Amador T. Daguio

Amador T. Daguio is a Filipino writer and poet during pre-war Philippines.
He published two books in his

lifetime, and three more posthumously. He is a Republic Cultural Heritage awardee for his works.
Amador Daguio was born in January 8, 1912 in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. His family moved to Lubuagan,
Mountain Province where his father was an officer in the Philippine Constabulary. He graduated with
honors in 1924 at the Lubuagan Elementary School as valedictorian. In elementary school, Daguio was
already writing poems, according to his own account he wrote a farewell verse on a chalkboard at least
once for a departing teacher when he was in grade 6. For his high school studies, he moved to Pasig to
attend Rizal High School while residing with his uncle at Fort William McKinley.
Due to failing to meet academic requirements to qualify for a scholarship and poverty, Daguio was not
able to study college in the first semester of 1928. He worked as a houseboy, waiter, and caddy at Fort
McKinley to earn his tuition and later enrolled at the University of the Philippines on the second semester.
He experience financial difficulties in his studies until an uncle from Honolulu, Hawaii who funded his
tuition on his third year of study. Before his uncle's arrival, Daguio has worked as a printer's devil in his
college as well as a writer for the Philippine Collegian.
He was mentored in writing by Tom Inglis Moore, an Australian professor. In 1932, he graduated from UP
as one of the top ten honor graduates. After World War II, he went to Stanford University to study his
masterals in English which he obtained at 1952. And in 1954 he obtained his Law degree from Romualdez
Law College in Leyte.
When Daguio was a third year high school student his poem "She Came to Me" got published in the July
11, 1926 edition of the The Sunday Tribune.
After he graduated from UP, he returned to Lubuagan to teach at his former alma matter. He then taught
at Zamboange Normal School in 1938 where he met his wife Estela. During the Second World War, he was
part of the resistance and wrote poems. These poems were later published as his book Bataan Harvest.
He was the chief editor for the Philippine House of Representatives, as well as several other government
offices. He also taught at the University of the East, University of the Philippines, and Philippine Women's
University for 26 years. He died in 1967 from liver cancer at the age of 55.
Published works
Huhud hi aliguyon (a translation of an Ifugao harvest song, Stanford, 1952)

The Flaming Lyre (a collection of poems, Craftsman House, 1959)
The Thrilling Poetical Jousts of Balagtasan (1960)
Bataan Harvest (war poems, A.S Florentino, 1973)
The Woman Who Looked Out the Window (a collection of short stories, A.S Florentino, 1973)
The Fall of Bataan and Corregidor (1975)
Huhud hi aliguyon
Aliguyon, a long time ago, was born in the village of Hannanga. His father was Amtalao; his mother was
Dumulao. When he was a little boy, his father used to tell him the stories of his own adventures, in love
and in war. His father also taught him the use of the spear and shield. Aliguyon learned quickly.
When he was old enough, his father made him a top. He taught Aliguyon how to spin it, and how to break
the tops of his playmates. His father also taught him how to cut "runo" spears and fight with them.
Aliguyon, listening to the war prayers of the tribe, also learned to say the magic words of the native priests
and priestesses. In time, he became the undisputed leader of the children of his tribe.
When he reached adolescence, he gathered his comrades and led them in a fight against the enemy of his
father, Pangaiwan of Daligdigan. In Daligdigan, however, he faced, not his fathers enemy, but the son.
Pumbakhayon was as spirited and lusty as Aliguyon, so the fight lasted three years, with no end in sight
or any sign of defeat on the part of either group. Through the protracted warfare, the heroes learned to
admire each others abilities. Their fight finally ended in a peace pact made in Daligdigan, in the home of
Pumbakhayon, and at the instance of old Pangaiwan, Pumbakhayons father.
During the conclusion of the peace pact, Aliguyon saw and courted the youngest of the beautiful sisters
of Pumbakhayon, Bugan. Aliguyon brought his bride, a mere child, to his home in Hannanga, where Bugan
grew up into a beautiful woman. Then Pumbakhayon went to Hannanga to witness his sisters formal
marriage to Aliguyon. Aliguyon and Bugan had many children, and both became prosperous and beloved
of the people of Hannanga
Pumbakhayon, later courted Aliguyons sister and brought her to his fathers home in Daligdigan. There
they were happily married and became prosperous.

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Amador T. Daguio is a Filipino writer and poet during pre-war Philippines.

He published two books in his

Huhud hi aliguyon (a translation of an Ifugao harvest song, Stanford, 1952)

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