Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) — Award-winning Filipino novelist and political activist Lualhati Bautista died on Sunday at the age of 77, relatives confirmed.
“Sad news for our Torres clan, our first cousin Lualhati Bautista died at 77 years old this morning,” Sonny Ross Samonte said in a Facebook post.
Bautista is well-known for her novels about the injustices of Martial Law, as well as the struggles of women. Her novels include “Dekada ’70,” “Bata, Bata, Pa’no Ka Ginawa,” “Desaparesidos,” and “‘GAPÔ.”
One of her grandchildren, Xyril Salazar, said Baustista died \”peacefully\” at 6 a.m. on Feb. 12.
He said she will be remembered as a fierce writer whose works helped the country overthrow the Marcos dictatorship.
\”A woman that has braved the regime of Marcos Sr. himself, never wavering and never backing down even when the dictator himself had the gun directly at her throat,\” he said in a statement.
“Ang iyong mga matutulis na salitang tumulong magpabagsak ng mga sagad-sagarang diktador; nagmulat at nagpakilos ng libo-libong mga kasamang matapang na lumalaban tulad mo,” Salazar added.
[Translation: Your sharp words helped bring down the basest dictators; awakened and mobilized thousands of brave fighting comrades like you.]
Baustista’s novels “‘GAPÔ” (1980), “Dekada ‘70” (1983), and “Bata, Bata, Pa’no Ka Ginawa?” (1984) won Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the longest-running literary competition in the country.
She also received Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) awards for Best Story for “Bata, Bata, Pa’no Ka Ginawa?” in 1998 and for Best Screenplay for “Kadenang Bulaklak” in 1994.
