The poetry train

The prizes were first awarded for the Tulaan sa Tren 2 poetry contest run last year by the National Book Development Board.

Then we boarded the train, from the LRT-2 Santolan depot all the way to the other end stop, which was the Recto Avenue station past Quezon Blvd. Along the way, we marveled at the markedly different view of Metro Manila, at treetop level and beyond, from greenscapes and ritzy corners with modern buildings to the unavoidable rooftop patchwork of congested neighborhoods, littered empty lots and ugly dump sites.

Along the course, too, we had the privilege of standing and sashaying up and down the spacious, fresh carriages, and reading poetry up close — on horizontal posters prominently displayed above the windows. The poems also came off the sound system that pervaded the coaches and the spanking-clean stations whenever we stopped. 

Thus, reality, hyper-reality and the Pinoy poetic sensibility as lyricized in two languages converged in pure delight on this rare treat of a Saturday afternoon rapid-transit ride, taking barely an hour from Marikina to Manila and back. Quite an experience. 

And when our mass-transit troupe got back to the depot, what welcomed us apart from a buffet table of goodies and iced drinks was the launching of Off the Beaten Track: Poems from Tulaan sa Tren 2 — a cute, squarish, full-color edition in glossy paper that collected over 50 poems and as many poets contemplating passages physical and metaphysical.

Thus, Raymond Falgui, a UP literature teacher, writes in his first-prize winning poem in English, “Bus Trip”:

“sticking my head out the window/ on a bus flying past the legal limit,/ the wind whistles through one ear/ and blasts a hole out the other —/ screaming, it tugs at the roots of my hair — drawing tears that/ only disappear.// the world is so much a blur/ when seen better// (excuse me, the world blew the words apart!)// the world is so much better/ when seen as a blur/.”

For the English category, the other winners were Louella Santiago Suque for “A Train Window Picture Story” (second prize); and Raymund Reyes for “I, Migrant” (third prize). For the Filipino category, they were Joselito delos Reyes for “Pan-Rush Hour” (first prize); Gexter Ocampo-Lacambra for “Sa Metro Linea 3 (Pagkamatay... Pagkabuhay)” (second prize); Abdon Balde Jr. for “Tren, Tren, Tren” (third prize); and Danilo Diaz for “Dahilan ay Ikaw” and Kristian Sendon Cordero for “Amay Nang Masgdiklom (Maaga Nang Dumilim)” as runners-up.

Judges were National Artist for Literature Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera, recent Premio Feronia winner and UP professor emeritus Dr. Gémino H. Abad, and this literary and academic kibitzer. We also served as the editors for this second collection of poetry for Metro trains — a follow-up to last year’s Tulaan sa Tren 1.

The laudable efforts may be traced to the initiative taken by the NBDB’s effervescent director, Andrea Pasion-Flores, with the support and cooperation of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), Vibal Foundation, Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), and the Optical Media Board (OMB).

NBDB chair Dennis Gonzalez opened the launch with salient remarks, likening the project’s second installment to a movie sequel that surpassed the success of its predecessor.

“There are signs already of its superiority,” he said. “First, some of the poems we’re featuring this time are products of a poetry-writing contest. Tulaan sa Tren 1 was a collection of poetry about movement, traveling, trains, transience in life, places in Manila. But this time, some of the poems, in a sense, are really fresh creations that talk about the themes of Tulaan sa Tren 2. Some of those poems came from outside the Philippines, from Filipinos working in Italy, in Saudi Arabia — OFWs who were inspired to create poems.”

Ms. Pasion-Flores’ brainchild seeks to promote Philippine literature, particularly poetry, “to make it closer to more Filipinos, and to turn an otherwise ordinary commute into a more meaningful and insightful journey.”

Movie and theater celebrities were tapped to render the poems as recordings — among these Chin-Chin Gutierrez, Romnick Sarmienta and wife Harlene Bautista, Lyn Ching-Pascual, JM Rodriguez and Nikki Gil. Their readings are played in three of the LRT-2 coaches and one LRT-1 coach. They also compose a CD that comes with the book.

In his own remarks, Dr. Lumbera also lauded NBDB’s efforts: 

“Ang Tulaan sa Tren ay maka-taong serbisyo ng NBDB. Maaaring hindi natin namamalayan, subalit nagkakabisa sa ating personalidad. Sa anyong nakalimbag, na inilulunsad natin ngayon, ay material na ebidensya na pwedeng balik-balikan natin upang tiyakin kung ano ang himalang naganap sa ating pagkatao nang bigkasin ang mga ito sa ating harapan. (Tulaan sa Tren is the NBDB’s way of serving the people. We may not know it, but it will have a profound effect on us. We can return time and again to the print version of this, which we are launching today, to know what miracles happened to us when these works were spoken in front of us.)”

LRTA administrator Mel Robles mentioned how “passengers complain that riding the LRT is boring and repeated advertisements (get to be) annoying, therefore posting poems and playing recorded readings are ways to give them something worth their while.” He cited a survey conducted by AC Nielsen that showed the effectiveness of the poetry project. Then he quipped: “Our passengers are a captive audience, they’re stuck, so they have no choice but to read the poems... And as a tribute, here is a short poem I wrote: ‘Tulaan sa Tren, dapat ulitin. Sigaw ng pasahero, kami’y bitin!’” Laughter (appreciative, certainly not derisive) from the audience!

Vibal Foundation editorial director Kristine Mandigma reflected “on the indispensability of poetry to man in his search for meaning.” Poets Mikael de Lara Co, Joel Toledo and Ralph Semino Galan then read from the collection.

Among the other poet-contributors who joined the honorary first train ride with their poems (meaning it was a freebie) were Ed Maranan, Jun Balde, Isabela Banzon, Andrea Teran, Marie La Viña, Kash Avena, and Axel Pinpin, who evidently enjoyed the freedom of sundry views above the tracks.

Also among the selected contributors for Filipino and English poetry, apart from the contest winners, are: National Artist for Literature Rio Alma, Marra PL Lanot, Jose F. Lacaba, Teo Antonio, Vim Nadera, Michael M. Coroza, Teo S. Baylen, Ivy Rosales, Alwynn C. Javier, Benigno Ramos, Joi Barrios, Ricardo M. de Ungria, Cesare A.X. Syjuco, Victor Jose Peñaranda, Rowena Torrevillas, Patrick Rosal, Marjorie Evasco, Juaniyo Arcellana, Jhoanna Lynn Cruz, J. Neil Garcia, Jim Pascual Agustin, Anna Bernaldo, Mookie Katigbak, Angelo V. Suarez, and Joel Pablo Salud.

Quite a roster. Quite a train ride.