GOBBLEDYGOOGLE (January 18, 2010)

Why should we beg to differ with the American Dialect Society for proclaiming “google” as the Word of the Decade?

When by the end of December 2009, our very own panitikan.com.ph was one of the country's most googled?

Yahoo, last month, it received 5,000,000 hits!

We had to convince our colleagues in and out of the Likhaan: University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing that there is a need for a website promoting Philippine literature online.

All we wanted was to provide a database of author's profiles and their works, however, we had to undergo some birth pangs and pains.

Before could set up for our Pistang Panitik during the Manila International Book Fair at World Trade Center, our team had to pass by the National Library to explain to its director the difference between an online resource center for Filipino writers and readers from eLibrary.

Finally, we were able get the National Commission for Culture and the Arts' nod through the National Committee on Literary Arts.

At the Luneta's Concert at the Park, the so-called Philippine Literature Portal was introduced as part of what used to be known as the National Arts Month celebration in 2006.

Ever since, the National Artists for Literature page has been one of the busiest, especially during midterms and finals.

Literary works, too, have been published there with the authors' permission.

And everything will be incomplete without such features as authors' directory, award-giving bodies, literary organizations, links to other sites, writers market, blog and guestbook, and its all-time favorite -- weekly calendar of activities.

Recently, writings from the regions seem to prefer “blog” to “tweet” as the Word of the Year!
And panitikan.com.ph appears to be its unofficial CQ Counter.

For instance, when the Ateneo de Naga University Press invites everybody to the launch of Fr. Wilmer Joseph Tria's Ako asin An Kapwa Ko and poet Kristian Sendon Cordero's Pusuanon: Mga Bersong Bikol on 25 January at the AdNU's Richie Fernando Hall in Naga City.

Or when Isidoro Cruz argues that "Contemporary West Visayan Literature, metaphorically speaking, is rechanneling the way Filipinos think about the Filipino nation and its regions, to keep the center of the nation from making regional belonging a reason for exclusion” via his outstanding dissertation, more popularly called Pungsod published by the University of San Agustin Publishing House.

Or when Ang Ladlad national chair, Danton Remoto, as well as J.Neil Garcia are hailed by poet turned fictionist John Iremil Teodoro in his collection of five short stories, entitled, Ang Anghel sang Capiz, exclusively distributed by Solidaridad Bookstore along Padre Faura in Malate.
Or when there is a call for 15 Fellows for the 10th Iyas Creative Writing Workshop which will be held from 25 April to 1 May at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City.

Or when the Reading Association of the Philippines holds its Demofest on 21, 22, and 23 January at the Stadia (Jimmy L. Fernandez Center) CSI Center, Lucao District, Dagupan City,

Pangasinan with speakers like National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario, CNN 2009 Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida Jr, 2009 Metrobank Outstanding Teacher Dina Ocampo, and University of Redlands Professor Jose Lalas.

Or when Taboan: 2nd Philippine Writers Festival takes off beginning 10 February in Cebu by paying tribute to such great Visayan writers as Estrella Alfon, Rene Estrella Amper, Leocio Deriada, Magdalena Jalandoni, Resil Mojares, Lina Espina Moore, and Edilberto Tiempo.

Or when the Culture Page Writing Competition accepts entries until 12 February to campus papers from any secondary or tertiary school that allots a page or two with poetry, cartoon, features, essays, photos, innovative researches on the arts, traditions, heritage, habit, customs of the community, and other literary works.

Speaking of school paper, we attended, together with our daughter Sulat, the 82nd anniversary salo-salo of The Varsitarian, University of Santo Tomas' official student publication.

Present were Akemi Aida of the UST College of Law, Aura Marie Dagcutan of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Ruben Asuncion of ABS-CBN, Anthony Divinagracia of Academia, Patrick Leonard Mayo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Arian Rabino of the College of St. Benilde, Felipe Salvosa of Business World, and Francis Wakefield of Tempo who waited to death for other Amihans, a term of endearment for our alumni who are now treated coldly like the northeast monsoon!

By the way, project coordinator/webmaster Arvin Abejo Mangohig stormed the office of our researcher/administrative officer Eva Garcia Cadiz at Likhaan: U.P. I.C.W. only to report that he uploaded 11 new author profiles, bringing to a total of 50 the number of profiles uploaded at panitikan.com.ph.

That fresh list includes the Thomasian fictionist from Boac, Marinduque – Paz Latorena – who gained national prominence when Jose Garcia Villa included her story Sunset, the best in his 1929 anthology Philippine Short Stories.

Phase 3 is supposed to end this month.

Nevertheless, Phase 4's budget has already been approved by the NCCA with the proposed re-packaging.

And that would involve, among others, its video component.

In this connection, allow us to congratulate Cinemalaya Foundation's 10 latest finalists in the full-length category namely Rekrut by Danny Añonuevo; Halaw by Sheron Dayoc; Magkakapatid by Kim Homer C. Garcia; Si Techie, si Teknoboy at si Juana by Art Katipunan; The Leaving by Ian-Dean S. Loreños; Limbunan by Gutierrez Mangansakan II; Siya ang Mayor Ko (Vox Populi)” by Dennis N. Marasigan; Sheika by Arnel Mardoquio; Sampaguita by Francis Xavier Pasion; and Mayohan by Dan Villegas and Paul Sta. Ana.

Such good news came as if a prelude to NCCA's Cinema Rehiyon highlighting some of the best works of the indigenous Filipino filmmakers from Bacolod, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Iloilo, Naga, Pampanga, Samar, Central Visayas (Cebu and Bohol), and Western and Central Mindanao.
After the selection by National Committee on Film headed by Dr. Miguel Rapatan and Teddy Co, all the films will be screened at the Cultural Center of the Philippines toward the end of February.

TEXT SUPPORT:
If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

CONSIDER THIS:
When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught and the last river is polluted, only then will we realize that we cannot eat our money.