Playwright Rene O. Villanueva passes away

Filipino playwright and author Rene O. Villanueva passed away at 2:07 p.m. Wednesday, after being comatose following a seizure at the Philippine Heart Center. He was 53. Villanueva’s daughter Tania said his wake will be held at the Sanctuarium on Araneta Avenue corner Quezon Avenue. His cremation will be announced later. She said her father had wished that his friends would sing videoke songs at his wake rather than mourn. His friends in the literary circle will pay a tribute to the multi-awarded playwright in the evening of December 9. Some of Villanueva’s famous works were: Apat na Dula, 1998; Teleplay (Gabay sa Pagsulat at Anim na Dulang Pantelebisyon), 1994; Tonyo: Manologo ni Antonio Luna, 1991; Botong, 1990 and May isang Sundalo at Iba Pang Dula, 1988. “We literally ‘grew up’ together in the Philippine literary community (though he was way, way ahead in most things)," said one of Villanueva’s writer-friend in his blog http://marnek.blogspot.com. “Although one of the youngest, Rene was the “fastest" (in that other sense) among us in carving a name for himself, first as children’s book writer for the growing Adarna Series, winning international awards, then as head writer for the local version of Sesame Street, the now institutional Batibot," the blogger added. - GMANews.TV