Kerima Polotan Tuvera
Encyclopedia
Kerima Polotan Tuvera was a Filipino
author.
, she was christened Putli Kerima. Her father was an army colonel
, and her mother taught home economics
. Due to her father's frequent transfers in assignment, she lived in various places and studied in the public schools of Pangasi, Tarlac
, Laguna, Nueva Ecija
and Rizal
. She graduated from the Far Eastern University Girls' High School. In 1944 she enrolled in the University of the Philippines
School of Nursing. In 1945 she shifted to Arellano University
where she attended the writing classes of Teodoro M. Locsin and edited the first number of the Arellano Literary Review. Her education was interrupted by illness, financial difficulties, and later marriage and the care of her five children. Some of her stories have been published under the pseudonym Patricia S. Torres.
In 1949, she married Juan Capiendo Tuvera, a childhood friend and fellow writer, with whom she had 10 children. Between the years 1966 to 1986, her husband served as the Executive Secretary of then President Marcos. Her husband's work drew her into the charmed circle of the Marcoses.
During the years of martial law
, she founded and edited the officially approved FOCUS Magazine as well as the Evening Post newspaper. She taught in Albay High School and at Arellano University. She worked with Your Magazine, This Week and the Junior Red Cross Magazine.
Her 1952 short story, The Virgin, won two first prizes – the Free Press short story prize of Php1,000 and the Palanca Memorial Award. In 1957 she edited the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, a book containing English and Tagalog prize winning short stories from 1951 to 1952. Her novel The Hand of the Enemy (1962) won the Stonehill Award of Php10,000 for the Filipino novel in English. Some of her famous short stories are : "A Place to Live In", "Gate", "The Keeper", "There's a Teenager in the House", "The Mats" and "The Sounds of Sunday". Adventures in a Forgotten Country is her latest collection of essays. She is the editor of Focus Philippines, the Orient News and the Evening Post.
In 1968, she published Stories, a collection of eleven stories which she claimed a "thin harvest" for the twenty years she had been writing. In 1970, she wrote Imelda Romualdez Marcos, a Biography. That was the same year that she collected forty-two of her hard-hitting essays during her years as a staff writer of the Philippine Free Press and published them under the title Author's Circle. In 1976, she edited the four-volume Anthology of Don Palanca Memorial Award Winners. In 1977, she published another collection of thirty-five essays, Adventures in a Forgotten Country. In the late 1990s, the University of the Philippines Press republished all of her major works.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
author.
Early life
Born in Jolo, SuluJolo, Sulu
Jolo is a municipality on the island of Jolo, and the capital and largest town of the province of Sulu. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 87,998 people in 12,814 households. Part of its population is of Chinese descent, mainly from Singapore...
, she was christened Putli Kerima. Her father was an army colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, and her mother taught home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
. Due to her father's frequent transfers in assignment, she lived in various places and studied in the public schools of Pangasi, Tarlac
Tarlac
Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Luzon Island. Its capital is Tarlac City. Tarlac borders Pampanga to the south, Nueva Ecija to the east, Pangasinan to the north, and Zambales to the west...
, Laguna, Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
and Rizal
Rizal
Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON , just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the country's national hero, José Rizal. Rizal Governor Casimiro A. Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building,...
. She graduated from the Far Eastern University Girls' High School. In 1944 she enrolled in the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
School of Nursing. In 1945 she shifted to Arellano University
Arellano University
Arellano University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Manila, Philippines, established in 1938 by Florentino Cayco, Sr. as the Arellano Law College which was later known as Arellano Colleges...
where she attended the writing classes of Teodoro M. Locsin and edited the first number of the Arellano Literary Review. Her education was interrupted by illness, financial difficulties, and later marriage and the care of her five children. Some of her stories have been published under the pseudonym Patricia S. Torres.
In 1949, she married Juan Capiendo Tuvera, a childhood friend and fellow writer, with whom she had 10 children. Between the years 1966 to 1986, her husband served as the Executive Secretary of then President Marcos. Her husband's work drew her into the charmed circle of the Marcoses.
During the years of martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
, she founded and edited the officially approved FOCUS Magazine as well as the Evening Post newspaper. She taught in Albay High School and at Arellano University. She worked with Your Magazine, This Week and the Junior Red Cross Magazine.
Her 1952 short story, The Virgin, won two first prizes – the Free Press short story prize of Php1,000 and the Palanca Memorial Award. In 1957 she edited the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, a book containing English and Tagalog prize winning short stories from 1951 to 1952. Her novel The Hand of the Enemy (1962) won the Stonehill Award of Php10,000 for the Filipino novel in English. Some of her famous short stories are : "A Place to Live In", "Gate", "The Keeper", "There's a Teenager in the House", "The Mats" and "The Sounds of Sunday". Adventures in a Forgotten Country is her latest collection of essays. She is the editor of Focus Philippines, the Orient News and the Evening Post.
In 1968, she published Stories, a collection of eleven stories which she claimed a "thin harvest" for the twenty years she had been writing. In 1970, she wrote Imelda Romualdez Marcos, a Biography. That was the same year that she collected forty-two of her hard-hitting essays during her years as a staff writer of the Philippine Free Press and published them under the title Author's Circle. In 1976, she edited the four-volume Anthology of Don Palanca Memorial Award Winners. In 1977, she published another collection of thirty-five essays, Adventures in a Forgotten Country. In the late 1990s, the University of the Philippines Press republished all of her major works.