A VERSION OF THE PHILIPPINE LITERARY CANON

On Saturday, April 20, some World Lit teachers of Hawaii will join us at a seminar on how Philippine Literature could be incorporated in the World Lit curriculum.

I have been asked to do a presentation on the Philippine Literary Canon, and I took the liberty of recasting the concept and offered "A Version of the Philippine Literary Canon.'

I have my own reasons.

A decade of teaching and living in the United States has given me some perspective on how to approach the issues of Philippine culture, the Philippine diaspora, and heritage education and learning.

I have had the opportunity of teaching former Philippine teachers in order for them to get their teaching credentials.

I have had the opportunity of teaching immigrants in Los Angeles, and most of them were Hispanics and Middle Easter peoples. I did not find any Filipino in my classes.

I have taught a student in parole. This was my first brush with what penitentiary was and what the criminal justice system was like in the schools.

All told, I thought that my almost seven years of university teaching in Honolulu have given me an understanding on how best to approach Philippine literature from the perspective of the young people, whether these are students who descended from the Philippines or not.

So I will talk about Moreno's 'Order for Masks', an excerpt from Sionil Jose's 'Tree', Dimalanta's 'Of Children and Lovers', Arguilla's Rice, Diaz's 'Rice for the Moon' and Daguio's 'The Girl from Bauko'. Plus excerpts from the Visayas and Mindanao.

What is going to happen?  That remains to be seen.

Hon, HI/
April 16, 2013