ALIWAN (literary translated in Tagalog for: something that enthrals) is a romance and adventure type of magazine/digest, much akin to the pulp magazines/digests that were popular in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. (They were called “pulps” because the paper they were printed on were of lower quality compared to the type used on books at the time.) This publication was printed in black and white, with colored painted covers. The full-length novels, novelettes and short stories also included story illustrations as well as short comic stories at the end of each issue. In its earlier run, the stories published in Aliwan were primarily Romance Stories. Later on, Adventure and Crime Stories were also included mimicking the trend in the United States.
Aliwan came out 52 times a year and ran from 1945 to the early 1960s, when it was overtaken by the new trend towards comic books popularly known as Komiks. ALIWAN was published by Ramon Roces, Inc., which was part of the publishing family that printed the Manila Times broadsheet, and later on would go on to spearhead the popularization of comic books through the now defunct Ace Publications, Inc., one of the first and largest comic books publishing companies in the Philippines during its day.
Aliwan Gallery
List of Serials
- Doktor Futuro (1961) w: Tiburcio Baguio; a: Angel Trinidad, Jr.
- Duke De Borgona (1959) w: Nemesio E. Caravana; a: Angel Trinidad, Jr.
- Halimaw ng Maynila (1959) w: Adriano P. Laudico / Benjamin Pascual; a: Jesus F. Ramos
- Isang Kopang Dugo (1961) w: Nemesio E. Caravana; a: Angel Trinidad, Jr.
- Kasal-Kasalanan (1961) w: Benjamin Pascual; a: Francisco Bernardino
- Kasaysayan ni Paraluman (1959) w: Amado C. Yasona; a: Vir S. Mariano
- Mandirigma (1961) w: Juan Quimba; a: Jesus F. Ramos
- Mga Milagro ng Birhen (1958-1959) w: Jose Quirino / Benjamin Pascual; a: Jesus F. Ramos
- Nag-aalab na Poot (1961) w: a: Eufrenio R. Cruz
- Pamana (1961) w: David Campano; a: Francisco Bernardino
- Ponyang (1946-1948) w: a: Tony Velasquez
