Bob Ong
Encyclopedia
Bob Ong, or Roberto Ong, is the pseudonym
of a contemporary Filipino
author
known for using conversational Filipino
to create humorous and reflective depictions of Philippine life. His actual name is not known.
term. "Although impressed," Bob Ong notes, "my boss would've fired me had he known I was the one behind it." When someone contacted him after mistaking him as an actual person named Bob Ong, his famous pseudonym was born. The site received a People's Choice Philippine Web Award for Weird/Humor in 1998, but was taken down after former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada
was ousted after the Second People Power Revolution.
" and neither is he even Filipino-Chinese. The family name was instead derived from wordplay on the name of his website.
The poet Paolo Manalo
has also been put forward as Ong, but he has denied this.
One reviewer notes (translated from vernacular Filipino
):
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of a contemporary Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
known for using conversational Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
to create humorous and reflective depictions of Philippine life. His actual name is not known.
Website
The pseudonym Bob Ong came about when the author was working as a web developer and a teacher, and he put up the Bobong Pinoy website in his spare time. The name roughly translates as "Dumb Filipino," used fondly as a diminutiveDiminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
term. "Although impressed," Bob Ong notes, "my boss would've fired me had he known I was the one behind it." When someone contacted him after mistaking him as an actual person named Bob Ong, his famous pseudonym was born. The site received a People's Choice Philippine Web Award for Weird/Humor in 1998, but was taken down after former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
was ousted after the Second People Power Revolution.
Pseudonym
There has been occasional confusion between Bob Ong and Filipino-Chinese author Charlson Ong. However, Bob Ong himself refutes this in his account in Stainless Longganisa, saying his surname is not "OngWang (surname)
Wang is a Chinese family name and one of the most common surnames in the world. It is ranked 8th in the Hundred Family Surnames, and first in the People's Republic of China's National Citizen ID Information System . Wang is ranked as the most common surname in mainland China, with 92.88 million...
" and neither is he even Filipino-Chinese. The family name was instead derived from wordplay on the name of his website.
The poet Paolo Manalo
Paolo Manalo
Paolo Manalo is a Filipino poet who teaches at the College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines. For a time he served as the literary editor of the Philippines Free Press....
has also been put forward as Ong, but he has denied this.
Published Works
| Year | Title |
| 2001 | ABNKKBSNPLAko?! ABNKKBSNPLAko?! ABNKKBSNPLAko?!is a 2001 novel by Filipino author Bob Ong — his first and most popular work. The title is meant to be read phonetically as "Aba, nakakabasa na pala ako?!", which can be roughly translated as "Wow, I can read now?!" The novel details what are supposedly childhood memories of the... |
| 2002 | Bakit Baligtad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino? Bakit Baligtad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino? Bakit Baligtad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino? is the second book of the Filipino author, Bob Ong. It talks about the culture of the Filipinos.... |
| 2003 | Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas or The Black Book is a 2003 semi-biography book by Filipino author Bob Ong. It was his third published work and the first book where he first introduces fiction to his readers.-Chapter:... |
| Alamat ng Gubat Alamat ng Gubat The Alamat ng Gubat is a 2003 novel which was the fourth book published by Bob Ong, a Filipino contemporary author noted for using conversational Filipino to create humorous and reflective depictions of life as a Filipino... |
|
| 2005 | Stainless Longganisa Stainless Longganisa Stainless Longganisa is a 2005 semi-autobiography by Bob Ong, and his fifth published work. It follows the style used in Bob Ong's first three publications: the use of contemporary Filipino language to express the author's views on Filipino culture. Unlike the first three books, however, it mainly... |
| 2007 | Macarthur Macarthur (novel) Macarthur or the Red Book is a 2007 novel by Filipino author Bob Ong. It is the sixth published work from Ong. As with all Bob Ong's published novels, it is notable for its use of contemporary street Filipino words. It is also notable for its departure from the usual Bob Ong formula of using humor... |
| 2009 | Kapitan Sino Kapitan Sino Kapitan Sino is a 2009 novel by Filipino author under the pseudonym Bob Ong. The story revolves around Rogelio Manglicmot, an electrician in the small barrio of Pelaez.-Plot:... |
| 2010 | Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan is a 2010 mystery novel by Filipino writer Bob Ong published in 2010 by Visprint Inc. It is Ong's eighth book, and his first attempt in the horror/suspense genre.... |
Acclaim
The six books he has published thus far have surpassed a quarter of a million copies.One reviewer notes (translated from vernacular Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
):
- " Filipinos really patronize Bob Ong's works because, while most of his books may have an element of comedy in them, this is presented in a manner that replicates Filipino culture and traditions. This is likely the reason why his first book - and those that followed it, can be considered true PinoyPinoyPinoy is an informal demonym referring to the Filipino people in the Philippines and overseas Filipinos around the world. Filipinos usually refer to themselves as Pinoy or sometimes the feminine Pinay...
classics."