Domingo Goan Landicho PhD

Manila Bulletin
August 21, 2004, 8:00am

Domingo G. Landicho, who will retire as a full-time professor of the University of the Philippines this year, will be honored by the Department of Filipino & Philippine Literature of the College of Arts & Letters this month by colleagues in the academe, in the media and by writers and scholars starting this August till the end of the year.

Radio Balintataw, hosted by Cecile Guidote-Alvarez of DZRH, will sponsor a month-long Landicho Festival, featuring the reading of Landicho’s poems, and a radio dramatization on Andres Bonifacio and Dupluhang Bayan which was staged by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) during the Martial Law regime.

The U.P. Institute of Creative Writing (U.P. ICW) and the Department of Filipino will jointly sponsor Premyo Landicho in the Landichohan sa Modernong Duplo, the forerunner of the popular Balagtasan as proposed by Vim Nadera, Director of the U.P. ICW, where the participants will render impromptu poetry on topics they will pick up during the contest on Aug. 27, at the Faculty Center Conference Hall, Diliman Quezon City, in recognition of Landicho’s role in the propagation and popularization of the oral tradition of Filipino poetry on radio, television, balagtasan and poetry dedication to important events and coronation of beauty queens during fiestas and other festivals. The winner will be awarded with a glass sculpture by Ramon Orlina.
The culminating activity in honoring the retiree will be the publication of the book Himaymay: Diwa at Pagkatao ni Domingo Goan Landicho sponsored by the Department of Filipino and jointly edited by Dr. Ma. Josephine C. Barrios, associate dean of the College of Arts & Letters; Dr. Glecy Atienza, chairperson of DFPP; Dr. Roland B. Tolentino of the College of Mass Communications; and Dr. Edna May Obien-Landicho, a playwright and theater director in her own right.

Among those who have written about Landicho and his works in the forthcoming book are Nick Joaquin, F. Sionil Jose, Francisco Arcellana and Virgilio S. Almario, all National Artists; and literary writer scholars Bienvenido Lumbera, Nicanor Tiongson, Adrian Cristobal, Loren Legarda, Doreen Gamboa Fernandez, Isagani R. Cruz, Resil Mojares, Alfrredo Navarro Salanga, Rogelio Sicat, Patricia Melendez Cruz, Petronilo Bn. Daroy, Rosalinda Ofreneo, Prospero Covar, Zeus Salazar, F.G. David, Remigio Agpalo, as well as his contemporaries in the literary and journalism professions like Rene Jose, Butch del Castillo, Satur Ocampo, Lamberto Antonio, Reynaldo Duque, Marcelo Lagmay, Mat Din, Tony Mortel, and younger students who had studied Landicho’s literary works in their M.A. theses, doctoral dissertations and the winning literary criticisms on Landicho which was sponsored by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino under the Office of the President of the Philippines in 2003.

The Ateneo de Manila University Press is slated to launch Landicho’s latest book of fiction, with fantasy as a motif, entitled Bathaluman at Ibang Katha within the year.

http://www.mb.com.ph/node/176493

From Manila Bulletin

Radio Balintataw, hosted by Cecile Guidote-Alvarez of DZRH, will sponsor a month-long Landicho Festival, featuring the reading of Landicho�s poems, and a radio dramatization on Andres Bonifacio and Dupluhang Bayan which was staged by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) during the Martial Law regime.

The U.P. Institute of Creative Writing (U.P. ICW) and the Department of Filipino will jointly sponsor Premyo Landicho in the Landichohan sa Modernong Duplo, the forerunner of the popular Balagtasan as proposed by Vim Nadera, Director of the U.P. ICW, where the participants will render impromptu poetry on topics they will pick up during the contest on Aug. 27, at the Faculty Center Conference Hall, Diliman Quezon City, in recognition of Landicho�s role in the propagation and popularization of the oral tradition of Filipino poetry on radio, television, balagtasan and poetry dedication to important events and coronation of beauty queens during fiestas and other festivals. The winner will be awarded with a glass sculpture by Ramon Orlina.

The culminating activity in honoring the retiree will be the publication of the book Himaymay: Diwa at Pagkatao ni Domingo Goan Landicho sponsored by the Department of Filipino and jointly edited by Dr. Ma. Josephine C. Barrios, associate dean of the College of Arts & Letters; Dr. Glecy Atienza, chairperson of DFPP; Dr. Roland B. Tolentino of the College of Mass Communications; and Dr. Edna May Obien-Landicho, a playwright and theater director in her own right.

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The Library

By Domingo G. Landicho
The Eyes of Isis wander amongst the shelves of aging books in the library and like the past days, dreamlike visions rush into his mind. He gently wipes off cobwebs and dust from each of the reddish, bluish and brownish covers of old books. He pulls them out from the shelf, rubbing the brownish covers, like the gentle touch on a newborn child. Isis looks at the letters on the books but they are just horizontal lines of images to him, a juxtaposition of images, although he can read some of them. As a whole, they are simply structured images to his eyes with no meaning impressed upon his head. Only two rows of shelves have not been dusted.

Inside the room, guarded by the glass window panes with thick velvet curtains, Isis can feel an inner glory. He is alone in his mind, of voices and dreams, and Isis knows that the fleeting and significant moments do not last long. The chief librarian and her staff will soon arrive. He will later attend to the dirty and dusty shoe marks on the floor or heed some errand for the librarian, like buying soft drinks or a cup of coffee or sending letters. Isis is silently thankful to Felipe, a fellow janitor, for resigning from his job. While he was still working there, Miss Santillan, the chief librarian, turned to the young man to do the dusting of the shelves, and Isis thought then, that the former was given that privilege because Felipe was able to study. Just wipe the floor, you should have less work, said Miss Santillan, yet Isis was not happy. Felipe finished an education course, and Isis knew it was the reason for the new arrangement. He was not at all happy with Felipe working with him. And when he learned that Felipe was leaving to teach in his farming village, Isis silently welcomed the event with joy, especially when Miss Santillan told him that he would be back to his job of wiping the dust on the bookshelves. So early that Monday morning, Isis trudges upon the creaking bamboo bridge that linked his world in Pinagpala and the world of vision offered by the books of knowledge. And now, among the cobwebs and dust and the juxtaposed black letters on the pages of the books he is wiping, the dream of Isis dances on the rainbow and he is now ready to meet the little, mighty steps, the little noises of chairs being pulled, the murmurings, and the bustle of so many visitors.

THE CLOSED door creaks. Miss Santillan comes in, the racing steps nearing him. Soon, the chief librarian stands before him with her boney face, well-coiffured hair, matched with glittering earrings and a loud colored dress. Isis smiles. The librarian smiles at him too.

“You come early, Isis.”

“I woke up quite early. Nothing to do at home. It’s good to start work early.”

“I also feel that way. As soon as I wake up, I think of the library. This place has become a part of ourselves.”

“That’s true, Miss Santillan.”

“How’s your daughter?”

MARYA’S EYES, glum and troubled, greet Isis. She stares at him, then glumly looks afar. The table has been set, fried salted fish is in a small plate, with the rice in a bigger plate. Isis gently taps the shoulder of his wife, hugs her and kisses her cheek. He goes to the table and starts to eat alone. Soon, he notices the unusual silence of Marya.

“Are you so tired?” Isis asks his wife.

“No. . .”

“How’s Banaag?”

“She went to bed early.”

Isis finishes eating. He gets water from the tap and drinks. He walks toward Marya. Her eyes are fixed at a distant star.

“What’s troubling you, Marya?”

Marya looks at Isis, saying something inaudible. Tears well in her eyes.

“Anything wrong?”

Marya nods. “The police came today. They had the court order evicting us here.” Her voice is soft and trembling, yet Isis hears thunder and tempest.

“What did the barrio head say?”

“He was helpless too. It’s a court order. We have no right to stay here.”

“We have a right to live here. We’re humans. The government will just build a supermarket complex here. Why must the people be sacrificed?”

“Don’t ask me, Isis. How can

I understand?”

Marya unfolds a nipa mat on the floor of the shack, hangs the four strings of the mosquito net on the protruding nails at the wooden poles of the house. They both lay on the mat. The window has been left slightly open, and gentle breeze kisses the night. But Isis can not sleep. He hears the faint breath of Marya. He knows she too is still awake.

“Why can’t we go back to the village, Isis?” Marya asks.

There is deep silence.

“We’ll stay in the city, Marya. For Banaag. There’s a promise of life here.” There is firmness and finality in his voice.

THE SOFT BREEZE touches their humanity like a lullaby. Sleep soothes the troubled souls, and the couple find a kindred strength while lying

together. Isis’s mind wanders to a past dream. He remembers how he got his job in the library. He used to be a scavenger in the city, collecting little items of rubbish. There was a demonstration, red flags, placards, and loud voices amid the atmosphere of anger and resentlment: down with US imperialism, down with the dictatorship, down with feudalism, down with fascism! Then stones rained on the white building which he faintly knew. He was then aware that the clean young men went to the imposing edifice daily. There was a clash between the police and the demonstrators, and Isis found himself amongst those who protected the white building from the mob’s wrath. After that, he was offered a janitorial job by a white man inside the halls filled with books of great knowledge.

ISIS is awakened by shouts and loud noises. He feels the gush of warm air and sees the red face of the night. Isis rises and closely holds Banaag, while Marya collects a few things and places them in a sack. The library is on fire, the tongue of the flame dances as the wind blows. After depositing his wife and daughter in a safe place, he rushes to the burning building. The fire is just starting in a far wing of the edifice. Isis runs toward the reading room and opens it with a key. He grabs a fire extinguisher in a corner and faces the raging fire. The conflagration surges with fury and Isis retreats after a futile struggle. The last thing he thought about was what the library meant to him and to Banaag and he would do everything to save it.

Isis regains consciousness in a hospital bed. Marya and Banaag are by his side, so is the chief librarian. His entire body aches.

“You’re lucky, Isis. The firemen came on time,” Marya tells him as she sobs.

“The library was not saved, Isis, “says Miss Santillan tearfully.

Domingo G. Landicho, an award-winning writer of poetry and fiction in Filipino, occasionally writes in English. He is a retired U.P. professor emeritus.

Sourced from Manila Times July 20, 2008 : http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/july/20/yehey/weekend/20080720week4.html

Dear friends,

We as friends of Dr. Domingo Landicho would like to seek your financial and other support for the re-launching of the literary works of this important Filipino writer. Although he is so simple and a very low profile man, he continuously honor not only the nation by his works but also the pride of our people.

The Friends of Ka Domeng is a volunteer group which is organized for the purposes of re-launching his literary works as to provide the younger generation an inspiration not only in the field of journalism and culture but in their search for an identity and their rightful place in the life of the society. We also seek to develop a culture of reading among young people.

For the last half a century, Dr. Domingo Landicho, poet, fictionist, essayist, editor, columnist, actor, novelist and dramatist published materials reflecting the common man, importance of children and the cause of bringing literature to the impoverished masses.

His poetry has been featured all over the country, his zarzuela has been toured and performed on stages in the US, Canada and Australia by the UP Concert Choros. One of his novels, the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards Grand Prize winner “Bulaklak ng Maynila” Manila Blossoms has been made into an award-winning movie in 2000. He was a recipient of the prestigious 2003 SEA Write award by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand.

The “FRIENDS” as we call it, believes that through this endeavor that we can harness the strength and the good of the Filipino’s as reflected in the literary works of Ka Domeng.

In behalf of the Friends of the Dr. Domingo Landicho


Prof. Albert Banico
coordinator - Kaibigan ni Domingo Landicho
Department of Social Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
Central College of the Philippines
banico_albert@yahoo.com

Send your SUPPORT TO:

Likhaan Lahi Publication
ACCT #275-587429-1
PNB UP Diliman Campus
Quezon City
Philippines

For questions and other pertinent information kindly write or call thru:

Marzon Figueraz ( mula 12nn hanggang 5 ng hapon)TANOD Diyaryo ng Bayan
Tanod Publishing Inc.G/F Great Wall Bldg.,
136 Yakal Street, Makati
Philippines
(632)843-8283 / (632)8453977 /
(telefax) (632)844-4464o

or thru Ms. Susan Alcantara
Departamento ng Filipino
Bulwagang Rizal (Faculty Center)
UP Diliman Campus, QC
Philippines
(632)924-4899

Taken from the Kaibigan ni Domingo Landicho blog

By Shi Tao
As translated by Chip Rolley, Sydney PEN

My whole life

Will never get past “June”
June, when my heart died
When my poetry died
When my lover
Died in romance’s pool of blood

June, the scorching sun burns open my skin
Revealing the true nature of my wound
June, the fish swims out of the blood-red sea
Toward another place to hibernate
June, the earth shifts, the rivers fall silent
Piled up letters unable to be delivered to the dead

----------------------------------------------------------

Hunyo
By Shi Tao

Translated into Tagalog by Domingo G. Landicho,
Philippine PEN

Buo kong buhay
Lalaging bahagi ng “Hunyo”
Hunyo, nang pumanaw ang aking puso
Nang pumanaw ang aking tula
Nang ang aking talisuyo
Ay pumanaw sa pakikipagtalik sa paliguang dugo

Hunyo, nang ang silab ng araw
Ay buksan ang aking balat
Ibilad ang kalikasang ganap ng aking sugat
Hunyo, nang ang isda ay pumalaot
Sa dagat ng pulang dugo
Patugpa sa ibang lugal para magbanyuhay
Hunyo, nang ang lupa ay yumanig,
Ang mga ilog ay tumahimik
Nagtimbon ng mga pahina
Na hindi maihatid sa mga pumanaw

BUZZ Station by Edgar Cruz

Domingo Landicho, Urian Best Supporting Actor nominee

The surprise nomination in this year�s Urian Awards is fictionist/UP professor Domingo Landicho for Best Supporting Actor in Kubrador. His performance as the grieving grandfather is a high moment in Philippine cinema. Bookie Amy meets his character Tatay Nick at the wake of grandson Otep who had a sudden accidental death. From silent grief, he turns into an inconsolable mourner, revealing insights to his behavior. This single scene moved me, the final moment when I accepted the fact that Kubrador is a great movie, one of the top 10 made by a Pinoy movie company. Jeffrey, by the way, subbed Mang Domeng for the original actor who refused to reshoot. It turned out to be a jewel of a decision. Do you know that Jeffrey insisted on putting a warm body in the coffin in case the camera caught it? Problem was the coffin was small. Jeff gave a sigh of relief when he fitted. Such a stickler to truth! Guess what? It was not caught by Boy Yniguez�s hand-held camera.

http://www.classicposters.com/life/20070710lif3.html

Domingo G. Landicho’s book of poems, Suob: Kalipunan ng mga Tulang Batangan, is off the press before Valentine’s Day.

The multiawarded writer and poet pay homage to Batangueños and his home province.

The book consists of 140 poems all about Batangas and its towns, especially the poet’s hometown of Taal. Crowned in poetic corona-tion are the heroes of Batangas, and its culture and religious icons like Virgin of Caysasay and San Martin de Tours were hailed in tradi-tional rhymed loa.

Landicho pays tribute to Apolnario Mabini, Miguel Malvar, Claro M. Recto, Jose W. Diokno, Teodoro Kalaw, Jose P. Laurel, Marcela Agoncillo and all people and institutions intertwined in his rich 67 years of poetic existence from his teachers, his amangbinyag, amangkumpil and amangkasal, to schools he attended in his hometown and in Batangas High School, where he graduated in 1957. The book is a poetic journey the poet took from his native barrio to a heroic nurturing of Batangas culture and history. Discussed in poetry are the culture of rice and sugar planting and the intertwining of nature like Taal Volcano and balisong and panutsa with the Batangueño character. Read more from The Manila Times site.