of Merit from the Association of Writers and Authors for Regional Development in 2005.

He also earned the top prize at the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino’s (Commission on the Filipino Language) Gawad Tamayo competition for his poem “Esaes ed Kareenan” (Whispers in Silence) in 2006.

Villafania’s wake is being held at his home in Buenlag village, Mangaldan town, his daughter said. His burial is set for Sunday, March 3.

Besides Wenna, he is also survived by children Ian James Villafania, Yori Villafania, Johannes Sapida, Jorgina Ferrer, Angelina Villafania and Adonis Sison; mother Elisa; and granddaughter Chloe.