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Anacbanua (The Child of the Sun)

Director: Christopher Gozum | Producer: Christopher Gozum Genre: Drama | Produced In: 2009 | Story Teller's Country: Philippines Synopsis: A middle class and Western-educated poet (Umaanlong) returns to the Pangasinan region, the land of his birth and his ancestors from which he was uprooted for a very long time. He is sick with a lingering physical, mental and spiritual illness. He meets the Musia (Muse) who takes care of him during his illness. The Musia performs a series of rituals that identifies the cause of the Umaanlong’s disease and appeases the ancestral and nature spirits inhabiting sacred spaces in Pangasinan’s physical landscape. While in half-sleep, the Umaanlong’s soul leaves his diseased body. The soul flight transports the Umaanlong to places and time zones in Pangasinan’s landscape and history where he undergoes cosmic immersion, a deep and intense spiritual experience for chosen people like him where the self gets absorbed in the universe. The Umaanlong discovers

WIN Canada honours Filipino writers for trying to save dying language

VANCOUVER: Under the leadership of Governor Amado T. Espino Jr,  a project to revive Panganenses – once a vibrant language but now dying – is progressing very well. The Writer’s International Network (WIN) Canada took notice of this initiative and decided to recognize the contributions made by six writers to the preservation of local language, literature, arts and culture. The six writers selected to receive the WIN Distinction Award at the official residence of Governor called Urduja House are: Santiago Villafania, Caroline “Ceri Naz” Nazareno, Leonarda “Amor Cico” Carrera, Sergio Bumadilla, Prescillano Bermudez, Atty. Ferdinand L. Quintos (posthumous award). In addition to distinguished writers Governor Espino and Virginia Jasmin Pasalo were given Special Citations for their outstanding contribution to local arts and culture. - See more at: http://newseastwest.com/win-canada-honours-filipino-writers-for-trying-to-save-dying-language

Ars Poetica Or: Epistle to Ebard

true poetry must speak in spontaneous speech like unto the will of the fleeting wind it sings its own note and tune to teach the heart what is to be heard                                            it need not be expressed to hide mirth and misery to maintain the manner you learned by heart nor shall you lack of caution when using prosaic or archaic words in your verse a dead word is dead if it stands alone but lives if it is constantly used nor an archaic used in any attempts in prose or in poetry which may denote or connote a new meaning worth knowing never deprive yourself as to ignore the transient music in your inmost self and the personae that whispers freely into th’ ears of your imagination what you hear is the true poetry itself and however old it is always new have you no trouble to be one with nature earnest meditation becalms the soul when filled with nature’s symmetry express what the soul devoured what the mind installed oft you may not see the flaws in your art as those

RV ITALIA - 105 FM Società \ Cultura e arte | Pagine, fogli, parole: UNITA'

My poem translated in Italian and read in  Radio Vaticana , Italy. "E' una tragedia del nostro tempo che molte comunità siano in guerra tra loro", avverte papa Francesco appena giunto a Colombo, e osserva che "il processo di risanamento richiede di includere il perseguimento della verità... quale mezzo necessario per promuovere la loro guarigione, la giustizia e l'unità". Dall'unità fra i popoli all'unità fra diversi credo e diverse confessioni cristiane, in attesa della settimana di preghiera per l'unità, fino all'unità suggerita dal jazz di cui ci parla, a margine dell'avvio di una interessante rssegna romana, il pianista Alberico Di Meo. E poi il senso di unità del popolo filippino (oggi il papa  è a Manila) con la madre patria e con la propria identità culturale: la testimoniano i versi del poeta Santiago Villafania (nella foto). Source: http://it.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/01/16/pagine,_fogli,_parole_unita/1118143

حوار الصحفي السعودي سطام الحقباني مع الشاعر الفلبيني سانتياغو فيلافانيا في صحيفة الرياض - الثقافة اليوم Interview with Filipino poet Santiago Villafania conducted by Sattam Haqabani and published this morning in Riyadh Newspaper - Cultural Section today

November 23, 2014 http://www.alriyadh.com/996794 About the poet Santiago Villafania (b 1971) is a contemporary Filipino poet who writes in English and in his native language of Pangasinan, one of Philippines’ twelve languages. He has published several poetry collections, including:   Pinabli & Other Poems , Voices From Caboloan , and Malagilion: Sonnets tan Villanelles. Villafania is one of the most prominent Pangasinan writers. He has received several awards, including the Asna Award for Arts and Culture (Literature) in 2010. He is well known for his effort in reviving Pangasinan as a literary language. His poetry is characterized by its treatment of the human experience in its wide variety, the boldness of imagery, and the vividness and richness of meanings. A Selected Poem “Looking at the Moon”   looking at that moon i have wronged my eyes too much now my heart is blind ....... give me back my sight your voice may not be enough to let me see you ....... i long to feel

World Festival of Poetry | 2015 Poetic Sanctuaries – Pangasinan

Aristos World Festival of Poetry | 2015 Poetic Sanctuaries – Pangasinan ANGGAMAN masaksakbay ni, malikeliket ko lan ibelyaw so pibiang na luyag ed World Festival of Poetry tan say Pangasinan et sakey ed saray 2015 Poetic Sanctuaries no arapen a komatlo ono komapat a simba na Nobiembri 2015. Say angiletneg na World Festival of Poetry ("International Fb-Website") onliliberliber ed apatiran sokung na mundo ya mangitatalaga na poetic sanctuaries. Ed sayan taon et wala ira ed Spain tan Peru-Bolivia insan dia ed India tan Filipinas no arapen a taon. Wala ira’y nagawan anlongan ed iparungtal kon pasen: Dagupan City, Kapitolio na Lingayen, Alaminos City, Bolinao tan dia ed naduruman awiran tan unibersidad a labay dan mianlongan. Kabansag tonia, no natultuloy bilang, et say pangiter na gamor tan pamirbir na Writers International Network (WIN) Canada ed pigaran antabay na kuritan a Pangasinan a sikaraya di Sergio Bumadilla (umaanlong, managsulat na kumbilay), Ferdinand Quintos (umaan