<3 Iligan
Man. The 16th Iligan National Writers Workshop was too damn short. Every second was a learning experience, a lot of us didn't bother sleeping anymore.
There were five writing fellows from Luzon, myself included. 5 more from Visayas, and 6 from Mindanao. Vast difference in language, culture, and experience. Everyone was sharing something about themselves and where they come from. It was amazing.
Yeah, all right, so our works were butchered by the panelists. That was their job anyway. But from the fellows alone, I think I learned more in the past week than I could by staying in Manila for a month.
Okay, left to right from bottom to top:
Guy in Muslim garb is Jonil, who is not actually Muslim. Instead, he is a Waray poet.
Girl with stupid face and black jacket is myself, representing the dirty underbelly of Manila. The lone playwright in this shindig.
Guy in orange looking like he won some money is Gab, a short story writer from Davao. He has, indeed, won 1500 pesos and the first place for best fiction category.
Guy in orange looking off-camera is TJ, also from Manila. Second place for best fiction story.
Standing row:
Guy in yellow Pacman-ghost shirt is Jason, a quiet poet from Manila. Why are poets so quiet?
Taller dude behind Jason, wearing tasteful plaid and a beautiful smile is Sam, a poet from Zamboanga city -- the city of Flowers. He is always so gentle but won't hesitate to smash a beer bottle over anyone who calls him fag.
Thin dude in white is Darren, also from Zamboanga. A poet and a seaman. Marino. Sailor. He writes poems with the sea as his captor and muse.
Girl in dark veil is Ever. A Tausug Muslim poet who I will always love and envy. She is calm-- at peace with herself. 16 years old, the youngest writing fellow.
Slightly-crouched guy in blue is Arvin, a Manila poet. He feels deeply, and always looks for punctuations.
Guy in blue behind him throwing the devil horns is Paulo, a short story writer from Zamboanga. One of the last true Mestisos, a descendant of the Spanish colonizers who used their religion to enslave us. Paulo dislikes the Church with a passion. ^_^
Dude in all black is Russ, a Cebuano poet. He is quiet, mysterious, and incredibly good-looking. He had tarot cards one night and gave me a reading. He knows me, and I trust him.
Incredibly happy girl is Mafe! From Manila! She is happy because she wrote an awesome story! That ties her at first place for fiction with Gab! She also received money!
Girl in green is Justine, a short story writer from Zamboanga. She says things sometimes when she's drunk. But we are sisters, of a sort.
Girl in denim jacket is hands down the best poet of our batch. She is Cindy, from Cebu. She is also the most humble.
Last guy on the right is Waray poet Harold. 2nd place in poetry. His poems have an earthly spirituality.
Not in the picture is Anderson, a Waray poet and comrade at arms. We both chose the pen over the riffle but as they say, katabi mo ako sa bukid, bayan ko. He left before the closing ceremony.
I have been to three writing workshops. This is by far the best.
There were five writing fellows from Luzon, myself included. 5 more from Visayas, and 6 from Mindanao. Vast difference in language, culture, and experience. Everyone was sharing something about themselves and where they come from. It was amazing.
Yeah, all right, so our works were butchered by the panelists. That was their job anyway. But from the fellows alone, I think I learned more in the past week than I could by staying in Manila for a month.
Okay, left to right from bottom to top:
Guy in Muslim garb is Jonil, who is not actually Muslim. Instead, he is a Waray poet.
Girl with stupid face and black jacket is myself, representing the dirty underbelly of Manila. The lone playwright in this shindig.
Guy in orange looking like he won some money is Gab, a short story writer from Davao. He has, indeed, won 1500 pesos and the first place for best fiction category.
Guy in orange looking off-camera is TJ, also from Manila. Second place for best fiction story.
Standing row:
Guy in yellow Pacman-ghost shirt is Jason, a quiet poet from Manila. Why are poets so quiet?
Taller dude behind Jason, wearing tasteful plaid and a beautiful smile is Sam, a poet from Zamboanga city -- the city of Flowers. He is always so gentle but won't hesitate to smash a beer bottle over anyone who calls him fag.
Thin dude in white is Darren, also from Zamboanga. A poet and a seaman. Marino. Sailor. He writes poems with the sea as his captor and muse.
Girl in dark veil is Ever. A Tausug Muslim poet who I will always love and envy. She is calm-- at peace with herself. 16 years old, the youngest writing fellow.
Slightly-crouched guy in blue is Arvin, a Manila poet. He feels deeply, and always looks for punctuations.
Guy in blue behind him throwing the devil horns is Paulo, a short story writer from Zamboanga. One of the last true Mestisos, a descendant of the Spanish colonizers who used their religion to enslave us. Paulo dislikes the Church with a passion. ^_^
Dude in all black is Russ, a Cebuano poet. He is quiet, mysterious, and incredibly good-looking. He had tarot cards one night and gave me a reading. He knows me, and I trust him.
Incredibly happy girl is Mafe! From Manila! She is happy because she wrote an awesome story! That ties her at first place for fiction with Gab! She also received money!
Girl in green is Justine, a short story writer from Zamboanga. She says things sometimes when she's drunk. But we are sisters, of a sort.
Girl in denim jacket is hands down the best poet of our batch. She is Cindy, from Cebu. She is also the most humble.
Last guy on the right is Waray poet Harold. 2nd place in poetry. His poems have an earthly spirituality.
Not in the picture is Anderson, a Waray poet and comrade at arms. We both chose the pen over the riffle but as they say, katabi mo ako sa bukid, bayan ko. He left before the closing ceremony.
I have been to three writing workshops. This is by far the best.