Philippine Literature After EDSA 1 Revolution

By: Algene Malte-De Guzman, OTMT, CTA

UMPIL (Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas)

The Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL) is the largest organization of Filipino writers in the country. Founded in 1974, the organization was known for a time as the Writers Union of the Philippines. The current chairperson of UMPIL is V.E. Carmelo D. Nadera Jr.

 UMPIL held its first meeting in 1974 at the Social Security System Building in Quezon City. Organized to unite Filipino writers and promote Philippine literature, UMPIL s first set of officers were Adrian E. Cristobal, chairperson, J.V. Cruz, vice-chairperson, and Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, secretary-general. Its first major project was hosting the AfroAsian Writer s Symposium held from January 3 to February 3, 1975 in Manila.

 In 1988 UMPIL launched the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas, a lifetime achievement award for writers in various Philippine literatures. The award consists of a citation and a sculpted hardwood trophy by Manuel Baldemor. This is given at the closing ceremonies of the annual Writers Congress. UMPIL also held multi-sectoral discussions on copyright with editors and publishers towards forging a common stand protecting the rights and interests of writers. The UMPIL Directory of Filipino Writers was published in 1991.

PANULAT (Pambansang Unyon ng mga Manunulat)

PANULAT is committed to the: protection and enhancement of the economic welfare of Filipino writers; promotion and defense of free expression; development and propagation of a national culture and literature and the Filipino language; and solidarity with other groups seeking to realize national sovereignty, independence and self-reliance, peace, national unity and the democratization of Philippine society.

 During its founding congress, PANULAT members approved the establishment of a center with facilities for writers groups, a creative writing center, a legal aid desk, the publication of a journal, and draft a code of ethics.

GAT (Galian sa Arte at Tula)

Is the largest and most active organization for young Filipino writers. a group of poets promoting sociallycommitted poetry along the so-called circumventionist pattern which involved the use of semi-allegorical images to get past the martial-law censors while at the same time attacking the existing order.

In the year 1985, agreed the nine young poets Rowena Gidal, Edwin Abayon, Dennis Sto.Domingo, Ronaldo Carcamo, Danilo Gon zales, Vim Nadera, Ariel Dim. Borlongan,Romulo Jr. Baquiran., Gerardo Banzon and continue to come together even if theycompleted and submitted to the Rio Alma Poetry Clinic, a series of Saturdayworkshops and bloody sight to the poem. So on December 15, 1985, the office nowNational Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario (aka Rio Alma) Adarna House, QuezonCity, born Aonuevo, Saturdays and Format (LIRA), an organization of enthusiasticpoets writing in Filipino. Among the purposes of the LIRA nourish and enrich Filipino poetry by studyingtraditional and modernist poetry, give workshops and lectures, to organize variousliterary occ asion and help the printing of the collection poems of young poets.