Fellows! Filipino writers are central to the task of nation-building and protecting the nation, and IYAS stands out for its role in supporting our people’s forest of writers thrive, so that they may question, shape, reimagine, inspire, and provoke change among our people. Mabuhay, IYAS 2026 Fellows, and congratulations to the wise and tireless folks organizing and shepherding the workshop!
See you all mid-May!
Few people have ever seen the elusive Philippine mouse-deer in the wild. But chances are, if you’re old enough to read this paragraph, then you might have read or even more likely had a parent read to you, the Adarna House adventures of Pilandok the mouse-deer as a child. The mischievous hero used guile and trickery to run circles around his opponents. In one story, he deceives a murderous sultan using a supposedly golden egg. In another, he outsmarts a greedy datu by luring him into a cage at sea.
For many kids in today’s heavily urbanized world, nature is something that often begins in the imagination. Read and reread in bedrooms and classrooms far from the jungle, the stories of Pilandok, Diwa the Dugong, Mayumi the Forest Pig, and Macky, ang Maliksing Paniki, serve as important avenues for children eager to explore the wilderness of the mind.
Still, it would be [READ]
by Red Constantino
All the tools available to you, use them, and use them for the greater cause of national freedom and social liberation. Decolonize. Words often said by Letizia before she passed away in 2016. We did a lot of the first point last Saturday at the convocation for Renato Constantino, and likewise discussed in different details the second point, because we cannot completely decarbonize without full decolonization, and without decarbonization we cannot fully decolonize.
Much was shared by the speakers, but UP College Media and Communication (CMC) Dean Diosa Labiste framed a lot of narratives early when she spoke of the long overdue review of Renato Constantino’s contributions as a journalist.
We talked briefly before the event formally began as Dr. Labiste recounted The Manipulated Press, a book by one of the speakers, Rosalinda Ofreneo, published in 1984 with an introduction by Constantino. I mentioned The State of the Philippine Press, [READ]
Outtakes from last Saturday: It was a full house last Saturday at the auditorium of the UP College of Media and Communication. We appreciate the support of (tech person for helping, and Jingky), as well as King and Zylon for contributing photos of the event. So many questions, and so many angles tackled meant it was a fruitful day not just for all the participants who found time but also the speakers, who appreciated the questions and comments. Maraming salamat of course to Dean Diosa Labiste and Professor Emeritus Rene Ofreneo, who both hatched the idea of the convocation. A recording of the talks will be posted soon; watch this space. We thank once more our co-organizers UP CMC, Alpha Phi Beta, and the Asia-Europe Institute of Universiti Malaya.
What is behind the country’s persistent underdevelopment and what explains the acceleration of industrialization among our neighbors? What are the links closely binding decolonization and decarbonization and how do these shape our people’s aspiration to industrialize today? What is the relevance of Philippine history with regard to fossil economy-triggered conflicts in West Asia, territorial disputes in contested international waters, and the worsening climate crisis? What is the relevance today of the lives lived by Renato Constantino and Letizia Roxas Constantino and why did they dedicate their lives to advance the cause of nationalism and partisan scholarship in the Philippines?
These questions and more will be addressed at the event, which will be held at the ???????? ???????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ????-????????????. The Constantino Foundation thanks the UP College of Media and Communication, Alpha Phi Beta, Asia-Europe Institute of Universiti Malaya and visiting [READ]
Today, we remember one of the most understated figures in Philippine intellectual history – but no doubt, a proud daughter of the Province of Capiz.
The nation celebrates April 9 each year as the Day of Valor. We commemorate not just the fall of Bataan but the acts of heroism displayed by the likes of the Hunters-ROTC Guerillas and the Huks, which both resisted, sometimes together, the onslaught of Japanese fascists.
The 9th of April this year is also the 106th birth anniversary of the historian and writer Letizia Roxas Constantino. Were she alive today – a period flooded with AI slop, misinformation, fake news, and campaigns of disinformation – Letizia would remind us of a way of thinking that keeps citizens active and discerning.
Valor cannot be exercised without vigilance. Vigilance can be exercised only when we are informed. Information is useless without discernment, a way of thinking that interest in history will teach. This was why Letizia was a voracious consumer of magazines, journals, and the news.
In 1988, before the internet’s dominance, Letizia wrote: “I [READ]
April 9, 2026 | 9:00 AM
43 Judge Jimenez St., Brgy. Kamuning, Quezon City
In commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), the forum will feature discussions on World War II resistance, historical perspectives, and peace in Asia, with a lineup of historians, scholars, and public figures.
Live on Facebook tomorrow! See you!
Kamuning Bakery Cafe was co-founded by Lt. Marcelo Javier, who was a Hunters guerrilla. He was killed by invaders at the Battle of Manila. The father of his wife, Kamuning [READ]
38 Panay Avenue, Bgy. Paligsahan, QC
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