Hagbayon

We are happy to hear that poet Edgar Samar is coming up with a book. He is launching ‘Pag-aabang sa Kundiman: Isang Tulambuhay’ on May 12, Friday at the Conspiracy Bar. It is published by the Ateneo ORP.

Egay is from San Pablo, Laguna and an instructor at the Ateneo de Manila. We were batchmates during the LIRA workshop in 2001-02. Back then, the palihan was much longer and took more or less a year.  He also writes fiction, particularly children’s literature and he has won the PBBY award for it. For his poetry in Filipino, he has the Palanca and the Gawad Collantes awards.

We should all buy his book.

And we got a message from Ian Casocot revealing this year’s 11 writing fellows for the Dumaguete National Writers Workshop. Here’s the list:

National Artist for Literature and National
Writers Workshop Director Edith Lopez Tiempo has
announced the list of fellows for this year’s
workshop:

For Poetry
1. Michellan Kristine Sarile (De La Salle University)
2. Andrea Teran (Ateneo de Manila University)
3. Darwin Chong (De La Salle University)
4. Ana Escalante Neri (UP Manila)

For Creative Non-Fiction

5. Patricia Evangelista (UP Diliman)
6. Noel Pingoy (Davao Medical Center)

Fiction/Short Story

7. Antonio Adrian Habana (Ateneo de Manila University)
8. Erika Jean Cabanawan (UP Los Banos)
9. Douglas James Candano (Ateneo de Manila University)
10. Larissa Mae Suarez (Philippine High School for
the Arts)
11. Dominique Cimafranca (University of San Carlos)

The Dumaguete Workshop is the mother of all national writers workshops in the Philippines. It is still a preferred destination by writers trying to find literary and aesthetic direction. Congratulations to the fellows!

We have been perusing a book published by the De La Salle University Press. It is entitled ‘Reading Cirilo F. bautista’. And it was there where I found that it was Lewis Carrol (and not Jose Garcia Villa) who said "Take care of the sound, the sense will take care of itself."

And now we know that Bautista graduated magna cum laude at UST majoring in Literature. He was 22, if I recall it right. And two years later he eloped with his wife, Rose Mary.

Bautista is also into semiotics and he reads Roland Barthes, Jacques Derrida, Saussure and Peirce. Here are some of his words I quoted.

On Literary Criticism:

"One theory is not better than another theory. Or one kind of criticism is not better than another, because each will have a particular magnitude and its particular application."

"I am not at all disturbed by what these critics say about my works. If I started paying attention to them that would probably hinder my attitude towards the art and my production of poetry. I think writers should not pay attention to critics.

"Each critic should make clear to us his stand on certain points so that when he evaluates any work of art we can see whether he is right or not."

"You write a book of poetry one year and you have the attention of a book-launching and after that you don’t write anymore. Or a critic–he writes an essay praising the works of his good friend and we call him a critic."

On art and ideology:

"Even while I speak of political matters, I speak of them as colored by my artistic temperament, my artistic belief. When I speak of my artistry in connection with political realities, I will be bound also by my political beliefs in expressing my artistry."

On the creative process:

"A poem is not poetry.The poem is the product. Poetry is the art."

"It’s not a poetic world, so I’m bombarded with prose realities, languages, everything, and not by poetic realities."

"A poet is always writing in his mind, even if he is not writing with his pencil or typewriter, or computer."

The book ‘Reading Cirilo F. Bautista’ is edited by Isagani Cruz and David Jonathan Bayos.

Again we were there together with other Bikol writers such as Jo Bisuna, Frank Penones, Kristian Cordero, Mitch Bayos, Roxanne Binas and Carlo Arejola. Also present were some of the faculty members of University of Northeastern Philippines.

Dr. Doods Santos once again delivered her lecture, this time, in Iriga City, lair of some of the finest contemporary Bikol writers. She also gave a rather cute citation to my fiction, the Gawad Juan Osong.

Now, poetry is my weapon of choice but it is rather difficult to grapple with. Poetry is painful whereas fiction is pleasurable. For the most part, I enjoy writing fiction as I enjoy writing literary criticism.

It was also Kristian Cordero’s birthday. And so he treated us for some pizza. Between bites we discussed the Church and as expected the funniest jokes came from Kristian himself.

Sample Joke 1: An mga Franciscans asin Dominicans pirming nagdedebate kun isay sainda an mas maray o kun isay sa gabos na mga orden an pinakamaray. Astang makaabot sinda sa langit iyo pa giraray ito si moot nindang resolbaran.

Kaya hinapot ninda si God. Nagsimbag ini sa paagi kan pagsurat. An simbag iyo ini:

Dominicans asin Franciscans,

Pareho kamo maray. Gabos na orden maray dai na kamo mag-iriwal kaiyan.

Love,

God, S.J.

Sample Joke 2: Sa Last Supper pigtatawanan kan mga disipulos si Jesus nin Pepsi Max. Habong akoon ni Jesus, dawa anong pirit ninda, habo talaga.

Saro sa mga disipulo (si Hudas garo ta may ebanghelyo) desidido talagang painomon si Hesus ki softdrink. Kaya sinabi niya:
Don’t worry, there’s no sugar.

It is nice to know that indeed the Peninsulares Poet’s Night is now a regular event held every last Thursday of the month. We are again invited for a repeat performance so they say. And yes, it will be on Thursday, April 27 AT 6PM.

We are encouraged to bring and read poems written in any of the Bikol languages. Same rule, read as you drink not drink as you drive.

Interested parties should contact 4804888 or better yet drop by the place at 435 Rizal St., Cabangan, Legaspi City.

We attended a lecture today by Dr. Paz Verdades M. Santos, PhD.  on the Premio Tomas Arejola para sa Literaturang Bikolnon. Held at the Instructional MediaCenter of the Ateneo de Naga University, it was sponsored by the English and Literature Department headed by Ms. Cynthia B. Correo. Literature teachers Ms. Jazmin P. Florin and Ms. Margarita Felipe-Fajardo served as master of ceremonies and reactor respectively.

In her welcome remarks Ms. Correo stressed the need for cultural workers to champion Bikol literature and culture in the midst of today’s functionalist and essentialist preoccupations. For her part, she recognizes the efforts of the Arejola Foundation for Social Responsibility and the Kabulig-Bikol, a network of writers in the region.

In the main, Dr. Santos is just so happy to know that what they articulated as doable during the Pagsurat Bikolnon 2 held at Aquinas University-Legazpi in 2004 is now an existing project. They thought of a counterpart for the Don Carlos Palanca Awards, a literary contest or award-giving body for those in the practice of creative writing using the various Bikol languages as medium.

Using structuralism, Big Man-Small Man discourse by Lynch, the Orag and Juan Osong aesthetics, she went on to discuss some of the merits of the winning works during the past and recent Premio. She focused on the poetry of Kristian S. Cordero and the fiction of Jose Jason L. Chancoco.

For her part, Ms. Fajardo shared her experiences as teacher of literature and how regional writing seems to give the most potent effect on the student’s intellect and sensibilities. Much more if such works are written in the local languages.

Also present were literature students of Ateneo, Bikol writers such as Carlo Arejola, Jo Bisuña, Kristian Cordero and Jose Jason L. Chancoco.

This writer posed a query at the guest lecturer on the use of structuralism in her critical strategy while considering the post-colonial state of the texts discussed. She responded that she usually gets bits of useful ideas from different schools of thought when doing literary criticism of just one text.

She later expressed some concerns regarding the Premio. First is on the choice of judges considering the variety of Bikol languages. Second is on sustainability and funding.

Looking at it, we can only say, “So far so good.” We have our own regional creative writing workshop, the Juliana Arejola-Fajardo Workshop for Bikol Writing. We have various publications; the Bikol Reporter, Burak, Bangraw, Bicol Mail, Aniningal, Ani, The Pillars, Pegasus, T-Bloc, Makata, Emanila, OragonRepublic and not to mention the various blogs by Bikol writers. Now we have the Arejola Foundation giving Achievement Awards for past Arejola Workshop fellows (more like the National Fellow citation of the UP-ICW) and prizes for the entrants in the annual Premio.

Welcome additions are the public lectures and readings sponsored by academic institutions like the Aquinas University, La Consolacion College-Iriga, Camarines Sur State Agricultural College, University of Nueva Caceres and the Ateneo de Naga University. And let us not forget the poetry readings at the Peninsulares Library Café right there in Legaspi City.

On April 24, Dr. Santos will bring her lecture on the Premio Tomas Arejola para sa Literaturang Bikolnon to the University of Northeastern Philippines in Iriga City. For more information, please contact this blogger.

Last Saturday, we went looking for the trail of Kulakog in Minalabac. The event was organized by Tia Fabie Arejola, curator of the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary Museum. These pictures were taken by poet Kristian Cordero.

We did find some of his ‘Gira’ or trail and I will upload some of my own pictures soon. Oral lore tells us that Kulakog was a giant with a dick so huge that when he walked over the Bicol peninsula, it truncheoned the ground creating the Bicol River.

This writer has a short-story for children entitled ‘Ku Turiun si Kulakog’ (When Kulakog was Circumcised) and there I tried to deconstruct the mythical figure’s colossal grip on the Bikolnon’s oragon Psyche.

Ira Bisuña was looking for a more original version of the lore, perhaps an early text. A medical student at UP-Manila, she mused that Kulakog must have been afflicted with filariasis a phenomenon prone to exaggeration by early rural minds.

I interviewed a local, an elderly woman who told us that one day Kulakog’s wife had to use his dick as bridge (it was that huge) in order to get some fire from the other side of the river. On her way back, some of the fire fell on Kulakog’s penis, hurting him. The wife fell and eventually drowned. Now Kulakog became so sad that he died of heartache.

Now wherelse can you find a one-woman man with a huge dick?

I am afraid Ira’s need for a text that we can subject to clinical examination may not come so soon. If we ever find one, it would be heavy with colonial inclusions. Is it best to analyze present oral lore by the natives and try to find the trail of Kulakog in Bikol culture and psyche.

Dalawin mo ang aking alaala

Sa pook na inibig ng aking kaluluwa.

Bisitahin mo ang aking alaala

At sana’y hindi tayo magkita.

Premier Bicol Web site OragonRepublic.Com is now accepting contributions for its second Bikol literary anthology to be launched in September 2006.

Poems, critical essays and short-fiction written in any of the Bikol languages in soft and hard copy must be sent along with the author’s bio and contact information to the following addresses: 1.) tarusan22@yahoo.com  2.) The Literary Editor, OragonRepublic.Com, 14C Bagong Lipunan St., Sta. Cruz, 4400 Naga City.

Deadline for submission is June 30, 2006.

OragonRepublic.Com is a non-profit community Website and portal for Bikolnons and anyone who feels affinity for the place and its people. Advertisers and/or fund support (in cash or in kind) are welcome. Salugsog sa Sulog, the group’s first literary project is distributed for free.

The Ateneo community here in Bicol buried Fr. Rooney yesterday afternoon at the university Jesuit cemetery inside the campus.

We learned from Fr. Joel Tabora that his last message was ‘Go home’.

This priest was always at home.

When I was in highschool I got in a fight. Well, I always got into fights. He told me to take control and integrate. In a way, to be at home with myself. The strength is from within and it can stay there. It does not need to explode.

To go home is to find one’s roots. Strength and beauty come from where you are from. Everyone must try to come back.

Fr. Rooney is home and back.

Catch us on radio on Tuesday, April 11. We are promoting the 3rd Juliana Arejola-Fajardo Workshop for Bikol Writing over the media including the TV via ABS-CBN Naga City. We will be doing guestings with Mom’s Radio, Bombo Radyo and RMN Naga. I will be with Mr. Carlo Arejola and Ms. Jo Bisuña.

Today, we were heard in Beat FM, the campus radio of Ateneo de Naga University. Thanks to DJ MCoy Jacob for helping us out.

The Rotary Club of Isarog is co-sponsor for this year’s regional workshop. They will help provide food, venue and other materials.