Taboan writers festival satellite for Central Visayas set in Bohol

THIS year’s Taboan writers festival satellite for Central Visayas will be held on Feb. 24 at the Holy Name University (HNU) in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

The festival is an annual gathering of writers from all over the country.

A flagship project of the National Committee for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Taboan takes place during the National Arts Month of February.

The central event was held last Feb. 9-11 in Clark, Pampanga.

The activity last year was held in Cebu. This year, HNU will host the first Taboan satellite activity in Bohol.

“It would be good if the Taboan satellite activity goes the round of provinces in Central Visayas,” said Haidee Emmie Palapar, coordinator for Literary Arts in Central Visayas to the NCCA.

“We are happy that the Taboan satellite activity is finally held in Bohol,” said Rose Rara-Sarabosing, Central Visayas Taboan satellite activity project coordinator and former Languages Department chairperson of HNU.

The gathering includes a forum at the HNU Multimedia Center and poetry reading and performances in the evening at the HNU oval.

The forum will discuss the state of region 7 writing through presentations by writers representing each province of Central Visayas.

Discussing their island-province’s literature are Prof. Merlie Alunan of University of the Philippines in the Visayas Tacloban College on the state of Boholano literature; Jeremiah Bondoc, president of Bathalan-ong Halad sa Dagang (Bathalad) Cebu chapter, on the state of Cebuano literature; and Ian Casocot, short fiction writer and literature teacher of Silliman University, on the state of Negros Oriental literature.

Palapar will also discuss priority areas in literature that are given funding by the NCCA.

The evening is set for a fellowship with the writers, through poetry reading and performances around a bonfire.