MANILA, Philippines — Founded in 2001, the Maningning Miclat Art Foundation, Inc. (MMAFI) has been organizing activities aimed at encouraging creativity and recognizing, awarding, and nurturing outstanding and talented young poets and artists 28 years old and below, the same age when Maningning passed on.

During odd numbered years, poetry competition in Filipino, English and Chinese is held and during even numbered years, painting competition, two fields in the arts where Maningning excelled.

This year, on its 10th anniversary, MMAFI will award the winners of the 2011 Maningning Trilingual Poetry Competition back to back with a concert featuring soprano Banaue Miclat-Janssen, tenor Lemuel dela Cruz and pianist Mary Anne Espina.

The event celebrating art, music and poetry will be held on Sept. 29, at 7 p.m., at the GT-Toyota UP Asian Center Auditorium, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. The concert  which will highlight best loved classical and Broadway songs,classical Filipino songs & Chinese songs will be directed by Jerry Respeto. Technical director is Michael de Guzman, stage design and lighting is by Ohm David.

Past winners of the Maningning Miclat Poetry Awards are Naya Valdellon (English) and Joselito delos Reyes (Filipino) in 2003; Allan Pastrana (English), Joseph de Luna Saguid (Filipino), Ye Cai-sheng (Chinese) in 2005; Raymond John de Borja (English), Erica Clariz delos Reyes (Filipino), Chen Si-yuan (Chinese) in 2007; and Mikael de Lara Co (English), Kristian Cordero (Filipino), Chen Liang (Chinese) in 2009.

For this year’s event, a poem from the winning Filipino collection will be read by singer, actor and dancer, Roeder Camanag. Teacher and Tanghalang Ateneo actress Diana Laserna will read a poem from the winning English collection while DLSU professor and English & Chinese writer Shirley Lua will read the Chinese poem.

Tickets are at P500.00, free seating. For ticket reservation,call Maningning Foundation ( 812-4885/6 , 0918-9057311 ), Pambie Herrera ( 0906-4333147 ), Mila Dumlao ( 981-8500 loc. 3577 , 0917-3524939 ).

Biography on Doc Prudente off the press

On September 2, Anvil Publishing, Inc. will launch the book entitled Doc Prudente: Nemesio E. Prudente: Nationalist Educator in honor of Dr. Nemesio E. Prudente, former president of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), and one of the most active human rights defenders during the Martial Law era.

Authored by newspaper columnist Nelson A. Navarro, the book retells the life of “Doc” Prudente, as he was fondly called by colleagues, or “Mensing” by family and friends – from his humble beginnings in a small province in Cavite, to his rise as the head of the Philippine College of Commerce (PCC) or PUP.

Readers will also learn, from the many anecdotes, how Mensing intentionally piled up demerits on board a troop ship in an attempt to cancel a US scholarship and, to escape Marcos’ arresting officers, he jumped over fences topped with broken glass and barbed wire, and ran across a busy highway. The bio also recounts that after retiring from his position in PUP, Prudente ran for the Senate during the 1992 May elections. As a postscript, the book offers two essays by two seasoned writers – political activist and educator Edicio de la Torre, and Mensing’s own daughter, Felice Prudente Sta. Maria.

Special events at the Manila Int’l Book Fair at SMX

The 32nd Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), set on Sept. 14-18, at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, will feature the following special events: Sept. 14: “Libraries and Librarians in Nation Building,” by The Philippine Librarians Association, Inc.; “Simplifying the Teaching - Learning Process through Digital and Print Resources using the UbD Curriculum Framework” seminar by Glencoe / Mc-Graw-Hill Education, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt International Publishers, IBC Book Consolidators; “Policing Plagiarism and Copyright Updates;” “Filipino Readers Make it Social!” The 1st Filipino Readers Conference by the Filipino Book Bloggers; DLSU Centennial Publications by C&E Publishing.

Sept. 15: “Fight or Flight: Librarians’ Response to Demands of Today” seminar by Medical & Health Librarians Association of the Philippines; “Web Safety and Security” forum by Association of Special Libraries of the Philippines; 2nd St. Paul Bible Quiz Championship by MIBF and St. Pauls; “Library 2.0: Geared Towards the Changing Information Landscape” forum, by the University of Sto. Tomas Library Science Alumni Association and Philippine Foundation for Library Scholarship, Inc.; “Magna Carta for Library Workers,” forum by the Philippine Group of Law Librarians; talk on “Intentional Discipleship Church / Transformation” by Navigator Ministries, Inc; product demonstration by Microdata Systems and Management, Inc.; book launching of “The Lord’s Prayer,” “Youcat,” and “Verbum Domini” by Word and Life Publications.

Sept. 16: “Blended Librarianship” forum, by Philippine Association of Teachers of Library Science (PATLS); “Librarians as Knowledge Managers in the Networked Knowledge Economy” seminar, by UPLSAA; “Grolier Online” launching by Grolier International; “Philippine Native Orchids “ book launch and orchid show by Goodwill Bookstore; 2nd Goodwill Bookstore Interschool Quiz; “Using Tech in Pre-school” seminar by Grolier International, Inc; General Membership Meeting, Filipinas Copyright Licensing Society; unveiling of new products, Church Strengthening Ministry.

Sept. 17: Scholastic Training (Reading and Math) by Grolier International; The Amaze-Sing Math Challenge by Edcrsich International; Fun Time with Little Genius and Storytelling with Kuya Jun by Precious Pages Corp.; National Children’s Book Awards by Adarna House, Inc.; Adarna House book launch; Sept. 18: “Effective Strategies on Customer Service” forum by Ortigas Center Library Consortium; 2011 Lampara Storytelling Competition; performance of David Pomeranz by Bridge Publications.