Magdalena Jalandoni
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Magdalena Gonzaga Jalandoni (May 27, 1891 in Jaro,
Iloilo Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the ...
– September 14, 1978 in Jaro) was a
Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
novelist, playwright, short story writer, poet, sculptor and painter. She is now remembered as one of the most prolific Filipino writers in the Hiligaynon language. Hailing from Western Visayas, her works are said to have left permanent and significant milestones in Philippine literature.


Biography

Magdalena Jalandoni was born on May 27, 1891 to an affluent land-owning family of Gregorio Jalandoni and Francisca Gonzaga in Calle Alvarez now renamed as Calle Benedicto in the former city of Salog now
Jaro, Iloilo City Jaro (; ) is a district of Iloilo City in the Philippine province of Iloilo on Panay Island in the Western Visayas region. It is the largest in terms of area and population of Iloilo City's seven districts, with 130,700 people in the 2020 census ...
, a present-day district of Iloilo City. She began writing at a young age wherein she already had her poems published at the age of 12. She published her first novel ''Ang Mga Tunoc Sang Isa Ca Bulac'' (The Thorns of a Flower), which was later followed by many novels, compilations of poems and short stories. Jalandoni only wrote for publication purposes due to the male-dominated society at the time. Back then, female voices in literature were not taken seriously by the general public. Although her mother strictly forbade her to take literature seriously, she refused to do so and devoted her life entirely to literature. In her childhood autobiography, ''Ang Matam-is Kong Pagkabata'' (My Sweet Childhood), she cites: "I will be forced to write when I feel that my nose is being assaulted by the scent of flowers, when my sight is filled with the promises of the sun and when my soul is lifted by winged dreams to the blue heavens." Her famous poem, ''Ang Guitara'' (The Guitar), is read in classrooms all over the country today. Literary critics and historians claim that she has mastered a special talent for poetry and description as well as dramatic evocations of landscapes and events in her novels and short stories. Her works span from the coming of Malay settlers in the Middle Ages up to the Spanish and American colonial era as well as the Japanese occupation of World War II, all portraying the history of Panay and the evolution of the Ilonggo culture. According to ''Riitta Varitti'' of the ''Finnish-Philippine Society'' in Helsinki, "Jalandoni was the most productive Philippine writer of all time." Other famous works include ''Anabella'', '' Juanita Cruz'', ''Sa Kapaang Sang Inaway'' (In the Heat of War), ''Ang Dalaga sa Tindahan'' (The Young Woman in the Market) and ''Ang Kahapon ng Panay'' (The Past of Panay). Throughout her turbulent and displaced life, she still managed to publish 36 novels, 122 short stories, 7 novelettes, 7 long plays, 24 short plays and ''dialogos'' in verse compiled in two volumes, seven volumes of personally compiled essays including some translations from Spanish and two autobiographies. She has been displaced from her hometown twice and has survived the Philippine Revolution, the Filipino-American War and the Japanese Occupation.


Death and legacy

She died on September 14, 1978 at the age of 87 and is survived by a few nieces as well as several other close relatives. Despite all this, she still remains relatively unknown up to this day. Her family's ancestral house still stands as a historical landmark and museum not far from the cathedral of Jaro. A street at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in
Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people. Due to its location j ...
,
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
is named in her honor.


Awards

In 1977, she received the prestigious ''Republic Cultural Heritage Award'' for her literary achievements from the government.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jaladoni, Magdalena 1881 births 1978 deaths People from Iloilo City Filipino feminists Filipino writers Filipino women writers Writers from Iloilo Hiligaynon people