National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera considers the National Book Development Board's 'Tulaan sa Tren' project an effective tool to spread the love for poetry.

May maragasang treng laging yumayanig sa pawid na dingding ng iyong daigdig. “Himagsik ni Jojo,’’ Bienvenido Lumbera.

This excerpt from the said poem by National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera may not really be about trains. But if taken literally, it is something many commuters in the metro can easily relate to.

The daily commute of any urban dweller is an experience in itself. The metro’s railway system, for one, may offer a quicker way to get to a destination but it may also mean traveling packed like sardines in a moving metal can as you are being shoved one too many times by a throng of rushing office workers.

Yes, traveling via the metro train may add to the stress of daily living but remains today’s quickest way to get from point A to B.

Furthermore, there are efforts to make the experience more pleasant in recent years as the trains’ inside panels are not anymore about product advertisements but about beautiful prose and poetry, which can also be heard over the train’s public address system.

The National Book Development Board (NBDB) together with the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) last week launched Tulaan sa Tren 2, aimed at giving the general public something to look forward to on their daily train commutes.

“People ride the train with their day to day worries and anxieties as they move to their destination. But we also want to inspire them to have this moment of sparks of insight and wisdom through the very rich Philippine poetry, from the posters to the audio that can give people the opportunity to read and to listen to Filipino poetry,” explains NBDB chairman Dennis Gonzalez.

First launched in 2008, this advocacy features the works of revered Filipino poets like Lumbera, Rio Alma, Jose Lacaba, Marra Lanot, Marjorie Evasco, Alfred Yuson, among others.

Tulaan sa Tren 2 also brings back celebrities like Nikki Gil, Christine Bersola-Babao, Rhea Santos, Lyn Ching-Pascual, JM Rodriguez, Robi Domingo, Chin-chin Gutierrez, Julius Babao, Romnick Sarmenta, Harlene Bautista, and Lisa Macuja-Elizalde who read the poems that are being heard in LRT Line 2 Stations.

“People who normally do not read poetry become aware of poetry. Ito ay pampalawak ng kaalaman ng mga tao na hindi karaniwang nagbabasa ng mga tula,” shares Lumbera. “Nabibigyan nito ang mga commuters ng kakaibang karanasan habang lulan sila ng tren sa kanilang destinasyon. ‘Yan ang pag-asang tangayin sila ng kapangyarihan ng salita na binigyan ng pakpak ng makata. Kapag ang mga salitang makata ay ipinapasok natin sa ating malay, nababanat ang ating diwa at ang bakas na naiiwan ay nakapagpapayaman sa ating pagdanas sa pang araw-araw na buhay. Ang Tulaan sa Tren, sa makatuwid ay makataong serbisyo ng NBDB.”

FROM TRAIN WALLS TO BOOK PAGES
This year’s poems are all about moving and traveling – from transferring houses and leaving behind one’s childhood memories, to an OFW’s longing for his own country and family; from escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, to relating one’s global experience. Happy to nostalgic to distressing – the poems depict a gamut of emotions. The project likewise features works of new poets who are winners of the poetry writing contest that was launched during the first Tulaan sa Tren. Eight winners were chosen from the more than 200 entries, some of them Filipinos living abroad.

These include the winning entries in the Filipino category by Joselito de los Reyes, first prize; Gexter Ocampo Lacambra, second prize; Abdon Balde, Jr., third prize; Kristian Sendon Cordero, Danilo Diaz, runners-up. In the English category, winners are Raymond Falgui, first prize; Louella Santiago Suque, second prize; and Raymund Reyes, third prize. All the poems will be immortalized through a book entitled “Off the Beaten Track” a compilation of poems from the Tulaan sa Tren 2 which is published by Vibal Foundation.

“The fact the Bienvenido Lumbera was the main judge of the competition is for me a confirmation that I can shine in the literary world. And it’s more of an inspiration especially being included in the book with these masters,” contest winner and editorial assistant Louella Suque shares.

The winning entries, of course, were chosen for a reason – which has been so eloquently put by Lumbera: “Sa anyong nakalimbag ay siyang pinili upang iparinig sa mga commuter ang materyal na ebidensiya na puwedeng balik-balikan natin upang tiyakin kung ano ang himalang naganap sa ating pagkatao nang bigkasin ito sa ating harapan.”