The University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Creative Writing Workshop was held late last week, March 7 and 8, 2014, with fellows presenting and reviewing their works in a round table conversation which raised issues relevant to their works and the state of the art of contemporary literature by Cebuanos.
“Cebuanos” is taken to mean a field wider than geographical bounds of this island. The fellows came from as far away as Ormoc, Cagayan de Oro and Davao. Such is the reach of the Cebuano that the name itself becomes problematic. And so again there was a discussion which proposed that the term “Bisaya” works much better, if only because it is an inclusive term which covers the varied languages of the South—Hiligaynon, Waray, and of course Cebuano. Or is it better stated: Sugboanon?
The distinct vernaculars here are described by their specific loci. The Bisaya in Davao is a mix of Tagalog and Cebuano. The Cebuano in Bohol is not exactly the same as the Cebuano spoken in Cebu. The Cebuano in Cebu City is not even exactly the same as the Cebuano of the “salot” (southern Cebu). Indeed, every Bisaya-Cebuano locality has its own distinctive words, its own distinctive manner of arranging and speaking words. One imagines the same thing operates for the other Bisayan languages.
And yet, the challenge remains of bringing together this diversity into a single unified field that might be referred to as a single body of literature. The advantage of doing this has something to do with developing this literature and facilitating its being read by a wider readership and audience. Can this be done without compromising the diversity itself?
Soon, the earlier school-grades will be taught in the mother tongue. This move poses a wealth of possibilities but it also raises challenges. The Bisaya has always defied being reduced to even the most basic formalistic rules of grammar. Even the issue of proper spelling is germane. It seems almost as if every point of language is a point of contention. Should a word be spelled this way or that? Is the urban Cebuano’s affinity for contractions acceptable? How should “wa-a” be spelled? Waa or wa’a? Perhaps no contraction is allowed for the word printed on the page: Wala.
And then there is a problem of what “proper” Cebuano means. One of the fellows, UP Prof. Emeritus Merlie Alunan, pointed out there is a special way of using the Bisaya when it is used in the context of literature. But for the longest time this “formal” Bisaya has been challenged by a more contemporary way of writing literature. The sound resulting from the words is essential. Quite certainly this tension between the traditional and the more contemporary does exist.
And then there is also the problem of Cebuano literature written in English. What should we call it? English literature? Bisayan-English? The term “Bisayan literature written in English” seems the better sounding.
Januar Yap is a member of the UP faculty. He resolves this issue by writing with a mix of Cebuano and English. It is a dynamic and exciting mix with no word italicized, so to speak. And if the core principle of writing is that one should write the way one speaks and thinks, then Januar Yap’s mix of Cebuano and English is certainly an exciting option: Such an option as would encourage to write young people who have grown up all their lives inside the mix of languages which defines their culture. The word “Bisaya” itself suggests this mix. It is the singular charm of its meaning.
Beyond the aforesaid, the single most pressing problem of Bisayan literature is really that it finds a wider audience. And so it is the challenge of Bisayan writers to find new and better ways to be read, to encourage more writing, to infiltrate all contemporary avenues for the exchange of text, its writing and reading, so that the Bisayan languages will thrive in the years ahead.
Only they can make sure they can reach this wider audience.
And yet the culture itself has in this a big stake. The cultural health of a people is measured by the health of its language. The health of the language is told by the wealth of its literature.
By this measure we can be sure the Bisaya is alive and well. But we miss out on the potentials of a culture that is more than just alive and well but also thriving. A thriving Bisayan culture, who can fully imagine that?
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