The building where the College of Fine Arts was first housed. It has been rebuilt by Architect Jose L. Acuzar and is now at Bagac, Bataan.

AKBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros and Rep. Walden Bello are inviting us all now after they sponsored House Resolution No.1305 urging a Congressional Inquiry in aid of legislation on the irregularities in the selection of 2009 Order of National Artists.

Rep. Del de Guzman, the Committee on Basic Education and Culture chair, summoned Department of Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador, together with other members of National Commission for Culture and the Arts Board of Commissioners like executive director Cecile Guidote Alvarez, Domingo Bakilan, Marietta Chou, Prudencia Cruz, Ricardo de Ungria, Elmar Beltran Ingles, Usec. Eduardo Jarque Jr., Ambeth Ocampo, Fr. Harold Rentoria, Sen. Mar Roxas, and Jose Laderas Santos.

The public hearing is scheduled today, 1 p.m., at Conference Rooms 3 and 4 of the Ramon Mitra Building at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City

Team MTV (or Mike, Teo, Vim) was toying with the idea of testing our Pambansang Alagad ng Singit arguments for our next Balagtasan on September 17, 6 p.m., at the Stage Area of Mall of Asia’s SMX Convention Center during the Manila International Book Fair which will begin on September 16, 10 a.m., until September 20, 8 p.m. Sponsored by the Book Development Association of the Philippines, the Balagtasan during the 30th M.I.B.F. was the brainchild of its president Lirio Sandoval who earlier suggested the debate on the freedom of expression as our possible topic.

We are seriously considering it especially now that censorship is still a wolf in sheep’s clothing!

Kooky Tuason’s two-and-a-half year show Bigkas Pilipinas had never experienced suspension from Jam 88.3 until last week. Her crime? Playing the recorded versions of Francesca Beard’s All Of The Goodness and Jose Lacaba’s "Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Juan de la Cruz" (read by Romnick Sarmienta via National Book Development Board’s Tulaan sa Tren project which we directed). On what grounds? The poems both contained such incriminating words as “fucking” and “libog,” respectively.

Well, if there is one group that has been using its F-word to mean “freedom” it is the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts Alumni Foundation, Inc.  It is committed to its mandate of conducting projects and activities that will lead to the further development of the visual arts in the Philippines. This comin September 19, from 1 p.m. onwards at the Bahay ng Alumni, University of the Philippines, Diliman – UPCFAAFI will be holding a Grand Homecoming dubbed as "Isang Siglo ng Paglikha!"

Speaking of creation or creativity, we would like to extend our congratulations to the Philippine Society of Geriatric Medicine for its 10th Annual Convention’s success in coming up with "Frontiers of Philippine Geriatrics: An Integrated Approach at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila." Last September 12, we talked about "Creative Writing for Comfort Women" as part of its discussion on Appropriateness of Complementary and Alternative Medical Treatment. Indeed, we were mighty glad since, 10 or 15 years ago, we did not even get this respect we are enjoying lately from the health professionals!

By the way, you only have until September 15, to beat the deadline to "Gawad Isagani R. Cruz Pinakamahuhusay na Aklat sa Filipino." This is open to all books written in Filipino within 2000-2008 period under the following categories: literatura, wika at pagsasalin, pilosopiya at kritika, humanidades, agham at agham panlipunan, reference, auto/biograpiya, journalism, comic book/graphic novel, at ispiritwal/self-help book.

For details, call Rhod Nuncio via rhodnuncio@gmail.com or 524-4611 loc. 509 / 552(fax) or visit www.dlsu.edu.ph/announcements/default.asp?id=608 or www.kritikasatabitabi.wordpress.com.