October 17, 2007

Mannahatta Mahal: poet expat's latest opus from UP Press

The University of the Philippines Press is proud to release award-winning poet Luis Cabalquinto's latest book of poetry.

Entitled Mannahatta Mahal: Collected Expatriate Poems, the collection boasts of 77 poems describing New York life as livid, lucid, lively, sometimes lonely, and, more importantly, larger than life—as seen through the poetic lenses of a Filipino living and working in the Big Apple.

A poem entitled "September Eleven" decidedly marks the start of the poet's latest inner and outer journeys, and eventually goes within and beyond that important event in any New Yorker's life. Here, we see Cabalquinto zoom in on the details of the streets, the people, the stores, the arts, the surroundings, even the birds and bugs that most take for granted on a busy day or active night. But as he points to these things, he pulls out to reveal meditations, ruminations and spirited thoughts about these observations. While there seems to be a default disconnection associated with life in New York, Cabalquinto is quick to point out its opposite, as he tells us of small pleasures one gets from the seemingly simple or mundane that fuels the fires of the soul, such as experiencing an outdoor classical music concert or quick restaurant meetings with dear old friends one has not seen for the longest time.

As another award-winning poet, UP College of Arts and Letters professor emeritus Gemino Abad, says of the collection, "With Cabalquinto, we enter the very heartland of poetry, its revels and revelations—there, a steady hand on the pulse of language, poise and vibrancy of expression, a clear-eyed venture into the heart's secret wagers, a maturity of insight touched at times with humor and tenderness."

Born in Magarao, Camarines Sur on January 31, 1935, Cabalquinto earned his BA in Communication at UP Diliman. He pursued further communication studies in Cornell University at Ithaca, New York under a Fulbright-Hays grant in 1968. It was in Cornell where he immersed himself fully in the world of poetry and fiction writing under the tutelage of notable literary writers. Cabalquinto was encouraged to focus on poetry when small press journals in the US began publishing his work. He also received multiple writing fellowships and awards such as the New York University Academy of American Poets poetry prize and the New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship award in poetry.

Since then, Cabalquinto's works have appeared in local and international publications such as Caracoa, Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Manoa, Asiaweek, and American Poetry Review, to name a few. He has been published in the U.S., Australia, Hong Kong, France and even in the Czech Republic.

Mannahatta Mahal adds to Cabalquinto's already impressive list of books which include The Dog-eater and Other Poems (1989), The Ibalon Collection (1990), Dreamwanderer (1991), Bridgeable Shores (2001) and Moon Over Magarao (2003).

In 2006, Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL) awarded Cabalquinto the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas for poetry. According to UMPIL, the award is given to "living Filipino writers who have contributed outstanding works in any language currently used in the Philippines and who have dedicated their lives and talents to the development, propagation and promotion of any Philippine literature."

Indeed, with Mannahatta Mahal, the UP Press continues to support outstanding works by writers like Cabalquinto in its mandate of championing talented Filipino artists.

Manahatta Mahal is available in the Philippines at the University of the Philippines Press Book Stores in Diliman, Baguio, Cebu, and Davao; Fully Booked; Solidaridad; Popular Bookstore; select Powerbooks and National Bookstore branches; and other distributors in Metro Manila and the provinces. In the USA, University of the Philippines Press books are distributed by the University of Hawaii Press and Philippine Expressions Bookshop. For more information on our titles, please visit http://press.up.edu.ph.

Tag: NEWS, BOOK LAUNCH

October 17, 2007

Call for submissions to Alley Cat Publications/Pusang Kalye

Alley Cat is an international web-based journal that currently accepts prose and poetry in English, Filipino, Spanish, and Zambal. It is based in the Philippines. Alley Cat publishes two issues a year, January and July, and will archive back issues in the website.

General Guidelines

1) We accept previously unpublished work for consideration.
2) Simultaneous submissions are welcome, although we should be informed upon acceptance elsewhere.
3) We ask for one-time publication rights, with copyright reverting back to the contributor upon publication. In case, of republication, alley cat should be cited as first publisher. We reserve the right to re-publish your work in a future “Best Of” or print anthology.
4) We cannot pay you in this lifetime, however, we will do all we can to promote the works of our contributors in the News section of our website. In case of print publication, contributors will receive one complimentary copy of the issue.
5) We can only accept one submission per genre per author, however, you may submit to the other genres.
6) Our reply will take from 1-5 months depending on the number of submissions received.
7) Please write on subject line of your e-mail the genre to which you are submitting to ex. POETRY SUBMISSION.
8) Please include your bio and contact information.
9) No attachments please, except for art.
10) The deadline for submissions to the first issue is on DECEMBER 15, 2007.

General Editor- Dr. Efren Abueg
Managing Editor- Ayn Frances dela Cruz
Publisher- Francisco dela Cruz

Literature

Poetry- there is no theme, no word count, no form, you can send us haikus or narrative poems or lyric poems, or prose poems, or any combination of these just as long as they’re really good.
Send 2-10 poems in the body of an e-mail to alleycat_publicatio ns@yahoo. com.

Editor –Ricardo de Ungria (English)
Nestor Barco (Filipino)

Fiction- for fiction you can send flash fiction, fables, fairytales, graphic novels, or self-contained novel excerpts, again there is no theme, you can send us futuristic works or realist works just as long as they’re really good.
Send 1-5 stories in the body of an e-mail to alleycat_publicatio ns@yahoo. com

Editors- Eros Atalia and Enrique Villasis (Fantastic Fiction)

Creative non-fiction- we are looking for personal essays, autobiographies, memoirs, food essays, and any other non-fiction narratives that deal with your own life. Again, we are looking for high quality work.
Send 1-5 essays in the body of an e-mail to alleycat_publicatio ns@yahoo. com
Editor- Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz

Drama- we are looking for one-act plays or self-contained excerpts from full-length plays. We are especially on the look-out for zarswelas, street theatre, and balladic versions of plays.

Editor- Ronald Verzo

Theories/ Criticism

Poetics- we are looking for essays that deal with writing, whether poetry or prose; we would like essays to tackle any or all of the following: how it is written, how it is read, how it affects the lives of people. We are especially on the look-out for new theories on poetry, fiction, essay, theatre, and art.

Editor

Ecology- we are looking for essays that deal with the relationship of art and the environment and sustainable development. Examples would include environmental installation art or leaf art (which started in Japan ) as a regular part of art instruction in schools, etc.

Editor- Kris Llanot Lacaba

Interviews- we are looking for memoirs or transcripts or literary essays of interviews with artists and how their art is read/ misread/ constructed, etc.

Editor- Maureen Gaddi dela Cruz

Cultural Criticism- we are looking for essays that deal about, well, practically anything. The whole world is your arena, whether it be politics, your lame right foot, or your neighbor who hallucinates and sees the ghost of Mozart or something. Yep, just as long as it deals with culture.

Editor- Alexander Martin Remollino

Art- there is no restriction and no format. Collages, photos, paintings, graffitis, T-shirt art, leaf art, and any other new kinds of art that we don’t know about. Enlighten us. Send us 1-10 slides in jpeg format.
Editor- Lirio Salvador

Spanish editor- Michael Francisco
Zambal editor- Amor dela Cruz

Cats- please send us vignettes, cat stories, drawings, cat graffiti, poems, factoids, myths about cats.

ALLEYCAT POETRY PAMPHLET SERIES

Alleycat is currently accepting poems for its poetry pamphlet series. Poetry pamphlets are an inexpensive way of publishing, distributing, promoting, and buying contemporary poetry. If chosen, we will publish the pamphlet in pdf. format. All rights revert to the authors.

Guidelines:
1) Please send 10-20 poems.
2) The individual poems may be published but the pamphlet as a whole should not be published.
3) Include a table of contents, and acknowledgements page.

Tag: publications

October 9, 2007

Baguio writer Ed Maranan launches poetry book on October 15

Ed Maranan, prize-winning poet, fictionist, essayist, playwright, and children’s story writer, is launching his third book of poetry on October 15 at the Cordillera Coffee shop, SM Baguio, at 5:00 in the afternoon.

Passages / poems 1983-2006, is a selection of poems from several of his Palanca-awarded collections during the last twenty years, appearing together in print for the first time.

The book launch and poetry reading, under the auspices of the Baguio Writers Group of which Maranan is a member, will be followed by a poetry evening in the same venue, with other Baguio poets reading their own works. Both events will mark the BWG’s celebration of World Poetry Day, October 15. Cordillera Coffee is sponsoring this twin-bill literary event.

Eminent poet Dr. Ophelia Dimalanta wrote the introduction to the book. Other famous poets contributed blurbs: Gémino H. Abad, Luisa A. Igloria, Eileen R. Tabios, Rowena Tiempo Torrevillas, and Alfred A. Yuson.

With thirty Carlos Palanca awards to his name, a record of sorts, Ed Maranan has established a reputation as a prolific multi-genre and bilingual writer, and also as a translator. Bookmark is publishing several of his prize-winning stories for children, to be launched in Baguio and Museo Pambata in Manila sometime in December.

Maranan was one of four Filipino writers who represented the Philippines at the recent Ubud Writers Festival held in Bali, Indonesia, in September this year. He was also the Philippine participant at the 2006 International Writers Residency in Lavigny, Switzerland, and at the 1985 International Writing Program in Iowa, USA.

When he was a high school senior at St. Louis College in Baguio in 1963, Maranan won a national essay competition, and represented the Philippines at the New York Herald Tribune World Youth Forum.

He taught graduate courses in Philippine Studies at the UP Asian Center, Diliman, and served as Information Officer of the Philippine Embassy in London from 1993 to 2006. Back home, he is now a full-time freelance writer.

Tag: BOOK LAUNCH

October 9, 2007

UPV-CWP alumni reap Gawad Komisyon honors

Two of the alumni of the UPV Creative Writing Program, Voltaire Oyzon and Dominador Pagliawan, won first prize and third prize, respectively, for this year's Gawad Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino Patimpalak sa Panulat, Waray poetry category.

With the theme, “Maraming Wika, Matatag na Bansa,” Mr. Oyzon's entry was An Maupay ha mga Waray ug Iba pa nga Siday while Mr. Pagliawan's was Pamasyada ha Cebu.

For decades, Filipinos have become used to the idea of "Isang Bansa, Isang Wika," but recent studies have emerged, pointing to its political incorrectness. Acknowledging the significance of other languages, the contest opportunely opens writing about the diversity of language, culture and ethnic identity.

“I chose to write in my beloved Waray language because I simply cannot afford to forget,” Mr. Oyzon said. “Forgetting is a form of death. I cannot afford my language to die. If the Waray language dies, it is tantamount to saying that the Waray people never existed at all.”

In line with the Buwan ng Wika celebration, the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) laid down its project, the Gawad Komisyon 2007, which supports the state policy of promoting the right of citizens to affordable quality education and the enrichment of country's historical and cultural heritage based on Republic Act 7722 or the "Higher Education Act of 1994."

Meanwhile, Prof. Merlie Alunan, the program director of the UPV-CWP and a six-time Palanca awardee, placed second in the Gawad Komisyon 2007 for poetry in Cebuano with her entry Witik-witik sa Hangin ug Ubang Balak.

Established as a grand proposal by Prof. Alunan in 2000 during UPV Chancellor Ida Siason's term, the UPV Creative Writing Center has for seven years now spurred the growth of literature in the Visayan languages, pushing these languages from the margins into the mainstream consciousness of the Filipinos.

The creative writing workshops provide a venue for Visayan literary artists to write in the local language and encourage study on the southern literary tradition, hence making UPV a center of excellence in the area of culture and the languages, and ultimately contributing to national cultural development.

In his speech at the September awarding, Mr. Oyzon asserted, “I will continue writing in my beloved Waray because it is my only connection with the past and the future. Waray identity, or any cultural identity for that matter, is a summation of all its people's memory. For language is a repository of a people's memory. And it is only through memory that the past, the present and the future can be together. Forgetting in the form of neglect fragments the national memory. Loss of our national memory is fragmentation of our country. A lost memory lasts forever. I chose to write in my beloved Waray and will continue writing in my beloved Waray for I cannot afford to forget.”

The awarding ceremony was held last August 31 at the Bayview Park Hotel, Manila.

Tag: NEWS, CONTESTS

October 8, 2007

Bikol literary awardees named

In a simple yet formal ceremonies on Wednesday, September 19, 2007, at the St. Vincent de Paul Auditorium of the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary in Naga City , six writers were honored as this years awardees of the prestigious literary award for Bikol, the Premio Tomas Arejola para sa Literaturang Bikolnon (PTALB).

Distinguished fictionist Abdon M. Balde Jr. and Bikol cultural promoter and scholar Leonor R. Dy-Liacco were conferred Lifetime Achievement Award for their respective contribution to Bikol culture and arts. Balde, a native of Oas, Albay, is known for his novels that portray life in his native region. His works, which include Mayong, Hunyagong Bato, and Calvary Road among others, have won for him the Don Carlos Palanca Awards for Literature and the National Book Award. Dy-Liacco, on the other hand, is known for her extensive collection of treatises and research works on Bikol culture and history. These works can be found in several anthologies of her works.

In the poetry category, Victor Dennis T. Nierva's "Antisipasyon asin iba pang rawitdawit (Anticipation and other poems)" together with Jaime Jesus Borlagdan's "Ini, an mga buhay ta (These, our lives)" came out tied as grand prize winners, besting among ten finalists. The poems of Nierva and Borlagdan are quiet and serene observations of things and images that are found in Bikol.

The board of judges declared no grand prize winner in the fiction category. However, Marissa Reorizo-Casillan's "Abaniko" was declared as honorable mention. There were only two finalists in the fiction category.

This year's grand prize winner for the essay category is Judith Balares-Salamat's "Ringgaw nin Imahinasyon, Kawat sa Pagtukdo (Creativity of Imagination, Fun in Teaching)" which also won for the writer the prestigious Parasurat kan Taon (Writer of the Year). Salamat's essay was a discourse on the imaginative efforts of a public school teacher in order to provide the best possible instruction for her students.

The ceremony was graced by Naga City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo and some members of the city council. Representatives from various academic institutions, students and professors alike, were also present in the occasion.

PTALB is sponsored by the Arejola Foundation for Social Responsibility which also spearheads the annual Juliana Arejola-Fajardo Workshop sa Pagsurat-Bikol.

Tag: NEWS, CONTESTS

October 8, 2007

9 th Annual Alitaptap Storytelling Competition

The National Library and Alitaptap Storytellers Philippines  invite all grade school students to The 9 th Annual Alitaptap Storytelling Competition for Children 2007. This year's contest has theme, "Pag Binasa ni Tatay, Mga Kuwento'y Nabubuhay"

Registration period is from October 1 - November 20. A workshop/orientation will be held on October 13 and November 11, 9:00am-5:00pm.

The elimination round will be held on November 24 (Saturday) at 8:00am-5:30pm, with the finals set the next day, on November 25, 2007 (Sunday) at 1:00pm-5:30pm

The contest is open to all grade school students enrolled during the competition period. For registration and details, please contact 535-4689, 0917-539-2630, or e-mail us at alitaptap_storytellers@yahoo. com

Tag: CONTESTS

October 7, 2007

British Council and U.P. Likhaan sponsor Reading Workshops
by Arvin Abejo Mangohig

What do literature teachers do during their spare time?

The British Council has Alan Pulverness to offer. The internationally acclaimed reading specialist will deliver five lectures in the Philippines for free between October 19 and 27 and the UP Likhaan: Institute of Creative Writing will host him on October 26, 9am to 5pm, to talk about "Teaching Language through Literature: Reading Across Cultures" at the UP College of Arts and Letters Audio-Visual Room, Faculty Center, UP Diliman.

Alan Pulverness is a freelance teacher trainer, materials writer, and an Associate Trainer with the Norwich Institute for Language Education. His areas of special interest are culture and the teaching of literature. He has a degree in Comparative Literature and Applied Linguistics from the University of East Anglia . He has edited and advised for several new volumes on new fiction and worked on an award-winning course on Macbeth.

Pulverness was part of the Reading Reputations, 20th annual British Council Conference on the teaching of literature and Animating Literature, the British Council regional seminar held in Prague , among others.

In the Philippines , his itinerary includes:

• 19 October "Using Literature in Teaching Content Areas" In-Service Training for Teachers - Cluster 1 ( Luzon );
• 22 October "Using Literature in Teaching Content Areas" In-Service Training for Teachers - Cluster 1 (Visayas-Mindanao);
• 25 October "Theory and Practice in Language and Literature: A Revisit and Re-vision" with Council for Department Chairs in English and the College English Teachers' Association;
• 26 October "Teaching Language through Literature: Reading Across Cultures" with the UP Likhaan: Institute of Creative Writing
• 27 October "Boogie by the Book (main lecture): Teaching Language through Literature: Reading Across Cultures"

For more information and confirmation of the lectures, please contact Eva Garcia-Cadiz at 922-1830 or the British Council at 914-1011 to 14 or e-mail the British Council at britishcouncil@britishcouncil.org.ph or visit British Council website.

Tag: EVENTS

October 7, 2007

Call for Submissions for Corpus

Desire is powerful. What is forbidden is powerful. Desire between men is often forbidden. Desire between men is powerful.

Corpus is a journal from the AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) which uses art, cultural criticism, poetry, short stories and humor to reveal the challenges of HIV prevention in gay and bisexual communities.

The theme of its 7th issue, due for publication in mid-2008, is "Desire Between Men: Voces Mundial". This issue of Corpus seeks to provide a space for a range of both established and new artists to speak about or illustrate desire between men. As gay men in Western countries have published widely, the focus for this issue is on global voices -Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean - voices that too rarely have an opportunity to speak with one another across geography and through a critical global means. This issue of Corpus hopes to be just such a means.

In some regions, like Latin America, HIV and AIDS provide back - or foreground for desire between men. In other regions, it is established that gay and bisexual men are vulnerable to HIV infection and need to be reached by HIV prevention services. Still in other locations, silence is being broken. A recent report showed how governments, donors, and NGOs are denying a basic set of human rights protections to same-sex practicing Africans, and how this denial impacts efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic.[1] Meanwhile, in Bangkok, while the government focused on its heterosexual epidemic, rates of infection among Thai gay men rose from 10% early this decade to more than 28% by mid-decade.

At the same time, at regional and world AIDS conferences and fora, attention to HIV infections through sex between men is increasing, resulting in events such as a pre-conference at the Toronto International AIDS Conference in 2006, and a global MSM (men who have sex with men) forum in Delhi that took place soon after. These are moments of fragile but promising global organizing around men who have sex with men and HIV, at the same time in which there has been extraordinary progress in gay rights and visibility around the world (albeit instances of violence and human rights abuses).

Corpus is looking for submissions of writing: short fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, essays, articles, or interviews; and graphic art (photography, visual art work) that addresses desire between men. It is not required to address HIV, but we are interested in the ways that HIV and AIDS affect the lives of gay and other men who have sex with men, and the way that HIV and AIDS affects our desire for each other, the evidence of both risk and resilience in our lives.

Responding to HIV is not about a condom or a poster or a pill. It is about understanding our desires, our sexual lives, how we take care of ourselves and others. Moving beyond the language of science or research, art, in the form of words or images, can play an important role in this understanding, stories of shared experiences that move us beyond statistics, a revelatory photo or phrase that brings enlightenment at the level of spirit or soul.

It would be impossible to fully represent or define desire between men in any location of the world. What is aimed for with this issue of Corpus is a snapshot of the diversity of our desires, dialogue, discussion, conversation and exchange about gay, bisexual and transgender identities in the context of a world where these identities make us vulnerable to HIV infection and where we are more aware of each other and more connected across borders and cultures.

The final deadline for submissions will be the 15 Oct 2007 but please submit or contact me beforehand.

Word length under 1,200 words is preferred, as are shorter rather than long poems. Photos and graphic art must be high resolution (300 dpi, 8.75" w x 8.75" max., CMYK tiff files): please submit up to 8 images for consideration.

Please send work as an attached electronic file(s) [either a word document or graphics files]. Include your name, title(s) of work, word length if applicable, contact details, and a biographical sketch (50 words or less). The subject line should read, "Corpus Submission."

Address all correspondence, including queries, to: andykeoquan@gmail.com

PAYMENT: $150 for your submission and 10 copies of the journal.

The publication will feature bilingual content and a print circulation of 5,000 copies. The publication will have local, U.S. national and some international distribution and will also be available in electronic form on the APLA website (www.apla.org).

If you would like to see past issues of Corpus, they can be found here.

Tag: PUBLICATIONS

October 7, 2007

4th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop Call for Submissions

Entries are now being accepted for the Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop to be held on November 8-10 at the TTMIST, Calbayog City. Writers in Waray, Cebuano, Hinabaknon, English, or any other Visayan Language whose works pass the Lamiraw evaluation process are encouraged to join, especially writers from Region 8.

Teachers teaching high school or college Literature or Panitikan courses who write in signifying their desire to attend the workshop will also be considered. The first ten teachers who write in will automatically be allowed to attend the Workshop for free.

Interested parties, should send in a collection of any of the following: three (3) poems, one (1) short story, 2 essays, 1 one-act play, or any reasonable combination of the above in hardcopy and a diskette containing the manuscripts and your application form in Microsoft Word, font 12. Entries may also be sent through e-mail.

Include a one-page curriculum vitae with your submission, indicating your name, address, educational background, and writing experience if any. Also include a statement from one person of authority attesting to the originality of your creative works. Application forms are available at the TTMIST website or simply email us to get a copy.

Deadline of submission is on October 15, 2007. For more information call (055) 209-3657.

"An padayon nga pagsurat sa aton pinulongan paghinumdon san aton tinikangan!"

Tag: WORKSHOPS

October 7, 2007

Call for entries to the 2008 PBBY-Salanga Prize

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is now accepting entries for the 2008 PBBY-Salanga Prize. The contest is co-sponsored by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and The National Library.

2008 marks the 25th National Children's Book Day. To commemorate this event, the first-prize winner, should one be chosen from among the entries, will be given a special Silver Anniversary cash prize of P25,000.00 in addition to the regular cash prize of P25,000.00, a gold medal, and an opportunity to be published. Prizes will be awarded in an appropriate ceremony to be held during the celebration of National Children's Book Day in July 2008.

Contest rules:

• The contest is open to all Filipino citizens except those who are related to any PBBY member up to the third degree of consanguinity.
• Stories should be intended for children aged 6 to 12 years old. The plot and the sequence must be capable of sustaining an illustrated book of 28 to 32 pages.
• Entries may be in Filipino or English.
• Entries must be in hard copy, double-spaced, on short bond paper. Maximum length is five (5) pages.
• A contestant may send in more than one (1) entry.
• Each entry must be signed by a pen name only. Five (5) copies of each entry should be placed in an envelope, on the face of which only the pen name of the contestant should appear.
• Together with each entry, contestants must submit a second envelope, on the face of which the pen name shall appear. This must contain the contestant's full name, address, contact numbers, a short literary background, and a notarized certification from the author, vouching for the originality of the entry and for the freedom of the organizers from any liability arising from the infringement of copyright in case of publication, and affirming that the entry or any variant thereof has (a) never been published nor (b) won any other contest i.e. that it has never won 1st, 2nd, 3rd, honorable mention in any other contest or otherwise been awarded a medal, a citation, or included in a publicized list of meritorious entries to a literary contest.
• All entries must be sent through snail mail to the PBBY Secretariat, c/o Adarna House, Inc. 2/F FSS Bldg. 20 Scout Tuason cor. Scout Castor Sts.,Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City 1103.
• All entries must be received by the PBBY Secretariat no later than 5:00 p.m., October 19, 2007

Winners will be announced no later than November 16, 2007. Non-winning entries may be claimed at the PBBY Secretariat until December 7, 2007.

The winning story will be the basis for the 2007 PBBY-Alcala Prize. For more details, interested parties may contact the Philippine Board on Books for Young People, at 2/F FSS Bldg. 20 Scout Tuason cor. Scout Castor Sts., Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City 1103, Telefax 372-3548 or email pbby@adarna.com.ph.

Tag: CONTESTS

October 7, 2007

DLSU hosts Ka-Tribo Ko

The Harlequin Theatre Guild, the official theater organization of De La Salle University-Manila, is going to have a week-long exhibit entitled "Harlequin Week: Ka-Tribo Ko" in line with the world's celebration of Indigenous Peoples month. The event shall culminate in a concert featuring some of the Philippines ' brightest luminaries in world music.

The exhibit will run from Monday, October 15, 2007 until Friday, October 19, at the Yuchengco Building Lobby, DLSU-Manila campus, and the culminating activity will be held at the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium on October 19, from 7pm to 9pm. Admission for the exhibit is free, while tickets for the culminating activity is available for 100 pesos for students, 120 for general patrons.

Tag: EVENTS

October 7, 2007

UP Film Institute offers basic scriptwriting

Film viewing does not only give us momentary switches of emotions, but also allows us to explore our creativity, to engage in a fictional world and interact with characters who somehow serve as shadows of ourselves. Oftentimes, we find ourselves imagining our favorite characters in different situations; all the what-ifs and whatnots trail our creative minds. Sometimes we even wonder what if we give life to the one character we have always been thinking about? Or play God and create new worlds? Or better yet, write a script that a filmmaker may actually translate on screen?

Basic Scriptwriting: Visualizing from Scratch is a workshop intended for the absolute beginner, who has no background whatsoever in film, writing, or media, but who wants to discover the possibilities of scriptwriting. It introduces participants to the "real basics" of writing for film, from the "translation" of written-abstract concepts into visual-moving images (and vice versa "translation of perceived cinematic images into the written word"), to a hands-on discovery of the essential concepts and components of a script that works.

The workshop facilitator, Libay Linsangan Cantor, is a faculty member of the UP Film Institute, teaching courses like Scriptwriting and Language and Grammar of Film. An experienced TV scriptwriter of children's educational shows, she has garnered local & international awards for her full-length screenplay, photography, and video productions, and has received a Palanca-award for her literary work. She also directs for TV.

Basic Scriptwriting

Dates: October 13, 20, 27, Nov. 3, 10
Time: 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Venue: UPFI Cine Adarna Conference Room
Fee: P 6,000 inclusive of light snacks, handouts, and certificates.

For inquiries, call 926-6340 / 920-6863, look for Avie Felix or Mr. Patrick Campos.You may also send SMS to 09175685939 (AF) or email upfi_workshops@ yahoo.com.ph

The University of the Philippines Film Institute is a member of the CILECT/International Association of Film and Television Schools.

Tag: WORKSHOPS

October 7, 2007

Four writers and a great mentor honored in UMPIL Congress

Living Filipino writers who have contributed outstanding works in any language currently used in the Philippines can win UMPIL's Gawad Balagtas. In 1988, among its first recipients were Francisco Arcellana, Teo S. Baylen, Godofredo S. Reyes, and Edith L. Tiempo.

This year's winners are Charlson L. Ong (fiction in English), Joaquin Sy (essay and translation in Filipino and Chinese), Jose R. Munsayac (fiction in Filipino), and Prescillano Nisperos Bermudez (fiction in Iluko).

They were conferred the title in the 33 rd National Congress on August 25, 2007 at the Pulungang Recto, Bulwagang Rizal, University of the Philippines, Dioiman, Quezon City.

The Gawad Paz Marquez Benitez-the award for outstanding literature mentors-is given to the renowned Ateneo philosophy professor Roque Angel Ferriols, S.J. because his teaching "shaped the consciousness and soul of countless students, many of whom have become leading lights in Philippine literature."

Charlson L. Ong received his AB Psychology degree from the University of the Philippines in 1977 and currently teaches at the UP's Department of English and Comparative Literature. He is conferred the award for "his eminently distinctive novels and stories edged with satire and mordant humor,.piquant in their examination of the Filipino and Chinese cultures merging in the Filipino ethos."

Joaquin Sy acquired his AB Pilipino degree from the University of the Philippines . His books include Tamad nga ba si Juan? (1991 & 1997) and Lagalag sa Nanyang (translation of Bai Ren's novel, 2007). His works "continue to tear down the wall between the Filipino and the Chinese, while presenting a caring and nationalist view of race and economic life."

Jose R. Munsayac hails from San Miguel, Bulacan. He won the Centennial Award for Literature for his novel Ang Aso at Ang Pulgas, Ang Bonsai at Ang Kolorum (1999, UP Press). His novels "plumb the wellsprings of the Tagalog language and ply with surgical precision the writer's tool in scrutinizing politics, history, and life."

Born in Burgos , Isabela province, Prescillano Nisperos Bermudez was a former employee of the National Media Production Center and the Philippine Information Agency. His novels include Dagiti Billit Tuleng (The Sparrows) and Dagiti Pundador (The Founders) which are "remarkable in their search for meaning in the world and human love, while being magical in their evocation and imagery."

Guest of Honor, Copyright Talk

The Congress' guest of honor was the Honorable Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan who talked about "Literature and Writers' Welfare." He committed himself to raise the national political discourse, with help from the writers' sector, and promised to develop a legislative plan that will benefit Filipino authors.

The lecture on copyright by Atty. Louie Calvario from the Intellectual Property Office was most enlightening for everybody. Ms. Debbie Gaite's sharing about the experience of FILSCAP (Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) in collecting music royalties inspired the writers to chart a similar economic copyright windfall.

New set of UMPIL officers

As finale of the Congress, UMPIL members elected its new set of officers. V.E. Carmelo D. Nadera Jr. was voted as Chairman. The other members of the Executive Board are Jun Balde, Vice Chairman; Celina S. Cristobal, Secretary-General, Rebecca T. Añonuevo, Treasurer; and Ruby Gamboa Alcantara, Auditor .

The Board of Directors are Romulo P. Baquiran Jr., Karina Africa Bolasco, Wendell Capili, Michael M. Coroza, Juan S.P. Hidalgo, Marne Kilates, Mario I. Miclat, Fidel Rillo, Frank Rivera, Beverly W. Siy, and Joaquin Sy.

Chairman Nadera says he will gear the organization in the next three years toward things close to the author's heart, like mutual support in the creative production and life issues.

- Romulo P. Baquiran, Jr.

Tag: NEWS

October 7, 2007

Pangasinan Language and Culture Conference

The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) and the Dr. Jose De Guzman Tamayo Foundation, Inc,.in cooperation with the Pangrehiyong Sentro sa Wikang Filipino, Pangasinan State University (Bayambang Campus) and the Ulupan na Pansiansia'y Salitan Pangasinan, cordially invite you to a conference on "Revitalizing the Pangasinan Language and Cultural Heritage."

WHAT: A two-day conference devoted to paper presentations and discussion pertaining to the Pangasinan language and cultural heritage; Pangasinan history and historiography; the literary and folkloric legacy of its people, and the state of literacy and education in the province. A literary contest known as the Gawad Komisyon 2007 (Wikang Pangasinan) shall also be held.

AIMS: The conference aims to:

• bring into focus the linguistic, socio-cultural, and educational practices of the people of Pangasinan;
• reflect on how these practices influence, and are affected by, the regional, national, and global cultures;
• chart the directions for research and creative work in Pangasinan cultural studies, advocate for policy changes and draw up long-term and medium-term programs in the cultural, educational and linguistic fields; and
• forge linkages and foster cooperation with the various stakeholders in pursuit of these plans and policy advocacies;

WHEN and WHERE: November 8 and 9, 2007 at the Urdaneta City Cultural Center , 2nd and 3 rd floors;

WHO ARE INVITED: The conference is open to academic institutions; teachers; students; educators and other professionals; cultural workers and tourism officials; provincial, city and local government leaders and administrators; religious and lay leaders; and individuals.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Abstracts of papers may be submitted to the program committee until October 18, 2007. The abstract should be less than 400 words; be original; and adhere to the conference theme and/or deal with related topics. Notice of acceptance of abstracts shall be on or before October 26, 2007. Paper readers to be entitled to honoraria must submit their full papers on or before November 2, 2007.

FEES: Regular Registration fees: P750.00 for 2 days, inclusive of lunch and snacks. P500.00 for graduate and undergraduate students.

The Gawad Komisyon 2007 (Wikang Pangasinan)

The Gawad Komisyon 2007 (Pangasinan) is a literary competition in the short story and poetry categories. The contest is administered by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, but the prizes are provided for by the Dr. Jose De Guzman Tamayo Foundation. The contest rules are:

• The contest is open to all, excepting KWF employees;
• Entries must be original (not translations from other languages); have not won a major prize in other contests; and have not been published.
• The entries must not bear the name or any identifying feature of the author and must be accompanied by a separate form that can be secured from the organizers or can be downloaded at http://wika.pbwiki.com/Mga+Pormularyo
• Length. For poetry (anlong), the entry must be a collection of seven to 10 poems. For short story, it should be from 10 to 20 pages long, double spaced.
• The prizes shall be as follows: first prize: PhP15,000 + plaque, which shall be known as the Gantimpalang Tamayo; second prize: PhP10,000 + plaque; third prize: PhP8,000 + plaque; three (3) consolation prizes: PhP2, 000 + certificate. Non-winning authors shall be entitled to a certificate of participation.
• Only one (1) entry per category per individual shall be accepted;
• The deadline for submission on entries is on October 19, 2007. The winners shall be announced during the cultural night of the conference on November 9, 2007.

THE ORGANIZERS AND PARTNERS: The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino is the official language agency of the Republic of the Philippines created by Republic Act No. 7419. The Dr. Jose De Guzman Tamayo Foundation, Inc. is a private institution whose projects are designed to identify, safeguard, preserve and revitalize the cultural and literary heritage of the Pangasinan people. The collaborating organizations are the Pangrehiyong Sentro sa Wikang Filipino (Pangasinan State University-Bayambang Campus) and the Ulupan na Pansiansia'y Salitan Pangasinan, an organization of Pangasinan writers and cultural artists.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call the KWF office: (02)736-25-21 c/o Crispa or Elvie; the DJGT Foundation, Perpetual Help University, Malasiqui Office c/o Rhia, 09193721808/(075) 536-34-12; the ULUPAN office, United Way Building, Alvear St., Poblacion, Lingayen, Pangasinan, (075) 541-0863; the Pangasinan State University c/o Mary-Ann, 09205971505, annmacaranas@yahoo.com.ph.

Tag: EVENTS

October 7, 2007

Call for Papers for the 1st International Theatre Conference on Komedya

UP College of Arts and Letters in celebration of the centennial of the University of the Philippines is announcing the KOMEDYA Fiesta 2008, a celebration of tradition, culture and performativity. Part of this grand activity is the 1 st International Theatre Conference focused on Komedya and Moro-Moro . The conference aims to interrogate komedya as a Philippine traditional theatre form; reevaluate its nature and elements; rediscover the past (history) through this theatre form; and historicize its continuum and dynamics. The conference will be held on February 27 - 29, 2008 at the College of Arts and Letters Building and Bulwagang Rizal, University of the Philippines , Diliman, Quezon City . The theme of the conference is Komedya: Revisiting the Past for the Possibilities of the Future. The conference has the following objectives:

• to gather a community of Philippine Performance Studies scholars interested and / or focused on komedya ;
• to provide opportunity for presentation and discussion on researches among academic scholars and practitioners in the theatre and performance studies in the Philippines ;
• to theorize on the present state of komedya as part of Philippine Performance Studies discourse through the series of researches and / or presentations;
• to exchange information among scholars and practitioners in the theatre and performance studies regarding this traditional theatre form; and
• to build networks among scholars and practitioners for future collaboration in research, academic exchange and performance praxis.

Who should attend the conference?

• Researchers, academics and consultants with research interests on Philippine Theatre and Performance Studies (specially those who specialize in komedya studies)
• Administrators of academic programs in Philippine theatre, dramatic literature, speech communications and performance studies
• Theatre practitioners - actors, directors, artistic staff, production staff and stage staff who specialize and / or perform komedya
• Graduate and post-graduate students in theatre, performance studies and related fields
• Publishers of journals and / or academic textbooks in Philippine Theatre and Performance Studies
• Students in theatre arts, arts studies, art education, performance studies and related disciplines

The conference will invite papers on either completed research or a preliminary report on a research in progress. Best papers will be competitively selected and authors will be acknowledged with plaques and certificates.

General Interest Sessions: The conference will feature several plenary sessions that will include panel presentations and / or forums focusing on:

1. Komedya: The Literary Form
2. Komedya as Community / Folk Theater
3. Komedya and the Hispanization of the Islands ( Philippines )
4. Komedya, Christianity and Islam
5. Komedya and History
6. Komedya, Aesthetics and Sensibility
7. Komedya: Translations, Negotiations and Adaptations to Modernity
8. Komedya: Deconstruction and Reconstruction
9. Musical Elements in Komedya
10. Dance and Movement in Komedya
11. Performance/s of Komedya in Other Regions and Other Languages
12. Production Management Process
13. Any other papers related to the theme of the conference

Submission Guidelines (for the abstracts):

1. One page abstracts (typed double spaced) not exceeding 500 of proposed papers should be submitted for the final selection process.
2. Submit abstracts by email to the conference secretariat, komedya2008@yahoo.com
3. Deadline for the submission of abstracts is on October 15, 2007 .
4. Paper Review Committee will conduct a refereed screening of abstracts. Authors of accepted abstracts will be informed by the conference secretariat within 3 weeks after the abstract is received.
5. Once the paper is accepted, at least one of the authors must register for and present the paper at the conference.

Submission Guidelines (for Final Papers)

1. Full paper submission is allowed for the final selection process.
2. Full papers for review need to be edited as per the final paper format.
3. Submit full papers for review by email to the conference secretariat, komedya2008@yahoo.com
4. Deadline of full paper submission for a refereed screening process is November 30, 2007 .
5. Once the paper is accepted, at least one of the authors must register for and present the paper at the conference.
6. Completed Full Papers will be professionally published in the conference proceedings (with ISSN number).
7. Papers will only be published in the conference proceedings if at least one of the authors registers and attends the conference.

Call for Workshop Presentations

 Workshop Presentation is another highlight of KOMEDYA Fiesta 2008 and the 1 st International Theatre Conference focused on Komedya. Practitioners of komedya are invited to submit workshop presentation proposals. Also, practitioners of some aspects of komedya like arnis instructors, poets specializing in awit, playwrights , choreographers and/or dancers of paso doble, batalya and the likes may submit proposals.

What aspects of komedya may be workshopped?

• Movement in komedya
• Footwork and swordfighting in komedya
• Voice and Diction in komedya
• Writing a komedya
• Writing an awit
• Writing a song for komedya
• Any other possible workshops related to komedya

Workshop presentations will be given 120 to 180 minute sessions.

Submission Guidelines (for workshop proposals):

1. One page proposals (typed double spaced) of proposed workshops should be submitted for the final selection process.
2. Include in the proposals, objectives of the workshops, materials needed, strategies and proposed number of participants.
3. Submit proposals by email to the conference secretariat, komedya2008@yahoo.com
4. Deadline for the submission of proposals is on October 30, 2007 November 30, 2007.
5. Workshop Review Committee will conduct a refereed screening of proposals. Facilitators of accepted proposals will be informed by the conference secretariat within 3 weeks after the proposal is received.
6. Once the proposal is accepted, at least one of the facilitators must register for and present the workshop at the conference.

Registration

Registration forms will be available very soon at the UP College of Arts and Letters website, www.kal.up.ed.ph . Early Bird Registration Fee (on or before February 1, 2008 ) of research presenters and workshop facilitators is Php 2,000.00 for local participants and USD 90.00 for foreign participants. Non-presenters' early bird registration fee is Php, 2,500.00 for local participants and USD 100.00 for foreign participants. Regular registration (after February 1, 2008 ) of research presenters and workshop facilitators is Php 3,000.00 for local participants and USD 100.00 for foreign participants. Non-presenters' regular registration fee is Php 3,500.00 for local participants and USD 120.00 for foreign participants. Student participants must attach a copy of student ID and certificate of studentship to the registration form. Student registration fee is Php 1,500.00 for both local presenters and non-presenters and USD 50.00 for both foreign presenters and non-presenters.

For inquiries, email the conference secretariat, Prof. Sir Anril P. Tiatco at sir_anril.tiatco@up.edu.ph or komedya2008@yahoo.com

Tag: EVENTS

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