The semester is over, and I can say that this semester is by far the most productive semester that I’ve ever had. Not that I was slumbering the previous semesters or, as the Bisaya would put it, nagpadako ra ko’g itlog. It’s just that this semester alone, I’ve done things I never did before:
JUNE: Someone in our school asked me if I could do a primer for the first year and transferee students—what it’s like to be a freshmen, the favorite hang outs of the students, and all the things that first year and transferee students need to know. I said yes. I later found out that I was to write all six articles. But I was able to pull it off anyway. It’s actually the first time that I got paid for my writing. The pay was not that high, just enough to buy a pair of Havaianas.
JULY: I was busy the whole July, researching, interviewing, gathering facts, writing for the task given to me in June.
AUGUST: My essay “Rising Above Ourselves” which is my a tribute to the late President Corazon Aquino, got published in Dagmay: The Literary Journal of the Davao Writers Guild.
That pretty woman on the left is Agnes Lipumano, and the one on the right is her mother, Mrs. Joan Lipumano. Because of Agnes, I now doubt if beauty and brain can co-exist peacefully.
I also joined the first ever Lakan and Lakambini ng Holy Cross of Davao College. I wasn’t proclaimed the Lakan, but I think my responsibility is far bigger than the Lakan’s. I was just hailed the Pag-asa ng HCDC (Hope of HCDC). Chos! Meeeganon?
SEPTEMBER: Late in August, the Learning section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer announced that it would be publishing tributes to the teachers in deference to the Teacher’s Month (Sept. 6-Oct. 6). 500 words will do, it said. Upon learning it, I immediately went to the computer and began pounding the keyboard, hoping that I would be the first one to submit. After three hours or so, I finished the essay, which ran up to about 750 words. I sent it, and began doing what everyone else does after sending an essay for publication—-wait. Then on September 6, 2009, I grabbed a copy of Inquirer, went straight to the Learning section, which by the way comes out only on Monday, and surprise, surprise, found out that my essay “Ma’am G, how could I thank thee?” was there.
This September also, I joined two contests: DWG-NCCA Bisaya Fiction Contest, PopDev Media Awards. I lost in the former—-or to put it positively, others brought home the beacon—-and the result of the latter is yet to be announced in December.
OCTOBER: I was slated as one of the finalists in the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards Best Personal Blog Category. Like DWG-NCCA Bisaya Fiction Contest, I didn’t win in the 2009 PBA. But don’t worry—-I’ve moved one already.
I also submitted a story for consideration for the Philippine Speculative Fiction V, an anthology of speculative fiction by Filipino authors. In an e-mail, Nikki Alfar, one of the editors of PSF5 (the other one being Vin Simbulan), said, “Thanks so much for submitting…for PhilSpecFic 5. Vin and I are delighted to receive it, and look forward to reading it, along with all the other entries, come deadline-time this October 15. We should be able to let you know the status of your submission within a month after the deadline.”
