Google celebrates legendary Filipina writer Paz Marquez-Benitez on her 129th birthday on March 3, 2023, with her very own Google Doodle, in honor of her pioneering work in literature.
Marquez-Benitez, a renowned Filipino author, is famous for her work Dead Stars, the first-ever modern short story in English from the Philippines. The Doodle features an illustration of Marquez-Benitez set against a field of shining stars, calling back to the title of the short story.
Framed as a somber and melancholic love story of the engaged lawyer Alfredo Salazar and the young and charming Julia Salas, Dead Stars is a deeper allegory critical of the American occupation and its effect on local culture and social norms.
Marquez-Benitez would go on to become a popular writing professor at the University of the Philippines until her retirement in 1951. Her work and tutelage at UP encouraged and inspired many other highly regarded writers over the decades. On top of this, she also founded what is now the Philippine Women’s University, advancing the cause of women’s education in the country.
“Google Philippines is proud to honor an important figure in Philippine literature, Paz Marquez-Benitez. Our rich literary heritage would definitely not be the same today without Marquez-Benitez’s impactful contributions, not only with her creations but also with her valuable mentorship of a long line of writers in the country,” said Mervin Wenke, Head of Communications and Public Affairs for Google Philippines.
You can view the Doodle on March 3 by visiting Google as well as Paz Marquez-Benitez’s 129th Birthday.
Paz Marquez-Benitez wrote Dead Stars, the first-ever modern short story in English from the Philippines, framed as a somber and melancholic love story and is a deeper allegory critical of the American occupation and its effect on local culture and social norms @GoogleDoodles https://t.co/QuilKuNNxf
— GoodNewsPilipinas.com (@GoodNewsPinas_) March 3, 2023
Google has featured several Filipinas on its Doodle series including suffragist Rosa Sevilla de Alvero, artist-activist Pacita Abad, language teacher Genoveva Matute, and banana ketchup creator Maria Ylagan Orosa.
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