12 fellows of 15th Palihang Rogelio Sicat announced

Twelve young writers are chosen to participate as fellows of the 15th Palihang Rogelio Sicat (PRS). The all-Filipino language writers workshop continues as an online event as the pandemic still poses risks to everyone in face-to-face activities. PRS 15 will be held on June 22-25 via Zoom. Livestreaming details will be announced later.

This batch of writers comes from different regions of the country and were selected from more than a hundred applicants. The fellows are:

• Michaela Elaine Q. Azores (Pagbilao, Quezon) and Carmela H. Esguerra-Jose (Manila) for children’s story;
• Keanu Harold G. Reyes (Malolos, Bulacan) for flash fiction;
• Larry Boy B. Sabangan (Kalibo, Aklan) and Arnold Tristan L. Buenaflor (Sto. Tomas, Batangas) for the short story;
• John Brixter M. Tino (Perez, Quezon), Roda Tajon (Manila), Gregorio V. Bituin Jr. (Manila), and Jefferson G. del Rosario (Danao City, Cebu) for poetry;
• Anne Richie G. Balgos (Manila) for drama; and
• Edward Joseph O. Fernandez (Caloocan City), and Mark Andy Pedere (Taguig City) for the essay

To deliver the keynote address this year is well-known scriptwriter and fictionist Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. Craft lecturers include dramatist Chris Millado, fictionist and critic Eli Rueda Guieb III, filmmaker and writer Kristian Sendon Cordero, essayist Bebang Siy, and journalist Danilo Arao.

PRS is named after and in honor of author Rogelio Sicat, a beloved teacher and friend to a generation of writers. The workshop founders are Reuel Molina Aguila and Jimmuel Naval.

Throughout the years, PRS has managed to hold on through the generosity of friends like the late Ligaya Tiamson Rubin and sponsors from government agencies, politicians, and institutions. In recent years, it achieved a more stable status as one of the regular writing workshops in the Philippines. Today, it gains full support from the UP Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature, the Dean’s Office of the UP College of Arts and Letters, and the UP Sentro ng Wikang Filipino.

The teaching faculty and panel members are award-winning writers of the UP Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature namely Luna Sicat Cleto, Michael Francis C. Andrada, Vladimeir B. Gonzales, Romulo P. Baquiran Jr, Victor Emmanuel Carmelo D. Nadera, Tilde Acuña, U Z. Eliserio, Amado Anthony Mendoza, Eugene Y. Evasco, Will P. Ortiz, Elyrah L. Salanga-Torralba, Bernadette V. Neri, Rommel B. Rodriguez, Glecy C. Atienza, Jimmuel Naval, and Reuel Molina Aguila. — Rappler.com