'Under the Storm: An Anthology of Contemporary Philippine Poetry' Available Soon

Well, a lot of trees were blown down in the recent storms. All the poets, however, in Under the Storm: An Anthology of Contemporary Philippine Poetry seemed to be busy producing poems at the moment even though the wind was beginning to pick up. The threat of being killed or injured failed to deter them from writing, and it is also of interest to see the poets who have endured, and those who have not, over the past years.

This snapshot of a year under the storm of our poetic voice constitutes the works by 150 poets. My poem 'Carabaohood' is part of this anthology. I hope you'll bury yourselves in it. For one, most of you envisage yourselves to be something you are not, but you are always who you really are, and not who you have envisaged yourselves to be.  The thinking mind is not the self.  If you are envisaging something then you are thinking.  

The anthology not only to present the work of our poets in English, but offer translations of work in Filipino, Cebuano, and other languages.  

At its best, Under the Storm: An Anthology of Contemporary Philippine Poetry can alert one to lessons that must be learned only in this country, I'm sure, as the poems here are a snapshot of the tastes and values of the poets.

With such luminaries as Gémino H Abad, Jose Wendell P Capili, Jose Y Dalisay, Jr, Ricardo M de Ungria, Simeon Dumdum, Jr, Eric Gamalinda, J Neil Garcia, Jose F Lacaba, Jun Cruz Reyes, and Ramón C Sunico, readers are sure to find some of their favourite poets amongst these pages. More importantly, most readers will see many names they have not known but are not likely to forget.

Many of the anthologies include the same authors, but each editor approaches them with a different critical lens. Well, the editors, Joel M Toledo and Khavn De La Cruz, have drawn up a list of poets for the book.

1 Anne Carly Abad: December 18, 2008
2 Diego José Abad: The Unfaithful Men
3 Gémino H Abad: That Space of Writing
4 Anina G Abola: In Place of Emotion
5 Jose Marte Abueg: I, Pontius
6 Ericson Acosta: Ika-anim na Sundang: Gabud [Sixth Knife: Whetstone]
7 Arbeen Acuña: eraserase002
8 Jim Pascual Agustin: Sea Fireflies Of Mindoro
9 Arnold O Aldaba: Fruit of Knowledge
10 Kislap Alitaptap: Wala Na Sa Quiapo Ang Nazareno [The Nazarene is not in Quiapo]
11 Rio Alma: Seaman
12 Jovsky Almero: Train Dodge
13 Tofi Alonte: Shoes
14 Donato Mejia Alvarez: Apat Na Larawan Mula sa Tagaytay Ridge [A Short Quartet from Tagaytay Ridge]
15 Panch Alvarez: Pointing According To Heraldina
16 Angelo B Ancheta: Bir-it, Jan-ny!
17 Mark Angeles: F/LIGHT
18 Rebecca T Añonuevo: Anumang Leksiyon [Whatever Abides]
19 Roberto T Añonuevo: Dalawampung Minuto [Twenty Minutes]
20 Teo T Antonio: Sa Dulo Ng Malay [At the Edge of Waking]
21 Lystra Aranal: Hands Down
22 Mesándel Virtusio Arguelles: Eros
23 Cesar Ruiz Aquino: Three Variations
24 AM Azada: The Lion
25 Mads Bajarias: Entropy & The Shrike
26 Desiree L Balota: manoy
27 Romulo P Baquiran, Jr.: Labarinto [Labyrinthe]
28 Joi Barrios: Mga Tala Sa Isang Pagpatay [Notes On A Political Execution]
29 Melissa Villa-Real Basmayor: Futura
30 Ariel Dim. Borlongan: Eksena sa Susunod na Siglo [Scenario for the Next Century]
31 Dave Buenviaje: Because Pandesal is never the same in another country
32 Regine Cabato: Touch Me Not
33 Jose Wendell P Capili: Carnivalesque
34 Ronan B Capinding: Pagdidilig
35 Ronaldo Carcamo: Ha-ha-ha
36 F Jordan Carnice: Stones
37 Lito Casaje: Tsunami Blues
38 Ian Rosales Casocot: The Smallness of the Everyday
39 Marella Castro: Hinatak Sa Kahulugan [A Catch of the Infinite Pull]
40 Jose Jason L Chancoco: Barber Shop Brainstorming
41 Ayrie Ching: Learning Curve
42 Frank Cimatu: The Yoyo Routine
43 Mikael de Lara Co: Kundiman
44  Kristian Sendon Cordero: Stabat Mater
45 Michael M Coroza: Magnanakaw [Thief]
46 Keith Cortez: The Current
47 Lope Cui, Jr.: Multiple Choice
48 Dakila Cutab: P’wera Contra
49 Jose Y Dalisay, Jr: Bound For Saudi
50 Ramon Damasing: On the Feminine
51 Carlomar Daoana: Brutalism
52 Mes De Guzman: Ang Katiwala [The Caretaker]
53 Ainne Frances dela Cruz: Speed
54 Christa I De La Cruz: After Impeng Negro
55 Khavn De La Cruz: ang dalawa ang puso [the twice-hearted]
56 Noelle Leslie dela Cruz: Absence Muse
57 Nikki De Los Santos: aporia
58 Karl R De Mesa: Preparations For History
59 Iñigo de Paula: Paramdam
60 Ricardo M de Ungria: The Ambivalence of Staying A Tree
61 Lourd Ernest H De Veyra: Supremacy of the Text
62 Noel del Prado: Rebolusyon [Revolution]
63 A Despi: Social Blowtorching Transcends Scab Worship
64 Glenn Diaz: Definition Of respite
65 Lav Diaz: In Memoriam
66 Alain Russ Dimzon: Tinkling
67  Jan Brandon Dollente: The What
68 Jacob Walse-Dominguez: folding boxes
69 Simeon Dumdum Jr.: The Last Rain of Summer
70 Marjorie Evasco: In Baclayon, Reading Levertov's for Those Whom the Gods Love Less
71 Israfel Fagela: Siberia
72 Bendix M Fernandez: english lyrics to a japanese seduction
73 Bonki Fojas-Almirante: Erotica
74 Luis H Francia: Smooch King
75 Marc Escalona Gaba: Blinds
76 Eric Gamalinda: Hydrazine
77 J Neil Garcia: Coda
78 German Villanueva Gervacio: Procorpio’s Night
79 Lolito Go: What Else
80 Eva B. Gubat: Blind Date
81 Ramil Digal Gulle: bullet.X.press
82 Asterio Enrico Gutierrez: Death Poem Exercise 64
83 Luisa A Igloria: What I Don’t Tell My Children about My Hometown
84 Neal Imperial: Tandang Sora
85 Marne L Kilates: Morion
86 Phillip Yerro Kimpo: How the Americans Liberated Northern Luzon, 1945
87 Jeanilyn Kwan: The Revolution Will Be Printed, Not Televised
88 Jose F Lacaba: Tagubilin At Habilin [Will and Testament]
89 Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta: Tampuhan
90 Marra PL. Lanot: Ina [Mother]
91 Christine V. Lao: What Ol’ Injun told the carnies
92 Gian Lao: Here, at your grave
93 Elaine Lazaro: O
94 John Francis C Losaria: NPA mula sa Tatlong Daang Salita at Dalawang Pulgadang Pagitan [from Three Hundred Words and Two Inches in Between]
95 Bienvenido Lumbera: Kartolinang Ibon [Craft-Paper Bird]
96 Soleil Erika Manzano: Ganoon dumating ang balita— [How the news broke—]
97 Carlo Angelo V Marcelo: A Better Good Morning
98 Edgar B Maranan: The life and times of a seditious poet
99 Luchie Maranan: Estranged
100 Pia Montalban: Saleslady
101 V.E. Carmelo D. Nadera Jr.: Balimbing
102 Joanna Nicolas-Na: On the Way to Market
103 Homer B Novicio: Dark Birds in Winged Chapel
104 Emil Os: hyperlink
105 Voltaire Q Oyzon: Mag-aabroad inin akon mga buhok [My hairs will travel abroad]
106 Doms Pagliawan: Philippine Eagle
107 Don Pagusara: Alibangbang sa Ulan [Butterflies in the Rain]
108 R. Torres Pandan: Ars Poetica, As Actually Practiced
109 Ned Parfan: Disturbances
110 Allan Justo Pastrana: The Soul of The Town
111 Carlos M Piocos III: Prehistoria
112 Axel Pinpin: Nang Salakayin Mo Ang Aking Pananahimik [The Night You Assaulted My Deep Silence]
113 Zosimo Quibilan, Jr: Vers.
114 Jun Cruz Reyes: Bunso [Lastborn]
115 Fidel Rillo: Sa Ganang Akin Po Naman Ay Ito Lamang Ang Ipinamamanhik [Thus Do I Humbly Express Myself]
116 Virgilio A Rivas: Eternal Juju Recurrence
117 Deedle Rodriguez-Tomlinson: Euston Road on an Autumn Afternoon
118 Patrick Rosal: Despedida Ardiente
119 Darylle Rubino: Today After Time Immemorial
120 Roger B Rueda: Carabaohood
121 Jose Leonardo A Sabilano: SpaMusic
122 Joseph de Luna Saguid: Correspondent
123 Joel Pablo Salud: Meandering
124 Edgar Calabia Samar: Vocabulario
125 Rafael Antonio C. San Diego: Poem About Nothing
126 Benilda Santos: Púgot [Beheaded]
127 Oscar Tantoco Serquiña, Jr.: Massacre
128 Tanya Sevilla-Simon: Balikbayan Box
129 Danny Castillones Sillada: Yang Pagtagád Kang Alyana [Waiting For Alyana]
130 Bebang W Siy: Ang Bisita [The Visitor]
131 Bert Sulat Jr: I Love Poetry
132 Ramón C Sunico: How to Enjoy a Concert: Mula sa Concert Notes ng Francisco Santiago Hall ng PCI Bank [From the concert notes of Francisco Santiago Hall of PCI Bank (now defunct)]
133 Christian Tablazon: Blueprint
134 Alyza Taguilaso: Leviathan
135 J.I.E. Teodoro: Banal na Buntis [Pregnant, Holy]
136 Andrea B Teran: Weight without gravity
137 Enrico C Torralba: Para Sa Fountain Sa Harap Ng Post-Office Building [For The Fountain In Front Of The Post Office]
138 Ricky Torre: An Appointment, And Variation On Federico Alcuaz (or Monologue as Portraiture)
139 Denver Ejem Torres: where my Barbie was safe, lest, if it came out in the open
140 Charles Bonoan Tuvilla: Sa Panahon [On Seasons]
141 Roberto Ofanda Umil: Ang Tiwalag [The Defected]
142 RM Urquico: The Blues
143 Czeriza Shennille Valencia: Every dawn you dig your own grave
144 Eric Tinsay Valles: Independence Day in Hong Lim Park
145 Joel Vega: Nimbus
146 Eliza Victoria: Crime Scenes
147 Santiago Villafania: Rekindled
148 Michael Carlo C Villas: Vestibular
149 Arlene J Yandug: I think therefore I Ant
150 Alfred A Yuson: The Ten Most Memorable Moments with D. Thus Far, & Why I Can’t Let Her Go

As readers, you may discover the importance and individuality inherent in an editor’s penchants and aversions. 

Book Design: Piya Constantino
Cover Art: W Don Flores
'Reported Incidents, 9/27/09 to 9/29/09 2'
Acrylic on canvas
24 in. x 32 in.
2009

The 4th MOV International Film, Music, and Literature Festival
1-6 September 2011
The Podium, Ayala Musem, & UP Film Centre
*Zero Degrees of Separation*

www.movfest.org

Book Launch: 2 September 2011
                      Ayala Museum, Makati City
                      6 PM

Gays

a poem by Roger B Rueda 

When you spent the day gadding about
a lot of places and mostly
enjoying yourselves,
boys  bullied you, all of twelve
or fifteen,
into doing something
you didn't want to do,
you’d go back home, crying
or going into a sulk
just like a real girl!
Your mother used to tell you
it wasn't manly
for little boys  to cry.
You were shy
and hid behind some trees.
You seemed so very meek
and mild.
You were not smart enough
to understand life.
You'd got a phobia
about being teased
about how you walked
along the road and how you
spoke to them.
When you had a crush on one
of the boys at school,
you’d hide your eyes
behind your sunglasses.
At university,
you flexed your muscles
so that everyone
could admire them.
You’d go out to lunch
with your girlfriend.
You couldn't keep your hands
off each other,
You never stop kissing
and cuddling.
You’d hold her hand
when you cross the road.
All of twenty,
you two tied the knot.
Now, to some who were born
yesterday, it's
a complete mystery
why you are growing
like cultivated mushrooms.
Never did they know
that you have mutated into forms
that are resistant
to their piercing questions.
You are held up to ridicule,
but you lay yourselves
open to criticism
with such unashamedly
extreme views,
you have a hard-headed
approach to it.
When boys see you,
they don’t get quite a shock.
You are increasingly
commonplace.
They wink at you
as you turn your back.
They are out on the pull sometimes.
They have a small drinks party
sometimes for you.
They lean over
and whisper ‘I love you’
in your ear.
Then when they go abroad,
they faithfully call
you every week
and give you
a laptop or iPhone when they go home.

On Bullying from China over Spratly

an essay by Roger B Rueda

China is like a dinosaur and the Philippines, a canine, but I don’t think that the former is really that strong. I believe that how China behaves with small countries is purely psychological. Power countries always have their weak points, too. If this country is firm, they will draw back when they see our teeth. If this country draws back, they will forge ahead. Bullying the weak and being concessive to the firm has always been China’s strategy.

The Albay governor, Joey Salceda, stood firm in his call. ‘National honour has no price tag. I love the Philippines and am ready to defend its territory,’ he said. Yes, I think the public has a right to suppose truthful actions from politicians. Of all politicians, only the Albay governor was valiant enough to face what might be result if ever the Philippines boycotts China’s products (made by bootleggers). They fill the void of our having lack of expensive tools and gadgets, that at least we have, though they are so cheap. And that can't make Filipinos wet behind the ears in terms of all manner of high-tech gadgetry.

Anyway, the bullying has started earlier this year, for instance, on 2 March when the Philippine military directed two military aeroplanes to round the sea and air space near Reed Banks, a long time Philippine-occupied area in the West Philippines Sea. The Philippines took the action in response to the behaviour of two Chinese patrol boats which beleaguered a Philippine ship searching for oil, as said by Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban, Philippine military commander.

A Philippine OV-10 aircraft and an Islander light patrol aircraft were organised after the incident was reported, Sablan averred. The Chinese boats appeared set to butt the Philippine vessel on two cases before turning away, a military official said. No warning shots were fired and the ships later left, officials said. A Philippine navy patrol vessel was sent to secure oil exploration activities at the Reed Bank, and the Chinese Embassy would not immediately respond to Philippine requests for a clarification.

The implication of this occurrence is that it shows that China means to emphasise its claims to sovereignty of the West Philippines Sea to the shores of the Philippines.

China’s act is compared to a hostile man who comes to the orchard of his  neighbour to break up trees and pick up fruitlets and then asks for trouble to turn that orchard into the orchard of battle. We don’t discount that China had prepared in terms of public opinion before making the incident. It is also likely that China deliberately did it to misinform the possibility that it has reached compromise with other countries to isolate the Philippines. We need to keep a close watch on the situation and the ensuing moves of the related parties to know it.

Essentially, other countries make decisions based on their interests. The Philippines cannot pin the blame on them.

The Philippines cannot expect from the outsiders. We have to put our faith in ourselves. If we are firm, they will retreat. If we retreat, they will march forward. That is the rule of relationships. We need to recognise that China is big but it is not really strong. Strong countries are weak, too. Besides, China wants to establish a good reputation in the world these days. For one, it knows that reputation is known to be a ubiquitous, spontaneous, and highly efficient mechanism of social control in natural societies.

I think that the Philippines should move hurriedly to re-examine the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and get this issue over with. I believe that the Philippines has all the honourable ground over the claim considering its closeness to Palawan. Likewise, it's also within its jurisdictional exclusive economic zone and there's no way for other country to claim the entirety of the Spratly islands. Besides, the Philippines only claims what we think is ours and not the whole thing.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea undoubtedly states that the Reed Banks are within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. So, we shouldn’t be apprehensive because we are on the right side of the dispute.

The country’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity are supreme and indisputable. All watchwords and policies for any two-pronged relations are irregular, which are valid for certain times, not eternal. Nobody has the right to bargain their country’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

All at once, the Philippines needs to endorse exchange and negotiation with China on friendly relations between the two countries. I believe that the 1.3 billion Chinese are welcoming people who want to have good relations with the Philippines. I also believe that most of Chinese leaders have benevolence with the Philippines. This act is only the policy of some Chinese leaders who keep an eye on the expansion policy.

We need to enlighten the Chinese people about their government’s act. Chinese are provided with untruthful news about the West Philippines Sea. We have to wake them up and when they know the truth, I believe that they will have indispensible and rigorous actions.

The Philippines can also and has to inform international organisations where it is a member, as well as the UN, about China’s interference to call for international support. The Philippines also needs to fortify its armed forces and endorse a sea economy to dissuade anyone who intends to encroach upon the Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We have to make social unity and people’s truth. That’s the decisive strength to protect our country. And then President Aquino must have mystique and shamanism. Along with the Filipinos, our president, as international face of our country, must have a major bearing on the standing of this country.

He should be influential and never be a marionette of any strong country. He should remember that China being the world's third largest economy and being nouveau riche, is striving to be a responsible nation and that instead of bullying small and weak countries as some world powers have done, China is trying to be willing to do whatever it can to help other countries with their problems and promote world peace. Observably, its government have even proposed the concept of a harmonious world. One very apparent is that, in the past decade, they have sent more than 1,500 intermediaries on United Nations' missions. Thus, he should have attended the awarding of the Nobel Prize ceremonies despite China's call. For one, his decision is an irony to the ideals which his parents fought for.  It is unbecoming of the son of democracy icon to snub the recognition of Chinese dissident who fought for human rights and democracy in China.

We should remember that China has its national pride, too. By being firm, it’s showing our stance that we don’t tolerate any big country to bully us into doing something we don't want to do. What’s the use of international laws, if these are not imposed? Or, the government must take the advice of Jose de Venecia, former speaker of the House. That is, there must be an equitable sharing amongst the claimant countries in terms of the natural resources  they can find from Spratly. (But, of course, the Reed Banks belong to the Philippines.)

Bad things will always come about to us when we do nothing about it. But if we do, any bullying country can be free from committing gaffes against its neighbours.