"Alejandro 'Anding' Roces"

          Who is Alejandro Reyes Roces? To be honest, I've never heard of him until now. I know it's sad that I don't even know a legendary man like him, maybe because I'm not really into history or literature. At the moment I only care about myself and what's happening in the present, and for that I am truly disappointed about myself. I've read some of his short stories and I can say that he is truly legendary.

           He was a Filipino author, essayist, dramatist and a National Artist of the Philippines for literature. He served as Secretary of Education from 1961 to 1965, during the term of Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal. He was born in Manila, Philippines on July 13, 1924 and he died at May 11, 2011.

He is famously known for: 

• Changing the date of Philippine Independence Day from July 4 to June 12
• Recovering the stolen original manuscripts of Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo and Mi último Adiós
• Changed the language used in Philippine passports, coins, bills and diplomas to Wikang Pambansa

          Noted for his short stories, the Manila-born Roces was married to Irene Yorston Viola (granddaughter of Maximo Viola), with whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth Roces-Pedrosa. Anding attended elementary and high school at the Ateneo de Manila University, before moving to the Arizona State University for his tertiary education. He graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts and, not long after, attained his M.A. from Far Eastern University back in the Philippines.

          He has since received honorary doctorates from Tokyo University, Baguio's St. Louis University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the Ateneo de Manila University. Roces was a captain in the Marking’s Guerilla during World War II and a columnist in Philippine dailies such as the Manila Chronicle and the Manila Times. He was previously President of the Manila Bulletin and of the CAP College Foundation.

        In 2001, Roces was appointed as Chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). Roces also became a member of the Board of Trustees of GSIS (Government Service Insurance System) and maintained a column in the Philippine Star called Roses and Thorns.

         If you wanna read some interesting short stories in your free time, I recommend Alejandro's works because every single one is a masterpiece.

References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Roces

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4073883.Alejandro_R_Roces