Category: Editor’s Note

The Davao Writers Guild is now accepting entries to the 5th Satur P. Apoyon Tigi sa Mubong Sugilanong Binisaya.

Named after renowned journalist, writer, and former Davao Writers Guild president Satur P. Apoyon, the contest welcomes short fiction in Binisaya by Mindanao-based writers. Works will be judged according to their command of language, writing technique, relevance to contemporary society and culture, and originality of vision.

Three winners will be announced in February 2022 in time for the National Arts Month celebration. The first prize winner will receive P5,000.00, while the second and third prize winners will receive P3,000.00 and P2,000.00, respectively.

To be considered, applicants should submit one (1) short story written in Binisaya. An applicant is only allowed one (1) entry. An entry should be double-spaced, on 8.5 x 11 inches bond paper, with approximately one-inch margin on all sides. The page number must be typed consecutively (e.g. 1 of 20, 2 of 20, and so on) at the center of the bottom margin of each page. The font should be either Palatino or Garamond, with font size 12. An entry should not exceed thirty (30) pages. The author’s name should not appear on the entry.

Entries should be accompanied by 1) an accomplished Application Form and 2) a signed Certificate of Originality of Work.

Both the entry and the Certificate of Originality of Work should be attached as PDF documents in an email to saturapoyontigi.dwg@gmail.com, with subject line “Entry to Satur Apoyon Contest”.

All requirements must be complete at the time of submission. Failure to comply with these instructions will automatically disqualify the entry.

Deadline of entries is on 30 December 2021.  For further inquiries, please send an email to saturapoyontigi.dwg@gmail.com.

The Davao Writers Guild is pleased to announce that fifteen (15) writers from various parts of Mindanao are this year’s fellows to the 2019 Davao Writers Workshop, to be held this October 31, 2019 to November 4, 2019, at Casa Leticia Boutique Hotel, J. Camus St., Davao City.

Workshop Director Jeffrey Javier and Deputy Director Gracielle Tubera released the official announcement on the acceptance of the following:

For Fiction

Liane Carlo R. Suelan (Davao City)
Jasmin C. Arcega (Davao City)
Marylie E. Noran (Digos City)
David F. Madriaga (Isulan, Sultan Kudarat)
Raphael Luis J. Salise (Davao City)

For Poetry

Sunshine C. Angcos (Davao City)
Mary Divine C. Escleto (General Santos City)
Chris John Reeve A. Dela Torre (Dapa, Surigao del Norte)
Renner A. Sasil (Iligan City)
Tara Yakob O. Montiflor (Davao City)
Marielle Angela C. Pagoto (Tagum City)

For Creative Nonfiction
Khamille Ann A. Linsag (Mati City)
Samaira T. Guro (Davao City)
Hannah Joy T. Luyao (Cagayan de Oro City)

For Drama
Sean Jhon C. Anecio (Dapitan City)

This year’s panelists are Macario D. Tiu, John Bengan, Errol Merquita, Lualhati Abreu, Jay Jomar Quintos, Lakan Umali, Michael Aaron Gomez, Ria Valdez, Nathan Go, and Farrah Virador. Cagayan de Oro writer Lina Sagaral-Reyes is returning as this year’s guest panelist and keynote speaker for the workshop’s opening program on October 31, 2019, 9:00 AM.

The workshop is open to those who are interested to listen to the discussions and learn from the panelists’ craft lectures.

The 2019 Davao Writers Workshop is organized in cooperation with the University of the Philippines Mindanao.

In light of the events recently brought to its attention, the Board of Trustees of the Davao Writers Guild has unanimously voted to expel one of its members from its ranks, effective immediately. This ruling, supported by the majority of the members of the guild, follows the official sanction handed by his previous employer regarding the case of sexual harassment filed against him. The redaction of his name from this statement is not an act of protection for this member, but an act of compassion, and our compliance with the code of ethics on handling sexual harassment cases.

The Davao Writers Guild reaffirms its commitment to honing the talents of young and emerging writers of Davao and Mindanao. We believe that fulfilling this commitment can only be done when young talents are assured that they will be provided guidance and mentorship in a safe learning environment, free from threats of sexual harassment and predation.

In support of this commitment, the Davao Writers Guild has decided to include an Anti-Sexual Harassment orientation during every run of the Davao Writers Workshop, in order to help young and emerging artists navigate the manifestations of sexual misconduct in spaces of mentorship and artistic gathering. This lecture also aims to improve our own understanding of the power dynamics surrounding sexual violence, the early manifestations of sexual predation, and the ways that the Guild, as a literary institution that trains young and emerging writers, can foster among its members and mentees a culture that prevents and rejects sexual harassment.

The Davao Writers Guild is in solidarity with concerned Filipino writers and artists in condemning teachers, resource speakers, workshop panelists, writers, and artists, who abuse their power and influence in order to take advantage of young artists who come under their tutelage. We condemn the perpetuation of rape culture in writers workshops and denounce institutions that mishandle complaints of sexual misconduct brought to their attention and authority.

The Guild acknowledges the struggle of sexual trauma survivors, especially those who come forward with their complaints. We urge literary institutions and organizing committees of writing workshops, especially those which are funded by the public, to address all future complaints with compassion, dignity, and respect to the rights of survivors of any form of sexual harassment.

The Davao Writers Guild is now accepting applications to the 2019 Davao Writers Workshop to be held in November 2019.

Fifteen (15) fellowships are available, five (5) of which will be given to writers from outside Davao City but limited to residents living in Mindanao.

Applications are for the following genres: short fiction, poetry, essay, and play. They may be in English, Tagalog, or Binisaya. Entries should either contain 2 short stories (1,000 to 5,000 words), or 2 essays (1,000 to 5,000 words), or 2 one-act plays, or 5 poems.

Entries must be the applicants’ original works and should have not been accepted to another writers workshop or included in a creative writing thesis. Applicants should be a resident of Davao City or any part of Mindanao. Applicants should not have been an alumnus of previous Davao Writers Workshops or a fellow to any of the national writers workshops. Accepted fellows will be given free board and lodging for the duration of the workshop.

Applicants are to:

1) Fill out the Application Form.

2) Secure a signed Certification Form.

3) Secure the electronic copy (.doc, .docx, or .rtf file) of the manuscript.

Manuscripts should have a 1.5 spacing (not applicable for poetry entries), and a one-inch margin on all sides. The page number should be typed consecutively at the center of the bottom margin of each page (i.e, 1 of x, 2 of x). The font should be Arial, Times New Roman, or Book Antiqua. The font size should be 12. Kindly include all entries in one document, and name your document as “[LASTNAME]_[GENRE]_Manuscript_2019DWW”. The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript.

4) Send your manuscript and signed certification form to
davaowritersworkshop@gmail.com with the subject “DWW2019 Submission”.

Kindly use only one email address in the application process.

Only one application for each genre is allowed. Applicants may choose to submit multiple entries to different genres. Applicants with multiple entries must submit an application form for each genre.

Deadline for submission is on September 15, 2019. For inquiries, please send a message to davaowritersworkshop@gmail.com.

The 2019 Davao Writers Workshop is organized in cooperation with the University of the Philippines Mindanao.

The Davao Writers Guild is now accepting entries to the 4th Satur P. Apoyon Tigi sa Mubong Sugilanong Binisaya.

Named after renowned journalist, writer, and former Davao Writers Guild president Satur P. Apoyon, the contest welcomes short fiction in Binisaya by Mindanao-based writers. Works will be judged according to their command of language, writing technique, relevance to contemporary society and culture, and originality of vision.

Three winners will be awarded with cash prizes during the 2019 Davao Writers Workshop in November. The first prize winner will receive P5,000.00, while the second and third prize winners will receive P3,000.00 and P2,000.00, respectively.

To be considered, applicants should submit one (1) short story written in Binisaya. An entry should be double-spaced, on 8.5 x 11 inches bond paper, with approximately one-inch margin on all sides. The page number must be typed consecutively (e.g. 1 of 20, 2 of 20, and so on) at the center of the bottom margin of each page. The font should be either Palatino or Garamond, with font size 12. An entry should not exceed thirty (30) pages. The author’s name should not appear on the entry. An applicant is only allowed one (1) entry.

Entries should be accompanied by 1) an accomplished Application Form (submitted through the linked Google Form) and 2) a signed Certificate of Originality of Work.

Both the entry and the Certificate of Originality of Work should be attached as PDF documents in an email to davaowritersguild@yahoo.com.ph, with subject line “Entry to Satur Apoyon Contest”.

All requirements must be complete at the time of submission. Failure to comply with these instructions will automatically disqualify the entry.

Deadline of entries is on 31 August 2019. For more information, kindly visit http://www.dagmay.com. For further inquiries, please send an email to davaowritersguild@yahoo.com.ph, or message our official Facebook page.

Davao artists gathered to give tribute to the late poet Tita Lacambra-Ayala during LitOrgy: Asterisks in Bloom at Suazo Bar on February 23.

The event, that has been on-going since 2009, always sparked curiosity. Delivering the foreword of the event, Laura Elizaga, daughter of Tita Ayala, said that hearing LitOrgy reminded her of enlightenment and “something live, wild, uninhibited and therefore authentic.”

“So,” Laura Elizaga concluded, “LitOrgy is an enlightened celebration of art, literature, and music through live performance.”

20 artists performed during the event. Each of the 16 readers presented works of Tita Ayala from her renowned books like Sunflower Poems, Ordinary Poems, Adventures of a Professional Amateur, and Friends and Camels in a Time of Olives. Some translated her works from and to their local languages. Four of them played their original compositions.

John Bengan, president of the Davao Writers Guild and professor at UP Mindanao translated “Flowers of Youth” and “Collisions” to Binisaya. UP Mindanao professors, Jombits Quintos and Darylle Rubino translated “Tulang Simponiko” to English and “Sunflowers” to Hiligaynon, respectively. This is to grant Tita Ayala’s life wish of having her poems translated.

John Bengan also shared an incident when Tita Ayala went to UP Mindanao a day earlier for a film viewing. She sat in Bengan’s Literary Translations class, instead. She told him that she would love to have her poems translated to the local languages.

Cristina Elizaga, Tita Ayala’s granddaughter, shared that although Tita was indeed the artist that became a pillar of arts in the country, she was also the loving grandmother who always insisted that Cristina accompany her to Davao Writers Guild meetings.

“Thank you for giving her this purpose,” she said.

“Tita was a bold person. She wouldn’t have been able to do all the things she did if she wasn’t bold,” Angely Chi, one of the organizers of LitOrgy, said during her closing remarks. “If there is something else you want to do apart from LitOrgy, dare to do it.”

LitOrgy: Asterisks in Bloom is organized by the Davao Writers Guild, Young Davao Writers, and UP Literary Society. It is also a fund-raising event for Tita’s independent publication The Road Map Series. (Grace Tangaro)

---

For more photos from the LitOrgy: Asterisks in Bloom, please visit our Facebook photo album here: http://bit.ly/LitOrgy-TALA

Kidapawan City is now accepting entries to the Second Salirok Prize.

The Salirok Prize is a short story writing competition funded by the local government of Kidapawan. it is the country’s first LGU-funded literary prize, and the first prize to accept entries in multiple languages.

This year’s Salirok Prize is expanded to cover the Greater Kidapawan Area.

The Prize is open to any applicant born in, or who has lived for at least five years in, or whose family is from the Greater Kidapawan Area: Kidapawan, as well as M’lang, Makilala, Matalam, Magpet, President Roxas, Arakan, Tulunan, and Antipas.

The Prize’s theme will be open, although judges will consider the timeliness of an entry’s subject matter. All entries must be about and/or set in these towns.

Short stories may be in any language (with this year specifically welcoming works in Hiligyanon, Obo Monuvu, and Tagabawa), but works written in languages other than English, Tagalog, and Cebuano must be accompanied by translations in English or Tagalog.

Submissions must be at least three thousand words long, but must also not be excessively lengthy. They must be encoded in .doc or .docx file in Times New Roman, with font size 12 and 1.5 spacing.
Submissions are to be made with an attached curriculum vitae containing the author’s recent photo. The author’s name must not appear on the file of the story.

All submissions must be made in soft copy, and must be submitted to the prize’s official email, thesalirokprize@gmail.com. Inquiries about the Prize may also be sent to the email address, or through the prize’s FB page, Facebook.com/salirokprize.

Deadline for submissions is 12 January, 2019. The first, second, and third prizes will be announced on 12 February, 2019, Kidapawan’s 21st Anniversary as a city.

Winners will receive a cash prize and trophy from the mayor of Kidapawan (or other Kidapawan officials) in an awards ceremony as part of Kidapawan’s February festivities. The winning works will also be printed and launched on the awarding.

A salirok is a simple drinking fountain devised by the upland tribes of Mt Apo. Natural spring water, which flows abundantly on and around Mt. Apo, is made easier to drink by embedding a piece of bamboo into springs.

Like the mountain, brimming abundantly with water, under which Kidapawan sprawls, Kidapawan city too is a basin of narratives, rich with the raw stories of its diverse peoples. The capital of North Cotabato and mother town of half the province’s municipalities has been and continues to be the setting of many struggles, the cradle of many dreams. From conflict between races and faiths to tensions between generations and classes, the Greater Kidapawan Area has many stories to tell. The Salirok Prize is aimed at making the people at the foot of Mt Apo finally harness and process this abundance of material.

Fictionist, critic, and amateur historian Karlo Antonio Galay David (winner of the Palanca and the Nick Joaquin Literary Awards) returns as Prize Director. He will be joined in the panel of judges this year by award winning poet and journalist Rita B. Gadi and pioneering Obo Monuvu writer, translator, and musician Datu Melchor Umpan Bayawan.