MANILA, Philippines -The National Commission for the Culture & Arts (NCCA) bared the schedule of activities in line with the celebration of National Literature Month.
NCCA chairman and National Artist fir Literature Virgilio Almario in a recent press conference said, this year’s celebration aims to inspire the youth to deepen their appreciation for literary works by Filipino writers. Its theme, “Banyuhay,” is derived from the phrase “bagong anyo ng buhay,” which means ”new form of life” or “metamorphosis.”
“Metamorphosis because we are going to encourage the discovery of new forms of literature, and to give the opportunity to the youth in celebrating our literature,” Almario said.
“This is for the youth, and also a year for the constant development of the different forms of literature we have throughout the country, and for the different languages in different regions,” Almario added.
The month-long celebration will officially commence on April 2, the 229th birth anniversary of Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar.
Around 100 student-writers from all over the country will gather at a literary conference called Pambansang Kampong Balagtas. This will be followed by various activities organized by NCCA, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), and National Book Development Board (NBDB).
On April 7 to 8, the NBDB will be hosting the Pinoy Book Stop Tour featuring independent and campus-based bookstores within the South of Metro Manila. Each stop will have different activities such as talks, poetry readings, music performances, and more.
The board will also host a Book Fiesta—a whole day of book market on April 23 by Philippine publishers. It will also feature different booths and activities by book clubs and writers’ groups.
On April 27 to 28, book lovers can also look forward to NBDB’s 8th International Philippine International Literary Festival. The festival will be featuring plenary sessions that will explore socially relevant issues in literature and the book industry.
Different workshops are also scheduled throughout the month including the Love of the Word: Workshops on Teaching Philippine Literature in High School and College at Northwest Samar State University; the 2nd Alumni Writers Workshop on April 6 to 8; and the 17th Iyas La Salle National Writers’ Workshop on April 24 and 26, which will be held at the De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila.
On April 19-21, the Polytechnic University of Philippines Center for Creative Writing will be holding a three-day lecture series. The lectures will include talks on young adult fiction, erotic literature, and children’s literature.
On April 29, the DLSU will host the National Writers Congress of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL) . With the theme, “Ang Panitikan sa Panahon ng Tokhang (Literature During the Bloody War on Drugs),” the congress is featuring a keynote lecture by Dr. Jose “Butch” Dalisay, as well as a writers forum entitled, “Ang Papel ng Manunulat sa Panahon ng Tokhang”.
NCCA bares activities for the 2017 National Literature Month
