National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera — known for writing literary criticism, literary history, scripts in drama and film, and poetry — passed away on Tuesday morning. He was 89.

His daughter Tala confirmed Lumbera’s death in a Facebook post saying her dad died at 9:14 a.m. but she did not say the cause.

Metro Manila Film Festival spokesman and talent manager Noel Ferrer said the cause of death was stroke complications.

“Magkakaroon ng Novena Masses at Memorial tuwing 8 p.m. mula Sept. 28 hanggang October 6. Maglalabas ng kaukulang anunsiyo ukol rito,” Ferrer added.

Lumbera taught Literature, Philippine Studies and Creative Writing in the Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, the University of the Philippines Diliman and the University of Santo Tomas.

He was also appointed as a visiting professor of the Philippine Studies at Osaka University of Foreign Studies in Japan from 1985 to 1988.

Lumbera was the first Asian scholar-in-residence at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

He received a Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communications in 1993.

He won numerous literary awards including the National Book Awards from the National Book Foundation and the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards.

Several academicians and writers mourned the passing of Lumbera.

UP Professor Rolando Tolentino said, “Ang sakit ng pagyao ng Artista ng Bayan. Maraming salamat, Bienvenido Lumbera.”

Writer Lualhati Bautista, on the other hand, paid tribute to Lumbera’s contributions to art and literature.

“Paalam, Bien, (Bienvenido Lumbera), Pambansang Alagad ng Sining. Isa ka sa mga taong mahal ko talaga. Pakikiramay sa iyo, Cynthia, sa pamilya, sa lahat ng manunulat, estudyante, at mga kaibigan. Dala mo ang aming taos-pusong pagpupugay,” Bautista wrote.