Poet and art critic Jolico Cuadra dead at 74

Renowned poet Jolico Cuadra succumbed to pneumonia early Tuesday morning following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease compounded by a stroke in early April. Author Sylvia Mayuga posted about his death on Facebook. “Jolico Cuadra,74, left this world at 12:00 AM today, April 30, 2013. His devoted second wife, Chiqui, was with him to the end. Rest in peace, my good friend,” she said. Cuadra is survived by Auggusta de Almeidda, also known as Chiqui Gomez, and his five children. Vim Nadera, Father of Performance Poetry in the Philippines, also confirmed Cuadra’s death by posting a message from de Almeidda. “Juan Jose Jolicco passed away at 12:10 a.m., 30 April 2013. His remains are at Biñan Funeral Homes, Biñan, Laguna and viewed starting at 5 p.m. today. Interment will be announced later,” Nadera said, quoting de Almeidda. A multi-awarded poet, Cuadra bagged the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award’s second prize for his collection of poems, "Dogging Years," in 1978. He also won the prestigious South East Asia Write (Seawrite) Awards for his "Poems of Poison Pawn" in 1979. Other awards include a Cultural Center honorable mention in literature for his 1983 collection of poems, "Possibilitarian Poems," as well as a 1967 Art Association of the Philippines art criticism award for his articles, which appeared in the Manila Chronicle. — Patricia Denise Chiu/BM, GMA News