Friday, December 14, 2007 Roperos: Philippine PEN at 50 By Godofredo M. Roperos Politics Also
MANY decades ago, a group of writers in London, desiring to protect and preserve world literature from the interacting forces of global politics, gathered together for a common cause. What arose was an organization called the International PEN (International Poets/Playwrights, Essayists and Novelists).
But when the PEN Center was set up in the Philippines, there were only a handful of members.
PEN’s charter, affirms that: “1) Literature, national though it be in origin, knows no frontier, and must remain common currency among people in spite of political or international upheavals. 2) In all circumstances, and particularly in time of war, works of art, the patrimony of humanity… should be left untouched by national or political passion.
“3) Members of PEN should at all times use what influence they have in favor of good understanding and mutual respect between nations; they pledge themselves to do their utmost to dispel race, class and national hatreds, and to champion the ideal of one humanity living in peace in one world.
“4) PEN stands for the principle of unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations, and members pledge themselves to oppose any form of suppression of freedom of expression in the country to which they belong, as well as throughout the world wherever this is possible.
Over last weekend, Philippine PEN celebrated its Golden Anniversary at the National Museum in Manila. I was one of the original members who were given time to reminisce on the 1950s.
PEN came into being in 1957, largely through the efforts of novelist and national artist Francisco Sionil Jose. The first chairman was Dr. Alfredo Morales of UP. President Garcia and Don Claro Recto were guests in that firs national conference. The other members included NVM Gonzales, Bienvenido Santos, Franz Arcellana, Johnny Tuvera, Johnny Gatbonton, Anding Roces, Rony Diaz, etc.
Frankie was a short story writer and a senior associate editor with the Manila Times’ Sunday Times Magazine. Fictionist Johnny Tuvera was managing editor. I was one of STM’s associate editor.
I invited Cebuano writers Cornelio Faigao, Joe del Mar, Nap Dejoras, Talyux Bacalso, Pamping Lastimosa, Frank Candia, Tom Hermosisima, Tibur Baguio and Laurean Unabia to join the group in Baguio. They were the only writers based in the Visayas.
