UMPIL ( Unyon ng Manunulat sa Pilipinas) to Hold Annual Convention and Andres Bonifacio Conference for Teachers this August

To celebrate the Andres Bonifacio sesquicentennial and as an important part of its annual convention, the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL) will hold the “Andres Bonifacio As Writer Conference for Teachers” on 29-31 August 2013 at the Leong Hall Auditorium, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

Guest of honor is scholar and sociologist Randy David.

On 29-30 August (Thurs-Frid), respected scholars will deliver papers on the aesthetics, theory and praxis, and the influence of Andres Bonifacio’s works during the 1896 Revolution and its aftermath. The main objective of the conference is to put Andres Bonifacio’s image as organic intellectual to the fore and point out misconceptions that are the root cause his marginalized position in Philippine literary history.

Among the critics and scholars who will lead the three panel discussions include Ateneo de Manila’s Oscar Campomanes, Ma. Luisa Torres Reyes, Jayson P. Jacobo, and Edgar Samar; University of the Philippine’s Roland B. Tolentino, Ramon Guillermo, and Luna Sicat-Cleto; and De La Salle University’s Shirley Lua and Jose Victor Torres.

To further inspire the teachers explore methods of teaching the Bonifacio texts, respected educators will demo-teach on the hero’s poetic and prose works, namely Prof. Danilo Francisco M. Reyes (AdMU), Prof. Ferdie Lopez (University of Santo Tomas), and Mr. Salvador Biglaen (Miriam College).

On 31 August, the annual UMPIL members convention features the Writers Forum and and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas, Gawad Paz Marquez Benitez, and Gawad Pedro Bucaneg. Gawad Balagtas is awarded to living Filipino writers who have contributed outstanding works in any language currently used in the Philippines, Gawad Benitez to outstanding literature teachers, and Gawad Bucaneg to consistently productive literary organizations. All the previous recipients of the Gawads are invited to attend this whole-day event. 

Poet and UMPIL executive board member Fidel Rillo as well as other writers/practitioners will be the resource persons for the Writers Forum called “May Protesta Pa Ba Sa Pagsulat” (Does Protest Still Count?).

The event is made possible by the support of School of Humanities-Ateneo de Manila University, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

UMPIL members, teachers, and other interested parties are encouraged to attend the conference as well as the convention. 

For details, text Ms Eva Cadiz at 09178453721 or email the conference director and UMPIL Secretary General Michael M. Coroza at umpilconference2013@yahoo.com or mcoroza@ateneo.edu.