This Filipino Writer Reveals How Stories Transform the Nation | Rio Alma | Culture Bearer 7

Overview

Rio Alma (Berhilio Almario), a Filipino poet and National Artist for Literature, and a professor at the University of the Philippines (UP), argues that the Philippines needs a “revolution”—but not one grounded in violence. For him, meaningful revolution happens through stories: literature, art, and poetry. These works can change hearts, expand knowledge, inspire action, and help Filipinos recognize who they truly are.

Revolution Through Stories

Alma connects this idea to the country’s anti-colonial revolutionary roots. He challenges the notion that the Philippine Revolution was simply modeled after the French Revolution. Instead, he emphasizes that the struggle—along with figures such as Bonifacio and Rizal—was fundamentally anti-colonial.

He also credits the revolution’s philosophy to engagement with indigenous ideas and language, rather than relying solely on borrowed Western literary or political traditions.

National Awakening and Filipino Literature

Alma links national awakening to Filipino literature, pointing to early signals of “awakening,” such as the work of poet Francisco Balagtas, urging Filipinos to recognize their national condition.

He describes a lasting cultural problem: much of Philippine literature and worldview has become “outside” the country. When people lose connection to their own land and identity, he argues, they weaken and “die,” comparing the situation to a mythological struggle.

Example: Adarna Books

One major example of Alma’s ideas in practice is Adarna Books. He explains that the initiative began after businessman Louis Lagdameo introduced a “food for the mind” concept funded through earnings. Alma helped develop children’s educational books, including a period of studying child psychology for three months.

Adarna was shaped around producing “challenge books” that teach Filipino history, values, and identity through storytelling.

Alma also explains the significance of the name “Adarna”, connecting it to the healing bird myth as a metaphor: Philippine society is “sick,” and stories are the “song” that can help it recover.

Diagnosis: Ignorance and Poverty

Alma reiterates his central diagnosis of national problems as ignorance and poverty, arguing that the two are intertwined. In his framework:

• Education is the primary solution to poverty.
• Stories are the mechanism for education and cultural empowerment.

Critique of Colonial Mentality

Alma criticizes “colonial mentality,” describing a tendency among some Filipinos to undervalue their own knowledge and to prefer foreign labels.

He offers a satirical example involving indigenous naming and translation—such as why rice terraces are referred to using English terms—to argue that people should learn their own stories and the wisdom of their ancestors as a path toward unity and pride.

He concludes with a direct call: Filipinos should not become “foreigners in their own country.”

Presenters / Contributors

• Rio Alma (Berhilio Almario)