 Guillermo Gómez y Rivera was born in Dingle, Iloilo on the southeast portion of Panay Island and graduated from the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City with degrees in commerce and in education.In 1967, he earned a BA from the Colegio de San Juan de Letrán.Shortly afterwards, he obtained a doctorate in Philippine Literature under the tutelage of a Jesuit academic.