CALL FOR PAPERS: 8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PHILIPPINE STUDIES 23-26 July 2008, Manila, Philippines

Theme: Philippine Studies for the 21st Century, New Meanings, Critiques and Trajectories

The 8^th International Conference on Philippine Studies (ICOPHIL) aims to provide a forum for scholars engaged in research on the general field of Philippine Studies. Reflecting on developments and discourses that shed light on Philippine realities in a global era, this International Conference hopes to reconceptualize Philippine Studies and chart new directions for the 21^st century.

The Program Committee invites conference presentations from Philippine Studies Association members, affiliated societies, and local and foreign scholars in all disciplines. The Committee encourages creativity and innovation with regard to both intellectual content and presentation. In addition to panels, formats including poster sessions, thematic workshops, roundtable discussions, and other departures from traditional formal paper presentations are encouraged. The Committee particularly welcomes interdisciplinary or border-crossing proposals that complement or depart from conventional historical, chronological, geographic and disciplinary boundaries. Younger scholars are especially encouraged to participate.

Proposals should be submitted to the 8^th ICOPHIL Secretariat at the Philippine Social Science Council via email (icophil@pssc.org.ph) orfax (632-924-4178 or 632-922-9621) by 15 November 2007. Proposals must include a 150-word abstract of the panel/paper as well as the name, affiliation and contact details of the proponent. Complete panels by potential chairs will be given priority but individual proposals will also be considered.

Since 1989, the ICOPHIL conference series has been held every 4 years at an international hosting institution. The 2008 ICOPHIL is hosted by the Philippine Studies Association in conjunction with the International Philippine Studies Conferences Board based at the University of Hawaii’s Center for Philippine Studies. The 2012 ICOPHIL will be hosted by Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.

KEY DATES

15 November 2007	Submission of panel/paper/ presentation ABSTRACT
15 January 2008	Notification of acceptance
30 April 2008	Submission of full papers
23-26 July 2008	Philippine Social Science Center, Quezon City

REGISTRATION FEES

	Onsite	Early bird rate (until 30 June 2008)*
Local Participants	PhP5,000	PhP4,000

*No Refund After JULY 1, 2008

The Philippine Studies Association (PSA), convener of the 8^th ICOPHIL in Manila, was established in 1984 to promote multidisciplinary research and broader understanding of Philippine society and culture. Since 1984, it has sponsored national and regional Philippine studies conferences. The PSA has also coordinated with the ICOPHIL Board, formally established in 1996, in the planning of the International Philippine Studies Conferences. The 7^th ICOPHIL was hosted by Leiden University in The Netherlands.

SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR PROPOSALS/PANELS

· Theories and Dimensions of Analysis in
Philippine Studies

· Changing Philippine Institutions, Ideologies, Practices, and Technologies

· Problematizing the Nation and the State

· Globalization Issues

· Histories, Cultures, Identities

· Colonial Discourse and Post-Colonial Studies

· The Philippine Diaspora

· Gender Studies

· Human and Ecosystem well-being

· Education for the 21^st Century

· Population Studies

· Philippine Media

· Similar topics may be proposed.

INQUIRIES

Bernardita R. Churchill - nitachurchill@hotmail.com

Belinda A. Aquino - lyndy@hawaii.edu

ICOPHIL Secretariat - icophil@pssc.org.ph

Tel. no. (+63)(2) 929-2671 / 456-1930

***

‘PISAY’: SUPERIOR LOCAL FILM by Mario E. Bautista


AN entry in the Cinemalaya filmfest that is destined to be a classic is “Pisay,” a contraction of Philippine Science High School. Extremely well written by Henry Grageda and brilliantly directed by Aureus Solito (who easily tops his earlier award-winning films, “Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” and “Tuli”), the film follows the stories of several students who qualify as scholars in Pisay, from the time they enter the school in 1982 until they graduate in 1986. These are volatile times in contemporary history, so the film is not just their story but also that of the nation, chronicling the assassination of Ninoy Aquino and the EDSA People Power revolution that ousted Marcos.

The film is divided into four distinct episodes, with each episode concentrating on different students. “Freshman” is about young love. Gammy Lopez (twin brother of Nathan Lopez who played Maximo Oliveros), an intelligent teener whose mom is a market vendor, falls in love with the balikbayan mestiza, Annicka Dolonious. In the process, his grades suffer. Their concerned teacher (Eugene Domingo, who’s so great she should win a best supporting actress award for her performance here) knows he can do better and convinces him to forget about his infatuation with Annicka and to focus more on his studies.

“Sophomore” is about a fat boy from Cebu, Carl John Barrameda, who graduated valedictorian in their hometown and is now bullied by bigger boys in their dorm. He gets so terribly homesick and this affects his performance in class so badly that he lost his scholarship and was subsequently ousted from the school. “Junior” is about a girl, Shayne Fajutana, whose parents are both political activists. To complete an experiment in class, she is paired with a budding cadet, Jonathan Neri. Together, they also get engrossed in the story of Macliing Dulag and the Chico River project. They do get attracted to each other, but Shayne’s parents are being persecuted by the government so they quietly leave for abroad, with Shayne leaving the school without even telling anyone where they are going.

“Senior” is about an effeminate boy, Euripedes (EJ Jallorina), who discovers while he’s in Pisay that he’s more inclined to the arts. Pisay scholars are required to major in science courses when they go to college.

If they enrol in other courses, then they would have to pay back the government for the years they spent as a Pisay scholar. This episode opens with a play being performed on stage, with Euri playing the role of Sisa. Euri has a hard time filling up his application form for entrance exams in college because he cannot decide on whether he should take up a science course or theatre arts.

In the end, the tragedy that befalls his classmate and best friend, Elijah Castillo (the child actor who played the title role in “Pepot Artista”) helps him make a final decision.

The graduation sequence where the students are shown going up onstage to get their diplomas and citations moved us to tears. It brought back bittersweet memories of our own high school years. Uniformly well acted by a fine ensemble cast, Solito truly excels in this one as he has already mastered polishing the technical requirements of making a digital film, compared to “Maximo” and “Tuli” that are so crudely made.

The audience applauded in unison right after the screening of this film at the Cultural Center of the Philippines main theatre.

Also deserving acclaim are the cinemato-graphy of Charlie Peralta, the music of Vince de Jesus and Jobin Ballesteros, and the production design by Martin Masadao, Regie Regalado, Dante Garcia, and Endi Balbuena.

We pray a big film company will get distribution rights for this movie. Given the right push, we have no doubt this will be a big hit with the general public who will surely appreciate its merits as a superior local film.

***

Cinemalaya 2007 at the UP Film Institute

Tuesday, July 31
5 pm | PISAY by Aureus Solito
7 pm | TUKSO by Dennis Marasigan

Wednesday, August 1
5 pm | STILL LIFE by Katrina Flores
7 pm | KADIN (the Goat) by Adolfo Alix, Jr.

Thursday, August 2
5 pm | ENDO by Jade Castro
7 pm | LIGAW LIHAM by Emilio “Jay” Abello

Friday, August 3
5 pm | TRIBU by Jim Libiran
7 pm | SINUNGALING NA BUWAN by Ed Lejano

Saturday, August 4
5 pm | GULONG by Romualdo Fajardo
7 pm | BEST PICTURE WINNER REPEAT SCREENING

tickets available at the Cine Adarna Box Office @ P70 each
for inquiries, contact 09274520710

Save UP College of Arts and Letters (UP CAL) faculty members!

The University of the Philippines College of Arts and Letters (CAL) was founded in 1983 after the UP College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) was reorganized. Previously, UP CAL was an integral component of the UP College of Philosophy, Science and Letters (1910). On 30 June 1911, the College was renamed the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The CAS offered the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences as fields of specialization. On 30 September 1976, the Reorganization Plan of the College of Arts and Sciences resulted in the creation of three divisions, namely: the Division of Humanities, the Division of Science, and the Division of Social Sciences and Philosophy. The Division of Humanities consisted of five Departments: the Department of Humanities (now Art Studies), the Department of English and Comparative Literature, the Department of Spanish (now European Languages), the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature and the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts. These departments are now connected with UP CAL.

UP CAL is currently the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) Center of Excellence in English, Filipino, Literature/Creative Writing and Foreign Languages. It also has the largest assemblage of Philippine National Artists (e.g. Francisco Arcellana, Virgilio S. Almario, N.V.M. Gonzalez, Amado V. Hernandez, Bienvenido Lumbera, Carlos P. Romulo and Jose Garcia Villa for Literature; Wilfrido Maria Guerrero for Theater; Ishmael Bernal, Lino Brocka and Eddie Romero for Film, Rolando Tinio for Theater and Literature, etc.) and recipients of many important national and international prizes, including winners of Ramon Magsaysay (e.g., Lumbera), Southeast Asia (SEA) Write (e.g., Virginia Moreno, Ricaredo Demetillo, Jose Maria Sison, Bienvenido Santos, Almario, Isagani R. Cruz, Alfred Yuson, Domingo Landicho); TOYM (Almario, Dalisay, Nadera); Fulbright, British Council, Monbusho, the Carlos Palanca, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Premio Zobel, Metrobank Outstanding Teacher and Philippine National Book awards, scholarships and fellowships, in its past and present student, faculty and alumni roster.

Most importantly, all UP students attend UP CAL’s iconic general education and specialized courses in Creative Writing, English Language, Communication, Anglo-American literature, Comparative Literature, Filipino, Philippine Studies, Philippine Literatures and Cultures, European Languages, Speech Communication, Theater Arts, Art Studies, Philippine Institutions (Jose Rizal) and Humanities.

Unfortunately, the Philippine government's Salary Standardization Law (SSL) does not allow UP (despite its stature as the country's national university) to promote properly its prizewinning faculty members. Considering UP CAL's impact locally and internationally, its faculty members are earning just about PHP10,000-PHP 30,000 (US$ 200-600) per month. Many UP CAL faculty members moved to other national and international institutions, companies and corporations because they could not support their families with their UP salaries. Many of those who were sent to study in foreign universities did not return to UP because of opportunities to earn more elsewhere. Some UP CAL faculty members are now teaching part-time in Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Miriam College and University of Asia and the Pacific to pay their monthly bills. Those who stay behind are teaching because of their unwavering commitment to UP, UP students and the teaching profession.

But these faculty members can only take in so much. Unlike UP alumni in Engineering, Business Administration, Medicine, Law, the Sciences and Economics, UP CAL alumni are mostly artists, teachers, scholars and NGO workers. These graduates are unable generally to help UP CAL in terms of material support.

UP CAL is requesting UP alumni, alumni groups and their friends to help retain UP CAL faculty members. UP CAL needs permanent professorial chairs to ensure that UP and UP CAL gets to retain its best faculty members, especially those who teach general education courses to all UP students.

Otherwise, UP will slip further down the drain and lose its academic leadership to its rival universities in the Philippines and elsewhere.

For further details, drop by, call or send an email to Philippine National Artist and UP CAL Dean Virgilio S. Almario or UP CAL Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jose Wendell Capili.

College of Arts and Letters
University of the Philippines

Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines

CAL Website
http://kal.upd.edu.ph

CAL-related websites

http://todaimitaka.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
http://upkal.blogspot.com/

CAL Webmail
upkal2007@gmail.com or kal@up.edu.ph

Telephone Number
(+63)(2) 9818500, extension 2101 / 2102 / 2104 / 2105 or 2106

Direct Line/Fax Number

(+63)(2) 4344686 or 9294508

the u.p. college of arts and letters

***

Ways to help UP CAL faculty members

One

Individuals and groups may organize and raise funds for a UP College of Arts and Letters professorial chair. The professorial chair may be named after the donor/s, a favorite UP/UP CAL teacher, a deceased loved one or a person designated by the donor/s

Two

Have your name inscribed in special commemorative tiles in the Academic Oval area across the UP College of Arts and Letters and the Jorge Vargas Museum to show your support for UP CAL and UP Diliman.

UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio Cao is developing the existing inner sidewalk along the Academic Oval will be developed into The Walk.

Through the project, UP alumni and friends will be tapped to support UP CAL and other UP Diliman faculty. The income generated from the project will form part of the UP Diliman Faculty Development Fund (UPDFD) and will be utilized to support professorial chairs and faculty grants.

The Oval will be rehabilitated using modular blocks, each measuring 1.45m x 0.60m. Each block will carry interlocking pavers at the center, flanked on both sides with pre-fabricated concrete sand finish, on which a leaf patterns and the alumni donor's name(s) are inscribed.

The leaf symbolizes the return of UP Diliman alumni and the flowing interlocking pavers the collective alumni's support, loyalty and love for the Alma Mater.

The first 1,000 tiles will require a donation of P20,000 each; the next 1,000 at P25,000 each and the remaining tiles will be P30,000 each.

Three schemes are available. Option A is for an individual alumnus/alumna; Option B will enable up to four (4) individuals to share one module; and Option C allows a family with a maximum of three (3) members to share one tile.

To make a reservation, email the following details to: upkal2007@gmail.com

Name
Address
Contact numbers (landline, mobile phone, email address)

Choose option:

Name__________________________
Degree/s________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________

Name 1__________________________
Degree/s_________________________
Name 2__________________________
Degree/s_________________________
Name 3__________________________
Degree/s_________________________
Name 4__________________________
Degree/s_________________________

Family name______________________
Name 1__________________________
Degree/s_________________________
Name 2__________________________
Degree/s_________________________
Name 3__________________________
Degree/s_________________________

***

Or, drop by, call or send an email to Philippine National Artist and UP CAL Dean Virgilio S. Almario or UP CAL Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jose Wendell Capili.

College of Arts and Letters
University of the Philippines

Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines

CAL Website
http://kal.upd.edu.ph

CAL-related websites

http://todaimitaka.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
http://upkal.blogspot.com/

CAL Webmail
upkal2007@gmail.com or kal@up.edu.ph

Telephone Number
(+63)(2) 9818500, extension 2101 / 2102 / 2104 / 2105 or 2106

Direct Line/Fax Number

(+63)(2) 4344686 or 9294508

UP CAL will contact you to confirm your reservation. Upon confirmation, donors will be requested to make check payments.

Make checks payable to: College of Arts and Letters Foundation

***

Global Film Initiative buys US rights to The Bet Collector (Jeffrey Jeturian's Kubrador)

Silvia Wong in Singapore

Screen Daily

07 Jun 2007 13:10

Global Film Initiative has taken all US rights to award-winning Filipino drama The Bet Collector (Kubrador).

The deal was negotiated by French sales outfit Wide Management's Matteo Lovadina.

After making its world premiere in Moscow last year, the picture has travelled to about forty film festivals worldwide, winning numerous awards. These include two FIPRESCI awards (at Moscow and New Delhi) as well as four international best actress awards (at New Delhi, Brussels, CineManila and Amiens) for veteran actress Gina Pareno.

Pareno plays an aging bet collector who earns commissions from collecting bets for jueteng, an illegal number game, in the slums of Manila.

The film is directed by Jeffrey Jeturian whose previous credits include Bridal Shower and Bikini Open and produced by MLR Films' Josabeth Alonso and Rogelio Rayala.

***

January 2008 MoMA (New York) Premiere for Kubrador

KUBRADOR/THE BET COLLECTOR will be showcased as part of Global Film Initiative's Global Lens 2008 series, which will premiere in January 2008 at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York and screen in up to thirty cities across the United States before going into general theatrical and home video distribution via First Run Features. Traditionally, Global Lens receives good press for the series. KUBRADOR/THE BET COLLECTOR is set to gain further significant attention, as it is one of only two possible films from Southeast Asia in the ten-film series.

***
Kubrador was accepted and screened by more than fifty international film festivals, including:
1. moscow (russia)
2. new delhi (india)
3. antalya (turkey)
4. toronto (canada)
5. mumbai (india)
6. pusan (korea)
7. vancouver (canada)
8. valladolid (spain)
9.hawaii (u.s.a.)
10. sao paolo (brazil)
11. tokyo (japan)
12. london (england)
13. brussels (belgium)
14. amiens (france)
15. thessaloniki (greece)
16. rome (italy)
17. tallinn (estonia)
18. bratislava (slovak republic)
19. cairo (egypt)
20. dubai (u.a.e.)
21. chennai (india)
22. bangalore (india)
23. bangkok (thailand)
24. palm springs (california, u.s.a.)
25. rotterdam (netherlands)
26. copenhagen (denmark)
27. pan calgary (canada)
28. cleveland (ohio, u.s.a.)
29. belgrade (serbia)
30. cinemanila (philippines)
31. melbourne (australia)
32. friebourg (switzerland)
33. tromso (norway)
34. gotenberg (sweden)
35. guadalajara (mexico)
36. warsaw (poland)
37. vilnius (lithuania)
38. brugge, belgium
39. brisbane (australia)
40. fajr (iran)
41. singapore
42. barcelona (spain)
43. madrid (spain)
44. arizona (u.s.a.)
45. seattle (washington, u.s.a.)
46. red bank (new jersey, u.s.a.)
47. kolkota (india)
48. munich (germany)
49. hong kong
50. vienna (austria)
51. dhaka (bangladesh)

My previous entries on Jeffrey Jeturian's Kubrador are all here.

***

Jim Libiran's Tribu in Cinemalaya 2007

Tribu, a film about the precarious lives of adolescent gang (or "tribe") members in Tondo. Urban, hip hop, street poetry, action.

Starring real-life gangsta/rappers. Young Cent, OG Sacred
Also starring: Jamir Garcia (of Slapshock), Dice & Hi C (of Mobbstarr), Stick Figgas, Basillyo of Crazy as Pinoy, Ira Marasigan (Philippine Idol finalist).

From the Palanca-award winning screenplay by Jim Libiran.

Tickets: Regular P100 / Students P50

TRIBU by Jim Libiran
21 Jul/Sat (10:00 AM) at Venue 2 - CCP Little Theatre / Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
22 Jul/Sun (06:15 PM) at Venue 1 - CCP Main Theatre / Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo
24 Jul/Tue (09:00 PM) at Venue 2 - CCP Little Theatre / Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
25 Jul/Wed (03:30 PM) at Venue 1 - CCP Main Theatre / Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo
26 Jul/Thu (06:15 PM) at Venue 4 - CCP MKP Hall / Bulwagang Alagad Ng Sining
27 Jul/Fri (09:00 PM) at Venue 1 - CCP Main Theatre / Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo
28 Jul/Sat (09:00 PM) at Venue 5 - CCP Tanghalang Huseng Batute


Cinemalaya Goes to UP
AUG 3 Friday - Cine Adarna (UP Film Center)
5pm - TRIBU, Jim Libiran

busy

i couldn't blog because i've been very busy. i get to sleep at 3:00 a.m.. i have to be up four hours later. mornings and early afternoons are spent usually by signing documents and attending meetings in relation to curricular proposals, the revitalized general education program, the philippine studies program (arts and letters shares the program with social sciences and philosophy, and the asian center), raising funds for professorial chairs and college facilities, institutional linkages and graduate degree programs. mid-afternoons, i get to teach introduction to creative writing (cw 10), introduction to southeast asia (sea 30), creative nonfiction (cw 140), and philippine literature in english (cl 151). my parents pick me up from work and we all have dinner together. then i do 50 minutes of cardio and/or lifting immediately after. i spend my late evenings having coffee/tea with friends. frequently, i also get in touch with former students and other u.p. alumni groups to talk about the need to support u.p. during and beyond the university's centennial year. during the wee hours, i read emails and prepare for my classes and meetings. i get to have power naps when im inside the car going to or coming back from u.p.

my schedule in manila is the exact opposite of my schedule in canberra. despite the busy schedule and the lack of sleep, i get hyper all the time because my job enables me to encourage many people.

after a meeting in quezon hall

the view from my office

u.p. academic oval towards vargas museum and the college of arts and letters

***

Milflores flash fiction anthology deadline extended

Vicente Garcia Groyon, editor of the projected anthology of flash fiction/sudden fiction (to be published by Milflores Publishing) announces that the deadline for submission has been extended to July 15. All interested writers are therefore invited to send their stories for consideration to the address below.

Stories may be in English or Filipino, and from 500 – 750 words.. Our preference is for stories which have not been previously included in books. Stories published on line or in magazines/journals are acceptable, but please indicate where and when upon submission.

This invitation goes out specially to writers who have been a part of earlier Miflores anthologies (like Sleepless in Manila, and A Book of Maladies edited by Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo and Sawi edited by Ada J. Loredo, BJ A. Patino and Rica Bolipata Santos) or have published books of their own with Milflores. But newcomers are welcome (provided they write well).

Submissions should be sent to flashfic.milflores@gmail.com.

Queries may also be addressed to Vince at that address.