THROUGH THE YEARS. Pinoypoets has evolved from being just an online group to one that conducts writing workshops for aspiring poets.

Not too long ago, Pinoypoets was an online group bustling with activity.

Its members had just released a chapbook, organized two workshops that featured such names as Romulo Baquiran, Jr., Joel Toledo, Paolo Manalo, Joi Barrios, Sid Hildawa and DM Reyes, and released a spoken word album entitled “Ora Poetika”.

Today, the group has a very real presence outside of cyberspace. Having incorporated itself and now set to launch a website and quite possibly, a literary journal, it’s indeed amazing how they can change in a few years! In fact, Pinoypoet members are no longer looking just to hone their writing – they have actually won awards.

“It’s evolution. If there’s one word that best describes what happened to the Pinoypoets, it is evolution,” says Pinoypoets president Romel Samson.

That evolution has taken all of five years to happen.

Started in June of 2004 as an online group which urged about 200 members online to write poetry and have it scrutinized and commented on, Pinoypoets now distances itself from its online activities to focus on monthly face-to-face meetings and lectures featuring names like Palanca-winning poets Paolo Manalo and Edgar Samar. Their latest lecture, for instance, entitled “Niloloob ng Nobela ang Tula”, discussed how poetry and the novel could have a common ground.

“Discussions have better quality offline than online, ang dali-daling magbarahan at mag-away. Everyone is now more engaged,” describes member Emong De Borja.

The group is also extending its scope from just writing poetry to actually studying and understanding it. “Nagbibigay na rin kami ng weight sa binabasa mo,” says member Kathline Tolosa. “It’s not just for poets who write but also for those interested in learning about poetry and everything else.”

By shifting gears, Pinoypoets has succeeded in making their advocacy known to the people who matter, mainly eminent Filipino poets and the literary circle in general. Add to that the fact that the group has garnered several distinctions. Member Nanoy Rafael was just recently awarded the Philippine Board of Books for Young People (PBBBBY) – Salanga Silver Prize for his children’s story “Naku, nakuu, nakuuu!” while De Borja won a Maningning
Miclat poetry award.

The two say that being members of Pinoypoets has contributed greatly to their personal literary growth as well as that of the literary scene.

“Sa Pinoypoets, poetry is not restricted to the academe, but at the same time, that’s not an excuse to not be as disciplined as someone from the academe,” says De Borja. “Ito ‘yung maganda sa Pinoypoets. Wala naman sa amin ditong galing sa creative writing, sa lit, pero it doesn’t mean that we don’t take writing seriously.”

“Kung dati, sobrang pinipilit naming maging prolific yung mga tao online, ang magandang maidudulot nito ngayon sa bagong writers is turuan sila. Hindi mo makukuha yung gusto mong kunin sa pagsusulat lang. Kailangan mo talagang mag-aral at makipag-usap sa ibang tao tungkol sa gusto mong gawin,” Nanoy Rafael adds.

Encouraging hungry young poets

The group is also positioning itself in a changing poetry landscape. With Anvil Publishing’s recent decision to publish Poetry on Demand – poetry titles that are to be kept in databases and printed on request – some poets may feel that poetry is no longer as relevant as it used to be.

Expectedly, the members say otherwise. If there is anything Poetry on Demand is doing, it is to draw much more sincere followers to the cause.

“Hindi naman komo’t hindi nagpupublish yung mga malalaking publishing companies, it doesn’t mean na hindi ganon kaganda yung quality,” says De Borja. “It’s just that walang market. Pero yung important things sa atin kailangan market ang nagdidrive?

Since hindi market-driven ang demand ng poetry, mas sincere ang paglapit ng tao sa poetry.”

“I think poets will always struggle with profitability, pero yung relevance niya will not be a problem,” adds member Ergoe Tinio. “Hindi mo talaga mamemeasure yung relevance ng poetry sa bumibili ng libro, pero siguro sa progress ng mga na-create na bago.”

As for advice to give to young poets, the Pinoypoets agree that the best thing they have learned in the last five years is that reading is still the best way to learn.

“Read. Alam naming kung ano yung naidulot sa amin nung pagiging prolific during our first year, and not prolific on the last four years. Ngayon namin nakikita yung difference nung effect nung dalawang magkaibang bagay na iyon. Tried and tested na reading works,” Tinio says.

Another lesson they’ve learned? Awards can wait. “Iwasan nila yung tendency na gusto nilang manalo ng Palanca, gusto nilang manalo ng Maningning, gusto kaagad nilang ma-publish. Hindi dapat yun yung goal nila sa pagsusulat,” says Rafael.