Over a hundred writers from different parts of the country will gather in Cebu on February 10 to 12 for one of the country’s major literary events this year: the second Philippine Writers Festival. Taboan is a Cebuano word meaning “gathering” or “trading at the market place.”

Open to writers writing in different Philippine dialects as well as in English, this year’s Taboan focuses on Visayan writers and literature. According to Ricardo de Ungria, head of the Subcommission on the Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and director of the Philippine International Arts Festival, this is for other writers to appreciate the wealth of Visayan literature.

“Our intention is to make the focus of the Taboan different each year. Last year, the focus was Luzon. For 2010, it will be the Visayas,” de Ungria added.

Highlights of the event are the plenary presentations on different topics about writing. Among the interesting topics include translation which will be discussed by Marne Kilates and Dr. Erlina Alburo; regional children’s literature to be tackled by Christine Belen and German Gervacio; “eco-literature” with Hope Yu, Dinah Roma Sianturi and Mindo Aquino; writing erotica with John Iremil Teodoro, Danton Remoto and Richel Dorotan; poetry and performance with Bambi Beltran, Vim Nadera and Ariel Tabag; and writing ethnicity with Antonio Enriquez, Arifar Jamil and Scott Saboy.

Besides the plenary discussions, there will also be live workshops, performance poetry presentations, and a zarzuela show. There will also be a teachers’ conference on teaching literature. This is the first time that such conference for teachers will be featured in Taboan.

Another highlight of the event is the recognition of some outstanding Visayan writers: Resil Mojares, Leoncio Deriada, Magdalena Jalandoni (posthumous), Rene Estrella Amper (posthumous), Estrella Alfon (posthumous), Lina Espina Moore (posthumous) and Edilberto Tiempo (posthumous).

The Taboan is part of the month-long national celebration of the arts slated every February. Implemented by the NCCA National Committee on Literary Arts with the Arts Council of Cebu Foundation Inc. as conduit, it is one of the flagship projects of the NCCA for the National Arts Month celebration.

For details, contact Rene Napeñas, at 527-5529 or Vanessa Marquez, at 527-2209 or 0918-6380412. You may also e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or log on to www.ncca.gov.ph.