Lualhati Bautista. Image: Facebook/Lualhati Bautista
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives adopted on Monday a resolution that expresses the chamber’s profound condolences to the family of progressive novelist, screenwriter and political critic Lualhati Bautista, who passed away last February 12.
During the plenary session presided over by women legislators, House Resolution (HR) No. 787 authored by Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher de Venecia, Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Francisco Benitez, and Batangas 6th District Rep. Ralph Recto was adopted.
Bautista’s sister and niece were present at the plenary when the resolution was adopted. Later on, they were invited near the rostrum where House members including Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez welcomed them and condoled with them.
Bautista, known for her novels that made their way to movie theaters, was also remembered for being a staunch advocate of women rights. The author was behind the well-renowned novels “Dekada ’70” (1983) and “Bata, Bata… Pa’no Ka Ginawa?” (1988).
Her work centered on how life for Filipinos — particularly Filipino women — were at the height of the martial law era of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
READ: Novelist, activist, screenwriter Lualhati Bautista; 77
Bautista was also a screenwriter, having written a huge part of her novel-turned-movies Bata, Bata and Dekada, both of which starred Philippine movie Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos — wife of Rep. Recto.
The resolution authored by the three lawmakers, including all the women legislators of the 19th Congress, acknowledged Bautista’s achievements and her role in advancing gender concerns.
“Ms. Bautista became known for her honest realism, her courageous exploration of women’s issues, and her compelling female protagonists, who confront difficult situations at home and in the workplace with uncommon grit and strength,” HR No. 787 read.
“Ms. Bautista was a national fellow for fiction of the University of the Philippines Creative Writing Center in 1986. She also served as Vice-President of the Screenwriters Guild of the Philippines and chair of the Kapisanan ng mga Manunulat ng Nobelang Popular,” they added.
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