Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas

Last updated

Writers' Union of the Philippines (Filipino : Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas, abbreviated as UMPIL) is the largest organization of Filipino writers in the Philippines. [1] Established in 1974, the organization was first known by the English version of its name, the Writers' Union of the Philippines. [1] It has the primary goal of promoting Philippine literature, uniting writers in the Philippines, and providing seminars, workshops, and symposia in order to achieve the first two goals.[ citation needed ] Its National Congress meeting is held annually during the last Saturday of August. [2] The organization officially used the Filipino-language translation of its name, Unyon ng mga Manunulat ng Pilipinas (UMPIL), in 1987.[ citation needed ]

Filipino language official language of the Philippines

Filipino is the national language of the Philippines. Filipino is also designated, along with English, as an official language of the country. It is a standardized variety of the Tagalog language, an Austronesian regional language that is widely spoken in the Philippines. As of 2007, Tagalog is the first language of 28 million people, or about one-third of the Philippine population, while 45 million speak Tagalog as their second language. Tagalog is among the 185 languages of the Philippines identified in the Ethnologue. Officially, Filipino is defined by the Commission on the Filipino Language as "the native dialect, spoken and written, in Metro Manila, the National Capital Region, and in other urban centers of the archipelago."

Philippine literature

Philippine literature is literature associated with the Philippines from prehistory, through its colonial legacies, and on to the present.

Contents

Historical overview

The first meeting of UMPIL organizers was held at the Social Security System Building in Quezon City in 1974. Its constitution and by-laws were formally ratified on 29 August 1981. In 1987, UMPIL expanded its representation by including into the Board of Directors representatives from recognized writers’ organizations in languages other than English and Filipino. Among those represented were authors in the Philippine languages such as Ilocano and Bisaya, as well as Spanish and Chinese. In order to protect the rights and interests of Filipino writers, the organization also held multi-sectoral discussions regarding copyright with editors and publishers in the Philippines. [2]

Philippine languages language family

In linguistics, the Philippine languages are a proposal by Zorc (1986) and Robert Blust that all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi—except Sama–Bajaw and a few languages of Palawan—form a subfamily of Austronesian languages. Although the Philippines is near the center of Austronesian expansion from Formosa, there is little linguistic diversity among the approximately 150 Philippine languages, suggesting that earlier diversity has been erased by the spread of the ancestor of the modern Philippine languages.

Leadership

Its first chairperson was Adrian E. Cristobal. In 1984, Virgilio S. Almario replaced Cristobal as chairperson of UMPIL.[ citation needed ] Alfrredo Navarro-Salanga became the secretary-general of the organization after the 1984 election of the Board of Directors. [2] After Salanga’s death in 1988, Marne L. Kilates became the organization’s secretary-general. Almario served for three terms. After his resignation in 1992, the chairmanship was given to Michael Bigornia. During Bigornia’s chairmanship, Mario Miclat was the secretary-general. [2]

Projects

After its establishment, the organization launched its first project, the Afro-Asian Writer's Symposium, held in Manila from 3 January to 3 February 1975 in Manila. [2] Other projects that followed included the annual exchange visits of Filipino writers to China, literary symposia, and the publication of a calendar of writers. Beginning 1988, UMPIL started the annual Writers Congress, the provision of seminars regarding literature for teachers, programs for commemorating well-known writers, workshops for writers held in the provinces, and the granting of the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas to deserving Filipino writers. [3] The Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas is a lifetime achievement award for writers in various Philippine literatures. [2] Apart from granting the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas, the organization also grants other awards such as the Gawad Paz Marquez Benitez, which is awarded for outstanding contribution in literary education; [4] and the Gawad Pedro Bucaneg to outstanding writers, educators, and literary organizations. [1]

The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 81 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are independent of any provincial government. Each province is governed by an elected legislature called the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and by an elected governor.

Pedro Bucaneg Filipino writer

Pedro Bukaneg was a Filipino poet. Blind since birth, he is the acknowledged author of the Ilocano epic Biag ni Lam-ang. He is considered the "Father of Ilocano literature." A street inside the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex in Pasay City, Philippines is named in his honor. His surname is lent to the Bukanegan, the Ilocano equivalent of the Balagtasan.

Publications

In 1985, the organization launched its publication of Mithi, a literary journal. In 1991, the organization published its Directory of Filipino Writers. [2]

Related Research Articles

Francisco Arcellana Filipino writer

Francisco "Franz" Arcellana was a Filipino writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist and teacher. He was born on September 6, 1916. Arcellana already had ambitions of becoming a writer early in his childhood. His actual writing, however, started when he became a member of The Torres Torch Organization during his high school years. Arcellana continued writing in various school papers at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Later on he received a Rockefeller Grant and became a fellow in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa and at the Breadloaf Writers' Conference from 1956– 1957.

Bienvenido Lumbera is a Filipino poet, critic and dramatist. He is a National Artist of the Philippines and a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communications. He won numerous literary awards, including the National Book Awards from the National Book Foundation, and the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards.

Fidel Doloreto Rillo Jr. is a Filipino writer and book designer.

Liwayway A. Arceo (1924–1999) was a multi-awarded Tagalog fictionist, journalist, radio scriptwriter and editor from the Philippines.

Gémino Henson Abad is a literary critic from Cebu, Philippines. His family moved to Manila when his father, Antonio Abad, was offered professorships at Far Eastern University and the University of the Philippines. He earned his A.B. English from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1964 "magna cum laude". His MA with honors and Ph.D. in English literature degrees were obtained from the University of Chicago in 1966 and 1970, respectively. He served the University of the Philippines in various capacities: as Secretary of the University, Secretary of the Board of Regents, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing. For many years, he also taught English, comparative literature and creative writing at U.P. Diliman.

Teo Antonio is a Filipino poet. He was born in Sampaloc, Manila. He was educated at the University of Santo Tomas where he studied Fine Arts. Antonio is the son of Emilio Mar Antonio, hari ng balagtasan during the 1950s.

César Ruiz Aquino is a Filipino poet and fictionist. He was born and raised in Zamboanga, Philippines. He was educated at Silliman University, at UP Diliman, at the Ateneo de Manila on Padre Faura, and at AE. His writing career began when Philippine Graphic published his story 'Noon and Summer' written in 1961. At age 19, he received an invitation to - and a virtual writing fellowship at - the first, 1962, Silliman National Writers Summer Workshop in Dumaguete that included as fellows Wilfrido D. Nolledo, Jose Lansang Jr. and Wilfredo Pascua Sanchez - as well as mentors Nick Joaquin, Franz Arcellana and Edilberto Tiempo and Edith Tiempo.

Onofre R. Pagsanghan is a teacher and screenplay writer from the Ateneo de Manila High School, Philippines. An Ateneo alumnus himself, Mr. Pagsi, as he is fondly called by students and colleagues, began his teaching career in his alma mater in 1951. He teaches English and Filipino to high school students. In addition, he is also the moderator of the theater group Dulaang Sibol, which he founded in 1956. Now on his 63rd year of teaching, he has received numerous awards in the fields of teaching and theater.

Merlinda Bobis is a contemporary Philippine-Australian writer and academic.

Leoncio P. Deriada is a Filipino writer

Rogelio Ordoñez Filipino writer

Rogelio Lunasco Ordoñez also known as Ka Roger, was a multi-awarded Filipino fiction writer, poet, activist, journalist and educator. He was one of the authors of the iconic Tagalog literature anthology Mga Agos sa Disyerto in the 1960s. He was a contributor to Liwayway Magazine, Pilipino Free Press, Asia-Philippines Leader, Pilosopong Tasyo, Diario Uno and Pinoy Weekly.

Ave Perez Jacob is a Filipino writer, columnist, literary critic and novelist popular for his socio-political works. He was one of few Tagalog writers who popularized short stories with theme of injustice and tragedy set on the realistic portrayal of poverty during the 1960s. His short story "Guwardiya" won a Palanca Awards in 1975. He is also the author of the novel "Sibol sa mga Guho." Prof. Ave Perez Jacob was honored by the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL) with “2001 Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas” for his socio-realist novels and short stories.

Simeon Dumdum Jr. is a former Regional Trial Court Judge in Cebu City, The Philippines, and is a published poet. He once studied for the priesthood in Galway, Ireland, but left the seminary to take up law. After years of practicing law, he was appointed Regional Trial Court judge. He won prizes for his poetry, which he has published and read in the Philippines and abroad.

Benigno Juan is a journalist and a writer.

Ligaya G. Tiamson-Rubin, is a multiple Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature recipient, and currently a professor of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Today, she is teaching Filipino 25, Mga Ideya at Estilo under the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature at the College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines Diliman in Diliman, Quezon City.

Damiana Ligon Eugenio was a Filipino female author and professor who was known as the Mother of Philippine Folklore, a title she received in 1986. Apart from teaching at the University of the Philippines, she has several publications in the field of Philippine folklore, among them a series of seven books which she compiled and edited.

Efren Reyes Abueg is a well-known and recognized Filipino-language creative writer, editor, author, novelist, short story writer, essayist, fictionist, professor, textbook writer, and anthologist in the Philippines. His works appeared on magazines such as Liwayway, Bulaklak, Tagumpay, Mod, and Homelife.

Rogelio Mangahas was a Filipino artist and poet.

Mike Bigornia is a Filipino poet, editor, fictionist and translator. Bigornia was educated at the University of the East where he finished political science.

Ricaredo Demetillo was a Filipino essayist, poet, and playwright. Demetillo was one of the most important and prolific literary figures in the Philippines during the Twentieth Century and has won numerous awards for his writing.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas, The Asia Writes Project, asiawrites.org
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 From the CCP Encyclopedia, Volume IX (Literature), page 766 (see About UMPIL)
  3. ↑ Pantoja-Hidalgo, Cristina (2008). Fabulists and Chroniclers. UP Press. p. 44. ISBN   9789715425865 . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  4. ↑ "National Writers Congress tackles PH war on drugs and literature April 29". Rappler. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.