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CEBU CITY, Philippines – The University of San Carlos Cebuano Studies Center invites you to the Vicente Sotto Lecture Series which will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2020, 2 p.m., at the Theodore Buttenbruch Hall at the USC Downtown Campus.
The Vicente Sotto Lecture Series is a monthly event that aims to raise the community’s awareness and appreciation of Cebu’s rich cultural and literary heritage, as well as serve as a venue for interested individuals to engage in discussions with esteemed resource speakers on various topics related to heritage, culture, and history.
The late Don Vicente Sotto, regarded as the “Father of Cebuano Language and Letters” published not only the first newspaper in Cebuano, Ang Suga, in the 1900s, but also the first Cebuano short story, “Maming.” He was a man of protean accomplishments, a prolific writer and publisher, a renowned lawyer, and a pioneering labor leader who left his own personal mark in the practice of Philippine politics and culture.
Dr. Erlinda Kintanar-Alburo, former director of the Cebuano Studies Center, will open the lecture series with “Early Speculative Fiction in Cebuano Literature: The Pre-war Fantasy Novel.” A published author and scholar, her many research interests and areas of expertise include Cebuano heritage, Philippine and Cebuano literature, folklore and expressive culture, and popular culture. She is also a prolific poet in both English and Cebuano. Dr. Alburo currently sits in the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission of Cebu City.
Atty. Clarence Paul Oaminal, an active member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Cebu City chapter, will also talk about the legacy of the late Don Vicente Sotto.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. For inquiries, contact the lecture series organizer, Ms. Bea Yap Martinez, through email (cebuanostudiescenter@gmail.com or ibsenbym@gmail.com), or through landline (32) 2300-100 local 308. / dcb