By DOM GALEON and GENALYN D. KABILING Cirilo F. Bautista, National Artist for Literature and multi-awarded poet, fictionist, and essayist, died at the age of 76 yesterday. Cirilo F. Bautista A professor of creative writing and literature, Bautista was former literary editor and long-time columnist of The Philippine Panorama, the Sunday magazine of the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp. For his exceptional achievements and significant contributions to the county’s literary arts, Bautista was chosen National Artist for Literature in 2014. Malacañang paid tribute to the literary giant, saying that his teachings and works will live on forever. “The Palace extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of renowned National Artist for Literature, Dr. Cirilo Bautista, who died at the age of 76,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement. “We remember him as one of the country's most passionate authors, whose devotion to the study of Literature paved the way for more Filipinos to develop their creative talent,” he said. Roque said Bautista’s contribution to the continuous growth and progress of Philippine Literature would always be inscribed in the pages of the nation’s history. “His teachings and literary works will live on forever,” he added. Among his major works are Summer Suns (1963), Words and Battlefields (1998), The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus (2001), Galaw ng Asoge (2003). Bautista was also a co-founder of the Philippine Literary Arts Council (PLAC) and a member of the Manila Critics Circle, the Philippine Center of International PEN, and the Philippine Writers Academy.