Some notions on why Ilokano Literature remains parochial and pathological, Part 2

BAYANGGUDAW NOTES. 31 AUG 2016. WED. N1.
Some notions on why Ilokano Literature remains parochial and pathological, Part 2.

SEVERAL things keep cropping up in this conversation on what is happening to Ilokano writing and to Ilokano literature.

This conversation was prompted by an observation--in a number of commentaries in a thread on my wall by Rod Rodriguez, a licensed pastor of a church and reportedly doing pastoral work in Milan, Italy.

Let us document the source of these documents using Pacific Standard Time as the basis (and for literary historians and scholars to remember these for always): Aurelio Agcaoili's Facebook, 29 August 2016.

Let us recap the argument of Pastor Rodriguez--he came up with a series of comments on my wall and has since took these down right after that picture by Prof Junley Lorenzana Lazaga showing Dr Freddie Padua Masuli looking at the books on display at the 2nd Ilokano Book Fair held at the University of the Philippines Baguio on August 26 and August 27.

Even though he has taken down his comments, we committed to heart and memory and soul and spirit his argument (some people were able to get a screen grab of these comments, I was told, so there is no denying these exist) so we will remember for always the varying attitudes and mental dispositions of people on how best we could improve the craft of writing in Ilocoslavakia.

The key points of Pastor Rodriguez's argument are:

1. Ilokano writing has gone commercial, business-like and it should not be the case.

2. Writers should not sell their books but give these away to the people like giveaways, dole-outs, and freebies.

3. Writers should follow the example of Gumil Hawaii that is giving away all its books for free in the Philippines and, presumably, in Hawaii.

I got several responses to my initial commentary to the series of comments of Pastor Rodriguez and I issued a challenge: THAT HE PUBLISHES ALL OF HIS WORKS AND GIVE ALL THESE AWAY TO EVERY TOMAS, DIGONG, AND HARI IN THE ILOCOSLAVAKIA-LAND.

This is the only proof I shall accept that he means well what he says and that, as a pastor, he has the moral obligation to be a living witness to the truth of his assertion, disposition, and word, this last one, his own logos, his own verbum.

Let us see. There could come a renaissance of Ilokano writing if he does this. And now.

I am particularly incensed at the insensitivity of some Ilokanos who dare say, according to my barok, the Maestro Joel Manuel, this: 'Ikkannak man iti librom. Uray bayadak.'

That, to me, is the height of some Ilokanos' lack of common sense on the meaning of respect for writers, of respect for their own literature, of respect for their own language.

There is this deep-seated parochialism and medievalism and fiefdom among Ilokanos that have not freed us from the mentalite of the 'sadimpalnek', a form of naivete for the wrong reasons, and insisting that books are picked from the leaves of trees and from the stalks of bananas.

"Ikkannak man iti librom. Uray bayadak."

Listen up: There is a more peppery comment coming my ading Ka Roy Vadil Aragon, one of the better writers of Ilocoslavakia: You give away if your book is 'dadawaten'. [My rephrasing of what he said about the 'padawat' phenomenon of Gumil Hawaii's books].

Ah, some Ilokanos can be jerks.