User:Apolaqui

Rene Boy Abiva/ R.B. Abiva or RBA was born in the town of Bayombong in Nueva Vizcaya. He finished his elementary schooling at Bonfal Proper Elementary School and secondary at Aritao High School. He finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at Polytechnic University of the Philippines- Mabini Campus. He pursued his academic career by enrolling at Cagayan State University Graduate School where he earned 12 units of Master of Arts in Educational Management. Life and social events later led his path to the literary world, thus he decided to take Master of Arts- Malikhaing Pagsulat (Creative Writing) at the University of the Philippines College of Arts and Letters where he is currently enrolled.

He is a bilingual poet and fictionist. He writes in Filipino and Ilokano (though some of his poems published online are in the English language). Aside from being a fulltime writer, he is a musician, painter, and wood sculptor. His first set of social realist paintings were exhibited in July 2016 at the University of the Philippines Bulwagan ng Dangal.

He was accepted in three National Writing Fellowship Grants and one Regional Writing Fellowship Grant: 58th University of the Philippines National Writers Workshop (Poetry), 11th Palihang Rogelio Sicat (Short Story), 6th Cordillera Creative Writing Workshop (Poetry), and 9th Pasnaan- Jeremias A. Calixto Ilokano Writers Workshop (Poetry).

He is the author of Paltiing: Mga Piling Tulang Prosa ( Southern Voices Printing Press, 2020); Kapatiran Ng Bakal At Apoy Ikalawang Edisyon ( Pantas Publishing, 2020); Kapatiran Ng Bakal At Apoy Unang Edisyon ( Blessing Printing Services, 2019); PO(E)(LI)TIKA ( MRC Printing Press & Publications, 2019); Agaw Agimat ( Pantas Publishing, 2019); and Tuligsa at iba pang mga tula ( Pantas Publishing, 2018). His first book Tuligsa at iba pang mga tula ( Pantas Publishing, 2018) was used as a primary material in the doctoral dissertation of Professor Jonathan Vergara Geronimo in the Graduate School of De La Salle University. His second book, Agaw Agimat ( Pantas Publishing, 2019), has reached immense success in the international scale and can be found at the National Library of Australia (Libraries Australia ID 65815415).

He has contributed in several anthologies which includes Tagnawa Series 4- Daniw (2020), Stop That Dam(n) (2020), Kartilya: Volume 2 (2020), BASAG: Modernong Panitikan ng mga Kuwentistang Wasak (2019), Inkwentro: Antipasista (2019), Akda: Volume 5 (2019), and Hulagpos (2016).

He is the editor of SARO I, 2, and 3: Pampanitikang Diyornal Ng Samahang Lazaro Francisco (2019), and Pandayan ng Paninindigan: Pagbisita at iba pang mga tula (2019).

He has garnered several awards such as the 9th Pinduteros Readers’ Choice Award for Poetry (2019) of HR Online Philippines and the British Embassy-Manila. He also won second place in the 5th Saniata Prize-Ilocano Poetry (2019), First Prize for Poetry Slam Recital Duet of UP Likhaan (2019), Second Place in the 8th Pinduteros Readers’ Choice Award- Poetry (2018), Finalist in the 1st (2018) and 2nd (2019) Gabriela Prize Poetry Contest of Imnas & Iway Publications, and First Prize in the BJMP Regional Literary Contest-Short Story Category (2016).

His works has been published in national and regional literary magazines and newspapers including Liwayway, Bannawag, Diliman Review, Agos-Sentro ng Wikang Filipino, Tinig Ng Plaridel- UP, Katitikan: Literary Journal of the Philippine South, Novice Magazine, Tawid News Magazine, Philippine Collegian UP- Diliman, Pinoy Weekly, Bulatlat, Northern Dispatch Weekly, Manila Today, Kodao, PinoyReporter, Arkibong Bayan, Hiyaw, and many others.

He has a poetry column entitled Rissik (Spark) in the news magazine Pinoy Weekly.

RBA is a member of Kilometer KM 64 Writers Collective and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) and a candidate member of Kataga-Online (Samahan ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas, Inc). He is also the founding chairman of the Samahang Lazaro Francisco (SLF), a group of writers pursuing the literary tradition of the late national artist for literature.

He happily enjoys most of his time with his soprano-singer and mathematics professor wife Tet and son Hiraya. #