The 6th PILF in Duterte City

It's been exactly a week since I came back from Davao. I went there to participate in the 6th Philippine International Literary Festival, specifically and aptly entitled Lalang (a local word which means "creation") this year. The PILF, a landmark project of the National Book Development Board (NBDB), aims to celebrate literature and promote best publishing practices through discourse on the issues of authorship and readership which shape the local book industry.  It's the first time that the PILF was brought outside of Manila and this year's theme was Writing in Place. Creating Your Place. And, I would say they picked the perfect place for such event because Davao's writing community is very much active and flourishing. This also made it easier for writers, readers, students, and lovers of Literature from all over Mindanao and Visayas to come and participate in the Festival.

As with my Taboan experience, my Lalang experience was great! I felt like I was dreaming. To be in the company of international, national, and local writers I've only read about or studied and discussed in my Literature classes felt surreal. Seeing and catching up with seasoned as well as emerging writers I've met in the workshops, the ReaderCon, and Taboan also added more excitement and happiness to my already-oozing-with-awesomeness experience! Well, when the "big names" recognize and remember you, address you by your first name, and ask how you're doing and if you're still writing, it's enough to give you mini heart attacks.

Me with Bebang Siy

Among others, I finally met Bebang Siy, whom I wrote about a few blog entries back, and Manix Abrera of the KikoMachine Komix fame! I've been a fan of both writers since the very first time I read their work. I felt I just had to introduce myself and I did! I kept telling myself it wasn't a good time to be shy. Haha! And, my courage paid off! I ended up becoming friends with them. In fact, when I approached Bebang Siy (which took almost all my strength to keep it together), she recognized me immediately. She knew me from FB because my blog entry about her reached her. You can imagine how happy I was. They, Bebang and Manix (ehem, ehem, nickname basis!), were both so friendly and nice. It was amazing to know that, despite their fame and success, they've remained very humble. Manix even seemed to be really shy at times. It appeared to me like they haven't really grasped the extent of their popularity. And, my God, they were both hilarious! Not that I didn't expect that. Haha!
 

Me with Manix Abrera

Oh, and I also met Charmaine Carreon, a.k.a. Shane Carreon, whose poetry I've been in love with for a few years now. Although we've been FB friends for a while now (thanks to our common friend and my best friend, Roger Garcia) and we've exchanged a few messages, we hadn't met in person yet. Meeting her was yet another one of those moments when I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. And, even if, afterwards, I spent almost all my free time with Shane, Sol (that's my uber-prolific yet very humble Hiligaynon writer friend), and Roj, and I'd become very comfortable in their company, I'd still see a little version of myself excitedly dancing around making me feel that all of this was just a dream. Haha! And, did I mention that my roommate was Kristine Ong Muslim? Prolific writer, internationally published, award-winning, read and studied in US universities, with hundreds of short stories and a handful of novels to her name! Yeah, yeah, little BabyPink, dancing around! See?

Me with Shane Carreon

Meeting these amazing writers in the morning of the first day of the Festival was a good sign and I knew I was in for a wonderful experience. And, true enough, it was one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had. I fangirl-ed like there was no tomorrow and, if given another chance, I'd do it again. And, again! I don't think I will ever outgrow my being a fan of all these great writers. There are some who have become friends and personal acquaintances of mine, but I still find myself in some sort of euphoric trance whenever I'm with them or talking to them. And, I admit that without a morsel of embarrassment in it! :-P

Anyway, enough of that, let's get back to why I was actually in the Festival. I was there to be a panelist/speaker in the panel entitled New Mindanawon Writings, and also to be the moderator for the So What Do Readers Want? panel. Both panel discussions were so much fun. Actually, all panel discussions in the festival were really interesting. That made it difficult and sometimes almost impossible to choose which panel to sit in and listen to. But, all the panel discussions I did decide to join were absolutely great. I learned so many things and got to know more about some writers I've always been interested in. An interesting panel that comes to mind right now is the one about Wattpad and how this new platform has changed readership and even authorship in the Philippines. It was pointed out that Wattpad can no longer be ignored. It is, indeed, difficult to ignore something that sells more than a hundred thousand copies when, normally, we have a hard time selling only a thousand copies of the "more literary" ones. We also got to meet and listen to foreign writers like Okky Madasari of Indonesia, Ondrej Neff of Czech Republic, and Noel King of Australia among others.

Me with Okky Madasari

I was particularly drawn to the novelist, Okky Madasari, who is definitely an inspiration. I take her to be a very brave and outspoken author, especially based on her choice of themes and subject matter in her work. I do hope her novels will be available in the Philippines soon. To me personally, her being a Muslim from a traditional and conservative background adds more to her charm. Her work is often taken as a tad too controversial in Indonesia, but she says that she takes it as her job to show, even through fiction, some realities that some people refuse to acknowledge. With her in the panel were Mia Alvar, Jose "Butch" Dalisay, and Ondrej Neff. The discussion was truly inspiring and enlightening.

The panel I moderated, So What Do Readers Want?, was like a one-panel summary of a ReaderCon. The speakers were book blogger Aicha Amano, Filipino ReaderCon founder and organizer Honey de Peralta, and young writer Marc Josiah Pranza. Aicha talked about herself as a reader and the very interesting phases that she's found herself in from the time she started reading to the present. Honey talked about reading communities, book clubs, and reader conferences. When it comes to that, she is THE authority, I'd say! My experience in the Filipino ReaderCon 2013 was unforgettable. I had so much fun there and also made a few friends. I have Honey de Peralta and her friends to thank for that! Josiah, on the other hand, talked about what young readers (college-level) like to read nowadays. It was a very informative panel and because there were so many things that they could and wanted to share, we didn't have so much time for the open forum. We only had time to entertain two questions from the audience. But, the two questions were really good ones. I really enjoyed the panel discussion especially because I've always taken it upon myself to promote the love for reading. And, when Honey said that she didn't believe that Filipinos were not readers, the statement got a resounding approval from the audience. And, that made me really happy! :-)

Aicha Amano, Honey de Peralta, and Josiah Pranza

By the way, another thing that got me so excited in that panel was formally meeting Gilbert Tan of General Santos City. I first encountered him through his blog. And, when I participated in the ReaderCon back in 2013, I got to listen to him talk about his love for reading and his preference for books (print ones) over e-books. I never forgot him and I've always wanted to meet him. The reason? Well, he just happens to be the proud owner of the largest personal library in Mindanao! He's cool like that! And, super nice, too! After the conclusion of the panel discussion, he approached me and introduced himself. I told him I knew him and how that came about. And, just like that, we got to talking! He listened to my talk at the other panel later that day and we got to talk more. He told me he loved attending these kinds of literary events because they made him feel he's not alone and that he's not weird or anything, that people understood him.

Me with Gilbert Tan

Before the second day of the Festival ended, I sat as speaker in the New Mindanawon Writings panel. The description for our panel was "Meet the emerging writers slowly making their mark in the literary scene of the island." There were supposed to be four of us in the panel: Rolly Jude Ortega, Nassefh Macla, Kristine Ong Muslim, and yours truly. But, Nassefh didn't make it. Our panel moderator was Anvil Publishing head honcho, Karina Bolasco.

We all talked about our (literary) works and how we actually work. I, in particular, talked about how being a Meranaw, a Moro, and a Mindanawon helped shape me into the writer that I am or the writer that I want to be. Kristine and Jude talked about their works and their experiences as writers. Jude talked about how his hometown, Sultan Kudarat, not only shaped him as a writer but shaped almost all of his works as well. Kristine talked about how she actually didn't write much about her place or her being Filipino. Their talks were really interesting. I loved listening to their every point. The exchange with the audience during the open forum was also very interesting. It was altogether an eye-opening and fun panel discussion. :-)

  

What I realized after everything that was said and asked during the panel discussion is that Mindanawon writing is so rich and, at the moment, so full of promise. We've produced some of the best writers the Philippines has ever known and we will continue to produce great writers. And, we will continue to write of and for our beloved Mindanao and for our country as a whole. There are so many promising young writers in Mindanao right now and I hope we can help open doors for them the way the people who worked hard for this Festival to come to reality are helping open doors for us. Thank you, PILF Team! :-)

Me, Jude Ortega, and Kristine Ong Muslim

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Here's the FB status (without the photos) I posted as soon as I got home from my Davao trip:
 


Kuwentong Lalang, ang 6th Philippine International Literary Festival!

Our little colorful family

Surreal kung surreal! Noong isang gabi, nasa Davao ako, kasama ko ang mahuhusay na manunulat na sina Roger Gracia, Shane Carreon at Early Sol Gadong, nilibre kami ng hapunan ng diyosang manunulat na si Jhoanna Lynn Cruz (na siyang pag-aaralan ko sa aking tesis) at ng partner niyang si Mags Maglana. Napakasarap ng pagkain sa Tiny Kitchen! Lalo na ng mango sans rival nila na may pagka-mango float ang dating! Hahaha! Sarreh, Shane! :-P

Lunch with some of the biggest names in Philippine Literature today

Kahapon, kasama naming nananghalian ni Roger ang pinaka-rak en rol na Pinoy komikero na si Manix Abrera! Kasama din namin sina Isagani Cruz, Voltaire Oyzon at Eros Atalia! Pagbalik namin sa hotel, nakikain pa ako sa French Fries ni Macario Tiu. Nakuha ko pang makipagbiruan kina Eros, Manix, Roger at Karlo David! Wattpad pa more! ;-D

Me with Mac Tiu

Kagabi lang, nag-dinner ako kasama sina Kristine Ong Muslim, Shane, Sol, Voltaire, at Roger. At tila na-Budol Budol Gang kami ni Shane sa kanyang post-modern take sa Wattpad! May naisip na experiment si Voltaire at may gustong mag-shyangel_17 at lonelycafe_21! Hahaha! Pagkatapos naming kumain, naghiwa-hiwalay na kami at nagkape kami ni Roj sa baba lang ng hotel. Nag-isip-isip kami kung good idea ba na bumili ng sapatos doon o pag-uwi na lang. Bumaba sina Shane at Sol at nag-decide kaming magpunta sa LitOrgy na, sa mga oras na 'yun, ay kasalukuyang gianganap sa may Sales Bar sa Sales St. Kasama rin namin ang sikat na sikat na Cebuano BisRock vocalist na si Insoy Ninal (Missing Filemon). Noong nasa LitOrgy na kami, napakarami pang kaibigang manunulat ang nadatnan namin doon. At habang nakikinig sa mga estudyanteng nagbasa ng kanilang mga tula, naisip ko na napaka-promising ng future ng panitikang Dabawenyo! Magaling ang emerging writers nila at napakasuwerte nila kasi napakahuhusay din ng mga nagtuturo at gumagabay sa kanila. Sobra din akong natuwa kasi nakita namin doon at nakapag-reconnect kami nina Teomie Nale at ng kapapanalo lang ng award na Shem Linohon, na parehong galing pa sa Bukidnon!  

Me, with Jombits Quintos, John Bengan, and Jepoi Javier

At, habang nandoon kami, ipinahamak kami ng super riot na si Bebang Siy kaya natawag kami sa stage para magbasa ng mga tula. Nagbasa ako ng tula ni Mesandel Arguelles. Pero iginanti naman kami ni Ronald Verzo na seryoso at Ingglesero pala sa totoong buhay! Haha! Nakipag-chismisan kami kina Jombits Quintos, John Bengan, Jeffrey Javier at Jude Ortega sa may rooftop. Sinagad talaga namin hanggang closing time ang gimik! At, bago maghiwa-hiwalay ay nakaisip ng magandang project si Bebang. Hindi ko muna sasabihin kung ano 'yun pero laugh trip ito! New ito sa New Mindanawon Writings! Haha! :-)

Me, Ricardo de Ungria, and NBDB's Graciela Mendoza-Cayton

Ilan lamang ito sa mga pangyayari sa labas ng mismong festival! Hindi ko makakalimutan ang 6th PILF! Maraming salamat! :-)