Poetry by Ivan Ridge Arbizo | November 24, 2019
Marahil, guryon akong hindi mahahalikan ang langit
sapagkat isinasantabi lang ako ng mga alapaap.
Aabutin mo siya tulad ng mga bituin sa karimlan.
Ang hiwaga ng pag – ibig mo ay kasinglawak rin
ng espasyong pumapagitan
sa tadyang na pumoprotekta sa puso ko.
Ngunit paano naman ang sa akin inay,
Minsan mo rin akong tinawag na anak, hindi ba?
Dahon nalang sana akong tinangay
ng malakas na hangin patungong kawalan.
Ivan Ridge Arbizo is from Davao City High National High School.
Poetry by Lance Harvey Gonzales | November 24, 2019
Inigkiling ning katig
sa atong sakyanan,
huna-hunaa
ang atong mga kaagi
padulong ning taknaa
ug kon malantaw man nako
ang pang-pang nga atong
pakahagbungan,
tutokan ko gihapon
ang galurat mong mga mata
kay sa ulahi natong pagginhawa,
magbulag ta –
ikaw sa tuo, ako sa wala.
Lance Harvey Gonzales is a BS Electronics Engineering student from Mindanao State University – General Santos City.
Poetry by Jovanie Garay | November 24, 2019
I.
subay ning sandayong midagayday
ang tubig gikan nianang tubod sa karaang
kamansi diin giugbok mo ang talinggab
sa patong nga kawayan diha sa iyang kasingkasing
ug mibugwak ang iyang tam-is nga luha
kon imong tutokan ning gisubayan sa tubig
ang lumot mikunot na, apan lunhaw gihapon-
himsog, ambongan, walay sama nga misala
sa bul-og sa luha sa kalipay
timan-i:
kining tubora mao ang matuod nga katagbawan
sa kalibotan nga bisan sa kataposang lad-ok
sa tamsi, mobalik ug mobalik siya aron sa pagsigop
sa sabaw nga inipis sa iyang inahan
II.
ug nakighiusa ang mga alindahaw
sa tagsa-tagsang pisik nianang tubora
kay gipahabogan mo man ang iyang pagkamapaubsanon
tinobdan, matod pa sa usa ka ermitanyo
nga giuhaw gikan sa makabungol nga kamingaw
ang mga alindahaw nahimong ulan–
mingbunok ug sa nahuwasan na, milurang
namingaw ang kasapaan ug nanggitib ang mga balili
kay ang luha mopahulay human sa pagbul-og
ang tubod nagpabiling ipisanan
ug higayon na sa mga pirok-pirok ug antulihaw
nga moambit sa kalipayon
human sila makasigop sa sabaw,
nanghiniksik ug dayon milupad
sa kapunawpunawan
III.
miduaw pag-usab ang uwan
kuyog niya ang habagatnong hangin
kansang taghoy misulay pagbuak sa
bugnawng lugas sa klasikong harmonyo
ug napukaw ang nahinanok nga dagayday sa kasapaan
pagkaanugon, karon ang tamsi nahisalaag na
kay miikyas ang kanhing tinobdan sa tubig
nianang kahoy sa kinabuhi
siya milukso sa pikas tampi, nanghuhoy ang iyang abaga
wa na makatultol sa kanhing ipisanan
apan siya nagpaabot hangtod sa udtong tutok
ug milupad sa wala nay pagbalik
Jovanie Garay teaches language and literature subjects at DOSCST-San Isidro Extension Campus. His short stories and poems appeared in Dagmay, Manila Bulletin’s Bisaya Magasin, Kabisdak and Katitikan. This poem won first prize during the 2019 Bathalad Mindanao Tigi-Sinulatay under poetry category.
Fiction by Jefferson Del Rosario | November 17, 2019
Nangiyugpos si Lisa samtang nagtan-aw sa bola nga bag-o lang gibuhian ni Jude. Iya gyod kining gihatod sa iyang panan-aw sa matag kanto nga ligiran niini samtang gapugong sa iyang gininhawa. Ang kakulba nga dugay niyang gipahiluna sa iyang kaugalingon mora na pod og bomba nga mipaulbo sa kapuwa sa iyang dagway ilabi na sa higayon nga mohinay na ang pagligid sa bola ug mosimhot sa numero nga iyang gipustahan.
“Onse lang!” siyagit ni Lisa samtang nagkumo sa duha niya ka kamot.
“Baynte singko!” matod pa sa bolador nga midali-dalig hakop sa mga pusta nga nangapilde.
“Peste baya aning yawaa, uy! Mipusta ko ganiha sa baynte singko, ang migawas onse. Karon nga mipusta ko sa onse, mibalik na pod ang baynte singko. Animal baya ani, uy!” yawyaw ni Lisa nga nagpangawot sa iyang ulo human mapilde ang iyang baynte pesos nga sugal.
Taudtaod, miabot si Lloyd. “Ayay! Daogan na ka diha, Sang? Daghan na man lagi kag gikumo,” bugalbugal niini dalang kusog nga agik-ik. “Manglibre na man sad kaha ni ron, ha-ha!”
Naa na sad ning sige og paghingi, ay. Nagdala lang nis malas ang buang, bawong pildero ta, ni Lisa sa kaugalingon samtang mihatag og taphaw nga katawa kang Lloyd.
“Unsay sige og gawas, Sang?”
“Bisan unsa man lang. Pusta na diha, kaganiha ra baya na sige gawas imong numero.”
Fiction by Lakan Daza Umali | November 10, 2019
Is all that matters, is the most precious thing in the basement of Memorial Medical Center. Outside the mortuary, by the landing of the stairs, a laboratory technician taps her foot against the white tiles, lays a hand on her cheek. She thinks this gesture implies innocence or ignorance. This will improve her image for the officers in uniform trying to reach the body. But they are not looking at her, because for them, the body is all that matters.
The body is the person stripped of subjectivity. It is futile to describe the body to evoke the reader’s horror at the mangled state it’s in. It is enough to say that, in addition to subjectivity, the body is stripped of many things. The transition from person to body has been violent. As a person, she was Justine Fuego, 19, a chemistry student from the state university. During the Diliman Commune, she helped her fellow batchmates make Molotov cocktails to throw at military helicopters hovering overhead that attempted to disperse their collective. That was six months ago. Five months ago, she joined Kabataang Makabayan. Four months ago, she lived with farmers in Davao del Norte. Two months ago, she was organizing workers in Tondo. Now, she is the body in the mortuary.
There is a group of students and a teacher keeping watch over the body. The teacher is a math instructor at Justine’s university. She teaches Introduction to Calculus. She was supposed to introduce derivatives to her class earlier that morning. But after finishing breakfast, she received a call that Justine’s remains had been found, prompting her to meet up with some other Kabataang Makabayan members to retrieve the body. When they reached it, the operation turned from retrieval to protection as the officers in uniform arrived.
Fiction by Arielle Calañas | October 20, 2019
BAI LOOKED AT me again and again. Maybe it was because my eyes were so puffy from barely having any sleep, but that was no excuse to keep glancing at me in class. I gave her a look.
“Did she talk to you again?” Bai whispered.
I turned towards the blackboard and nodded.
“Do you want to share baon today?” she asked. I told her yes.
After class, we waited until everyone else went to the canteen. Bai swiveled in her chair to face me and crossed her arms.
“Inah says we should choose our own friends. She’s right, you know.”
“Did she make you tuna sandwich?” I asked. “You can’t eat mine, it’s eggs and pork.”
“That’s three days now. Mrs. Corazon probably knows we’re sharing.”
“You can have my juice.”
Bai spent the rest of recess trying to help me understand the math lesson ahead. She explained things simpler than the teacher. As always, I understood better with her.
By the time the bell rang, I was feeling proud of myself. Bai pinched both of my cheeks.
“You did it!” she said. “You should smile more, Lila. You look like a teddy bear.”
“Teddy bear?” I asked. I thought of a huge, brown thing, the one people won at carnivals for hitting the bull’s eye. “That big?”
“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that, Lila!”
“It’s fine,” I said. “Mama says I should start exercising, anyway.”
“What did she say this time?” asked Bai.
“The same,” I said in a tiny voice. “She said I’m not supposed to be friends with you anymore.” I pursed my lips and busied myself with putting away my lunch box. When she was sad, Bai pouted and widened her eyes like a puppy. She only did that when she felt really bad for me, which was becoming more and more often.
Bai adjusted the veil covering her hair. It was pink today. She held my arm and said, “Let’s go buy some stuff at the mall after class, okay? I’ll tutor you on the way.”
Film Script (Excerpt) by Ram Botero | October 13, 2019
In this short film, three characters, a transgendered woman, a poet, and an artist meet in limbo. This excerpt features Scenes 3-6. The film is one of the shorts featured in the 2019 Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival to be held in Davao on October 25-29, 2019.
3. Ext. Forest. Noon.
The three characters emerge from the trees. The trees tower covering the sky. The noon light peaks through the leaves. A gentle breeze whispers through the branches. The woman leads the little parade. They’re inspecting their surroundings. The woman turns to the activist. The parade pauses.
Woman:
Unsa diay nahitabo nimo?
(The activist looks at her straight in the eyes. His gaze is sharp.)
Activist:
Redtagged.
Woman:
Ha, unsa man diay imong gibuhat?
Activist:
Nangandoy kog libre nga edukasyon para sa tanan. Apan dili sakto ang mag martsa ra sa karsada unya mobatbat sa megaphone. Nag volunteer ko isip magtutudlo sa bukid, sa eskwelahan sa mga Lumad.
Woman:
O, unsa may daotan ana?
Activist:
Wala, pero ingon nila gina-radicalize daw namo ang mga Lumad. Gina-brainwash aron mahimong mga rebelde. Ang amo lang makat-on sila mobasa ug mo-ihap aron dili sila daling mailad, dili sila madaog-daog.
Woman:
Unsa ba gyoy daotan ana? Ako sure gayod ko nga deserve nako diri. Nag-prostitute ko maskin nakahuman kog skwela, professional. Lisod man gyod mangitag trabaho ang mga pareho nako. Nang-apply ko pagka elementary school teacher, wala man lang gyod ko nila gipa-demo. Giingnan ko nila, balik pag lalaki na ka.
Editor's Note | October 7, 2019
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.