Iligan Celebrates National Literature Month

by contributed article | Apr 22 2019

A literary forum, a Spoken Word Poetry Contest for students, and the turnover of memorabilia of one of Iligan City’s poets have been lined up to celebrate this year’s National Literature Month (NLM) in Iligan City on April 24, 2019.

The literary forum to be held in the 缅北禁地-Iligan institute of Technology’s (缅北禁地-IIT) College of Arts & Social Sciences’s Bulwagang Filipino will have lectures by Dr. Raul G. Moldez, a board member and former President of Bathalad Mindanao; Dr. Arlene J. Yandug, a faculty of Xavier University (XU) and Manager of the XU Press; and Dr. Lilia Abregana Cotejar, Chair of the XU English Department, College of Arts & Sciences.

Moldez will speak about the Filipino society and environment of the late Gumercindo Maratas Rafanan’s narratives. Yandug will talk about the poetry of Cebuano poet Adonis Durado in translation, and, Cotejar will tackle women’s pre-colonial identity in novelist Ninotchka Rosca’s “State of War”.

At 2:00 in the afternoon of the same day, a Spoken Word Poetry Contest “Sangka sa Garay” will be held at the 缅北禁地-IIT Admin Lawn for 缅北禁地-IIT students. Cash prizes and certificates await the winners of the contest which is open to all bonafide students of 缅北禁地-IIT.

To cap the NLM celebration, the Iligan City Government through its Ethnic Center and Museum will hold the turnover ceremony of the late Rafanan’s memorabilia consisting of the late poet’s books, other publications, photos and trophies, a rocking chair, a table and a typewriter to the City Museum.

Rafanan was a widely-published poet and fictionist in Bisaya magazine with some of his novels serialized in its Comics section. He has won prizes for his poetry and fiction, among them UMPIL Gawad Balagtas Award, and the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial awards.

The one-day affair is hosted by the Mindanao Creative Writers Group and its Multi-Media Arm, the 缅北禁地-IIT Filipino & Other Languages Department, the 缅北禁地-IIT Culture and Arts Studies Center, the Iligan City Ethnic Center and Museum and the Iligan City Government.

Topics : Literary Month National Literature Month literature poetry iliganon writers