Three Filipino women writers in Spanish: Evangelina Guerrero-Zacarias, Nilda Guerrero-Barranco & Adelina Monesterio Gurrea: An anthology

• Main Author: Sevillano, Lilia Maria Solomon
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1998
• Subjects: Authors, Filipino; Women authors; Anthologies; Literature > Collections; Zacarias, Evangelina Guerrero; Barranco, Nilda Guerrero; Gurrea, Adelina Monasterio; English Language and Literature
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/1150
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study anthologizes all available literary works found in the country of the foremost Filipina writers in Spanish from the period 1900-1960. Three women writers emerged during the Golden Age of Philippine literature in Spanish, namely, Evangelina Guerero-Zacarias, Nilda Guerrero-Barranco, and Adelina Monasterio Gurrea. An introductory essay was, likewise, included to discuss each writer and her works.The collection of these writers' works were culled from the Filipiniana and Archives sections of the major libraries in Manila, namely, the National Library, the Filipinas Heritage Library, and the Lopez Museum/Foundation. After the works were collected and closely read, an introductory essay was written which included biographical information on the writers.There were major women writers in Spanish and they were Evangelina Guerrero-Zacarias, Nilda Guerreo-Barranco, and Adelina Monasterio Gurrea. It may be said they were the forerunners of Filipino women writers in English, Tagalog, and the numerous vernacular languages today. Basically, these three women wrote poetry, but also explored writing in the other genres. Evangelina was better known as a fictionist, Nilda's talent was in writing lyric prose, and Adelina also wrote short stories and even an allegorical play. Each woman, through her works, reflected the social, political, and moral issues of the time. Like their male counterparts they voiced in the lines and passages of their poems and stories the love for Spain, the Philippines, and mistrust towards America, the new colonial masters at the time. Likewise, these writers extolled the virtues of the Filipino race and the Christian influence on their lives. Evangelina Guerrero-Zacarias, Nilda Guerrero-Barranco, and Adelina Monasterio Gurrea all lived during the period of American Colonialism. But they were also important writers during the Golden Age of Philippine literature in Spanish. As such, their writings conformed to the literary conventions, themes, and development of their time. Their works were paeans to Hispanidad and Filipinidad their deep faith in the Catholic religion was also evident.