organizations
The UST Haiku Group
Reynaldo V. de Vera, Jr. –Coordinator
Reuben G. Torralba -Assistant Coordinator
Ma. Theresa A. Defensor
Benjamin G. Defensor
Anderson C. Tuguinay
Bien S. Mabbayad
Essel L. de Jesus
John Jack G. Wigley
Christine V. Librero
Ferdinand C. Gimeno
OBJECTIVES OF THE PINOY HAIKU CONTEST
To promote mutual understanding
between the Philippines and Japan through cultural
exchange;
To popularize haiku poetry among the Filipinos,
which is a poem that encourages love of nature
and wild life; and
To create better awareness on the importance
of ecology and the environment.
BACKGROUND
The newly-formed UST Haiku Group
came from the Chinese and Japanese Literature
class 2006 under Dr. Milagros G. Tanlayco of the
Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas. After
taking up the topic of Japanese poetry on Man’yoshu
(which if translated means "Collection of
a Myriad Leaves") our group courageously
embarked on a possibly first attempt for a haiku
contest on a national/international level among
Filipino poets.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
declared 2006 as Philippines-Japan Friendship
Year in commemoration of 50th Anniversary of the
Normalization of Diplomatic relations of Philippines
and Japan from 1956-2006. Thus, our group spearheaded
the haiku contest to join the celebration by organizing
an event entitled "A Call for Pinoy HAIKU
for the All-Filipino Haiku Contest in Commemoration
of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Year 2006."
The UST Haiku Group seeks to promote
mutual understanding through cultural exchange
and propagate haiku among Filipinos. Since attention
on strengthening bi-lateral relations is high,
our idea is that the Friendship Year is most appropriate
to start something such as this contest which
may be done annually thereafter, and therefore
revive tanaga as well, by way of popularizing
haiku poetry among the Filipinos.
The theme of the contest is "Pinoy
Haiku: Verses for Mother Nature." Thus, the
message of the haiku entries must deal with appreciation
of the environment, love of nature and wild life,
care for the ecology, or a commentary on the natural
world. Consequently, the three lines 7-5-7 syllables
as a "Pinoy Haiku" form is ideal for
Filipino poetic tradition, considering that Filipino
words have more syllables, than Japanese or English
words.
PINOY HAIKU
Must be in 7-5-7 syllables. The
lines may use any of the following rhyme schemes:
a-a-a, a-b-a, a-a-b, a-b-b, or a-b-c.
In English, the 5-7-5 syllables
should be observed with or without a rhyme scheme.
Tanaga is the Philippine shortest
poetry form of four lines in seven syllables,
commonly in aaaa or aabb, abba, or abab rhyming
pattern. Pinoy haiku, then as used here is a hybrid
of the Japanese haiku and from the two lines of
tanaga, ideally in a-a-a or a-b-a rhyme pattern.
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