Amidst the noisy argument of scholars in trying to answer this question, one great soul silently wrote. By doing so, he managed to unify the cultural and linguistic diversities of the Filipino's stories. He made Philippine Literature surface from its forgotten existence. Cited as a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for "…exploring the mysteries of the Filipino body and soul for sixty inspired years as a writer." Nicomedes Marquez Joaquin or Nick Joaquin wrote his themes of existence in diversity to project the greatness of the Filipino through his people's own stories.
As the Philippines went through a continuous and thorough series of changes, Nick Joaquin lived his equally long life with an active consciousness of transformations and integrations. He grew up in a Manila, unable to shrug off its nostalgia from the abruptly ended 333 year Spanish rule while basking in the new culture brought about by the Americans. He lived through the Japanese occupation and the Philippine liberation. He experienced democracy curbed during Martial Law and restored after the People Power Revolution.
In the multi-influenced course of Philippine History, the Filipinos took on different identities such us the primitive, the traditional, the liberal, the revolutionary, the democrat, etc. Despite this cruel subjection to change, the Filipino remained essentially intact. This whole set up could be the only experiential source for Nick Joaquin's themes of unity amidst seemingly violent convergences.
Joaquin's stories always start with pictures of polarized characters. In Three Generations, the traditional and the liberal are separately clothed in the characters of the elder and the younger Monzon men. Dona Lupeng in The Summer Solstice is scandalized by Giudo's faith in holy sensuality. May Day Eve projects an oral-tradition of the mirror as prophet of one's future bride or groom who, in the long run becomes the witch and the devil.
Yet, these stories never end with their differences. Instead, they progress through a painful assimilation until the polarization is broken down and is transformed into character. The elder Monzon realizes that he could never escape his violent past when he hits Chitong, his son. Dona Lupeng is possessed by the essence of Tatarin and acknowledges that liberal thought is grounded in ancient cultic practices. Don Badoy weeps when he remembers the evil witch, who was also his beloved Aguida, his wife.
Any Filipino couldn't help but resonate with Joaquin's literary masterpieces. They transcend their personal values, which are subject to the reader's response, by being culturally parallel to the Filipino experience.
The Filipino is aware that his cultural orientation is diverse, i.e. he has a bit of Spanish, Japanese, American, Tagalog, Cebuano, etc. cultures all at the same time. Yet, he is unfortunately unaware of the fact that he has lived through the pain of history and has emerged as a unique and a resilient citizen of the Philippines. From this dilemma comes the greatest contribution of Nick Joaquin to his people. Through his stories, he surfaced the basic nature of his people amidst the complex cultures that came to influence him.
The Filipino is Elder Monzon, Dona Lupeng and Don Badoy after successfully realizing that the polarized elements around them are actually just one. The Filipino is himself because his cultural diversity has been assimilated and transformed into his unique character.
By acknowledging and writing what is Filipino in his stories, Joaquin deviated from the trend of selfishly claiming Philippine Literature as the sole property of Tagalog, Cebuano, Spanish or English literatures. He ended the debate by coming to a common ground where all differences are seen as co-existent after all. The story of the Filipino under the colonial powers is the same with the pre-colonial and the modern literatures. They may take different forms, treatments and languages yet, they all tell the collective experiences, reflections and spirits of the Filipino people. By successfully doing this, Nick Joaquin made Philippine Literature surface from its un-acknowledged existence.
The immensity of his contribution to Philippine Literature may get anyone to conclude that Joaquin's time was wholly dedicated to writing his short stories. Yet, his involvement in other genres of literature, in journalism and in history proves his spirit as a writer and as a Filipino greater than the immensity of his work.
It may be true that Joaquin's connection to the people was best established in his poetry and prose. Yet, he was closest to the common tao when he took the literary editorship in the Philippines Free Press under the nom de plume, Quijano de Manila. The significance of his stay in the paper was beyond his literary and journalistic works. He gave meaning to what he did in the paper by resigning after ownership control attempted to deprive the lowly workers their right to assemble. By doing this, he gave witness to the spirit of journalism, i.e. always siding with the truth.
During Martial Law, Joaquin was among those who criticized the Marcos Dictatorship in Asia-Philippines Leader. In solidarity with his fellow Filipinos, he lost his job when the government closed down every establishment that revealed the real state of the country.
To add to his vast legacy of written works in literature and in journalism, Joaquin paid his respects to Philippine history by translating the different Spanish works of the national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal into English and by documenting and commenting on the popular merits of history during his time.
Nick Joaquin is perhaps among the greatest Filipinos who ever lived. His works taught themes that remain true until today. The consciousness of unity that he wrote about is still a continuous call directed towards modern day Filipinos. His life is still a significant example to follow.
Joaquin taught Filipinos to stop holding on to ethnocentrism that divides the country into many factions to the point of apathy towards each other. Despite his acknowledgement of the beauty of these regional mentalities and cultures, he pointed out that neglecting the general welfare and identity of the Philippines will never bring us out of the identity crisis that he has already resolved.
This call still asks for Filipino unity. Nick Joaquin's literary works are still existent as a reminder of the Filipino spirit, which is still lost until today. The Filipino people are still the Elder Monzon who is escaping from the past without facing it in order to move forward… the Dona Lupeng who is drunk in the modern age without acknowledging the past… and the Don Badoy who refuses to see the beauty of this country by stagnating in its miserable state.
Joaquin moved out of himself so that he could act as a Filipino should, i.e. according to his capacities. For one, he wrote. He contributed to society by examining and revealing the good and the ills of this country. Second, he immersed with the people. He did not stay in a self-centered world, but went out to live the life of the Filipino. He fought against the torments imposed by a thwarted sense of growth for and with the masa. He merited the past by facing it in order to move forward.
One of the most unforgettable stories about Nick Joaquin is the fee collection incident of his amateur days. Having successfully published his first poetry in a nationally circulated paper, The Tribune, the young Joaquin went to the paper's office to collect his contributor's fee. When the literary editor of the paper, Serafin Lanot, came to meet him in personal, he ran away.
This is the perfect picture of the NIck Joaquin who continually inspires me as a writer and as a Filipino. He wrote and presented his works to the reading populace. By doing so, the Filipinos got closer to an understanding of themselves as a people. Given the ingenuity of his contribution to the literary arts and the Filipino spirit, he was awarded the Palanca, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, etc. Yet, he remained the shy boy who ran away when flattery came his way. He awarded himself with exceptional humility.
In the end, Nick Joaquin deserves to be called the one writer who, in his humility, claimed greatness by projecting the singular Filipino spirit.
johnmarc
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