Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta

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Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta (born June 16, 1934) is an editor, poet, author, and teacher. She was born in San Juan, Rizal in the Philippines.

Dimalanta is a full professor of English and has held the position of Dean of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Arts and Letters. She has been a panelist in the UST, UP, Dumaguete and Iligan writers' workshops and a judge in prominent literary award-giving bodies such as the Manila Critics' Circle, Free Press, and Palanca. This status, alongside her teaching experience, has enabled her to reach and influence generations of journalists and creative writers like Recah Trinidad, Arnold Azurin, Cirilo Bautista, Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, Eric Gamalinda, Jose Neil Garcia, Mike Coroza, and Lourd de Veyra.

Dimalanta has several works anthologized in local and foreign journals; has published three books : Anthology of Philippine Contemporary Literature, Readings from Contemporary English and American Literature, and The Philippine Poetic; and a collection of poems, Montage, which won the Iowa State University best poetry award(1969), and first prize in the Palanca Memorial awards for literature(1974).

She is a founding member of the Manila Critics Circle and an honorary fellow of the Philippine Literary Arts Council. In 1999, she founded the UST Center for Creative Writing and Studies and presently serves as its dynamic director.

Cirilo F. Bautista hailed her as "not only our foremost woman poet but also one of the best poets writing now, regardless of gender."

Her poems show the evident influence of T.S. Elliot and Wallace Stevens. Her later poetry draws from a wider range of influences, among them Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and Denise Levertov.

Dimalanta believes that "the older you become and the more mature your art becomes, the more you realize that you have your own identity."

Mrs. Dimalanta also writes books and critical reviews, handles literature and creative writing classes at the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School, Faculty of Arts and Letters, And De La Salle College . She holds a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Santo Tomas.

In 2002, UST published Dimalanta's verse drama, "Lorenzo Ruiz, Escribano: A Play in Two Acts", with a Filipino translation by Florentino H. Hornedo and Michael M. Coroza. It was premiered on 22-24 February 1994 at UST in a production directed by Isagani R. Cruz.

Dimalanta lives with her family in Navotas, Rizal.

[edit] Honors

  • Poet and Critic Best Poem Award from Iowa State University (1968)
  • Palanca Awards for Poetry (1974, 1983)
  • Fernando Maria Guerrero Award (1976)
  • Focus Literary Award for Fiction (1977, 1981)
  • Cultural Center of the Philippines Literature Grant for Criticism (1983)
  • the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni balagtas from the Writers' Union of the Philippines (1990)
  • South-East Asia (SEA) Writer's Award from King Bhumibol of Thailand (1999)