PERSONAL DATA
Born in Manila on April 14, 1943 to the late Col. Joaquin B. Hidalgo and the late Carmen E. Atienza.
Residing at 21-D, Gilmore Townhomes, Granada Ave., Valencia, New Mla., Quezon City 1112, Philippines (tels. 721-6431/721-3748), e-mail: milflores@pldtdsl.net
Married to Dr. Cristina P. Hidalgo, Vice President for Public Affairs of the University of the Philippines System, with three daughters: Larisa, Anna, and Carmen.
WORK EXPERIENCE
President and Chairman of the Board, Milflores Publishing, Inc., November, 1999 - present. Milflores was founded by Antonio A. Hidalgo to pioneer in mass education through the commercial production and sale of books. The best writers in the country are encouraged to surmount class barriers by sharing as much of their knowledge and insights as they can through information and literary books that meet the needs and wants of the Filipino masses. As of 2008, Milflores had published 80 titles that work toward this goal.
Trustee and Chair of Ways and Means Committee, Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) for three terms, 2006-2011.
Full-time Writer, September, 1999 - present
Columnist (three times a week), Philippine Chronicle, July-August, 2007
Professorial Lecturer, Creative Writing graduate program, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Q.C., 2nd semester, 2006-2007.
Grammar Auditor, Philippine Daily Inquirer, January, 1999 – March, 2005
Secretary General, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), Office of the President of the Philippines (Cabinet member with the rank of Undersecretary), June, 1995 - July, 1998. During this period, HUDCC was the umbrella organization for all Philippine government housing agencies. Head of the HUDCC secretariat and concurrently:
- Chairman, Technical Working Group on Regional and Spatial Development for the Philippine National Development Plan: Directions for the 21st Century and Member, National Steering Committee for the National Plan.
- Chairman, National Executive Committee for HABITAT II.
- Chairman, Inter-agency Committee on Housing Policies.
- Chairman, Prequalification, Bids and Awards Committee (PBAC) for the Privatization of the Carmona, Cavite and San Mateo, Rizal Waste Disposal Sites.
- Co-Chairman, Task Force to Reform the Unified Home Lending Program.
- Co-Chairman, PBAC for the Privatization of the Welfareville Property.
- Alternate Presiding Officer, Board of Directors, National Housing Authority (NHA).
- Alternate Presiding Officer, Board of Directors, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).
- Member, Cabinet Cluster C, Office of the President of the Philippines.
- Member, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.
- Member, Philippine Council for Sustainable Development.
- Member, Social Development Council.
- Alternate Member, Board of Directors, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).
Proprietor, Magiting Game Farm, 1991-1995.
Career International Civil Servant with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Highest-ranking Filipino; successively occupied the following positions during the period 1975-1990:
- 1989-1990 – Chief, Asia Section, UNICEF Headquarters, New York, U.S.A.
- 1984-1989 – UNICEF Representative (Chief of Mission), Rangoon, Burma.
- 1981-1984 – UNICEF Representative (Chief of Mission), Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 1978-1981 – Chief, Programme Section, UNICEF Regional Office for the Middle East, Beirut, Lebanon.
- 1975-1977 – Regional Planning Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for East Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Deputy Project Director, Tondo Foreshore Urban Renewal Project.
- Project Director, National Cultural Programme.
- Area Director, Task Force on Human Settlements.
Staff Writer, Graphic Magazine, 1971-1972.
Corporate Relations Supervisor, Esso Fertilizer and Agricultural Chemicals
Corporation, 1967-1971.
Chief, Project Studies Department, Management Resources, Inc. 1965-1966. Concurrently:
- Asst. General Manager, Eastern Manufacturing Corporation.
- Asst. General Manager, Phil. Steel Industries, Inc.
HONORS, AWARDS AND PRIZES
Chairman, Board of Judges, Novel - English category, Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 2008
Member, Board of Judges, Novel - English category, Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 2005
Chosen and Featured as a “Defender of the Filipino Heritage” in The Fookien Times Philippines Yearbook 2005.
Chairman, Board of Judges, Futuristic Fiction – English category, Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 2004.
Anthologized in the 2002 Likhaan Book of Poetry and Fiction of the University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing and the U.P. Press, through the
short story, “The Man Who Sold Dreams,” 2004.
Anthologized in the 2001 Aklat Likhaan ng Tula at Maikling Katha of the University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing and the U.P. Press, through the short story, “Ang Taring Kakila Kilabot,” 2004.
Finalist, The Manila Critics Circle National Book Award for Fiction, for the collection of short stories, A Song For My Brother and Other Stories (Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2002),2003.
Third Prize, Philippines Free Press Literary Awards, for the short story, “Class Struggle,” 2003.
Anthologized in Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2003, Ateneo de Manila University, through the short stories, “Don Pepe’s Farm,” and “Class Struggle,” 2003.
Chairman, Board of Judges, Graphic Magazine Annual Short Story Contest, 2002.
Sertipiko ng Pagkilala, University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing and U.P. Writers’ Club, December 6, 2002.
First Prize, N.V.M. Gonzalez National Memorial Literary Awards, for the short story, “The Man Who Sold Dreams,” 2002.
Anthologized in the 2000 Likhaan Anthology of Poems and Short Stories of the University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing and the U.P. Press, through the short story, “The Music of the Night,” 2002.
Anthologized in the 1999 Aklat Likhaan ng Tula at Maikling Katha of the University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing and the U.P. Press, through the short story, “Ang Telenobelang Buhay ni Migs San Juan,” 2002.
Finalist, The Manila Critics Circle National Book Award for Biography, for the book, The Life, Times and Thoughts of Don Pio Pedrosa (Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2000), 2001.
Finalist, The Manila Critics Circle National Book Award for Special Interest, for the book, The Milflores Guide to Philippine Shopping Malls (Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2000), 2001.
Third Prize, Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, Futuristic Fiction - English category, for the short story, “The Second Coming,” 2001.
Runner-up, N.V.M. Gonzalez National Memorial Literary Awards, for the short story, “The Music of the Night,” 2000.
Plaque of Distinction, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), for distinguished contributions to the Philippine National Development Plan, 1998.
Letter of Commendation from President Fidel V. Ramos, Republic of the Philippines, for exemplary service, professionalism and deep commitment to the well-being of the Filipino people, 1998.
Number Three top-notcher in the 1996 Philippine Government Career Executive Service Officer national examinations with the grade of 94.13.
Won 24 Cockfighting Derby Championships, Magiting Farm Entry, Metro-Manila, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga, 1991-1994.
Presidential Decoration, (Order of Civil Merit, Mogryeon Medal), Republic of Korea, for distinguished contributions to Korea’s social development and valuable dedication and service to the Korean people, 1984.
Awarded Membership, U.P. Writers’ Club, 1972 (membership by invitation only based on achievments as a writer).
Member, National Champion Two-Man U.P. Debating Team, National Union of Students of the Philippines Debate Series, 1964.
Over-all Best Debater, National Union of Students of the Philippines Debate Series, 1964.
Over-all Best Debater, U.P. Inter-Fraternity and Sorority Debate Series, 1963.
First Place, Competitive Examinations for Editor of the 1964 Philippinensian (U.P. Yearbook), 1963.
Top One-Percentile, University of the Philippines Entrance Examinations, 1959.
EDUCATION
Fellow in Managing Urban Growth, Economic Development Institute, World Bank, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., 1975.
Completed academic requirements for M.A. in Political Science (straight-A grades throughout), Ateneo de Manila University, 1972.
Earned 15 M.B.A. units, College of Business Administration Graduate School, and 12 M.A. units in the Philosophy of Science, Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences, University of the Philippines, 1964-65.
B.S.B.A. (Economics) (University and College Scholar), College of Business Administration, University of the Philippines, 1963 (subsequently enrolled for two extra semesters to earn units in poetry, the short story, logical empiricism and logical positivism, and higher math subjects).
High School graduate, University of the Philippines High School, 1959.
Elementary School graduate (Second Honor; exempted from Grade 7), University of the Philippines Elementary School, 1955.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Expanded Programmes of Immunization, WHO-UNICEF, Florence, Italy, 1987.
Country Programming for Children and Women, UNICEF, Bangkok, Thailand, 1986.
Accelerated Programmes for Child Survival, UNICEF-Harvard University, New York, U.S.A., 1984.
Child Survival and Development, UNICEF, Bangkok, Thailand, 1983.
Enhancing the Role of Women in Development, UNICEF, New York, U.S.A., 1982.
Maternal and Child Health, UNICEF-Harvard University, Jakarta, Indonesia, 1981.
Situation Analysis of Children and Women, UNICEF, Beirut, Lebanon, 1980.
Programming for Children and Women, UNICEF, New York, U.S.A., 1980.
Global Supply Workshop, UNICEF, New York, U.S.A., 1979.
Administration of Assistance Programmes, UNICEF, Limassol, Cyprus, 1978.
Human Settlements Planning, DAP, Tagaytay, Philippines, 1974.
ESSO Global Course on First-line Supervision, Esso Fertilizer, Manila, Philippines, 1968.
Program Evaluation Review Technique – Critical Path Method (PERT-CPM), International Engineering Associates, Manila, Philippines, 1966.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
Panelist and Speaker, Round Table Discussion on Literary Publishing in the Philippines, 12th Biennial Symposium on the Literatures and Cultures of the Asia Pacific Region, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, November 24, 2007.
Experience Exchange on Housing Projects, Indonesian Ministry of Housing and JICA, Jakarta, Indonesia, November-December, 1997.
Habitat II Global Conference, United Nations, Istanbul, Turkey, June, 1996 (Member of Philippine Government delegation and delivered first Philippine address at Plenary Session).
Asian Regional Consultation on Financing Habitat for the Urban Poor, Philippine National Executive Committee for Habitat II, Home Development Mutual Fund and Eco-Hab International, Manila, Philippines, April, 1996 (Member of Organizing Committee).
Second Asia-Pacific Urban Forum, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) and U.N. Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS), Bangkok, Thailand, March, 1996.
Regional Consultation on Land Access and Land Tenure, U.N. Centre for Human Settlements, Jakarta, Indonesia, 1995.
UNICEF Global Executive Board Meeting, New York, U.S.A., 1990.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1990.
UNICEF South Asian Regional Conference, New Delhi, India, 1990.
UNICEF Global Executive Board Meeting, New York, U.S.A., 1989.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1989.
UNICEF South Asian Regional Conference, New Delhi, India, 1989.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1988.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1987.
UNICEF Global Executive Board Meeting, New York, U.S.A., 1986.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1986.
Regional Consultation on Area Development for Poverty Groups, UNICEF, Bangkok, Thailand, 1986.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1985.
Global Consultation on Newly Industrialized Countries, UNICEF, Seoul, Korea, 1984.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1984.
Global Conference on Social Indicators, Korea Development Institute, Seoul, Korea, 1983.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1983.
Regional Consultation on Slum and Squatter Areas, UNICEF, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1982.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1982.
Global Conference on Female Circumcision, UNICEF, Amman, Jordan, 1981.
UNICEF Middle Eastern Regional Conference, Beirut, Lebanon, 1981.
UNICEF Middle Eastern Regional Conference, Limassol, Cyprus, 1980.
Global Conference on Health Priorities in Developing Countries, WHO, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1979.
UNICEF Middle Eastern Regional Conference, Beirut, Lebanon, 1979.
Regional Conference on Models of Economic Development in Developing Countries, ESCAP, Bangkok, Thailand, 1976.
UNICEF East Asian Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 1976.
Regional Conference on Applied Nutrition Programmes, UNICEF, Bangkok, Thailand, 1975.
PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS IN ENGLISH
A Song for My Brother and Other Stories, collection of short stories, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2002
The Hilarious World of Nestor D, collection of short stories, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2001.
Travesia Tips and Cockpit Stories, essay with short stories, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2001.
The Milflores Guide to Philippine Shopping Malls, Editor, collection of essays by 27 authors, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2000.
The Life, Times and Thoughts of Don Pio Pedrosa, biography, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2000.
The Asian Traveller, collection of essays on development, Anvil Publishing, Inc.1996.
Cockfighting Secrets, essay with short stories, Anvil Publishing, Inc., 1996.
Professional Cockfighting, essay, Anvil Publishing, Inc., 1994.
Sabong: A Manual on Breeding and Fighting Cocks, essay, Anvil Publishing, Inc., 1993.
The 1964 Philippinensian, Editor, U.P. Yearbook, Benipayo Press, 1964.
BOOKS IN FILIPINO
Ang Musika ng Gabi at Iba Pang Istorya, koleksiyon ng maikling katha, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2002.
Ang Masayang Mundo ni Nestor D, koleksiyon ng maikling katha, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2001.
Mga Tip sa Trabesiya at Kuwentong Sabungan, sanaysay at maiikling katha, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2001.
Mga Sekreto sa Pagsasabong, sanaysay at maiikling katha, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2000.
Bihasang Pagsasabong, sanaysay, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2000.
Sabong: Manwal sa Pagpapalahi at Paglalaban ng Mga Tinali, sanaysay, Anvil Publishing, Inc., 1995.
BILINGUAL BOOKS IN ENGLISH AND FILIPINO
Four Plays/Apat na Dula, collection of plays, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2003.
Cockfighting Stories, collection of short stories, Milflores Publishing, Inc., 2000.
TECHNICAL STUDIES
On Books, Authors, and Readers, presented at a panel discussion during the Philippine PEN Golden Anniversary Conference on “Literature, Nation, and Globalization,” National Museum of the Philippines, Ermita, Manila, December 9, 2007.
On Literary Publishing in the Philippines, presented at the 12th Biennial Symposium on the Literatures and Cultures of the Asia Pacific Region, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, November 24, 2007.
Creative Publishing, presented at the symposium, “Know Your Assets in Research,” University of Santo Tomas, Manila, July 29, 2005; published in BookWatch, National Book Development Board, Jan-March issue, 2006; Forum, University of the Philippines, July-August issue, 2007; and the souvenir program of the Philippine Annual Book Fair, October, 2007.
National Framework for Regional Development, co-author, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Republic of the Philippines, 1999.
The Philippine National Development Plan: Directions for the 21st Century, co-author, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Republic of the Philippines, 1998.
National Plan of Action for Human Settlements, co-author, Republic of the Philippines (official government position paper for the Habitat II Global Conference in Istanbul, Turkey), 1996.
UNICEF Programmes of Cooperation for Child Survival and Development in Asia, main author, UNICEF Board Document, 1989.
Conceptual and Technical Considerations in the Development of National
Social Indicators, UNICEF-Republic of Korea Global Consultation on Social Indicators, author, Seoul, Korea, 1984.
Programme of Cooperation for Child Development between the Government of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma and the UNICEF; 1986-1990, main author, Government of Burma and UNICEF, 1986.
Programme of Cooperation for Child Development between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the UNICEF; 1982-1986, main author, Government of the Republic of Korea and UNICEF, 1982.
Programme of Cooperation for Child Development between the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the UNICEF; 1979-1983, main author, Government of Jordan and UNICEF, 1979.
Programme of Cooperation for Child Survival and Development between the Government of Lebanon and the UNICEF; 1978-1980, main author, Government of Lebanon and UNICEF, 1978.
Programme of Cooperation for Child Development between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Syria and the UNICEF; 1978-1982, main author, Government of Syria and UNICEF, 1978.
A Basic Needs Strategy for the Republic of Korea, author, UNICEF, 1976.
Towards a Cultural Programme for the Philippines, co-author with Ninotchka Rosca, Development Academy of the Philippines, 1975.
Human Settlements: Emerging Concepts and Issues, co-author, Task Force on Human Settlements, 1973.
Evaluation Study of the City of Manila’s Maternal and Child Health Centers, main author with Ms. Tayag and Ms. Gonzales, UNICEF and the Institute of Development Studies, 1972.
OTHER WRITTEN WORK
Dozens of other technical studies, papers, monographs, and reports written for the UNICEF, the Development Academy of the Philippines, the Task Force on Human Settlements, and the Institute of Development Studies, 1972-1989.
Hundreds of opinion columns, articles, essays, short stories, and poems printed in the Philippine Chronicle, Money Asia, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Graphic Magazine, Philippines Free Press, Liwayway Magazine, KMC Magazine, U.P. Collegian, and its literary supplement, The Folio, 1963-present.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Editor-in-Chief, 1964 Philippinensian (U.P. Yearbook), University of the Philippines, 1964.
Member, Philippine National Debating Team, 1964.
Member, National Champion U.P. Debating Team, 1964.
University Councilor (elected at large), U.P. Student Council, 1963.
Senior Noble Fellow, Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity, U.P., 1962.
Co-Captain, U.P. High School UAAP Basketball Team, 1958.
CIVIC AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Trustee and Chair, Ways and Means Committee (Milflores Publishing, Inc.), National Book Development Board, 2006-present.
Member (Milflores Publishing, Inc.), Book Exporters Association of the Philippines, 2006-2007.
Chairman, Upsilon Sigma Phi Commission on the Environment and Natural Resources, 1998-2000.
Member, Board of Directors, Human Settlements Foundation, 1999-2000.
Member, Board of Directors, Upsilon Sigma Phi Alumni Association, 1996-1998.
Member, Rotary Club of New Manila East, 1993-1995.
