Everyone is invited to attend the book launching of Rio Alma’s modern epic Huling Hudhud at 4:00 PM, June 19 at the C&E Information and Resource Center, 1616 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City (beside Hi-Top Supermarket).

The book of literary criticism Ang Hudhud ni Rio Alma will also be launched along with the epic. Edited by Romulo P. Baquiran Jr., the book features critiques by Romulo P. Baquiran Jr., Roberto T. Añonuevo, Michael M. Coroza, Niles Jordan Breis, and Victor Emmanuel Carmelo D. Nadera Jr.

Rio Alma with Rogelio Mangahas.

Rio Alma (National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario) is the Chairman Emeritus of UMPIL.

The UP College of Arts and Letters, The UP College of Fine Arts, The UP College of Music and The UP College of Architecture, with the support of Intellectual Property Office (IP) Philippines, will hold The Philippine Conference on Global Prospectus for the Arts on 27-28 November 2008 at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

The conference organizers are Arts and Letters Dean and National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario, Fine Arts Dean Tina Colayco, Music Dean Ramon Acoymo, Architecture Dean Dan Silvestre and IP Philippines Director-General Adrian Cristobal Jr.

Conference speakers and discussants include Cultural Center of the Philippines President Nestor Jardin, Summit Media general manager Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, Architect Cathy Saldaña, singer and artist manager Carlo Orosa, artist Reggie Yuson, cultural icon Gilda Cordero Fernando, visual artist and broadcast journalist Robert Alejandro, architect and planner Maria Cristina Turalba, Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council Lutgardo Labad, Barasoain Kalinangan theater group director Armand Sta. Ana, Tagbilaran’s Diocesan Cultural Heritage Commission chair Fr. Valentino Pinlac, Architect Dinky Consunji-Laperal, violinist Coke Bolipata, and IP professionals Ang Kwee Tiang, Atty. Emma Francisco, and Atty. Jesus Antonio Ros.

The conference is designed for creative artists, scholars and other practitioners from architecture/landscape architecture, the visual, musical and literary arts, and the other allied disciplines. Through the conference, it is hoped that practitioners will be able to share experiences, identify key strengths and assess various determinants that will help sustain the creative industries for the many years to come.

A registration fee of P1000 (good for two days) will be charged to each conference participant. Participants will be entitled to conference giveaways and the opportunity to interact with movers and shakers in the country’s creative industries.

Registration will start at 9 AM. For more information, please contact the Creative Industries conference Secretariat at 9287508 and 9818500 extension 2104 or email at creativeindustriescon@gmail.com.

Distinguished and award-winning poet Marne L. Kilates will launch his latest book of poetry, Mostly in Monsoon Weather on November 7, 2008. Reprinting the article from Panitikan.com.ph:

After movies, poetry makes a good antidote for the recession blues

When economies are in recession more people go to the movies, according to economists and movie producers. Some people read poetry, poets and publishers would say. If you belong to the second kind, Mostly in Monsoon Weather, the third collection of award-winning poet Marne L. Kilates, may just be the book for you for just slightly above the price of a movie.

Nominated to the 2008 National Book Awards of the Manila Critics Circle and the National Book Development Board, and published by the University of the Philippines Press, … Monsoon Weather will launch on November 7, 2008, at 6:00 o’clock in the evening, Friday, at the Roof Deck Gallery of Villanueva Law Offices, CC Castro Building, Timog Avenue, Quezon City. It’s right across Sir Williams Hotel, and next door to RCBC Timog Branch.

Just when the world knows who the president of the most powerful nation on earth will be after a hotly contested election, and if the recession actually recedes into memory, the launch of Mostly in Monsoon Weather will be hosted by art and literature patron Atty. Redem Villanueva and the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL), of which Kilates is a member of the Board.

“It will be a fun event for literature, especially poetry, which we all love to open our minds in these narrow-minded times,” Atty. Redem, as he his called by artist friends, said when he graciously opened his roof-deck law office and gallery to host the event.

A sketching session by leading Filipino artists, and poets singing “Salinawit” or those lovely Filipino translations of classical standards, led by poet and Salinawit pioneer Pete Lacaba and novelist Charlson Ong, will follow the launch with cocktails.

Kilates is a three-time Palanca Awards winner, has won the National Book Awards for his poetry and translation, and was the winner of the 1998 SEA (Southeast Asia) Write Award given by the Thai royalty.

Apart from Mostly in Monsoon Weather, Kilates’ two other books are Children of the Snarl & Other Poems (Aklat Peskador, 1987), Poems en Route (UST Publishing House, 1998).

Kilates is also noted for his translations of Filipino poetry into English. His nine books of translation include the works of major Filipino poets such as National Artist Virgilio S. Almario, Rogelio G. Mangahas and Jesus Manuel Santiago. His latest book is a new English translation of Francisco Balagtas’ Florante at Laura , the UP Centennial Edition.

The late Alfrredo Navarro Salanga said that Kilates’ “poems do not, as powerful poems do, hit you in the proverbial gut. His poems hit you in that region reserved for the mystic third eye, slightly above the bridge of one’s nose, set directly in front of one’s cerebrum.”

Right on the mark for hitting away those recession blues.

Kilates has served as UMPIL’s Secretary-General and is a current member of the Board of Directors.

Venue map:

Naganap sa Maria Concepcion Cruz High School noong ika-27 ng Hunyo ang ikalawang UNLAK at si Dr. Benilda S. Santos ang itinampok na awtor. Tulad ng nauna, naging mainit ang pagtanggap kay Santos lalo na’t sinikap niyang iagapay ang wika ng kaniyang panayam sa kakayahang makaunawa at matuwa ng mga bata.

Sa Mandaluyong City Science High School idinaos ang ikatlong UNLAK noong ika-25 ng Hulyo. Namangha ang mga mag-aaral sa mga ibinahaging teksto at retrato ni Dr. Marjorie Evasco na kagagaling-galing lamang noon sa isang pandaigdigang pagtatanghal ng tula sa bansang Mexico. Hinikayat pa niyang magsimulang magsulat ng tula ang mga bata sa pamamagitan ng paglikha ng mga bugtong.

Narito pa ang mga tampok na awtor, petsa, at lugar na pagdarausan ng mga susunod pang UNLAK para sa taong ito:

F. Sionil Jose, 7 Nobyembre, Bangkal High School, Lungsod ng Makati

Isagani Cruz, 28 Nobyembre, San Joaquin High School, Lungsod ng Pasig

Jose F. Lacaba (tentatibo), 12 Disyembre, Pateros National High School

Para sa mga karagdagang impormasyon, maaaring magtanong sa Komite ng Edukasyon ng UMPIL na pinamumunuan ni Michael M. Coroza. Maaari siyang tawagan sa 4266001 loc 5320 o sa 0919-2405215.

We have uploaded the full keynote speech of Korean writer Bang Hyun Seok titled, Internal Communication in Asia and The Quarterly Magazine of Literature Asia – To look at ourselves with our own eyes. Also, you can now view the annual report from chairperson Vim Nadera, as well as Michael Coroza’s tribute to the family of the late Adrian Cristobal.

Photos of the Congress can be found on our Multiply album.

This year’s special guest of honor, South Korean novelist and Asia Magazine Executive Director Bang Hyun-seok will discuss the theme “Trading Words, Tracing Worlds.”

A meeting discussing the Writers Welfare Act will follow. The Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas will be given out by 1 p.m.

The award is the highest form of recognition bestowed by UMPIL on Filipino writers who have published exceptional works of literature in any Philippine language. This year’s winners will receive trophies created by renowned artist Manuel Baldemor. They are:

• Ruperta Asuncion (Iluko poetry)
• Edgardo Maranan (Filipino/English poetry)
• James Na (Chinese poetry)
• Armando “Bing” Lao (Filipino screenplay)
• Delfin Tolentino (English essay)

The Gawad Paz Marquez Benitez will also be given to Prof. Ligaya Tiamson Rubin, and the Gawad Pedro Bucaneg to The Arejola Foundation for Social Responsibility, Inc.

Dr. Mario I. Miclat and Dr. Ruby G. Alcantara will host the convention. The program as follows:

• 8:00 Registration
• 9:00 National Anthem Mike M. Coroza
• Welcome Remarks Ryan V.Palad, GSIS Museum Curator
• 9:15 Chairman’s Report Vim D. Nadera, UMPIL Chair
• 9:30 Introduction of the Guest Speaker Karina Africa Bolasco
• 9:45 Keynote Speech Bang Hyun-seok, South Korea
• 11:00 Open Forum
• 12:00 LUNCH
• 1:00 UMPIL Committee Meetings
• 3:00 Pananalig sa Panitik Teo T. Antonio
• 3:15 Natatanging Bilang Neil de Mesa, Alegria Ferrer and George Yang
• 3:30 Gawad Pambansang sa Alagad ni Balagtas 2008 Ceremonies

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Long live the Filipino writer!