Among
other things, we are potently affected and eventually changed by some films we
watch, a theatrical piece, or a painting. That is one power of art in its
different forms. Also, art forms constantly evolve, and they are changed by us,
over time, reflecting our thoughts and shaped by the prevailing modes and
moods, but they remain universal, the old ones affecting us as much as the new
ones. Literature is one of the most powerful arts that change us and the world,
and it is constantly transforming. This power of the written word is
highlighted in this year’s celebration of National Arts Month in April.
The National
Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), and
the National Book Development Board (NBDB) lead in the celebration of National
Literature Month, aptly choosing the theme “Banyuhay,” the Filipino word for “metamorphosis.”
The word was coined by Alejandro G. Abadilla, the father of modern Filipino
poetry, in the 1950s, contracting the phrase “bagong anyo ng búhay,” new form
of life. The theme emphasizes that literature, as a creative endeavor, is also
a political and social institution as well as a force that shapes life and
everyday living. It is a vital instrument that helps us evaluate and implement
right and necessary changes.
For
the whole April, literary
and cultural events are lined up to enable us to gain new perspective and
insights, to discover something about us and the world, and to find ways to change
ourselves and the world, as well as to take pleasure in the exquisite beauty of
words, written, oral, performed or transformed into other forms.
Balagtas begins
In the couple of years that the National
Literature Month has been celebrated, the commemoration of the greatest Tagalog
poet, Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar, has become an emerging tradition. Thus,
the month will kick off with the Araw ni Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar on April
2.
On the 229th birth anniversary of
Baltazar, KWF is monumentalizing his creative deeds as heroism with the theme “Balagtas:
Bayani” (Balagtas: Hero). Indeed, his
sacrifice in creating great literary works leads to the enrichment of us all.
The celebration will kick-off with the
Pambansang Kampong Balagtas 2017, a literary camp that will gather 100
student-writers from all over the Philippines. It will be held from March 31 to
April 2 at the Orion Elementary School in Orion, Bataan, where Baltazar spent a
part of his life. On Balagtas Day, a wreath-laying ceremony will be held at the
barangay of Wawa, where a monument was installed two years ago.
During the camp, outstanding writers
will be honored on April 2 with the conferment of the Gawad Dangal ni Balagtas
and Talaang Ginto: Makata ng Taon. The list of previous inductees in Gawad
Dangal ni Balagtas, an award given by KWF that honors the lifetime achievement
award for writing in Filipino, include esteemed poets Lamberto Antonio (2013),
Teodoro “Teo” Antonio (2014), Rogelio Mangahas (2015), and Jose Maria “Pete”
Lacaba (2016). Since 1963, Talaang Ginto has been giving the best Filipino
poets their due credit. Belonging to the illustrious list of Poets of the Year
(Mga Makata ng Taon) are Lamberto Antonio, Teo Antonio, Rogelio Mangahas, Mike
Bigornia, Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo, National Artists Virgilio S. Almario,
Cirilio Bautista and Bienvenido Lumbera, among others.
For the love of books
National Literature Month also presents
and promotes the different aspects of the book publishing industry in a new
light. This aspect will be brought to fore by NBDB, which will hold the second Pinoy
Book Stop Tour, highlighting libraries and independent and campus-based
bookstores within and south of Metro Manila on April 7 and 8. National Book Award
winners will be featured through book talks, poetry readings and music
performances together with visits to different bookstores.
On April 23, various book-related
activities will be held in celebration of World Book and Copyright Day (WBCD).
As declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (Unesco) in 1995, WBCD aims to pay tribute to books and authors
and to encourage more Filipinos to discover the pleasure of reading. This year,
NBDB will spearhead another Book Fiesta where book lovers and copyright
advocates will be treated to a whole day of festive gathering with a book
market by Philippine publishers and activity/exhibit booths by different book
clubs and writers’ groups.
As NBDB’s culminating activity for the
National Literature Month, the 8th Philippine International Literary Festival
(PILF) will be held on April 27 and 28.
Plenary sessions and parallel working group sessions will explore
socially relevant issues in literature and the book industry. Coinciding with
the festival is a book fair that will showcase the latest Filipino-authored
titles.
Learning about and honing the craft
The Bienvenido N. Santos Creative
Writing Center (BNSCWC) of the De La Salle University will hold the second IWP
Alumni Writers Workshop from April 6 to 8, and the 17th Iyas La Salle National
Writers’ Workshop from April 24 and 26, 2017, both at the European
Documentation Centre of the De La Salle University in Manila.
The IWP Alumni Writers Workshop is named
after the Filipino writers who completed the prestigious International Writing
Program at the University of Iowa, some of whom will serve as panelists and
lecturers. The panelists will include Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta (who is also the
workshop director), Susan Lara, Eros Atalia, Carlomar Arcangel Daoana, and
Angelo “Sarge” Lacuesta. Lourd de Veyra will deliver the keynote address. The
workshop will cover writing in English in four genres: poetry, non-fiction,
fiction and screenplay. Ten fellowships will be given to Metro Manila-based
young writers aged 18 to 35. Themes for the manuscripts should be on the environment
and civic engagements (such as war, peace, human rights, women’s empowerment
and indigenous peoples’ issues).
On the other hand, the 17th Iyas
National Writers’ Workshop awards fellowships to 10 aspiring writers in
English, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, and Tagalog or Filipino. The genres
include poetry, fiction, and drama. Preferred themes for this year are ones
dealing with humanity and environment. Poet Marjorie Evasco will serve as
workshop director, and the panelists will include Ricardo de Ungria, Grace
Monte de Ramos, John Iremil Teodoro and Em Mendez.
On the other hand, the Philippine Center
of International PEN (Poets, Playwrights, Essayists, Novelists) will hold “For
Love of the Word: Workshops on Teaching Philippine Literature in High School
and College” from April 3 to 4 at the Northwest Samar State University in
Calbayog City, Samar. The focus will be on 21st-century Philippine literature
from the regions. The resource speakers will include Victor Sugbo, Dinah Roma
and Harold Mercurio. As part of the program, a forum will feature writers based
in Eastern Visayas who will read their works and talk about the topic “Writing
to Sustain our Home, our Habitat.” The project head is Lito B. Zulueta, national
secretary of Philippine PEN. The workshop is geared toward retooling and
upgrading the skills of literature teachers in both secondary and tertiary
levels.
Discussing creative writing
The Polytechnic University of the
Philippines Center for Creative Writing (PUP-CCW) will spearheaded a lecture
series. Three sub-genres of fiction will be discussed in the three day lecture
series slated for April 19 to 21. Award-winning writer and Iowa Writers
Workshop fellow Eros Atalia will talk about young adult fiction lecture.
Joining Atalia will be Zeno, whose first novel Uberman won the Madrigal Gonzales First Book Award and recipient of
the Cirilio Bautista Prize, and Lenin Carlos Mirasol, who was awarded the
Southeast Asia Young Writer’s Prize for local language. Writer in Hiligaynon,
Filipino and English Dr. Genevieve Ansejo will discuss erotic literature on
April 20. Closing the series will be a lecture on children’s literature to be
facilitated by Palanca awardees and professors Eugene Evasco of the University
of the Philippines and Christine Belen of Ateneo de Manila University.
A gathering of writers
The Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas
(UMPIL), or The Writers Union of the Philippines) will hold its National
Writers Congress on April 29 at the Brother Andrew Gonzales Building of De La
Salle University, along Taft Avenue in Manila.
The program will consist of a keynote
address and writers fora. The awards ceremony of the annual Gawad Pambansang Alagad
ni Francisco Balagtas, Gawad Paz Marquez Benitez, and Gawad Pedro Bucaneg will
be held in the afternoon.
The overarching theme of the congress is
“Ang Panitikan sa Panahon ng Tokhang (Literature During the Bloody War on
Drugs)” featuring a keynote lecture by Dr. Jose “Butch” Dalisay, Jr., a multi-awarded
writer.
The speakers for the writers’ forum,
“Ang Papel ng Manunulat sa Panahonng Tokhang,” are Lourd de Veyra, Joel Salud,
and Juana Change (Mae Paner) with Karina Bolasco serving as the moderator. The
speakers for another forum, “Paglalakong Opinyon, Pagkabigong Gunita (Opinion
Peddling, the Failure of Memory),” are Floy Quintos, Frank Cimatu, and Joyce
Martin with Louie Jon Sanchez serving as as moderator.
The congress’ highlight will be the
conferment of the three major awards given by UMPIL since 1988. This year’s recipients of the Gawad Alagad ni
Francisco Balagtas, a lifetime achievement award for literary writing, are Romulo
Baquiran (poetry in Filipino), Luis Gatmaitan (children’s fiction in Filipino),
Marne Kilates (poetry in English), Liza Magtoto (play in Filipino), Jameson Ong
(poetry in Chinese), Carla Pacis (children’s story in English), Vicente Rafael
(criticism in English), CriseldaYabes (essay and fiction in English), and Melchor
Yburan (poetry in Cebuano). Receiving the Gawad Paz Marquez Benitez, an award
for achievement in literary education, are Alicia Magos, professor emeritus of
anthropology at the University of the Philippines Visayas in Iloilo and the
editor-translator of Panay Bukidnon epics published by the University of the
Philippines Press. The Gawad Pedro Bucaneg, an award for outstanding literary
organizations, will be given to Thousand Islands, an organization of
Chinese-Filipino writers.
The closing ceremonies of the National
Literature Month celebration will also be held during this congress
More literary events
Aside from these, there are more
events and activities that will make your summer a fulfilling and
transformative one. These include “Spoken Word Poetry: Performance Forum” at
the
Mindanao
State University-Iligan Institute of Technology in Iligan City on April 10 and
11; Sine Bughaw of Ateneo Institute of Literary Arts and Practices (AILIP) of
the Ateneo de Manila University; the 2017 Kausaban: Forum on Creative Writing
at the Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City on April 15 and 16;
Perigrinasyong Emilio Jacinto in Majayjay, Laguna, on April 16; the PUP
literary caravan in different PUP campuses; Laji Singing Competition in Basco,
Batanes, on April 22 and 23; Lakbay sa Pampanitikang Pangkampus of AILAP on
April 19; Pambansang Reorientasyon sa Panitikan in Dapitan, Zamboanga del
Norte, from April 19 to 21; “Beyond Mainstream: A Martial Law Anthology and
Seminar” by the Kingfisher Interim from April 18 to 22; UST Publishing House’s
mega book launch on April 25; and “Brushes with
Words and Chords 2017” at the UST on April 26, among others.
This is the third year of celebrating
National Literature Month remains robust with the support of National Artist
for literature Virgilio Almario or Rio Alma. It is his efforts that
Proclamation No. 968 was signed in 2015. The proclamation declares the month of
April as Buwan ng Panitikan ng Filipinas or National Literature Month, stating
that “Philippine literature, written in different Philippine languages, is
associated with the history and cultural legacy of the State, and must be
promoted among Filipinos,” and that “national literature plays an important
role in preserving and inspiring the literature of today and in introducing to
future generations the Filipino values that we have inherited from our
ancestors.”
