NCCA Chair Meets Young Filipino-Canadian Poets, Writers

(Seated from left to right): Deputy Consul General Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez, Filipino music icon Mr. Joey Ayala, Ambassador Petronila P. Garcia, NCCA Chair and National Artist for Literature Hon. Virgilio S. Almario, Consul General Rosalita S. Prospero, and Consul Edwin Gil Mendoza. (Standing from left to right): Consul Edna May Grecia-Lazaro, Jenilee Austria, Eric Tigley, Nastasha Alli, Rachel Chiong, Maria Toquero, Yves Lamson, Pamela Dungao, Justine Yu, Ysh Cabana and NCCA Culture and Arts Officer Ms. Alya Monina B. Rodriquez. (Toronto PCG Photo)

TORONTO 17 May 2018 — Consul General General Rosalita S. Prospero hosted a meet and greet between the Chair of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and National Artist for Literature Hon. Virgilio S. Almario and young budding Filipino-Canadian writers based in the Greater Toronto Area on May 11. Her Excellency Ambassador Petronila P. Garcia flew from the Canadian capital of Ottawa to also meet the young writers. They were also joined by Filipino music icon Joey Ayala, a member of the delegation from the NCCA.

Chair Almario flew to Toronto, Canada to inaugurate the Sentro Rizal Toronto on May 12 and attend the Ugnayan sa Canada Youth Forum to be held on the same day.

During the dialogue, NCCA Chair Almario told the young writers how he became a poet in Filipino.  He noted the critical importance of learning about our intangible heritage, such as our pre-colonial literature, particularly our epics and traditional short poetic forms in Tagalog, such as tinaga, diyano, and dalit.

Some of the writers delivered excerpts from their bodies of work while Chair Almario shared his poem entitled “Mas Matalino ang Tubig” (Water is Wiser)-a poem he wrote in 1980 as part of an anthology entitled Palipad-Hangin (republished in 2017 as part of “In the Hour of Merchant and Felon”).

Chair Almario encouraged the young writers to form groups, not only because writers understand each other, but more importantly because it is difficult to learn by one’s lonesome.  Thus, he informed them that in the Philippines, he continues to be involved in groups like LIRA, The Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), a poetry clinic he founded in 1985.

The event was also in line with the objective of the Consulate to further engage Filipino-Canadian youth in the Greater Toronto Area. “We are pleased to provide space for budding young writers in Toronto to get together to help hone their pencraft.” Consul General Prospero said in her remarks. END.

For more information, visit www.torontopcg.dfa.gov.ph / www.philcongen-toronto.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinToronto.