This year’s 22nd Iligan National Writers Workshop (INWW) awarded seven writing fellows the Jimmy Y. Balacuit Literary Award during the closing program at the Elena Tower Inn on May 29, 2015.
Dean Rosalinda C. Balacuit, former Dean of the MSU-IIT College of Engineering and widow of the late Dr. Jimmy Y. Balacuit, former Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension handed out the certificates and cash awards to the prize-winning writing fellows: Poetry – First Prize: Adonis R. Enricuso – Haya sa Coffee Shop; Honorable mentions: Mark Joseph N. Rafal for “Kung di’ Mo Man Randam ang Lukso ng Dugo”; and Jetrho C. Monares for “Huring”; for the Excerpt of Novel – First Prize: Amado Anthony G. Mendoza III for “Movovug: Isang Diksyunaryo” and Honorable mention: Ana Felisa E. Lorenzo for Memories of a Forgotten War.
In the Short Story, the First Prize went to Jondy M. Arpilleda for Bunok and Honorable mention went to Danilo Niño R. Calalang for Ang Anarkista; and, for the One-Act Play, the First Prize went to Maynard G. Manansala for Dalawang Gabi.
During the closing program, other highlights included the launching of the Proceedings of the 21st INWW entitled “To Voice My Own” edited by Christine Godinez-Ortega and published by the OPI, MSU-IIT and certificates were given to the recipients of writing fellowships: Manuel E. Buenafe Writing Fellow Nur-Saleha D. Dadayan of the Mindanao State University Integrated Laboratory School, Marawi City; the Ricardo Jorge S. Caluen Writing Fellow – Angelito G. Nambatac of Iligan City; and the Boy Abunda Writing Fellow –Kenneth Alvin L. Cinco of Tacloban City’s Leyte Normal University.
Guests who handed out the certificates to the above writing fellows were Ms. Beverly Faith Talpis Tanggol and Dr. Mary Joyce Z. Guinto Sali, Secretary to the MSUS Board of Regents.
The Iligan National Writers Workshop is an annual event hosted by the MSU-IIT with funding from the Office of the Chancellor’s Office of Publication and Information and the National Commission for Culture and Arts.
It accepted 18 writing fellows from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao with a teaching staff of nine panelists: Tim Tomlinson, President and Co-Founder of the New York Writers Workshop; J. Neil C. Garcia, UP Press Director; John Iremil Teodoro of Miriam College; Vic Sugbo, retired professor of UP College Tacloban; Macario D. Tiu of the Ateneo de Davao University; Erlinda Kintanar Alburo, former Director fo the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos; and the resident panellists, Steven Patrick Fernandez, German V. Gervacio, and Christine Godinez-Ortega, the Workshop Director.
The opening program, held at the MSU-IIT Mini-theater was graced by Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol welcoming the guests and in showing support for the literary arts. The Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) also helped celebrate the event that left the panelists and writing fellows awed by the performance. Moreover, poet, author and critic J. Neil Garcia, an alumnus of the first INWW in 1994, gave his keynote lecture on the literary uses of mythology.
The workshop’s sessions were held alternately at the MSU-IIT Boardroom, Elena Tower Inn, and the Macaraeg-Macapagal Ancestral House.
The ethno-linguistic diversity of this workshop is what makes it a truly national one. The INWW has become an avenue, not just for the growth of young talents and further enhancement of the craft of the published writers but also for the enrichment of language, literature, and culture.
The Office of Publication & Information (OPI), the Mindanao Creative Writers Group, Inc., funded by the OPI and the National Commission for Culture & Arts (NCCA) released the names of 18 writing fellows for the 22nd Iligan National Writers Workshop (INWW) to be held on May 25-29, 2015.
The 18 Iligan workshop fellows, the literary genres, geographic area and schools are:
LUZON-Poetry (English): Joel Donato C. Jacob/Sto. Domingo, Laguna/UP Diliman; Mark Joseph Natividad Rafal/Manila/Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Ana Felisa E. Lorenzo/Quezon City/UP Diliman; FICTION – Short Story (Filipino): Danilo Nino R. Calalang/Manila/UP Diliman; Excerpt of Novel (Filipino) Amado Anthony G. Mendoza III/Quezon City/UP Diliman; and, Play (Filipino) Maynard G. Manansala/Makati City/Miriam College.
VISAYAS – FICTION – Short Story (English): Silvin Federic R. Maceren/Lapulapu City/ Silliman University; (Sebuano): Jesson J. Morata/Lapulapu City/ Cebu Institute of Technology University ; POETRY (Waray) Boy Abunda Writing Fellow –Kenneth Alvin L. Cinco/Tacloban City/Leyte Normal University; and, Jetrho C. Monares /Tacloban City/Leyte Normal University.
MINDANAO – FICTION – Short Story (English)- Seneca Pellano/Tagum City/UP Diliman; (Sebuano) Jondy M. Arpilleda/Tandag City/Surigao del Sur State University ; the Ricardo Jorge S. Caluen Writing Fellow – Angelito G. Nambatac/Iligan City/MSU-IIT; POETRY (Sebuano) Adonis R. Enricuso/Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur/MSU-IIT; John Michael C. Lagura/Oroquieta City/MSU-IIT; and, (English) Benedicto P. Aguilar/ Cagayan de Oro City/Ateneo de Manila University; the Manuel E. Buenafe Writing Fellow Nur-Saleha D. Dadayan/Marawi City/Mindanao State University Integrated Laboratory School; and, PLAY (Sebuano) Jim C. Raborar/Koronadal City/Agricultural Training Institute-Region 12.
This year, the keynote speaker is the poet, author and critic Dr. J. Neil C. Garcia, Director of the University of the Philippines Press. The panelists are: John Iremil Teodoro, Macario D. Tiu, Victorio N. Sugbo, Erlinda Kintanar Alburo, Tim Tomlinson, the resident panelists, Steven Patrick C. Fernandez, German V. Gervacio and the workshop Director, Christine Godinez Ortega.
Another highlight this year will be the launching of the 21st INWW Proceedings titled “To Voice My Own” with last year’s keynote lecturer Hope Sabanpan Yu. It is published by MSU-IIT OPI and edited by Godinez-Ortega.
The Office of Publication & Information (OPI), the Department of English of the College of Arts & Social Sciences (CASS) funded by the OPI and the National Commission for Culture & Arts (NCCA) released the names of 15 writing fellows during the 21st Iligan National Writers Workshop (INWW) to be held on May 26-31, 2014.
The OPI and the Department of English will likewise hold the Second Mindanao Writers & Teachers Summit on May 23-24, 2014 at the CASSalida Theatre (see separate news release).
The 15 Iligan workshop fellows, the literary genres, geographic area and schools are: LUZON- Poetry (English): Lawdenmarc Y. Decamora/San Fernando, Pampanga/De La Salle University; (Filipino): Rommel V. Roxas/Manila/University of Santo Tomas; (Bicol): Allan Popa/Quezon City/UP Diliman; Short Story (Filipino): Seymour B. Sanchez/Pasay City/UP Diliman; and Creative Non-Fiction (English): Nastasia Mikhaila L. Tysmans/ Quezon City/Ateneo de Manila University.
VISAYAS- Short Story (Sebuano): The Gumercindo Rafanan Writing Fellow -Manuel M. Avenido, Jr./Cebu City/ Cebu Normal University; (Waray) Boy Abunda Writing Fellow -Jeremy Alexandre O. Evardone/Palapag, Northern Samar/University of Eastern Philippines; (Hiligaynon) Early Sol A. Gadong/Iloilo City/ UP Visayas in Iloilo; Excerpt of Novel (English) Le-an Lai Lacaba/Tacloban City/UP College Tacloban; and, POETRY (Waray) Ela Mae G. Salazar/Basey, Samar/ Leyte Normal University.
MINDANAO- Short Story (English)- Maria Karlene Shawn I. Cabaraban/Cagayan de Oro City/ Xavier University; Edmond Julian Y. De La Cerna/Davao City/ UP Mindanao; (Filipino) Karen Y. Ramos/Iligan City/MSU-IIT; and, POETRY (English) Amado C. Guinto, Jr./ Iligan City/MSU-IIT.
This year, the keynote speaker is the Sebuano poet, translator and critic Dr. Hope Sabanpan Yu, Director of the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos (USC). The panelists this year are: John Iremil Teodoro, Merlie M. Alunan, Macario D. Tiu, Victorio N. Sugbo, Ralph Semino Galan, the Director of the New York Creative Writing Workshop, Tim Tomlinson and the resident panelists, Steve Fernandez, German Gervacio and the workshop Director, Christine Godinez Ortega.
Another highlight this year will be the launching of the 20th INWW Proceedings with last year’s keynote lecturer Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr. It is published by MSU-IIT OVCRE and edited by Godinez-Ortega.
