FIRST MEETING WITH AN ILOKANA POETESS

     The blogger met Dr. Alegria Tan-Visaya, secretary of the Board of Regents of the Mariano Marcos State University, during a writers' seminar at MMSU College of Teacher Education in Laoag City. The event was also attended by Dr. Aurelio Solver Agcaoili of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who, as usual, was the "star attraction" as feisty lecturer with radical ideas in language and culture.

     Anyway, it was the blogger's first meeting with Dr. Visaya. The date was August 27, 2005, a Saturday, and she impressed me then as a Smiling Lady with laughing eyes. I was holding a book then and I wanted to record that meeting. She wrote on the first page of the book--an anthology of essays by the Italian-American Poet W.S.Di Pierro: " Sir Peter La. Julian. This is a memorable day! I met you in person!."

One of floats in the annual Panagbenga ( Festival  of Flowers), usually starting in February, in the highland City of Baguio in the Philippines

     When the Severino and Eufemia Lacar Commemorative Award for Iluko Poetry was launched in 2012 at the Philippine Ports Authority in San Fernando City, La Union, the blogger recommended Dr. Visaya and Apo Ariel to sit as judges of the contest. The blogger has read some of Dr. Visaya's poetry in Timpuyog Journal. She has developed her own kind of poetic style. Her poems are replete with "essential facts" as opposed to poetry of "retrospective abstractions." She could fill the requirements for Lacar judges.

     You were ditched aside, Dr. Visaya and Dr. Agcaoili, in favor of non-poets, at least, those who matter in our humble view. 
     Our apologies to you and Dr. Agcaoili.