Pangasinan poet, 2010 Asna awardee Santiago Villafania dies

Source: Rappler
Author: Herbie G

PANGASINAN, Philippines - Multi-awarded poet Santiago "Santi" Villafania died in a Dagupan City hospital on Monday, February 26. He was 53 years old.

The confirmation was posted on his Facebook profile, written by his daughter, Wenna Louise.

"Dear friends and family, it's [with a heavy] heart that we write this post. My father Santiago B. Villafania passed away at 1 am this morning at Nazareth Hospital," Wenna wrote.

She said her father's remains would be brought to their home in Buenlag, Mangaldan.

Prior to this, Wenna posted an update that Villafania was fighting for his life in Nazareth General Hospital.

The grim news of the poet's death came two hours after.

Villafania was a true-blue Pangasinense, being born in Santa Barbara town on January 31, 1971. He was a champion of Pangasinan heritage.

As a poet and writer, Villafania authored six books containing anlong (Pangasinan term for poetry), sonnets, haikus, and other literary pieces written in Pangasinan and English: Balikas na Caboloan (Voices from Caboloan, 2005), Malagilion: Sonnets tan Villanelles (2007), Pinabli & Other Poems (2012), Bonsaic Verses (2012), Ghazalia: Maralus ya Ayat (2013), and As I Tango (2016).

He served as the vice president for the Philippine Center of International PEN, a group supporting writers and promoting literature and freedom of expression.

His literary contributions and focus on Pangasinan had earned him the province's highest honors - he was a 2010 Asna (Salt) Awardee for Literature, one of the first awards given.