Fresh from a successful reading stint at the Singapore Writers Festival early in September, the distinxguished poet Ricardo M. de Ungria won his nth National Book Award from the Manila Critics Circle for his sixth poetry collection, Waking Ice. A week later he turned 50. And very soon after, the Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences of UP Mindanao (since 1999) was installed as the second Chancellor of the university located in Davao City.
Hey, not bad. Our man in Mindanao, our primus inter pares of exquisite verse, is now Top Gun at the State U. Surely there’s hope for academe; certainly it’s a step in the right direction for a "wounded island."
That’s how Ric described his current locus/matrix in his Investiture Address delivered at the Waterfront Insular Hotel on September 21, anniversary of Marcos' Martial Law. He also called it "this island that has remained dangerous for the simple reason that it has continued to be beautiful."
Here’s more from Chancellor De Ungria’s address:
"Against the foreground of a grim future, the fresh nakedness of hope in the mind and heart of the Mindanaoan stirs a magical and bone-deep emotion one or two rallies short of becoming political will. Peace finally on this island now. Mutual respect finally among peoples of this island now. Governance finally in the hands of the Mindanaoan now. There is just so much to unearth and unlearn here now, so many stories to recover and remember, so much to build without fear of discrimination, retaliation, or bloodshed. Surely, the task is daunting. But already, the spirit of change and the spirit of hope are on the rise now, slowly moving things in the right direction.
"It is an honor, as it is a challenge, for the University of the Philippines in Mindanao to be given an opportunity to participate in the great work of the spirit here.
"On this farflung, wounded island where it finds itself willing to serve out its mission to the Filipino people anew, UPMin stands humbled by such task and forced to redefine – even reinvent – itself here without sacrificing its tradition of excellence, liberalism, total human development, social relevance, and leadership.
"Things are just done differently here. Perhaps because things are different here. The University cannot just transplant academic programs that have worked well for it in the island of Luzon. It must instead evolve new programs that should directly address and serve the needs of its new location and new constituents. UPMin must strive to learn more of its local context in order to better situate itself and effectively deliver its mission here in Mindanao.
"It is fortunate that the university here, poor as it is, is dynamic and flexible enough to yield to the need for change."
On the front row, blissfully facing the stage at the hotel ballroom, sat three other poets, the new Chancellor’s peers as far as it concerns the founding of the Philippine Literary Arts Council (PLAC) 20 years ago. We were proud of and happy for Ricky – Jimmy Abad, Cirilo Bautista and I. We had come as his "family" to share in the once-in-a-lifetime experience of his investiture.
As UP President Francisco Nemenzo declared him Chancellor and handed the mace that symbolized the authority that ran UPMin, we had stood behind Ricky on that stage, not at all feeling like Tatlong Itlog or Larry, Curly and Moe, but as real and sincere kin that were only too happy to share the honor.
As the pioneering Mindanao journalist Carol Arguilla remarked so sincerely after the ceremonies, it was an admirable, heartwarming sight, seeing three poets backing up another – our D’Artagnan who had come a long way from Dart to Dartmoor and beyond, and had now sent for us to join him in this rare rite of "custom and ceremony."
This writer had never been to an investiture program before. Watching it unfold was being entranced by the pageantry – the UP regents and officials in their dark green and maroon robes (so Mindanao!), elegant in their togas and crowning mortarboards, or simply bedecked with that royal-looking UP sash that ran diagonally over the torso. They marched to grand music, singly up the aisle as they were introduced, until finally here came Ric with his luminous sheepish grin, resplendently garbed from shoulder to shin in Mindanaoan weave, and ... why, looking like the illustrious Thomas More himself, replete with fuchsia beret that now distinguished him as University Chancellor.
An honor guard in rayadillo trooped in with the colors, an imam intoned a prayer, lithe and lovely girls (oh, and some boys) of the UP Mindanao Dance Ensemble essayed the Agnes Locsin mini-suite "Magkaugnay" to Joey Ayala’s music... Quite a photogenic series of scenes it all was. Well, except when we were called onstage to stand behind our podner-poet, and we had to face the audience and the cameras ourselves.
But now we were back to earth and our own point-and-shoot, listening intently to Chancellor De Ungria’s articulation of his assessment and vision of UPMin and Mindanao.
"Already six years in existence and having graduated two batches of undergraduate students, UPMin, the youngest constituent unit of the UP System, has finally firmed up its sense of purpose in this island. It is now taking stock of its relatively short past, assessing its powers and limitations, and defining measures to strengthen its place among the academic communities in the region and its hold on the imagination of Mindanaoans.
"We are doing a serious review of our present programs in order to make these academically sound, administratively supportable, and strategically responsive to the needs of Mindanao. We will not have second thoughts in suspending programs where we feel we could not excel in or where we could passably be good at but could perhaps be better off in the hands of the other universities in the region.
"Despite budgetary constraints that have left the campus in its present unfinished state – and compelled us to hold these ceremonies in comfort here away from our still raw and rough home in Mintal – UPMin will continue to serve its constituents with the same zeal as before and with the same dedication to make an impact on the lives of Mindanaoans."
Chancellor De Ungria then went on to stress the University’s thrusts in the next three years that would serve as his first term: Biosystems as Academic Program, a Mindanao Studies Program, Faculty Development, Extension and Linkages, Improving Administrative/Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency, and Generating Resources.
His final words:
In spite of its severe budgetary limitations, UPMin will do its best to share its intellectual resources with the larger society in Mindanao. With our graduates, we shall make it a point of pride to use our creative and intellectual energies in helping transform the society we are in. For only through such transformation can we truly participate – and participate actively – in the life of our community and our nation. Only through such transformation can we help bring about the changes that history requires of us at the moment. Only through such transformation can we be truly and sensitively human and free – empowered to remember and prevent the recurrence of days of infamy and rage, like the tragedy in America 10 days ago, or the imposition of martial law in this country 29 years ago today.
"Daghang salamat ug maayong buntag sa inyong tanan."
Followed a mid-morning reception by the lush gardens of Waterfront Insular, where members of the Davao Writers Guild which Ricky helped found two years ago were in attendance. It was good to renew ties with our Southern brothers and sisters such as Timothy Montes, formerly of Dumaguete City and first-prize winner for Future Fiction in the recent Palanca awards, Don Pagusara, Aurelio "Boy" Peña, Macario Tiu, Lolit Lacuesta, and the venerable Aida Rivera Ford.
On the eve of the investiture, Cirilo and I were privileged to have lunch and dinner with UP President "Dodong" Nemenzo, his Vice Presidents Maris Diokno and Joe Endriga, UP Regents Raul de Guzman and Marita Reyes, Alumni Association head John Gaisano, and a host of other University and local officials.
The talk over dinner was mostly on how to raise funds for the improvement of the 7-kilometer rough road to the campus at Mintal, as well as to ensure decent compensation for regular faculty. Over tuna bariles and panga, and through swigs of President whisky and Laphroaig single malt, we could appreciate the problems that furrowed the distinguished brow of the otherwise affable UP System President.
The alumni reps spoke of parcelling an envisioned concrete road by the meter among its members, while a local councilor promised initiatives to be taken up with Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Dodong Nemenzo smiled through it all, with nary a shake of the head even when the problematic topics occasionally included the baffling resistance to an improved UP budget from Senator John Osmeña.
We were up early the next morning to greet Jimmy Abad and still other UP honchos who came on the red-eye flight in time for the investiture ceremonies. Everyone was upbeat anew. Ricky’s address seemed to enhance the burst of optimism, and throughout the extended reception, it was all smiles and positive talk among the educators, local officials and writers..
Two nights in Davao offered great good camaraderie in all fronts, including all-too-brief stints at the hotel pool and modest beach. Our second night was hosted by Aida Rivera Ford at the Ford Academy of the Arts, where a sumptuous spread was topped by a couple of large if briefly unyielding durians that eventually gave way to Boy Peña’s determined assault with a dull knife.
The poems and Visayan songs came alive as well, as we were joined by the poet-painter Tita Lacambra Ayala, theater director Josie Tejada, poet Carlotta Abellana, SunStar Davao columnist Josie San Pedro, Maria "Jinky" Yap, Margot Marfori, and former Dumaguete workshopper Allan Bodoy. Tim Montes, Don Pagusara and Mac Tiu discussed logistical requirements for joining up with the PEN Conference to be held in Dumaguete at the end of November.
Our host Aida Rivera Ford took out a collectible housed in a special wooden case. It was an ethnic brass ornament that looked much like a necklace, featuring a triangular pendant. We were all asked to guess what it was. Final answer: a pubescent girl’s pubic shield. And since we all had a hand (or a finger) in the eventually successful identification, the privilege of temporarily donning the rare ornament, around his neck and not too far below it, went to the day’s singular honoree. Hail poet Ricky de Ungria, Virgin Chancellor.