2013 Davao Writers Workshop Fellows

Events by | October 14, 2013

dww2013 poster

The Davao Writers Guild is pleased to announce the fellows to the 2013 Davao Writers Workshop:

 

Poetry

Frank Lloyd de la Cruz (Davao)
Stephanie Gonzaga (Valencia, Bukidnon)
Vivialine Q. Salve (Davao)
Siverlyn Maghinay-Camposano (Digos)
Richard Moral, Jr. (Koronadal)
Glaiza P. Jimenea (Davao)

 

Fiction

Zakiyyah Sinarimbo (Davao)
Jeffren Pancho Miguel (Davao)
Jon Kristoffer Pizarro (Butuan)
Prescilla Dorado (Davao)
Jelly May Malatabon (Davao)

 

Creative Nonfiction

Bianca Beatrice C. Adle (Davao)
Abdul Jabbar A. Marohom (Davao)
Christine Joy Salazar (Davao)
Reah Izza T. Paglinawan (Davao)

 

The panelists this year are Dr. Macario D. Tiu, Jhoanna Lynn Cruz, Nino Soria de Veyra, John Bengan, and guest writer Dr. Jaime An Lim.

The 2013 Davao Writers Workshop is organized by the Davao Writers Guild in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture & the Arts and UP Mindanao, and will be held at Lispher Inn, Matina, Davao City, from October 28 to November 1, 2013.

The workshop sessions are open to those interested to listen in and meet the writers.

When Jasmine makes a list

Fiction by | October 5, 2013

Jasmine partook of limp spicy chicken flavored Yakisoba noodles and cold pan de sal. She sat on the smooth cement floor of the sala, looking blue against the television light. On the screen, Sam was trying to impress Mikaela with his new car. No one knew what made Transformers, with its bloated running time and cardboard characters, so appealing to her. It was eleven a.m. and she had just woken up. Feeling too lazy to go out, she decided to eat anything there was in the dusty cupboard and on the round dining table. She put her plate down–her meal barely finished; reached her notebook from last semester and scribbled on the back page. Her light brown eyes glimmered as she showed what she wrote to me.

To-do List:

  • buy groceries
  • go to Kate’s (and wait for something interesting to happen there)
  • hang out with friends
  • do something
  • do something else
  • don’t panic
  • live long and prosper
  • get annoyed at self if things in this list are not done

Continue reading When Jasmine makes a list

Duha ka Balaan

Poetry by | September 28, 2013

Duha ka balaan
Domingo karon, Simba na.
Sul-ota ang labing puting barong
ug itom nga sapatos ug pantalon. Luhod,
bahalag imong duha ka tuhod
mokurog. Antosa lang!
Lunes na bitaw ugma.
Inig sulod sa imong buhatan.
Naa’y lain nga magpenitensiya
og tilap sa imong tiilan.

—
Si Jondy M. Arpilleda usa ka magtutudlo sa Kapalong College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Davao Del Norte. Usa siya sa mga deligado sa Taboan Writers Festival nga gipahigayon niadtong bulan sa Pebrero didto Dumaguete City.

Kamote’t Kalabasa

Poetry by | September 28, 2013

Kakang kaawa-awa.
Kalangita’y kulimlim.
Kokoteng kakalabasa.
Kakapa-kapa sa dilim.
Kakantyawan ng kaklase,
ng kakamoteng kokote.
Kapagka’t kinakapos,
Kung quiz pulos kutob.
Kinukulang sa kain,
Si Kaka kapag klase.
Kaya kung siya’y kutyain,
Kakang kakalimot e.
Kakang kakalimutin,
o Kakang kakalimus din.
Ang kinsenas ni Ka Tunying,
Sa kuryente palang kukulangin.
Sa kuko’t katam nakaasa,
ang kontraktwal na ama.
Ang kinsenas ay katiting.
Si Kaka’y `nong kakainin?
Kukulog-kulog ang kalamnan.
Kinakalawang na kaalaman.
Kahabag-habag na Kaka
Di makain ang kamote’t kalabasa.

—
Born in Davao but raised in Gensan, Mark Arlo H. Segundo is a Medtech student from UIC.

Willow

Poetry by | September 28, 2013

I admire the willow that grows over there
Branches are pliant can sway everywhere
Leaves so narrow can fly like a sparrow
Cat skin bearing so dark and hollow.
Has yield itself osiers and woods
Down that edgy soil where it grows
Thankful is he to find great comfort
To climate that gives him all sorts.
Such beauty exonerates pain
False convictions to deceiving lies
Subtle cries to pretentious smiles
Obvious lies to innocent pleading.
The willow itself speak out its meaning…
—
Abi is a third year Accounting Technology student at the Ateneo de Davao University.

Konsensya 

Poetry by | September 28, 2013

Araw ay sumisisikat
aking mata ay ididilat.
Pagkain ang problema
ng taong salat.
Wala akong trabaho
na pinagkakaabalahan.
Isang tasang kape
aking hahagkan.
Pagkatapos magligpit
ay matutulog ulit.
Hanggang sa akin
may kumalabit.
Aking konsensya na
sa komersyal ko lang nakikita.
Aking pangalan
kanyang isinampit.

Yan Yan is an apiring writer from Mindanao.

UP Mindanao Professor wins 1st Prize in Palanca Awards

Editor's Note by | September 15, 2013

John BenganUP Mindanao Professor John B. Bengan (Dept. of Humanities) was awarded 1st Prize in the English Short Story Category of the 63rd Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Prof. Bengan won for his short story, “Armor”, which was first published in Likhaan 6: The Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature, edited by Gemino H. Abad. “Armor” is set in Mintal, Davao City, and tells the story of Ronnie, a small time drug pusher and beautician/choreographer who joins a gay beauty pageant, and a stranger who arrives at the pageant night to alter the course of Ronnie’s fate. Prof. Bengan teaches literature and creative writing and is the third Palanca-winner in the present faculty roster of the Dept. of Humanities, after Prof. Ricardo M. de Ungria and Prof. Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz-Daliling. He earned his BA English degree in UP Mindanao and his Master of Fine Arts degree in The New School (New York).

Also, former UP Mindanao Chancellor Professor Ricardo M. de Ungria (Department of Humanities) was appointed UP Artist for the second time. Prof. de Ungria was awarded his second appointment as UP Artist I at the UP Arts Productivity System Awarding Ceremony in August 7 at Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman. He is one of eight appointees in the field of Literary Works and one of only two of the 28 appointed UP Artists who come from the regional universities of UP. Prof. de Ungria was a recipient of a National Book Award in 2012 as editor of “Tala Mundi: The Collected Poems of Tita Agcaoili Lacambra Ayala”. He is an advocate of creative writing in the regions, an organizer of literary events and associations, and a prolific writer of poetry.

Limot

Poetry by | September 15, 2013

Minsan, sabi ng talaarawan ng ating kamalayan sa nakaraan,
Tayo’y bumuklod, bumukod sa sigaw ng bayanihan sa daanang
Siyang tinitingala nating larawan ng kalayaan,
Binuhay ang karamay nating alaala ng kaalaman, kasaganahan, kaginhawaang
’di mapanlinlang, ’di dinadanakan
ng dugo ng ilang mulat na taongbayan.
Ngunit, sa paggulong muli ng buhay,
Pagkatapos pinadilaw ang kulay ng tagumpay,
Tunay na kay daling pinabayaan
ang pagbabantay na pumatay sa bangungot ng baluktot na paghahari-harian
sa bayan na ang pinagkukunan ng kapangyarihan
ay ang bawat isa nitong mamamayan.
Kay daling nakalimutan, ang dating ipinaglaban
Kaya, nadaganan na naman
Ang batang gutom ang panggising,
parehong pangangasim ng sikmura
ang ipinanghehele sa pagtulog sa gabi,
Ang magsasakang panalangin ang isinasabay
sa walang katiyakang pamumunga ng bawat punla,
Ang kayod-kabayong mama na maghapon man
ang pangangapa sa pagbabanat ng buto’y
lansangan pa rin ang uuwian,
Ang inang gaano man kalawak ang karunungan
sa mga pamamaraan sa pagtataguyod ng pamamahay,
walang pa ring maihain sa sahig na s’yang mesa
tatlong beses sa ’sang araw.
Kaya, nakakapagtataka maililibing na naman ba
ang kamalayan sa kasuklam-suklam na kasalukuyan?
binasa sa Baboy: Ato Kini! sa Turtle’s Nest, Cebu

—
JM Cortes Acut from Cagayan de Oro has been a fellow for fiction at the 1st Xavier University Writer’s Workshop and at the 8th IYAS Creative Writing Workshop.