Writer Rene Villanueva, 53

Playwright and fictionist Rene Villanueva died yesterday at the Philippine Heart Center due to complications arising from diabetes and a stroke. He was 53.

Villanueva was inducted into the Palanca Hall of Fame in 1995, having won at least five first prizes in the contest. Overall he has about a dozen first prizes in the yearly Palanca, winning consistently in the play and short story for children categories.

Born in September 1954 in La Loma, Quezon City, Villanueva chronicled his life as a writer in his collection of Tagalog essays, “Personal,” published by Anvil and which won a National Book Award from the Manila Critics Circle.

He was head writer of the children’s shows “Batibot” and “Pin Pin,” and one of his popular children’s stories is “Ang Unang Baboy sa Langit.”

Villanueva also worked as associate editor of the defunct Diyaryo Filipino. He won a Catholic Mass Media Award in 1987 and a TOYM for Literature in 1989.

He was a fellow of the 1978 UP Writers Workshop, in which university he taught regularly.

He is survived by his wife Anne Hilado and four children.