Isagani R Cruz

Education

Cruz earned his undergraduate degree from the University of the Philippines, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Physics in 1965. He later enrolled at the Ateneo de Manila University to earn an M.A. in English Literature in 1970. He also earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Maryland in 1976. In 1972 and 2003, Cruz received a Fulbright grant that allowed him to study in the United States.

Career

As a writer, Cruz has received recognition for his contributions to Philippine literature. He had written more than thirty books. He is a Don Carlos Palanca Memorial awardee for Literature. As a result, he became a member of the Palanca Hall of Fame in 2004 for his plays, essays, and short stories in Filipino and English. He also won the SEAWRITE Award in 1991, the Centennial Literary Contest Award in 1998, and the Gawad Balagtas Award in 1999. Cruz represented the Philippines in several international conferences in Canada, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan. Cruz’s scholastic articles were published in the Philippines and in the United States. In the Philippines, Cruz served as editor for Loyola Studies, Palabas, Interlock, and Malay publications. Cruz is also a regular contributor for Philippine periodicals such as the Times Journal, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the TV Times, Modern Romances, Bulaklak, WHO, Parade, Observer, Panorama, Ms. Ellaneous, and Asiaweek magazine. Apart from creative writing, Cruz is also a known film and drama reviewer.

As an educator, Cruz worked with prominent Philippine universities. Prior to his official retirement, he held the Alfredo E. Litiatco Lectures at the De La Salle University, where he chaired for the Department of Literature and Philippine Languages. He also became a publisher at the De La Salle University Press. While at the De La Salle University, he taught a variety of subjects which included Science Fiction, Advanced Writing, The Teaching of Literature, and Computer Literacy. He also taught Literature at the Ateneo de Manila University and at the University of Santo Tomas. He was an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City and a director of the Teachers Academy at Far Eastern University. He also became a professor at universities in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. He became a Visiting Fellow at St Antony's College at Oxford University.

As an advocate of Philippine culture, Cruz was a member of groups and institutions that promote Philippine literature and art. He was a member and founding chair of the Manila Critics Circle, the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (Philippine Film Critics), a former head of the Philippine Studies Association of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines Writers Club, the Cultural Research Association of the Philippines, the American Studies Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Tournament Bridge Association, and the National Research Council of the Philippines. Cruz was also the Philippine bibliographer of the Modern Languages Association of America. He was the president of the Philippine Fulbright Scholars Association.