NALINAC A SHADOW OF ITS FORMER SELF

OUR ISABELA GROUP-Franklin P

. Macugay, Rodel Ramos and his brother who is taking up a masteral degree in Baguio, the driver and I--checked in last night at two of the cottages of Nalinac Beach Resort. (We took the Aritao Road to Baguio and went down via the winding Naguilian Road.) We are on our way to the 4th Global-International Iluko Literary Conference at the Philippine Ports Authority in Poro, San Fernando, La Union. Nalinac in the early 1960's was one the country's best beach resorts along with the nearby Long Beach Resort. It (Nalinac) has deteriorated all these years. The water from the tap in the bathroom smelled, probably because of the rusting pipes. Everything is old here--from the creaking bamboo slats and the toilet bowls that did not function. From the cottage where I am now doing this blog, there is a view of the sea. Earlier, at past 6 in the morning were in the water and one them them waved at us as we came out brushing our teeth. I waved back. This our only consolation for spending the night at the cottage.

TIMPUYOG JOURNAL HAS BECOME COMPETITIVE?

There should be no comparison between the Timpuyog Jou

rnal, the magazine of the emerging Timpuyog dagiti Mannurat iti Iluko iti Filipinas, and the weekly Iluko magazine. For one, TJ is an Iluko-English magazine while the latter is all- Ilokano in content. But if they insist that TJ is an alternative to the said weekly, it's okay with us. Those managing the weekly Iluko magazine and their supporters should instead realize why TJ came into existence.

NO PROXY ALLOWED FOR TMI CONTEST WINNERS

From the Committee on Awards: A winner of contests sponsored by the Timpuyog dagiti Mannurat iti Iluko iti Filipinas is obligated to personally received his or her cash prize money/certificate in rites during the annual TMI-Global International Literary Conference. The concerned

person who, for one reason or another, could not make it to the program may send his or her closest kin as proxy but with authorization letter duly signed by the winner. This year's awarding program will be held May 19 at the Philippine Ports Authority, Poro, San Fernando City, La Union Please be guided accordingly. Calling attention to the following: Herdy La. Yumul, Nhia Paddayuman, Mayvelyn Gapuzan, Jessica Aiza Lictao and Jean Marie Dulay.

A POEM FOR THE CONTEST WINNERS OF SALIP

A Lesson in Humility We did not come to remain whole./We came to lose our leaves like the trees,/The trees that are broken/And start again, drawing up from the roots. Franklin Macugay, presidente ti Timpuyog dagiti Mannurat iti Iluko iti Filipinas has maintained that the policy of the organization regarding the awarding of the prizes of contests sponsored by the Timpuyog dagiti Mannurat iti Iluko iti Filipinas will remain: the winners will personally claim the cash money and certificate.

NO PROXY FOR TMI CONTEST WINNERS

Winners of Timpuyog dagiti Mannurat iti Iluko iti Filipinas-sponsored

Feature Writing in Iluko are exhorted to attend the awarding program on May 19 at the Convention Hall of the Philippine Ports Authority, Poro Point, San Fernando City, La Union. The sponsor, Lady Fele Mann, has come all the way from Darwin, Australia to personally give the cash prizes and certificates to the following: Herdy La. Yumul, Nhia Paddayuman, Mayvelyn Gapuzan, Jessica Aiza Lictao and Jean Marie Dulay.

Sisyphus Misery

I would like to keep you company, Herdy/But Robert Frost would not let me/I have miles and miles to go/I got a million things to do.

WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE ERROR

We swallow hook, line and sinker the judges' collective decision not to award the first prize in the Salip iti Salaysay Para Kadagiti Agdadamo --there was a reason given initially in Abel blog, which we have just deleted. We hope to meet the winners, at least some of them, and explain some violations that were committed by some of them. The rules of the contest were clear and could not have been interpreted differently. We apologize for this boner. Me, my wife Estelita, Franklin and his wife Edna met Lady Fele Mann last night in Santiago City. A week ago, she arrived from Darwin, Australia along with her daughter and her Australian-Filipina apoko. They arrived two days ago from Manila to a attend a wedding at the Glorieta subdivision at the outskirts of the city. The usual beso-beso. After dinner at one of Santiago's eateries with a band, we repaired to Chowking on Maharlika highway, where we talked about the preparations made by Timpuyog dagiti Mannurat iti Iluko iti Filipinas for the 4th TMI-Global International Iluko Literary Conference at the Philippine Ports Authority in Poro, San Fernando City on May 19-20. She gave Franklin 500 Australian dollars, more or less equivalent to cover the cash prizes and purchase of certificates including honorariums for the judges for the Salip iti Salaysay, which she will personally hand to the winners. We expect the following to attend: Herdy La. Yumul, Nhia Paddayuman, Mayvelyn Gapuzan, Jessica Aiza Lictao and Jean Marie Dulay. We are thinking of telling Fely to sponsor again the same contest for new Iluko writers.