The Philippine literary and educational community is in mourning following the passing of Aida Rivera Ford, a celebrated writer, playwright, and pioneering educator. She died on January 18, 2026, merely four days before she would have celebrated her 100th birthday on January 22.
A Literary Trailblazer's Formative Years
Born in Jolo, Sulu, on January 22, 1926, Rivera Ford's literary journey began early. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Silliman University in 1949. Even as a student, her impact was profound; she co-founded the esteemed literary journal Sands and Coral in 1948, a publication that would grow to be recognized as Asia's oldest continuously published literary journal.
Her talent quickly gained international recognition. Her book Now and at the Hour earned the prestigious Hopwood Award at the University of Michigan in 1954. Back home, her short stories, particularly "The Chieftest Mourner" and "Love in the Cornhusks," became essential readings in Philippine literature syllabi, studied by generations of college students.
Legacy in Education and Mindanao's Arts Scene
Rivera Ford dedicated over a decade to Ateneo de Davao University, where she chaired the Humanities Division from 1969 to 1980. During the challenging era of Martial Law, she served as moderator for the student publication Atenews, providing crucial guidance to young writers.
Her most enduring contribution came in 1980 when she co-founded the Ford Academy of the Arts. This institution marked a historic milestone as the first formal fine arts school in Mindanao. For decades, it has cultivated countless artists in visual arts, theater, music, and dance, fundamentally shaping the cultural identity of the region.
Awards and Final Honors
Throughout her lifetime, Rivera Ford received numerous accolades, including:
- The Datu Bago Award from the Davao City Government (1982)
- The Parangal for Writers of the Post War Years (1991)
- The Gawad CCP in English (1991)
- The Outstanding Sillimanian Award for Literature and Creative Writing (1993)
- A National Fellowship for Fiction from the UP Creative Writing Center (1993)
- The Fr. Theodore Daigler Award for Mindanao Culture and Arts from Ateneo de Davao University (2025)
Her published collections, such as Now and at the Hour and Other Stories (1958) and Heroes in Love: Four Plays (2012), stand as testaments to her creative output.
The literary world, from the Sands and Coral community to her vast number of students and readers, remembers a visionary whose words and actions left an indelible mark on Philippine arts and education. Wake services and a memorial tribute will be held on January 22, 2026, at the Our Lady of the Assumption Chapel, Ateneo de Davao University, Jacinto Campus.
