A SCHOLARSHIP to be named after the late National Artist for Literature F. Sionil José will be created once Solidaridad, the iconic bookstore he founded in Manila, is sold, his son said.
In an interview, Antonio “Tonet” José, the eldest son of the late literary figure, said he and his siblings have agreed to use proceeds from Solidaridad’s sale to fund the scholarship.
“The money… (will) be put into a scholarship in his name…because we’re comfortable already, we don’t need the money,” Tonet told The Flame.
“We’re planning maybe two students a year… two or three who we will sponsor for the scholarship.”
The specifics of the scholarship are yet to be finalized, but the siblings are aiming to offer a 100% scholarship to selected students. So far, they have considered De La Salle University and Lyceum of the Philippines University for the grant.
“My brother said La Salle because Papa (F. Sionil) has connections with La Salle… but I said tuition is too expensive if it’s La Salle…and what we can do [is] see [if the funding can support] the first two years of college,” Tonet said.
Asked if the University of Santo Tomas, where F. Sionil studied, would be among the schools to be considered for the scholarship, Tonet said it would depend on the money they receive.
The plan was disclosed on Thursday, July 3, a day after the official Facebook page of Solidaridad clarified that the bookstore was not yet sold and apologized for the “incorrect” information.
Last July 1, The Flame and other media outlets reported that a deal had been struck to sell the decades-old Solidaridad for less than P35 million. The news reports were based on interviews with Tonet, who manages the bookstore’s administrative affairs.
According to him, there was a miscommunication among the José siblings and that Solidaridad was still “open to anyone interested.”
Located in Padre Faura, Manila, the property, books and furniture are being sold for P38 million but the price is open to negotiation. The family decided to sell the cultural landmark because of difficulties in maintaining its operations. In a previous interview with The Flame, Tonet said sales have failed to generate enough revenue to cover operating costs.
READ: Solidaridad for sale: F. Sionil José chose independence over profit
Solidaridad was established in 1965 by the elder José, who was widely celebrated for his works on social justice.
Since then, the 59-year-old bookstore has become a cultural landmark of Philippine literature.
