End of the World: Tilad Vol. 1, Issue 3 call for entries

The Ateneo Literary Association is calling for entries—prose (fiction and non-fiction), poems, and artworks—for the third issue of the online literary folio TILAD to be released on December 21, 2012. The theme is ”Sa Panahon nin Kasagkoran” (The end times/the end of the world). It doesn't have to follow the usual (overused and predictable) biblical/mythical tropes. It could be the end of something significant such as memory, relationship, society, idea, trend, or story. The mood doesn't necessarily have to be dark, nihilistic, or dreadful (you can even challenge yourself to make it fun or humorous).

This is open to all Ateneo de Naga University students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Written entries can be in English, Filipino, Bikol and other Bikol variations. The entries should be submitted to kaabtan@gmail.com following this format: TILAD_Title of the entry_Author.

Artworks should not exceed 8.5 by 11 inches, in TIFF or JPEG, and 300DPI in resolution. Submit your artworks to the email mentioned above following this format: TILAD_Title of the Artwork_Artist.

Along with the submissions, contributing authors and artists are also required to submit a two-sentence description of themselves. The deadline for the submission is on December 10, 2012.

*Reposted from panitikan.com.ph.

Dalagan para sa Dam!

Next Travel Destination: Your Own Backyard

In this day and age of airplanes and travel packages, we all too often find ourselves planning our next big adventure to some faraway and exotic destination. Save for the few others who have the financial capability to make this plan a reality, this ‘next big adventure’ will, in the end, turn out to be the ‘next big daydream’ for most of us because of a lot of considerations, especially the expenses involved.

I, too, like to travel a lot, and I do so on a limited budget most of the time. Sometimes, it gets frustrating when the travel bug bites and I know that I have to quell my travel fever because of financial considerations. So what do I do when the restlessness for adventure becomes too overwhelming? I look for alternatives!

You don't need to go far to look for adventure!

The Premio Tomas Arejola para sa Literaturang Bikolnon 2012 now accepting entries

I. REGULAR CATEGORIES

The Premio Tomas Arejola para sa Literaturang Bikolnon is open to all Bicolano writers and literary enthusiasts writing in any of the Bikol languages. There shall be no discrimination on the basis of age, gender or religion. Contestants under 18 years of age are, however, required to submit a certificate of parental consent.

It will receive entries for the following categories: Poetry, Fiction, Essay, Drama, the Novel and Screenplay for Short Film.

• Entries for the Rawitdawit (Poetry) category must consist of at least 10 poems but not more than 15 poems.
• Entries for Osipon (Fiction) should be at least 7 pages in length but should not exceed 12 pages.
• Entries for Osipon na Pan-aki (Stories for Children) should be at least 5 pages in length but should not exceed 10 pages. Entries with a plot and narrative suitable for an illustrated storybook of at least 30 pages are preferred.    
• Entries for the Halipot na Pasali na Pan-entanldo na Pan-aki (One-act Play for Children) and the Halipot na Pasali na Pan-entablado (One-act Play) must be of sufficient length to approximate a performing time of at least thirty minutes. Plays for children, however, should be directed principally to promote Bikol values and traditions in the grade school level, ages 7 to 12.
• Entries for Halawig na Pasali na Pan-entablado (Full-length Play) should have a performing time of at least an hour but not more than an hour and a half.
• Entries for the Saysay (Essay) category should be at least 5 pages in length but should not exceed 8 pages. Works in creative non-fiction about the Bicolano way of life are preferred.
• Entries for Nobela (Novel) may deal with any subject, provided it is tackling issues relevant to Bikol realities.
• Entries for Halipot na Pasali na Pan-pelikula (Screenplay for Short Film) must be unproduced and can approximate a running time of ten to twenty minutes. This new category aims to engender the production of short indie films in the Bikol language and to encourage the creation of more short films in the region.             

Repost: Small-town Pinoy Choir Conquers World

Originally published in: Philippine News Daily, Bicol Today, BicolMail, & Good News Pilipinas

Baao, Camarines Sur – Who would’ve thought that an unknown choir from a 4th class municipality in Camarines Sur would emerge as the champion in the recently concluded 18th Certamen International Juvenil de Habaneras y Polifonia in Torrevieja, Spain.

The Baao Children’s Choir under the baton of Virgilio Briones, himself a Baaeño, bested 40 other groups from around the world during the elimination, and beat 8 choirs during the competition proper last April 27-29, 2012, taking home the coveted Golden Trophy and the €3,000 cash prize.

The Baao Children’s Choir is a community and church - based choir of children ages 11 to 18 years old from different public and private schools in the Municipality of Baao, Camarines Sur. PHOTO BY BEMBOT BRIONES