About ~
Salvador Espejo was a Filipino writer who wrote in his native language Ilocano. Many of his short stories were published in Bannawag Magazine and given recognition by the Governor Roque Ablan Awards for Iloko Literature (GRAAFIL) and the Gunglo dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano (GUMIL) or Ilokano Writers Association. He was also the publisher of a local newspaper, Tawid News Magazine, which he founded in 2001 and managed until his death in 2018.
Though recognized in literary circles in the Ilocos Region, Salvador remains hidden in the national scene. His chosen language, Ilocano, a language of home and hearth, kept his name largely in the shadows.
Born on April 14, 1943, Salvador’s life unfolded against the backdrop of the old town of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, a northern province of the Philippines.
Salvador was born into a poor family. Juan Espejo, his father, was a fish dealer who died when Salvador was seven years old. His mother, Florencia Aleson, and two aunts who earned a modest living selling fish at the public market raised him.
Due to this circumstance, Salvador learned the value of hard work early in life. He sold puto, suman and newspapers around the neighborhood to supplement his allowance while attending elementary at Vigan Central School, which was close to their home.
Salvador moved to live with a relative’s family in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, when he was in high school. He worked on the family farm after school and on weekends in return for his education at the Ilocos Sur Agricultural High School.
Salvador attended Divine Word College in Vigan and graduated with a BS in Elementary Education in 1966.
His first employment as a substitute teacher took him to Quirino, a once-remote village on the border of Ilocos Sur and the Cordillera highlands, where he only stayed for a year but met his future wife, Rose Allibang.
In 1967, Salvador passed the civil service exam and received a teaching post at Vigan Central School.
In 1972, he married Rose, who moved to Vigan. They have two children: Jasper and Daisy Joy.
Salvador quit teaching in 1995 to launch a newspaper with a group of friends, but the venture did not prosper. In 2001, he launched the Tawid News Magazine on his own, with greater success. He was the publication’s publisher until his death on January 2, 2018.
Writing History
Salvador’s passion for writing began when he met the late Mr. Marcelino Foronda Jr. in high school in Sta. Maria.
When he was not working on the farm, he went to the Foronda family library and read as many books as he could.
He eventually decided he could compose his own short stories. He began by writing down what his imagination had created. He then read what he had written to himself. He deleted unneeded “objects” and added new ones, much like a designer, to make his “design” more appealing.
Only until he was pleased with his “design” did he send it to Bannawag magazine. Bannawag is a weekly magazine that publishes Ilocano-language literature since 1934. Salvador was an avid fan of Bannawag since he could read.
Salvador persisted despite the magazine’s initial rejections. He went over the editor’s suggestions and revised his work. His short stories were eventually published, and he was named Bannawag’s Most Valuable Contributor in two consecutive years, 1981 and 1982(?)*.
Awards & Recognitions
Salvador received the PEDRO BUCANEG AWARD given by GUMIL FILIPINAS during the 35th GF National Convention held in Cagayan in April 2003.
He was also awarded by the Vigan City Government as JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR during the city’s celebration of its Cityhood and Town Fiesta in 2015 or 2016.