'Ahead are interesting times' WE ARE immensely buoyed while we doff our hat to Ilokano writers in Metro Manila who will be celebrating their diamond
WE ARE immensely buoyed while we doff our hat to Ilokano writers in Metro Manila who will be celebrating their diamond jubilee in December as they mark six decades as a modestly connected group whose roots are chiefly from northern Philippines.
What endorses this positive feeling is they will be launching two anthologies, their latest since the founding members grouped together in 1968 and crafted their literary vision and mission for the younger generations of Ilokano writers. One is an anthology in Ilokano poetry, edited by three, and another in Ilokano fiction, edited by another set of three, expected for twin launching on Dec. 8.
We appreciate the efforts of the Ilokano writers, under the chapter name GUMIL – an acronym for association of Ilokano writers – Metro Manila, the group headed by academic Hermogenes Belen of La Union, then busy with his modules at the Philippine College of Arts and Trades which has since become the Technological University of the Philippines. We see in GMM’s continuing efforts to publish its member’s observations, sentiments, aspirations, dreams and other thoughts as a way to stand up to the challenges faced by regional and marginalized literatures, with some elevating the possibility for translation.
We have seen how marginalized literatures are facing critical challenges – including language barriers, limited publication, and national-centric biases – that regional writers must immediately address by intensifying translation efforts, adopting digital publishing platforms, and fostering local readership. We know the Ilokano writers are aware of these challenges and they shift from passive creation to active curation and promotion of their cultural narratives, endorsed by unceasing activities lined up every year.
We have seen major challenges requiring immediate action from regional writers. For instance, regional literature is often overshadowed by national or global languages, like English, restricting its audience. Writers must actively translate their work into national/international languages while still producing work in the vernacular to preserve linguistic heritage.
On this, we have witnessed GMM publishing members’ essays, short stories and poems in English, after they thought doing it would give them a wider audience while displaying their skills at writing in their native Ilokano and their capacity to write in a borrowed lingo. We are glad to note some previously active in the Ilokano magazine Bannawag but have since been detached have set up their own publishing houses to accommodate the literary outbursts of Ilokano writers – they write in Ilokano, Filipino and English — who could not have their coupons immediately attended to by non-Ilokano publishing houses.
There are those who have suggested, and we have been quietly studying reactions, for Ilokano writers to adopt self-publishing and use digital platforms like the social media to share works and bypass traditional publishing bottlenecks. At the same time we have seen while navigating this literary space the importance and the need for excellent, if expert, literary translators.
We note, following open exchanges with translation authorities, like Cles B. Rambaud who has on his template volumes of materials he is translating from English to Ilokano, that excellent literary translators require near-native proficiency in source/target languages, deep cultural knowledge, and exceptional creative writing skills, Rambaud also expressed the wish for the government to establish a Department of Translation, an issue that invites arguments from both sides. Those who agree with Rambaud say a government-established Department of Translation to handle regional languages could enhance public service access and foster inclusivity in a multilingual nation like the Philippines, where English is dominant but many citizens are non-native speakers.
Proponents argue it bridges communication gaps in legal, health, and education sectors, while critics raise concerns over cost, implementation challenges, and the potential dominance of English. Translation ensures all citizens, regardless of language, can access government services, legal aid, and health information, strengthening democratic participation.
Others raise challenges for a Department of Translation, with the argument that establishing and maintaining a centralized translation department requires significant funding for staff, training, and operations, which might be viewed as less urgent than other infrastructure needs. With rapid advancements in AI/Machine Translation, some argue that investing in AI is a more cost-effective approach than maintaining a large government bureaucracy, although AI struggles with nuanced legal or indigenous languages.
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