House resolution seeks to make F. Sionil Jose’s works more accessible to poor students
A RESOLUTION was filed in the House of Representatives Friday seeking to honor the late national artist Francisco Sionil Jose and make his works more accessible to poor students and, by extension, their families.
Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco and members of the Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Bloc of the 18th Congress authored House Resolution 2341 following the death of Mr. Jose, who is known for his novels and short stories about colonialism and social injustice.
Pangasinan Rep. Christopher V.P. De Venecia, chair of the Committee on Creative Industry, said it is challenging to make the works of Mr. Jose more accessible and influential in the lives of young Filipinos because there are many new and modern media competing for their attention.
“We need effective modules and well-trained teachers who can make F. Sionil Jose’s books matter in the lives of both the young and their parents,” he said.
He also noted that books are “considered luxuries in millions of Filipino households whose budgets for books is limited only to the most basic of textbooks.”
Mr. Jose, who was given the recognition as National Artist for Literature in 2001, died on Jan. 6 at 97.
His most popular work is a series of novels called The Rosales Saga, which tells the story of five generations of farmers and Spanish-European families in Rosales, Pangasinan — his hometown. His books have been translated in 28 languages. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan
