Fellows for 3rd Cordillera writing workshop named

BAGUIO CITY -- Sixteen creative writers from the Cordillera and northern Philippines were recently named fellows in the Third Cordillera Creative Writing Workshop.

The Third Cordillera Creative Writing Workshop (CCWW) fellows are Joana Kathleen Abgao (Baguio City) - Short Story, Iloko; ConvironAltatis (Baguio City) - Poetry Kankanaey; Mark Anthony Austria (Bugallon, Pangasinan) - Poetry, Pangasinan; Edison Balansi (Tabuk, Kalinga) - Poetry, Kalinga; Anneth Bun-as (Tinglayan, Kalinga) - Short Story, Kalinga; Megan Casilla (Baguio City) Short Story, Kankanaey; Leah Cruz (Basco, Batanes) - Poetry, Ivatan;  JesamyneDiokno (San Carlos, Pangasinan) Short Story, Pangasinan.

Also named as fellows are Jonavey Grace Dupagan (Malasiqui, Pangasinan) - Poetry, Pangasinan; Io Jularbal (Baguio City) Creative Nonfiction, Iloko; Francisco Lazaro (Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur) - Poetry, Iloko; Bobby Moreno (Sablan, Benguet) - Short Story, Kankanaey; Rhe-Ann Ngayaan (La Trinidad, Benguet) - Poetry, Kankanaey;  GlaizaPatongao (Baguio City) - Creative Nonfiction, Kalinga; Vicente Raras (Calamanuigan, Cagayan) - Poetry, Iloko and Santiago Villafania (Pangasinan) - Poetry, Pangasinan.

The panel of critics is composed of Palanca-award winning writers Herminio Beltran Jr., Francis Macansantos, and Prof. Victor Emmanuel Carmelo NaderaJr.Dr. Priscilla Supnet-Macansantos and Prof. DelfinTolentinoJr will serve as guest lecturers.

The workshop will be held on May 22 to 26 at Hotel Supreme, Magsaysay Avenue, Baguio City.

Objectives of the workshop are to educate individuals in the theories and concepts on aesthetics in the different genres of creative writing, giving special emphasis on writing in the indigenous languages of the Cordilleras and Northern Philippines and  frame the art and practice of creative writing within the larger contexts of regional and national literary history and culture.

The workshop also aims to foreground specific traditions in the literary practices in the region, to create a space for the discussion of special issues in creative writing practices in the region, to provide open channel for new works from aspiring writers of the Cordillera and Northern Philippines.

The CCWW is a joint project of the University of the Philippines Baguio and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The first CCWW was held in April 2007 in Baguio, and the second was held in Sagada in April 2009.

This year’s workshop coordinator is Dr. Elizabeth Calinawagan, chairperson of the UP Baguio Committee for Culture and the Arts.