Bueabod Editors Attend National Confab

The editors, Melchor F. Cichon and John Barrios, of this journal attended the Philippine PEN National Conference at the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City, on December 3, 2005. Two other Aklanons from the Aklan State University in Banga, Aklan also attended the same conference.

This is the first time that Philippine Center of International PEN held this conference in Iloilo City.

The theme of conference was "Mapping Our Multilingual Literatures".

Some of the prominent Filipino writers who attended the conference were Alejandro Roces, the former Secretrary of Education and recently was proclaimed as the 2005 National Artist awardee.

Other Filipino writers who attended the conference were Palanca Hall Famer, Leoncio P. Deriada, Erlinda Arburo, Merlie M. Alunan, Genevieve L. Asenjo, Isagani Cruz, and Agustin Misola.

The speakers pointed out if NCCA will continue its financial support in the various workshops, writing grants, and contests, the so-called marginalized literature will be brought to the mainstream.

It was also pointed out that if Palanca Award will expand its coverage in its contests, the marginalized literatures in the provinces will be developed.

Other strategies the speakers and the participants advanced include the removal of the words maintream and marginalized in Filipino literatures, but instead call them Philippine Literature.

Some delegates pointed out if local literatures are taught in high schools and in colleges, this will facilitate the integration of local literature to the national literature.

But some participants pointed out that there are not much anthologies of local literatures have been published.

Another delegate pointed his experience in using the internet in reaching out to more people, and in encouraging more people to write poems and short stories.

Dr. Leoncio P. Deriada delivered the keynote address while this year's Jose Rizal Lecturer was Agustin Misola, a Hiligaynon writer and an UMPIL awardee.