Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has proclaimed Sept. 12 as a Day of National Mourning to honor National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares, who passed away on Sept. 5.

According to Philippines News Agency, under Proclamation 1434, signed on Thursday, President Marcos directed the national flag to be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on all government buildings and installations throughout the Philippines and abroad on the designated day. The proclamation aligns with Republic Act 8491, or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, which mandates the lowering of the national flag to half-mast as a sign of mourning on the day of the interment of a National Artist awardee.

The proclamation expressed that the nation mourns alongside the family and friends of National Artist Resil B. Mojares, marking this period as one of grief and remembrance. It acknowledged the significant loss of Mojares to the Filipino people and the cultural and artistic community of the nation.

Resil Mojares, who passed away at the age of 83, left behind a legacy of notable works including "House of Memory," a collection of essays published in 1997, "Interrogations in Philippine Cultural History," and "The War Against the Americans: Resistance and Collaboration in Cebu, 1889-1906." He was also the founding director of the Cebuano Studies Center at the University of San Carlos, where he served as a professor emeritus.

President Marcos, in the proclamation, praised Mojares for his invaluable contributions as a teacher, scholar, essayist, fictionist, and historian, particularly in the areas of regional literature and history. Mojares played a critical role in shaping Cebuano and national identity, significantly enriching the nation's understanding and appreciation of its literary and cultural heritage.