Pagtanggal ng Mantsa

Fiction by | July 26, 2015

Isang gabi, binabad ko ang ukay-ukay kong mga t-shirts. Iniba-iba ko ang mga puti at de-kolor. Nilagyan ko ng kloroks ang may mantsang t-shirt na puti.

Napatingin ako sa tv. Inaantabayanan ko kasi ang paborito kong programa tuwing linggo ng gabi. Pero advertisements pa pala: lotion na pampaputi, for straight hair shampoo, at kung anu-ano pa. Meron ding piling mga eksena ng isang melodrama na kinaiinisan ko pero sinusubaybayan ng halos lahat sa bahay.
Umupo ako saglit sa harap ng tv. Di pa rin tapos ang mga advertisements. Sa inis at inip ko, binalikan ko ang mga binabad. Kinusot-kusot ko nang bahagya. Napatingin uli ako sa tv. Nagkataong may advertisement ng isang tanyag na politiko tungkol sa kanyang gagawing proyekto. Advertisement pa ba to? tanong ko sa sarili. “Kay aga-aga pa ng political advertisement na to!” bulalas naman ng kapatid ko.
Habang patingin-tingin ako sa nasabing political advertisement, kinusot ko ang t-shirt na puti. Nilagyan ko uli ng kloroks ang mantsa. Hinipan-hipan. At kusot uli. Super kusot. Nang sinipat ko ang t-shirt, natanggal konti ang mantsa.

At binabad ko uli ang t-shirt na puti.

Amihan is a freelance creative fiction and non-fiction writer who was born and raised in General Santos City.

Alkansya

Fiction by | July 26, 2015

Ang akong lola niuli guikan sa Sugbu dala uban niya ang imahe sa Sto. Niño ug gamay nga tigumanan sa sinsilyo may inukit nga imahe ni Buda. Matag adlaw ginsudlan niya ug sinsilyo ang gamay nga Buda ug nagaugbok ug kandila sa Niño tapos niya mangaliya. Ug kada adlaw siya nagalingkod sa may bintana, sa iyang tuyatuya nga lingkoranan, nag-ihap sa mga sakyanan nanglabay sa abogon nga dalan sa among barangay.
Usa ka bulan nilabay, ang akong lola nagahimo niini sa walay paglat-ang ug adlawpagsulod piso sa gamayng Buda, paghalad kandila ug pag-ampo, unya paglingkod sa may bintana aron pag-ihap sa nanglabayng mga sakyanan.

Ug usa niana ka adlaw nga nabatian ko siya nga nag-ampo ug akong naamgohan: ang akong lola nag-ihap sa mga adlaw nga ang akong amahan makauli sa among pinuy-anan guikan sa trabaho sa pagmina.

—
Si Teresa May A. Mundiz usa ka magtutudlo sa usa ka unibersidad diri sa Davao. Nagasulat sya kung itugot sa panahon, ug padayon sya sa iyang paglawig sa iyang mga damgu.

Call for Applications for Davao Writers Workshop 2015

Events by | July 20, 2015

The Davao Writers Guild, in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the University of the Philippines Mindanao, is now accepting applications to the 2015 Davao Writers Workshop to be held October 27 to October 31, 2015. Fifteen fellowships are available, of which four will be given to writers from outside Davao but residing in Mindanao.

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

The entries must be the applicant’s original work and should not have undergone critique from a panel in another workshop or for a creative writing thesis. Accepted fellows will be given free board and lodging for the duration of the workshop. Alumni of the Davao Writers Workshop, as well as of national writers workshops, are not eligible to apply.

Applicants are to fill out the application form and attach the electronic copy of the manuscript. Deadline for submission is September 1, 2015. For inquiries, please contact Julian dela Cerna at juliandelacerna at gmail dot com

Applications are now closed. We will announce selected fellows soon.

Dangaw

Play by | July 12, 2015

(CAN UTILIZE HUMAN PROPS IN BLACK AS ANINO, UTILIZE PUPPETS, SHADOW PUPPETRY)
1 SINUGDANAN:
(NAKA-TROMPA)
 

(THE REST OF THE PERFORMER NAKA SHADOW PUPPETRY-HUMAN PUPPETRY-TABLEAUX IN SILHOUETTE ON WHITE CLOTH)
 

(NARRATOR ATUBANGAN SA AUDIENCE)
Mga kahigalaan
Magsugod na, nia na
Ang pasundayag, ang pasundayag

(2ND VOICE)
Ayaw na pagdugay-dugay, ayaw pag-pahayahay
O hinay hinay ra manang

(2ND VOICE)
daghan pa
O hinay-hinay ra manong duna pa
O dong day ayawg dagan dili matungkad
Kay madagma unya ka ayaw ra ipahuwad
Ayaw kabalaka
Kay dili pa magsugod
Kung dili pa
Muabot ang imong presensya
Mga kahigalaan ania na dyud

(MIGIKAN SA SHADOW /WHITE CLOTH SA LIKOD; SULOD IN TRIANGULAR FORMATION)
ang mag-dudula sa entablado
gikan pa sa hilayong dapit

(TOROTOT, THROUGH HUMAN VOICE)
Gilukdo Ang kalibutan para ka ninyo
Hilasa ana uy

(HUBOG, NAGDALA UG GITARA)
O cge ania na, mas maayo pa nga maminaw kamo sa akong istorya
Gikan sa hilayong dapit, ayaw kabalaka dili nani muhapit
Sa patag, sa basakan, sa buntod, sa nihit,
Diretso na sa langit
Continue reading Dangaw

Kawanangan

Play by | July 5, 2015

Mga Tauhan:

Isagani – 26, struggling artist. Intelihente pero usahay weirdo.
Miguel- 28, law student. Seryoso ug hilumon.

Setting:

Usa ka gamayng balay sa San Fernando Cebu nga nag atubang ug dagat. Sekreto nga lugar ni Isagani ug Miguel. Usa ka gabii sa karon nga panahon.

(Pagsiga sa suga, adunay upat ka bangko sa entablado. Daan kining nakaporma ug kwadrado paatubang sa audience. Musud si Isagani gikan sa audience nga adunay bitbit nga pisi. Ihikot niya ang pisi sa upat ka bangko nga pinakahon. Mura niya’g ikulong iyang kaugalingon. Muadto siya sa tunga niini, mutan-aw sa iyang gibuhat nga kahon, mutan-aw sa palibot, ug musugod sa iyang monologo.)<\i><\center>

ISAGANI

Taga-gabii sa kaniadtong bata pa ko, pirmi ko paihapon sa akong lola ug mga bituon.

(Itudlo ang kamot sa langit ug magsugod ug ihap.)<\i><\center> Usa, duha, tulo…
(Mubalik sa audience)<\i><\center> Suma pa niya, mangawagtang daw ang mga bituon pag di sila pang-ihapon. Kay daw, sila ang pinakaluoran nga elemento sa kawanangan. Upat, lima, unom…

Uy! Takdol man diay ang bulan! Bantog ra nagsaulog ang mga bawod sa dagat. Hilom pero mabugnawon ang hangin mao nang mabati’g kusog ang awit sa mga timos. Hay! Kanindut! “Bulan, usa ka gamayng buslot sa langit, li-lianan sa mga bathala.” – maoy ingon sa akong propesor sa Literatura.

(Mutaas ang tingog nga murag manawag ug mga kalag)<\i><\center> Oh! Mga bathala! Dungga akong mga damgo! Bathala sa gasa! Bathala sa gugma! Nangamuyo ako! Ohhhmmm! Ohhhmmm!
(Nag bugalbugal ug meditate. Taud-taod, mukalit kani ug katawa.)<\i><\center>

Shhhh! Ayaw ug saba! Mabuyagan unya ta!

Makapanglimbawt ang kahilum. Mura ba’g, ikaw ray usa sa kalibutan. Ikaw ray usa sa dako ug ngitngit nga espasyo. Ikaw ray usa sa wanang.

Continue reading Kawanangan

Esme and the Tiny White Mouse

Fiction by | June 28, 2015

Artwork by Gerlie Quinn Gulles
Artwork by Gerlie Quinn Gulles
Esme hurriedly ran down the stairs towards the kitchen when she heard the good news. She was inside her bedroom doing her homework. Her mother knocked on the door and told her that her brother Ipe was finally coming home for a short vacation.

“I need you to help me around the house to prepare for his visit.”

“Of course! I’d love to help! When is he coming home, Mama?”

“He’ll be here after a couple of sleeps.”

Esme could not hide her excitement. She wondered if her Kuya still looked the same after two years of studying in Canada. She was only in first grade the last time she saw him. And she missed him terribly.

Esme had only a faint memory of their father. He died soon after her fourth birthday. Whenever she felt sad about not having their father around, she would think of Kuya Ipe. He was the one who defended her from her classmates when they teased her for not having a father. And he used to read her favorite books to her before she went to sleep. Her Kuya also helped their mother around the house. Her brother was enough, she thought to herself. He was like the father she never had.

Continue reading Esme and the Tiny White Mouse

Stick in the Fridge

Fiction by | June 21, 2015

stickinfridge
Artwork by Nina Maria Alvarez

Pat loves her Papa so much, she follows him everywhere.

When her father goes to the living room to watch the evening news, she sits in his lap and leans on his chest. She loves it when her Papa carries her to bed when she falls asleep. She is not afraid of monsters under her bed because she knows her Papa is still awake and is just one cry away.

Whenever she becomes thirsty in the middle of the night or wants to pee, she carefully walks her way to the bathroom near their front door. Nerves set in when she reaches the stairs but she becomes calm when she smells the familiar smoke. It’s her father smoking in front of their house. Pat thinks that her father has been guarding them from monsters and thieves.

One night, she opens the door and runs to her Papa. He quickly sways his hand with a cigarette away from his daughter and asks, “Why are you still awake?”

“I’m thirsty,” she replied.

“Get some water and then go straight to your room, okay?”

“Do you mind if I stay here with you for a while?” Pat asks him.

“I’m sorry Pat, but get back to sleep now or you’ll stop growing,” he puts his cigarette stick on a flower pot and opens the door for Pat.

Continue reading Stick in the Fridge

Meg and the Turtle

Fiction by | June 14, 2015

meg_and_the_turtle
Artwork by Maria Louisa Pasilan

Meg always spent two weeks of her summer vacation with her Auntie Del, who lived with her husband Uncle Ben in an animal farm in Bansalan. Meg adored her aunt and uncle. They did not have any children of their own and they were always sending Meg dolls and books.

In the farm, Meg could run around without the danger of getting run over by big vehicles and she could milk the cows and the goats with Uncle Ben when she woke up early. Their farm was spacious: there was a shed for the cows, a pen for the pigs and goats, and a coop for the chickens. They even had a couple of horses that Uncle Ben and his help would ride. And so, she always looked forward to her stay in the farm.

After Meg settled into the room she had claimed as hers, Auntie Del led her to the back of the house. When she asked why, Auntie Del’s response was only, “I have something to show you.”

Continue reading Meg and the Turtle