BIGAON | by: Ish Fabicon | |||
Cirilo F. Bautista a professor at De Salle University and a Palanca Memorial awardee for poetry listed the top ten short stories in English written by Pinoy writers. Here are Bautista's choices:
Bautista says he based his list on his "many years of teaching Philippine literature in English on the collegiate level. My students' reactions to and evaluation of the stories, our discussion of their weak and strong points, and their impact on the students' perception of cultural values - these were the main criteria for the selection of the stories. The numbers in this list do not indicate the order of their excellence, but something about their time of publication." I wonder how many among the Silak readers have read Bautista's choices. Personally, I love Benitez' "Dead Stars" and Arguillas "How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife." Many writers may disagree with Bautista's choices. However, it is significant to note that - after reading the stories - the reader is given a dose of how Pinoy writing in English evolved from influences of American literature to "finding" a focus on the more subtle nuances of short story writing. o0o Is there a need for a similar list of Asi writing in poetry? Are the poems we had read or have read evolved from the influences of American prose and poetry? The late Prof. Gabriel Fabella Sr. attempted in 1957 an anthology of Asi writers in an unpublished typewritten collection of poems written by Cleto Forjes, C. Faigao, Lorenzo Fojas, Eusebio Ferriol Luistro, Diogracias Fetalino, Ildefonso Musico, Rufo Faigao, to mention only a few. These Asi poems were written during the middle 20's to the late 30's. In his introduction, Prof. Fabella seem to imply that these poems are representative of the "golden age" of Asi writing in Banton. However, most of the Asi poems tend to model the poetic styles of known American poets as taught in Philippine public schools during that period - notably Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. What is the future of Asi poetry? In the many souvenir programs and "literary" sections that were included in these publications, the Asi poems still carry an "excess baggage" of Longfellow. This writer believes that the Asi poem in free verse, if I were to quote, Jose Garcia Villa, can be "slender as a bell" or as "musical as the sea gull." The late Ildefonso Musico probably had this in mind when he wrote in 1937, "Isag Sa Gab-i:"
What beautiful imagery written in pure Bantoanon! In tribute to Manong Ponsong Musico, I wrote this in 1994:
Nick Joaquin in his essay, "A Heritage of Smallness" puts to task our Pinoy identity, "Society for the Filipino is a small rowboat: the barangay. Geography for the Filipino is a small locality: the barrio. History for the Filipino is a small vague saying: matanda pa kay Mahoma; noon pang peacetime. Enterprise for the Filipino is a small stall: the sari-sari. Industry and production for the Filipino are the small immediate scratchings of each day: isang kahig, isang tuka. And commerce for the Filipino is the very small degree of retail: the tingi." What about our own Bantoanon identity? I leave that to our readers to think seriously on the profoundness of Nick Joaquin's essay as it touches a nerve on the Bantoanon islander. o0o The ongoing SEC registration of RDL-CLEAR an acronym for Romblon Discussion List - Cultural, Livelihood and Educational Assistance for Romblon, might have pioneered a new spirit of sanrokan and volunteerism in the province of Romblon. RDL-CLEAR is a cyberchild nourished by expats
in the U.S., Canada and subscribers in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Promoting
computer literacy and reforestation in the province are two gems worth the support of the
local community and its leadership. Success will be measured by the commitment of those
who have opted that making a difference on the lives of the underprivileged in Romblon is
spiritually and virtually:-) rewarding. |
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Volume II No 4 |
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