Background

Virgilio S. Almario, also known as Rio Alma, is a National Artist for Literature. His creative work spans the genres of poetry, literary criticism, essay, and translation. Born on March 9, 1944, in Camias, San Miguel, Bulacan. His parents are Ricardo Almario and Feliciana Senadren. He is married to Emelina B. Soriano and has three kids named Asa Victoria, Ani Rosa and Agno Virgilio.

 Almario pursued his bachelor's degree in political science in 1963 and later earned his master's degree in Filipino in 1974 at the University of the Philippines (UP). He holds honorary doctorates in literatu
re from the University of Regina Carmeli, Bulacan (2009), and the University of the East (2016).

Almario taught in institutions such as San Miguel High School in Bulacan, Philippine Science High School, and Ateneo de Manila University. He was chairman of the Writers' Union of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. Almario was also executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) from 1999 to 2001.

In UP, Almario held positions such as president of the UP Writers' Club and editor of the Literary Apprentice. He also served as director of the UP Sentro ng Wikang Filipino from 1993 to 1996 and the Likhaan: UP Institute of Creative Writing from 2002 to 2003. He was also the dean of the UP College of Arts and Letters from 2003 to 2009. Almario continues to contribute to UP Diliman as professor emeritus since 2010.

He is the founder and workshop director of Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), an organization of poets in Filipino. Additionally, he chaired the Commission sa Wikang Filipino from 2013 to 2020 and the NCCA from 2017 to 2020.