National Artist for Literature Resil B. Mojares died on 5 September, leaving behind a formidable body of work that deepened the nation’s understanding of Philippine history, society, and culture. He was 83 years old.

Born in Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte, on 4 September 1943, Mojares attended public schools in Dipolog before earning a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu in 1964. He completed a master’s degree in literature at USC in 1969 and a doctorate in literature at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1979.

Mojares served as the longtime director of the USC Cebuano Studies Center, leading it from its founding in 1975 until 1996. Through his scholarship and institution-building, he helped bring Visayan history and literature from the margins into the broader national conversation.

A prolific writer, he authored numerous books on Philippine history, culture, and society. Among them are Casa Gorordo in Cebu: Urban Residence in a Philippine Province, 1860–1920 (1983); Theater in Society, Society in Theater: Social History of a Cebuano Village, 1840–1940 (1985); Waiting for Mariang Makiling: Essays in Philippine Cultural History (2002); Brains of the Nation: Pedro Paterno, T.H. Pardo de Tavera, Isabelo de los Reyes and the Production of Modern Knowledge (2006); and Enigmatic Objects: Notes Towards a History of the Museum in the Philippines (2023).

The Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Encyclopedia of Philippine Art described Mojares as the “central pillar of Visayan historiography and letters.” In a Facebook post following his death, the CCP remembered him as “a renowned Cebuano fictionist, essayist, and critic who leaves behind important works on Philippine history, literary criticism, and cultural studies.”

Mojares was conferred the Order of National Artist for the field of literature in 2018, the country’s highest recognition for Filipino artists.

Writers, scholars, and cultural institutions paid tribute to him on 5 and 6 September. Writer Jose “Butch” Dalisay called Mojares “one of my personal heroes, the kind of patient, thoughtful, and incisive scholar I would have wanted to be.”

“We often shared a workshop or conference stage, but I never saw myself as his equal; he was a literary kuya, and I was a rapt listener and reader of his books,” Dalisay added.

“Cebu will not be the same without Resil Mojares,” wrote historian Ambeth Ocampo, who added that the National Artist “showed, by example, how to wear erudition lightly, and how to be both an excellent scholar and wonderful person.”

National Historical Commission of the Philippines commissioner Francis “Chas” Navarro said he remained “profoundly grateful for the privilege of having known and worked with him.” He added: “His wisdom, generosity, and immense contribution to Philippine scholarship will continue to inspire generations.”

Historian and writer Manuel L. Quezon III also mourned Mojares, saying that the “light of the South has been extinguished and the nation is left in darkness with his passing.”

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) described Mojares as “a leading figure in cultural and literary history [who] networked actively in many organizations.”

“In over 50 years, Mojares has published in diverse forms — fiction, essay, journalism, scholarly articles and books — across a wide range of disciplines such as literature, history, biography, and cultural studies, among others,” the NCCA noted in a Facebook post.

Ateneo de Manila University Press hailed him as one of its “most treasured authors,” adding that it would remember him “not only for his works, but also his generosity, warmth, and endless curiosity.”

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. in Cebu, meanwhile, remembered Mojares as “a generous partner in our work to preserve and celebrate Cebu’s culture and heritage.”

“Beyond the books he wrote and the recognition he received, we will remember the person behind the scholarship, generous with his knowledge, deeply devoted to Cebu, and always willing to share a story, an insight, or a piece of history,” it said.

“His words helped us see Cebu not simply as a place, but as a living story, one shaped by the people, memories, and heritage that make it unique,” the foundation added.

The cause of Mojares’ death had not been disclosed as of this writing. As a National Artist, he is entitled to a state funeral, with the NCCA coordinating the arrangements with his family in accordance with Executive Order 131.