Gregorio Brillantes has joined the National Artist roster for Literature after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. conferred the honor posthumously under Proclamation No. 1414.
President Marcos signed the proclamation on September 1, 2026. It named 10 Filipinos as National Artists for 2025 for their contributions to Philippine arts and culture.
Brillantes died on September 26, 2025, at the age of 92. His recognition adds another major honor to a long literary career.
Brillantes in Philippine literature
Brillantes was born on December 18, 1932, in Camiling, Tarlac. He studied at Ateneo de Manila and later taught English there.
He also worked at the Philippine Free Press. His first short-story collection, The Distance to Andromeda, appeared in 1960.
Brillantes later published The Apollo Centennial in 1980 and On a Clear Day in November, Shortly Before the Millennium in 2000.
According to the University of the Philippines, his fiction explored faith, spirituality, humanity’s place in the universe and the nation’s future. His stories also combined elements of speculative fiction with fantastic and supernatural themes.
Critics and fellow writers have called Brillantes the “godfather of Philippine speculative fiction.”
His career also brought numerous literary honors. These included the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Gawad CCP Para sa Sining and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas. He also entered the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Hall of Fame.
Gémino H. Abad, who later became a National Artist for Literature, praised Brillantes as a major figure among the young writers of his generation.
Brillantes in the National Artist tradition
Brillantes now joins a long list of writers who have received the National Artist honor for Literature.
The roster includes Amado V. Hernandez, Jose Garcia Villa, Nick Joaquin, Carlos P. Romulo, Francisco Arcellana, N. V. M. Gonzalez, Edith Tiempo, F. Sionil Jose, Virgilio S. Almario, Alejandro Roces, Bienvenido Lumbera, Lazaro Francisco, Cirilo Bautista, Ramon Muzones, Resil Mojares and Gémino Abad.
Nicanor Tiongson also joined Brillantes among the 2026 honorees in the Literature category.
Brillantes also served as a National Fellow for Fiction at the Likhaan: UP Institute of Creative Writing. His work left a distinct mark on Philippine literature, particularly through his short stories and essays.
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