EVERYBODY WANTS TO COME HOME (June 23, 2008)

U.P. beloved, thou Alma Mater dear
For thee united, our joyful voices hear
Far tho we wander, o'er island yonder
Loyal thy sons we'll ever be
Loyal thy sons we'll ever be.

While beyond the Quezon City Hall those gender-insensitive lines (written by Teogenes Velez set into music by Nicanor Abelardo) echoed far and wide as UP Naming Mahal, the Commission on Higher Education appeared to be unmindful being all-too busy with its Technical Committees for Humanities having their oath-taking at the Sulo Hotel last June 18. Dr. Alfredo P. Co chairs the Philosophy committee with Dr. Manuel B. Dy, Jr., Dr. Jesus Rodrigo Torres, Dr. Florentino T. Timbreza, and Dr. Ciriaco M. Sayson as members. Fr. Jose Antonio E. Aureada, OP chairs the Catholic Religious Education with Sr. Maria Anicia B. Co, RVM, Rev. Fr. Antolin V. Uy, SVD, Rev. Fr. Adolfo N. Dacanay, SJ, and Bro. Rey Evaristo M. Vargas as members. Bishop Emerito P. Nacpil chairs the Protestant Religious Educations committee with Bishop Efraim Tendero, Bishop Pio S. Tica, Rev. Alex Fuentes, and Dr. Feljun Fuentes as members. Dr. Manaros B. Boransing chairs the Islamis Religious Education with Dr. Arturo F. Eustaquio II, Dr. Abdullah Madale, Dr. Mashur Bin Ghalib Jundam, and Prof. Amil J. Hassan as members. Dr. Maria Luz C. Vilches chairs the English Language committee with Dr. Marilu Madrunio, Dr. Alice Karaan, Dr. Ma. Milagros C. Laurel, and Dr. Mildred R. Laurilla as members. Dr. Paquito B. Badayos chairs the Filipino Language committee with Dr. Corazon L. Santos, Dr. Rhoderick V. Nuncio, and Dr. Sheilee B. Vega as members. Prof. Evelyn Soriano chairs the Foreign Languages committee with Prof. Edgardo Tiamzon, Dr. Viveca Hernandez, Ms. Daisy Sy, and Mr. Joseph Martin M.Yap as members. Prof. Virginia B. Dandan chairs the Fine Arts and Interior Design with Prof. Guia M. De La Cruz, Dean Jaime De Los Santos, Prof. Raquel Florendo, and Ms. Sonia Olivarez as members. Dean Ramon G. Acoymo chairs the Music Education committee with Dean Harold Perfecto Galang, Sr. Maria Anunciata Sta. Ana, Dr. Myrna Lopez, and Mr. Cipriano "Ryan" Cayabyab as members. Dr. Jaime L. An Lim chairs the Literature committee with Dr. Ricardo De Ungria, Prof. Joselito Zulueta, Dr. Benilda Villenas, and yours truly as members. TP members are all expected to recommend to the Commission relevant policies as well as minimum standards and rules/criteria/guidelines for higher education programs; to assist in monitoring and evaluating higher education programs and institutions as may be requested by the Commission; to recommend guidelines and criteria for identification of Centers of Excellence (COEs)/ Center of Development (CODs), and recommend to the Commission potential COEs/CODs; and to provide technical assistance to CHED and Higher Education Institutions in the planning, development, and implementation of institutional programs, as may be requested.

We, in the TP for Literature, were lucky to have as forefathers the likes of National Artists for Literature, Dr. Francisco Sionil Jose as well as Dean Virgilio S. Almario, who opened the first UP Institute of Creative Writing's Centennial Panayam Series on the National Hero's birthday last June 19 at the newly renovated Pulungang Claro M. Recto at the Bulwagang Jose Rizal, with his paper entitled Rizal's German Literary Connections and his book Rizal: Nobelista published by the UP Press. Aside from the launch of bulawan online or bul-ol, Almario’s Rizal: Nobelista got off the UP Press. Rizal’s “Canto Patriotico de Maria Clara” (composed by J. de S. Hernandez and courtesy of former Dean Mauricia Borromeo) was sung by Ms. Chareska Granda with Noel de la Rosa playing Dr. Elena Mirano’s piano. Afterwards, followed the postmodern presentation of Khavn de la Cruz's film Ultimo, with Diego Maranan and Donna Miranda dancing to the music of Radioactive Sago Project's Junji Lerma on guitar and de la Cruz himself on piano.

The day after, another connection will be re-viewed through a symposium designed by the Inter-Agency Committee for the Philippine-Spanish Friendhsip Clelebration and the UP Diliman Department of History -- entitled Studies of Philippine-Spanish Relations: Evaluation and Prospects – from 7 a.m. onwards until the evening of Filipino and Spanish songs provided by the UP Concert Chorus and sopranos Aizel Izza E. Prietos and Feona B. Turalde on June 20 at the National Museum. While at the biggest building along Padre Jose Burgos Street in Ermita, Manila – kindly visit the The Japan Foundation and the Embassy of Japan's exhibit Counter Photography: Japan's Artists Today / Swarm in the Aperture: Recent Photography in the Philippines at its Tambunting Hall and some of the masterpieces of the National Artists for the Visual Arts of UP in a feast for the eye named after its book Forming Lineage edited by Prof. Ruben D. F. Defeo and Dr. Patrick D. Flores (who together with Ms. Corazon S. Alvina, did a great job in giving us answers, especially to the youngsters, as why we have to be very proud of our past).

Such project is just one of 100 reasons why any Juan, alumni or otherwise, should come home to UP strengthened by R.A. 9500 as a “National University of the Philippines!” Talking about being National, last Monday began with the 2008 Parangal Sentenyal ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas at the University Theater in honor of former UP Presidents, National Scientists, and National Artists from UP. UP Presidents through the years were Murray Simpson Bartlett (1911-1915), Ignacio Borbon Villamor (1950-1920), Guy Potter Wharton Benton (1921-1923), Rafael Velasquez Palma (1923-1933), Jorge Cleofas Bocobo (1934-1939), Bienvenido Ma. Sioco Gonzalez (1939-1943; 1945-1951), Antonio Guillermo Sison (1943-1945), Vidal Arceo Tan (1951-1956), Vicente de Guzman Sinco (1958-1962), Carlos Peña Romulo (1962-1968), Salvador Ponce López (1969-1975), Onofre Dizon Corpuz (1975-1979), Emanuel Valdez Soriano (1979-1981), Edgardo Javier Angara (1981-1987), José Veloso Abueva (1987-1993), Emil Quinto Javier (1993-1999) and Francisco Nemenzo Jr. (1999-2005). National Scientists from UP include Encarnacion A. Alzona (1985), Teodoro A. Agoncillo (1985), Clare R. Baltazar (2001), Julian A. Banzon (1986), Paulo C. Campos (1989), Gelia T. Castillo (1999), Onofre D. Corpuz (2004), Lourdes J. Cruz (2006), Geminiano T. De Ocampo (1982), Fe Del Mundo (1980), Casimiro Del Rosario (1982), José Encarnacion Jr. (1987), Pedro B. Escuro (1994), Francisco M. Foronda (1983), Bienvenido O. Juliano (2000), Alfredo V. Lagmay (1988), Ricardo M. Lantican (2005), Hilardo D.G. Lara (1985), Clara Y. Lim-Sylianco (1994), Luz Oliveros-Belardo (1987), Eduardo A. Quisumbing (1980), Dolores A. Ramirez (1998), Juan S. Salcedo Jr. (1978), Alfredo C. Santos (1978), Francisco O. Santos (1983), Dioscoro L. Umali (1986), José R. Velasco (1998), Carmen C. Velasquez (1983), Gregorio T. Velasquez (1982) and Benito S. Vergara (2001). On the other hand, National Artists from UP are Napoleon V. Abueva (1976), Virgilio S. Almario (2003), Fernando Amorsolo (1972), Francisco Arcellana (1990), Francisca R. Aquino (1973), Daisy Avellana (1999), Ishmael Bernal (2001), Lino Brocka (1997), Antonio R. Buenaventura (1988), Benedicto Cabrera (2006), Levi Celerio (1997), Felipe D. de Leon (1997), Carlos V. Francisco (1973), Jovita Fuentes (1976), N.V.M. Gonzalez (1997), Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero (1997), Amado V. Hernandez (1973), Abdulmari Asia Imao (2006), F. Sionil José (2001), José T. Joya (2001), Cesar Legaspi (1990), Leandro V. Locsin (1990), Bienvenido Lumbera (2006), José Maceda (1997), Vicente Manansala (1981), Antonio J. Molina (1973), Severino Montano (2001), Ramón Obusan (2006), Carlos P. Romulo (1982), Lucio D. San Pedro (1991), Ildefonso P. Santos (2006), Guillermo Tolentino (1973), Andrea Veneración (1999) and José García Villa (1973).

Tuesday saw us as Board Members of the UP Press come up, finally, with the list of UP Press Centennial Publications but it will only be launched or re-launched formally on July 10 at 6 p.m. at the UP Balay Kalinaw where Juan can also find the UP Press Bookstore.

Midweek was the start of consecutive nights at 8 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater of PAMANTASANG HIRANG: PAGDIRIWANG NG UNANG DANTAON NG UNIBERSIDAD NG PILIPINAS -- a benefit concert with loving tribute at the history, the personages, the customs and traditions of the university by bringing together music and song, poetry and language, thought and emotion, mixed with audio-visual elements, and delivered by talents from both the pop and classical fields who are products of UP. This trip down memory lane for the Iskolar ng Bayan Fund was directed by Alexander Cortez, conceptualized and written by Floy Quintos, conducted by Chino Toledo, dressed up by Eric Pineda, and produced by Chancellor Grace Javier Alfonso of the UP Open University. Such happy yet hectic collaboration involved around 700 artists from singers (Becky Abraham,Julia Abueva, Ryan Cayabyab, Bituin Escalante, Susan Fernandez, Jeffrey Hidalgo, Agot Isidro, and Joaquin Valdes), comedians (Malu De Guzman, Eugene Domingo, Candy Pangilinan, Ces Quesada, Jon Santos), actresses (Irma Adlawan-Marasigan, Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, and Frances Makil-Ignacio,), actors (Apo Chua, Richard Cunanan, Edwin Decenteceo, Fonz Deza, Jerson Guiwa, Ricky Ibe, William Manzano, and yours truly), beauties (Patchot Fernandez, Teresa Licaros, Michelle Torres, and Cathy Untalan), musicians (UP Orchestra and UP Jazz Ensemble), choral groups (UP Madrigal Singers, UP Concert Chorus), UP Singing Ambassadors (UP Staff Chorale, and UPLB Choral Ensemble), pianists (Nita Abrogar-Quinto, Geraldine Gutierrez, Carolyn Kleiner- Cheng, Lucy Magalit, and Michelle Nicolasura) guitarist (Lester Demetillo) opera singers (Agnes Barredo, Aileen Espinosa-Cura, Camille Lopez-Molina, and Kitchy Molina) dance groups (UP Athletes, UP Dance Company, UP Dance Sports, UP Filipiniana, UP Pep Squad, and UP Street Dance) theatre group (Dulaang UP), and others UP Rayadillo, and UP Integrated School. Not mention Dr. Lumbera and some distinguished alumni -- Jimmy Abad, Edru Abraham, Boots Anson-Roa, Joel Lamangan, CheChe Lazaro, Tony Mabesa, Nelia Sancho, and Jessica Sojo – who like the aforementioned helped all the members of the audience dream of getting, in one way or another, into UP!

After taking a beating from the tropical depression Frank (causing us to come home late last Thursday) weekends were devoted to homecomings, too!

One, UP@100 at the Araneta Coliseum, and the other, Bridging The Years inside the UP Campus, at the Ang Bahay ng Alumni, with campus tour via the Ikot Jeepney till sundown before the much-awaited ballroom dancing!

Outside UP, today is another homecoming of sorts for LIT TRIP that began way back in 2003 as a mobile lecture and literary reading project. Now, as if on its new lease on life, LIT TRIP will once again be on the road and De La Salle University’s Ariston Estrada Hall will be its first stop for this year, this afternoon at 2pm onwards. Together with our own UP-ICW, the Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center will host the program which revolve around the relevance of creative writing centers. Among the panelists are Dean Jaime An Lim (Far Eastern University’s College of Arts and Sciences), Dr. Dinah Roma-Sianturi (BNSCWS Director), and Dr. Benilda Santos (Ateneo Institute of Literary Arts and Practices) who will be represented by poet Prof. Mike Coroza, and Prof. Lito Zulueta (University of Santo Tomas Center for Creative Writing and Studies). After sharing the past, the present, and the future of creative writing centers – the distinguished guests are expected to read their literary pieces.

Institutions and individuals who are interested in inviting literary figures to deliver lectures, share experiences, and perform their works may call Likhaan #9221830.

Tomorrow night for the Conspiwriters Night there will be a reading of plays written during the workshops in different schools conducted by Alyansa or the alliance of National Capital Region-based theater groups! Shows start at 7 p.m. at Conspiracy Garden Café at 59 Visayas Avenue near Quezon City Hall.

Keep our communication lines open, feel free to email us at mb.malay@gmail.com

TEXT SUPPORT
Then: long hair
Now: longing for hair.

Then: enjoying beer joints
Now: suffering from aching joints.

Then: music by rolling stones
Now: in bed with kidney stones

Then: frequenting beer garden
Now: contemplating memorial garden

Then: looking for callgirl
Now: calling for caregiver

CONSIDER THIS:
What is a trashcan?
To a toddler, it is just a shelf of his ugly toys.
To a pupil, it is where he or she keeps his or her test papers.
To a teenager, it is a basketcase for the letters of an ex-lover.
To a writer, it is a file of rejected drafts.
But to a streetkid, with a trashcan, so goes life.