ACCLAIMED AUTHOR Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo is stepping down as director of the Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS) after more than a decade of service.
Hidalgo served as the director of CCWLS from 2012 to 2026, a post that enabled her to elevate its presence by mentoring writers in lectures and workshops.
“The truth is, I’m not retiring. I am just retiring from my position as director of the Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies. But I am going to continue teaching in the Graduate School here,” Hidalgo told The Flame.
“[I] will just continue working…The only difference is I’m no longer running an office, which I really do not want to do anymore. It’s hard to run an office. There are a lot of details.”
Hidalgo said she would continue working as an educator at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman as Professor Emeritus, which allows her to teach for as long as she can.
“So in UP, I am never going to retire because that’s the title I have. And with it comes teaching, meaning you’re entitled to go on teaching until you die, basically,” she said.
Assoc. Prof. Ralph Galan, CCWLS assistant director, will take over the post in the academic year 2026-2027.
Hidalgo finished her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy in 1964 and obtained her Master’s degree in Arts and Literature in 1967 both in UST. She earned her doctorate in Comparative Literature from UP Diliman in 1993.
She currently teaches courses in creative writing and literary studies at the UST Graduate School.
Hidalgo served as director of the UST Publishing House from 2010 to 2012.
A recognized figure in the literary community, the professor is known for her broad contributions to the field.
In 2023, Hidalgo was conferred the Southeast Asian Writers Award, a platform that has been recognizing outstanding poets, fictionists and scholars since 1979. Among the other renowned recipients of the award were her former mentor, Ophelia Dimalanta and National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin.
Throughout her career, Hidalgo has published more than 40 books and has received three Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Her works include the novel Recuerdo and her pioneering textbook Creative Nonfiction: A Manual for Filipino Writers.
The former publishing director held numerous administrative and leadership roles across academic institutions. Her administrative milestones at UP include serving as Director of the UP Creative Writing Center (1998-2002), Director of the UP Press (2002-2005) and UP System Vice President for Public Affairs (2005-2010).
Hidalgo’s works have been recognized in various award-giving bodies, including the Graphic Literary Awards, Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas for Fiction in English, the Palanca Awards’ Gawad Dangal ng Lahi, the Philippines Free Press Literary Awards and the National Book Awards. F-Yimrhaq Mariano, with reports from Adam Bolante and Ma Ron Lara Cadorna
