Elijah Kirk R.

Santos

Gr. 12- GAS Courage

09/18/2019

An editorial on Ernesto Lariosa

Born in the 11th of December, 1944 at Tabionan, San Fernando, Cebu; Ernesto Degumbis Lariosa, also
known as “Nyor Erning” was a Filipino Visayan writer, a poet, and a columnist, he was a Palanca awardee
three times in Cebuano short story, he would receive more distinguishable awards later on aside from this.
The Government of Cebu recognized him as “Vanguard of Cebuano Literature.” When he was young he
grew up in the neighboring town of Panadtaran, this is the place where his family would settle after World
War II, and years later he would study in Southwestern University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in
law and a bachelor’s degree in education major in English and history. He then married with a woman
named Susan and happily had eight children with each other, namely: Marguel, Jobaner, Rhudiza, Jarrel,
Emily Rose, Pachel Baron, Rudyard James and Erna Sue. He was a prolific writer, Lariosa wrote a total of
300 poems, 140 stories, dramas, and novels. His work which is the first epic that was written in the Cebuano
Language entitled ‘Kalisub’ had its first of two volumes serialized in “Bisaya Magazine.” The rest of his
works soon appeared in other publications such as ‘Alimyon,’ “Bag-ong Suga,” “Focus Philippines,”
‘Graphic,’ “Philippines Free Press,” “Sands and Corrals,” “Sun Star Weekend,” and “Women’s Journal.”

He became co-chairman and one of the founding members of ‘Bathalad’ also known as “Bathalanong Halad
sa Dagang, Inc.” (Personally I think this was one of his major contributions to Local Literature.) ‘Bathalad’
is a Cebuano literary writers group, and its predecessor which is the “ALBICALARIVI Poetry Group.”
Later on Pachico A. Seares invited him to become a literary editor, columnist, and the second language
consultant of “Sun Star Superbalita.” A Cebuano tabloid, he also authored a Cebuano Language style book.
On an unrelated note, he was also a regional licensing chief for the National Food Authority.As of this
writing however Ernesto Lariosa passed away on the 20th of last month of this year, in Mandaue City due to
complications he was experiencing in his liver, he was 74. He would not show up for his scheduled event
three days later at Cebu Normal University for the launching of his first poetry book called ‘Bangaw sa
Alimungaw,” his family appeared on his behalf instead. The impact he made to others was really great that
in a critique made by Hope Yu on several of his writings including his Palanca award winning short story
“Bugti” (Exchange) she has this to write: “Lariosa shows that he comprehends nature to be a part of the
human, as well as the cultural, and the social imagination as it is a physical entity to be experienced… By
examining Lariosa’s work, we see that he developed an environmental philosophy that sought to take on the
destructive forms of human domination that affect the natural and social Cebuano landscape.”

Sun Star said that his death along with the death of Julian Daan were an immense loss to Cebuano culture.

For me this was a man who put his heart into what he wrote, his very works were much appreciated and his
efforts now live on to inspire more potential writers and lovers of literature, this was his life, perhaps I could
go as far by saying that he made himself a contribution to local literature like what other authors and writers
of the past and present did. Unfortunately however, I do not think that he was actually known that much
even in our region, but I feel that he deserves a big breakthrough for a job well done, a life well lived. I
would not say much now, I don’t have to, his life and his works speak for itself.