Merlie M. Alunan

MERLIE M. ALUNAN spent time in different places in the Visayas and Mindanao at different times in her life and thus acquired a level of fluency in the major Visayan languages. She finished the Bachelor’s Degree in Education at the University of the Visayas, major in English and her Master’s Degree at Silliman University as a Fellow for Literature. She taught in several schools all over the Visayas: Silliman University itself as part of her Fellowship deal; Divine Word College in Tagbilaran City (now Holy Name University); and finally as faculty of UPV Tacloban College where she initiated creative writing workshops and intensified her advocacy to encourage the young to write in the native language. While doing her workshops with its specific advocacy, she became sharply aware of the lack of models for the aspiring Waray writer and the literal absence of any reading materials in the language. She has since published a collection of oral narratives entitled Susumaton issued by Ateneo de Manila University Press. Tinalunay joins the sparse titles on Waray literature authored by Fr. Raymond Quetchenbach, SVD, Gregorio Luangco, and Victor Sugbo. Aside from the works of young writers, she would like to see the publication of pioneers of Waray writing.