Carlos Felix Lozada Quirino (January 14, 1910 – May 20, 1999) was a Philippine biographer and historian. Not only known for his works on biographies and history but also on varied subjects such as the old maps of the Philippines and the culinary legacy of the country.

Life

Carlos Quirino was born on January 14, 1910, in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

to Jose Felix Arcinas Quirino and Dolores de los Santos Lozada. He was a nephew of Philippine president

Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Philippine nationality law, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered p ...

. Carlos Quirino received his journalism degree in 1931 from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Known for his early biography of Jose Rizal entitled ''"The Great Malayan"'' (1940), he also wrote several works on Philippine history, as well as biographies of President

Manuel Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his d ...

and the painter Damian Domingo. Carlos Quirino joined the Philippine Army and became second lieutenant before the outbreak of World War II. During the Japanese occupation, he was forced to join the

Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...

but escaped and joined the underground resistance. Carlos Quirino became director of the National Library from 1962 to 1966. He also became the first director of the Ayala Museum in 1970. In 1997, he was recognized as a

National Artist of the Philippines The Order of National Artists of the Philippines ( Tagalog: ''Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas'') is an order bestowed by the President of the Philippines on Philippine nationals who have made significant contributions to ...

for Historical Literature. Carlos QuirinoCNE

He died on May 20, 1999, at the age of 89.

Writing style

Quirino's style of writing took a liberal approach of putting narrative and storytelling in his biographies. His biography of Rizal is a good example of his playful writing, as it is evident that he transformed the thoughts of Rizal and other relevant individuals, occasionally breaking them into direct conversations.

Bibliography

* ''Man of Destiny'' (1935) * ''The Great Malayan'' (1940) * ''Magsaysay and the Philippines'' (1958) * ''Philippine Cartography'' (1959) * ''Damian Domingo: First Eminent Filipino Painter'' (1961) * ''History of the Philippine Sugar Industry'' (1974) * ''Filipinos at War'' (1981) * ''Amang, the Life and Times of Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr.'' (1983)

References

1910 births 1999 deaths 20th-century Filipino historians Carlos Filipino military personnel of World War II Bataan Death March prisoners Philippine Army personnel Burials at the Libingan ng mga Bayani {{Philippines-writer-stub