F. Landa Jocano

Felipe Landa Jocano (February 5, 1930 – October 27, 2013) was a Filipino anthropologist, educator, and author known for his significant body of work within the field of Philippine Anthropology, and in particular for documenting and translating the Hinilawod, a Western Visayan folk epic. His eminence within the field of Philippine anthropology was widely recognized during his lifetime, with National Artist F. Sionil Jose dubbing him "the country’s first and foremost cultural anthropologist"

Jocano served as Professor Emeritus at the Asian Center of the University of the Philippines and Executive Director of PUNLAD Research House, Inc. and a professor in University of the philippines. He has authored numerous books on various aspects of Filipino Society and Culture.

Biography

Early life and education

Jocano was born in Cabatuan, Iloilo in 1930 - the ninth of eleven children born to Eusibio Jocano, a persevere farmer, and Anastacia Landa.

He finished his elementary studies at a public school in Iloilo, and then ran away to Manila because his family could not afford to send him to high school. He eventually graduated from the Arellano High School in Manila, working his way through to graduation. After this, he tried to enroll in some college courses, but distractions and an illness forced him to return to his native Iloilo in 1954, where we eventually earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Central Philippine University in 1957.