The Fellers I Met in Iligan

*Disclaimer: The content of this post is based purely on my opinion and does not reflect the true personalities of the writers featured herewith. For complete details, try to get to know them in person, they don't bite, I think...hehe

In no particular order (Thanks, Glenn for the photos):

Glenn dyed his hair blond, so I guess that means he's cool

Vijae looks kind of angry here, but he actually smiles a lot in real life

Don't get on Mich's bad side, because as Denver put it, she will do as she pleases

Roger's gonna critique you real good

Don't look into Kei's eyes, being a psyche grad, she's gonna read you and psychologize you

Grace is yet to set a world record of getting the most number of dates in one day

Ms. Maimona gave us real nice shawls/scarves!

Erik looks like your average quiet guy, but he's not that average

Gil took lots of pics while we were there and I think he forgot to lend me some for this blog

Mark has a thing for Marlboros and engines

Bonifacio likes to play

Deo will argue with you no matter who you are

who's this?

Jacob's a real adventure seeker...or stranger seeker heehee

Father might have gotten annoyed at our rogue behaviors

Denver likes writing about bamboo poles and belts

Allen is surprisingly...talkative

Day I 18th Iligan Workshop

Day I of the workshop was my Day II in Iligan City. I'd been cooped up in the Maria Cristina Hotel (due to my kuripot-ness, been waiting for our allowance to be released). Though I wasn't alone in my kuripot-ness as everyone else, I discovered, was running low on moolah.

In the morning of May 23, we had the opening session. We rode the service van to MSU and headed for the MSU Board Room (or was it Theater?), where we listened to our most lively keynote speaker: Pearlsha B. Abubakar, a prize-winning fictionist, performer, composer, scorer and journalist (whew!). I can't forget this part of her speech, that we as writers, "must make a career out of feeling," despite the obvious difficulty of attaining financial success by going the less traveled path.

We, the fellows, were also privileged enough to watch the Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) dance what I was later told was the Pangalay. Pangalay is apparently their word for "dancing". IPAG created their unique version, where they combined dance sequences used for courtship and battle scenes. Most prominent in this type of dance are the movements of the hands. Clad in their silken garb, The dancers maintained grace and precision whether it be for scenes of courtship or the display of martial arts. I was enthralled by the dancer who, with brass clawed hands, balanced herself on two bamboo shafts. This is the part of the dance called apatong.

The Presentation of Fellows at the Theater (From left, Deo was late by the way :b): Denver Torres, Mich Tan, Jacob Dominguez, Anne Abad, Grace Abogado, Kei Valmoria-Bughaw, Glenn Munez, Maimona Magayoong, Gil Montinola, Erik Tuban, Vijae Alquisola, Bonifacio Javier III, Mark Daposala, Allen Samsuya, Roger Garcia, Jonecito R. Saguban

Fear thy Panelists (From left): Erlinda Kintanar Alburo, Merlie M. Alunan, Steven Patrick C. Fernandez, Pearlsha B. Abubakar, German V. Gervacio, Godinez-Ortega and Prof. John Iremil Teodoro

 After the opening session, we had lunch then moved on to the workshop proper.

And who's first? Me! And where was I? Somewhere out there, getting a glass of water or having a CR break. Returned to the Board Room wondering why everyone was looking at me. And well yeah, because they decided that my poem "At the Breakfast Table" should go first as it starts with an "A."

"Miss, Chinese ka?"

Day I in Iligan City (May 22, Sunday)

I arrived in CDO airport at 7:30AM. It was a very basic airport, with a small waiting area (about eight seats). I was looking for someone from the Iligan Workshop, because I'd been told someone would meet me at the airport. In any case, by 9AM, no one was there. Silly me, I didn't even get any contact person's number. Good thing Dr. Christine texted me just when I was about to panic. She asked if I was still at the airport. Apparently, the van was coming in the afternoon not in the morning...I sighed. That meant I had to take a taxi to the bus terminal so I could commute to Iligan City.

I came out of the airport. And several taxi drivers waved to me, like old friends. But I heard them whispering among themselves, "Uy, Chinese!"

Now hearing that, I wouldn't have ridden a taxi, however, I had no other choice! Couldn't ride a habal-habal with my luggage around. So I hired one of them and asked how much to the bus station. "P350," the driver said. And I was like "I was informed it's only P300!" (this was all in Tagalog of course). Then he went on about how gas prices have been going up. Etcetera Etcetera.

Arriving at the bus station, these men, probably porters, grabbed my luggage despite my protests. I said I didn't need their help (as my bag is only 7 kilos for goodness sake), but it was all to no avail. Had to pay the guy for carrying my stuff. For the bus fare, I paid P145, plus porter, P170.

Now I take another taxi to bring me to the Maria Cristina Hotel. Again, this driver comments about my being Chinese, "Miss Chinese ka no?"

And well guess what, I got ripped off again. For such a short distance from the Iligan bus station, he charged me P100.

Total Damage = P620 within 3 hours

Amazing. I dare say I do love adventures. Just not the kind that empties my pocket within a few hours. Then again this is the Philippines. Why am I surprised? What is it about being or ehem, looking, a bit chinky-eyed? It's racism, I tell you.

It's been quite an experience, though. And I'm expecting more. :)

"Fern" published in the Sunday Inquirer Magazine?

I was surfing around looking for my book, if it's doing well in search engines, and instead found my poem "Fern"!

I wonder how it got there? I don't remember submitting it to SIM. I don't even know if it's also in print. But I think I might have an idea who sent it in. Will have to check it out first cuz I'll have that person to thank. :)

Index of Published Works

Here's a list of my published works as of May 2011. Hopefully I can add more to this list before 2011 ends:

Fiction
ΕΞΙΣ gods, ghosts and battered cellphones (eBook, 2011) - eTreasures Publishing
Laws of Stone (Soon, 2011) - Library of Science Fiction, print and eBook
The Privilege (Apr 2011) - The Philippines Free Press; also available in print
Topheth No More (Oct 4 2010) - Printed in The Philippines Graphic Magazine
Songs of Urban Phantoms (Feb 2010) - Expanded Horizons
It Takes Seven (June 2010) - Three Crow Press

Poetry
Fern (May 15, 2011) - The Sunday Inquirer Magazine
Law of Motion (2011) - Damazine

17 fellows to the 18th Iligan Workshop

Reposted from the MSU website:

Seventeen writing fellows out of 78 applicants from all over the country are attending the 18th Iligan National Writers Workshop (INWW) on May 23-27, 2011 to be held at the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). They are:

Luzon: Play (Filipino): Bonifacio Alfonso M. Javier III, Bacoor, Cavite/ UP Diliman; Poetry (Filipino): Vijae O. Alquisola,Lucena City/ De La Salle University; (English): Anne Carly S. Abad, Quezon City/Ateneo de Manila University; and, Jacob Walse Dominguez, Marikina City/University of Sto. Tomas; Fiction (English): Michelle Abigail Tiu Tan, Quezon City/Ateneo de Manila University.
Visayas: Poetry (Waray): Mary Grace H. Abogado (Boy Abunda Writing Fellow), Borongan, Eastern Samar/ Leyte Normal University; (Hiligaynon) Gil Salanio Montinola, Mina, Iloilo/West Visayas State University (Main); (Sebuano) Glenn T. Munez, Cebu City/Cebu Normal University; Erik E. Tuban, Mandaue City/Center for Industrial Technology Enterprise; and, Denver Ejem Torres, Cebu City/Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan).

Mindanao: Play (Filipino): Rogelio F. Garcia, Cagayan de Oro City/Xavier University; Poetry (English): Allen Faw B. Samsuya, Cotabato City/UP Mindanao; and, Maimona W. Magayoong, Marawi City/UP Diliman; and, (Sebuano): Mark Anthony L. Daposala (Manuel E. Buenafe Writing Fellow), Cagayan de Oro City/Xavier University. Fiction (English): Deo Charis I. Mostrales, Iligan City/ Ateneo de Manila University; Fiction (Sebuano): Jonecito R. Saguban, TOR, Iligan City/St. Joseph Seminary College; and, Kei S. Valmoria-Bughaw (Ricardo Jorge S. Caluen Writing Fellow), Surigao City/University of San Carlos.

The Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) performs during the opening program on May 23 at the MSU-IIT Mini-theatre while the closing program and launching of the 17th INWW proceedings titled, The Poetry of Place, edited by Christine Godinez-Ortega will be held on May 27.

Panelists this year are: Leoncio P. Deriada, Merlie M. Alunan, Erlinda Kintanar Alburo, Ralph Semino Galan, Steven Patrick C. Fernandez, German V. Gervacio, Godinez-Ortega and this year’s Keynote Speaker, Pearlsha B. Abubakar (INWW, 2002).

The 18th INWW is hosted by the Mindanao Creative Writers Group (MCWG) and the MSU-IIT Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Extension. The workshop is funded by the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) and the MSU-IIT.