E. ARSENIO MANUEL, 94
Professor Emeritus
Department of Anthropology
University of the Philippines, Diliman
1909 - 2003
DEAN OF PHILIPPINE Anthropology and Father of Philippine Folklore Dr. E. Arsenio Manuel passed away last December 27, two weeks after he celebrated his 94th birthday. He leaves behind three sons, three daughters, 16 grandchildren, a sister, two brothers, and son-in-law Dr. Vivencio Jose of the UP Diliman Department of English and Comparative Literature. He was married to the late Magdalena Avenir Manuel. His remains lay in state at Claret Chapel until January 4 at UP Village before being moved to the UP Chapel prior to interment on January 7 at Himlayang Pilipino, all in Quezon City.
Born in Santo Domingo, Nueva Ecija, to a Filipino-American War veteran and town mayor and his wife, Manuel earned his Ll.B. at the University of Manila in 1935, his M.A. at the University of the Philippines in 1954, and his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 1969. He worked as a student assistant in the UP Department of Anthropology from 1927 to 1929; and in the period of 1929 to 1945 as library assistant to College of Law librarian. From 1948 until his retirement in 1976, he went from instructor to full professor of Anthropology; after which he was conferred the title of professor emeritus in the second semester of AY 2001-2002.
His numerous awards include the 1989 CCP Gawad Para sa Sining, the 1991 National Social Scientist Award, and the 2000 Dangal Alab ng Haraya Award by the National Commission for Culture and Arts for a lifetime achievement in cultural research. His more-than-half-a-century work in anthropology includes research and documentation of the Manuvu community in Mindanao and the discovery and publication of three ethnoepics from three ethnic groups: the Manuvu, the Matigsalug, and the Ilianon. He also studied Bagobo folklore and made a survey of Philippine folk epics. His work greatly enriched Philippine anthropology, history, literature, and linguistics.
