MANUEL H. BERNABE
(1890-1960)
A poet, linguist, and politician, Manuel
Bernabe was born on February 17, 1890 to Timoteo Bernabe and Emilia Hernandez
of Paranaque, Rizal.
He studied at the Ateneo de Manila where
he finished his
Bachelor of Arts degree with high academic
standing. In 1910, Manuel's first paem was published in the Renacimiento
Filipino. In 1912, he translated Virgil's Aenid from Latin to Spanish. In 1913,
he received an award for his poems The Hymn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
El Zapote, and Espaņa en Filipinas.
In 1912, he joined the staff of La
Democracia and in 1918, of La Vanguardia of the Roces Publications. He was a
columnist but from time to time he also published poems and short stories.
Manuel also excelled in the balagtasan,
where his stalwart adversary was Jesus Balmori. His other works were: Cantos del Tropico (1929) which contained
the Spanish translations of Rubaiyat of Omar khayyam and Perfil de la Cresta.
For high academic and excellent performance, Manuel was chosen a member of the
Royal Academy of the Spanish Language in the Philippines in 1930 and was named
poet laureate in Spanish on February 25, 1950. And for his untiring efforts in
the propagation and conservation of the Spanish language, Bernabe received two
decorations from Spain - El Yugo y las Flechas in 1940 and Orden de Isabela la
Catolica in 1953.
In 1951, he accompanied President Elpidio
Quirino on the latter's state visit to Spain.
He retired from politics and once more
joined the journalistic profession in the La Vanguardia. He was appointed
professor of Spanish at the University of the Philippines. and a technical assistant
for Filipino-Spanish Relations at Malacaņang from 1943-1447.
Bernabe died of coronary tuberculosis on
November 29, 1960, at barrio La Huerta, Paranaque.