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Authors and their words on the road with Biyaheng Panulat
(Updated 7:55 p.m.) Imagine hitching a ride with legendary fictionists Jun Cruz Reyes, Ricky Lee, Manix Abrera, Lualhati Bautista, Eros Atalia, and Bob Ong.
It’s many readers’ dream, especially those who are passionate about Philippine contemporary literature and popular culture.
And the road trip has started.
Biyaheng Panulat, the “caravan para sa panulat na naghahanap sa bayan” kicked off at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Sta. Mesa, Manila last month.
Throngs of students and fans attended the event, which was spearheaded by the Center for Creative Writing (CCW) of the largest state university in the country.
“Bakit PUP at hindi sa ‘Big 4’ namin piniling ilunsad ang Biyaheng Panulat? Simple lang, naniniwala kasi kaming nandito ang bayan,” said Reyes, who also stands as CCW adviser.
Biyaheng Panulat—the brainchild of Reyes, along with Atalia and Abrera—is an "education campaign" that will take the authors to different campuses for talks, in the hope that students will be inspired to write as well.
Radioactive Sago Project vocalist Lourd de Veyra, who hosted the event, introduced the well-respected and prize-winning authors collectively as the “Avengers ng Panitikan ng Pilipinas.”
The authors shared their personal views on why people write, how we write, and how writing should be taught. In the process, they even revealed some personal information that tickled the fancy of the audience.
Other pressing matters that were touched upon during the talk were the state of creative writing in the country, the effects of social media, and the Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) Memo Circular 20, series of 2013, which is about the General Education curriculum.
New imperialism
Bautista talked about the literary materials that universities will be using. “Paano ang literaturang Filipino, isasalin ba sa Ingles para mabasa ng mga estudyante? Si National Artist for Literature Frank Sionil Jose ay nagpa-translate ng mga obra niyang Ingles papunta sa Filipino para mabasa ng mas marami,” she said.
Meanwhile, Reyes said that the problem with phasing out Filipino in tertiary schools is that it is a symptom of the deeper problems of globalization, neoliberalism, and new imperialism—which, he said, dictate the prices of oil and gold, what countries should be attacked, and what weapons should be used to attack them.
“Hindi lamang ito problema sa wika—hindi lang Filipino at Ingles. Hindi tayo tinuturuan ng Ingles para mabasa si Shakespeare. Kailangan nating makaintindi ng Ingles sapagkat ito ang wika ng international corporations. Para ‘pag sinabi nilang ‘You’re fired,’ hindi mo sasabihing ‘Thank you. Very fine of you.’ o kaya ‘How thoughtful of you’,” he said.
“Hindi dapat ipagbawal ang Filipino. Ang dapat ay dagdagan ang budget ng state universities,” he added.
Writing 'an itch'
At the event, writer Bob Ong made a special appearance through a video presentation, while his message to the audience was read by illustrator Klaro de Asis.
The bestselling author of nine books compared writing to an itch that is so pleasurable to scratch.
Musician Dong Abay then read his two poems, “Oligarkiya” and “Porky.”
National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera lauded the Biyaheng Panulat initiative. “Buti na lang at may unibersidad tulad ng PUP na nagsasagawa ng mga workshop na naglalayong siyasatin ang bayan,” he said.
The authors next visited Philippine Normal University last Friday, where they were again received by a large crowd of students—many of whom, it is to be hoped, will someday become writers themselves. — BM, GMA News
The next leg of Biyaheng Panulat will be at the National Teachers College on August 23. For updates or to schedule a caravan stop at your school, visit the PUP Center for Creative Writing's Facebook page or email ccwpup@yahoo.com.
It’s many readers’ dream, especially those who are passionate about Philippine contemporary literature and popular culture.
And the road trip has started.
Biyaheng Panulat, the “caravan para sa panulat na naghahanap sa bayan” kicked off at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Sta. Mesa, Manila last month.
Notable authors joined the kick-off of Biyaheng Panulat at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines last month. Photos courtesy of the PUP Center for Creative Writing
“Bakit PUP at hindi sa ‘Big 4’ namin piniling ilunsad ang Biyaheng Panulat? Simple lang, naniniwala kasi kaming nandito ang bayan,” said Reyes, who also stands as CCW adviser.
Biyaheng Panulat—the brainchild of Reyes, along with Atalia and Abrera—is an "education campaign" that will take the authors to different campuses for talks, in the hope that students will be inspired to write as well.
Radioactive Sago Project vocalist Lourd de Veyra, who hosted the event, introduced the well-respected and prize-winning authors collectively as the “Avengers ng Panitikan ng Pilipinas.”
The authors shared their personal views on why people write, how we write, and how writing should be taught. In the process, they even revealed some personal information that tickled the fancy of the audience.
Other pressing matters that were touched upon during the talk were the state of creative writing in the country, the effects of social media, and the Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) Memo Circular 20, series of 2013, which is about the General Education curriculum.
New imperialism
Bautista talked about the literary materials that universities will be using. “Paano ang literaturang Filipino, isasalin ba sa Ingles para mabasa ng mga estudyante? Si National Artist for Literature Frank Sionil Jose ay nagpa-translate ng mga obra niyang Ingles papunta sa Filipino para mabasa ng mas marami,” she said.
Meanwhile, Reyes said that the problem with phasing out Filipino in tertiary schools is that it is a symptom of the deeper problems of globalization, neoliberalism, and new imperialism—which, he said, dictate the prices of oil and gold, what countries should be attacked, and what weapons should be used to attack them.
“Hindi lamang ito problema sa wika—hindi lang Filipino at Ingles. Hindi tayo tinuturuan ng Ingles para mabasa si Shakespeare. Kailangan nating makaintindi ng Ingles sapagkat ito ang wika ng international corporations. Para ‘pag sinabi nilang ‘You’re fired,’ hindi mo sasabihing ‘Thank you. Very fine of you.’ o kaya ‘How thoughtful of you’,” he said.
“Hindi dapat ipagbawal ang Filipino. Ang dapat ay dagdagan ang budget ng state universities,” he added.
The audience at the first Biyaheng Panulat event, held at PUP.
At the event, writer Bob Ong made a special appearance through a video presentation, while his message to the audience was read by illustrator Klaro de Asis.
The bestselling author of nine books compared writing to an itch that is so pleasurable to scratch.
Musician Dong Abay then read his two poems, “Oligarkiya” and “Porky.”
National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera lauded the Biyaheng Panulat initiative. “Buti na lang at may unibersidad tulad ng PUP na nagsasagawa ng mga workshop na naglalayong siyasatin ang bayan,” he said.
The authors next visited Philippine Normal University last Friday, where they were again received by a large crowd of students—many of whom, it is to be hoped, will someday become writers themselves. — BM, GMA News
The next leg of Biyaheng Panulat will be at the National Teachers College on August 23. For updates or to schedule a caravan stop at your school, visit the PUP Center for Creative Writing's Facebook page or email ccwpup@yahoo.com.
