Cebu mourns death of National Artist Resil Mojares

CEBU CITY— The Philippine flag at the Cebu Provincial Capitol was flown at half-mast on Monday, Sept. 7, as Cebu mourned the death of National Artist for Literature Dr. Resil Mojares.

Gov. Pamela Baricuatro issued Executive Order (EO) No. 49 on Monday, directing Capitol employees to fly the Philippine flag at half-mast in honor of the renowned writer, historian, scholar and educator.

In the EO, Baricuatro described Mojares as a distinguished scholar whose life and work “brought pride and honor to Cebu” and made lasting contributions to Philippine literature, history and culture.

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“The late Resil B. Mojares, National Artist for Literature, distinguished writer, historian, scholar, and educator, passed away on 5 September 2026 at the age of 83, leaving his family, friends, colleagues, students and the people of Cebu in deep sorrow,” Baricuatro said.

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Tributes for the eminent Cebuano scholar poured in from colleagues, students, institutions and fellow historians across the country.

Historian Ambeth Ocampo said Cebu would be forever changed by Mojares’ passing, praising him for showing that a scholar could be deeply learned while remaining humble and warm.

“Cebu will not be the same without Resil Mojares, National Artist for Literature who showed, by example, how to wear erudition lightly, and how to be both an excellent scholar and wonderful person,” Ocampo said.

Archaeologist, fellow historian and longtime collaborator Jose Eleazer “Jobers” Bersales also paid tribute to Mojares, whose writing style he described as uniquely “Mojares-que” and difficult to replicate.

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“Thank you most profoundly for the rare privilege, National Artist Dr. Resil Mojares. With your sudden passing, Cebu and the nation have lost their most precious literary gem,” Bersales said in a social media post.

The University of San Carlos (USC), where Mojares spent decades as a professor and which he considered his home, also mourned his passing.

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“His work not only shaped the landscape of Philippine letters, but also deeply touched generations of students, educators, and scholars who had the privilege of learning from his wisdom,” USC said in a statement on social media.

Mojares was named a National Artist for Literature in 2018, cementing a career spanning literature, history, research, and education.

His work documented Cebu’s history and culture while contributing significantly to the study of Philippine literature.

His daughter, Leigh Go-Mojares, announced on social media that his wake will be held at Cebu Rolling Hills Memorial Chapels in Mandaue City.

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“Thank you all for your kind messages and sharing your stories after the loss of our father, Resil. We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers,” Go-Mojares said.