Rogelio Lunasco Ordoñez (born September 24, 1940 - May 19, 2016) also known as Ka Roger, was a multi-awarded Filipino fiction writer, poet, activist, journalist and educator. He was one of the authors of the iconic Tagalog literature anthology Mga Agos sa Disyerto in the 1960s. He was a contributor to Liwayway Magazine, Pilipino Free Press, Asia-Philippines Leader, Pilosopong Tasyo, Diario Uno and Pinoy Weekly.
Biography
Early life and education
Ordoñez was born in Alapan, Imus, Cavite. He studied at Mapua Institute of Technology and Manuel L. Quezon University and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Drawn to the Filipino literature that focused on the reality of life, especially about the workers and peasants and the downtrodden or the oppressed, Ordoñez concentrated in writing instead of practicing his degree. He wrote many fictions, most notably short stories in Liwayway, columns and editorials in Pilipino Free Press as a staff member, various articles in Asia-Philippines Leader also as a staff member, and poems, short-stories and essays in literary journals. His first short story appeared in Liwayway when he was still in high school. Keen in teaching and molding new-generation writers, he took up his MA in Mass Communication at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Career
Ordoñez worked under Nick Joaquin in the Asia-Philippines Leader for a short period of time. He was the former editor-in-chief and former chairman of the editorial board of the alternative newspaper Pinoy Weekly, a nationalist and progressive newspaper in Filipino. Ordoñez has worked as secretary-general of the PUP's Center for Creative Writing, professorial lecturer, and columnist. Sometime in 1995, he served as the director of Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations in Polytechnic University of the Philippines and was a professor in the graduate school of the same institution; he also taught creative writing, literature, history, works of Rizal, contemporary social problems and Pamamahayag sa Filipinolohiya in the undergraduate programs, also in the said university.
Works
Writing fiction, articles and literary criticisms in Filipino, Ordoñez works were anthologized in the following: Readings in Contemporary Bilingual Literature (Ateneo de Manila University), Parnasong Tagalog of Alejandro G. Abadilla (selected poems in Filipino), Hiyas (Vols. 2 & 3, textbooks in Public High Schools), Bantayog (selected essays in Filipino, Philippine Normal University), Nationalist Literature and Likhaan (University of the Philippines), Subverso (ACT), Kilates (UP) and the landmark Mga Agos sa Disyerto (1964). His novels include Apoy sa Madaling Araw (1964), co-authored with Dominador B. Mirasol, and Limang Suwail (1963), co-authored with Efren Abueg, Rogelio Sicat, Edgardo M. Reyes and Eduardo Bautista Reyes. In 1998. the University of the Philippines published in book form some of his selected writings Saan Papunta ang mga Putok?. In 1997, his short-story, Si Anto, was translated to English and anthologized in Stories From Southeast Asia (Malaysia) and considered as one of the best short-stories in Southeast Asia for the past 30 years, according to Muhammad Haji Salleh, editor of the said anthology. In 2004, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines published in book form his columns Pluma at Papel from Diario Uno and in 2007, Prometheus Publishing Corp. also published his columns and editorials Pluma at Papel (Sa Panahon ni Gloria) from Pinoy Weekly. Some of his poems were also anthologized in Ipuipo sa Piging (2010), selected poems of some 32 poets in Filipino. Last March 15, 2011, his collection of poems, HIJO Y HIJA DE PUTA at iba pang mga tula was launched by Grandwater Publishing at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. In November 2013, one of his poems, the Alay sa Bayaning Mandirigma was anthologized in Salita ng Sandata (Bonifacio's Legacies to the People's Struggle); his poem Maita (Ka Dolor) Gomez was also anthologized in Maita (Remembering Ka Dolor). Last October, 2014, the Center for Creative Writing of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines launched his new anthology of poems Sa Pamumulaklak ng mga Talahib, with English version (The Talahib's Blooming). Two of his poems, the To The Writers and Will Search for You Always were anthologized in Feelings International Book of Poetry, 2nd Edition, a collection of poems by poets from Asia, Africa, Europe and USA edited by a respected literati Dr. Armeli Quezon of Charleston, SC, USA.