THE FIRST categories of the Peter’s Prize from way back in 2013 were Mga Binalaybay sang Paghigugma (Love Poems) and Labing Malip-ut nga Sugilanon (Very, Very Short Story).
Then, we had Poems About Water in 2015 won by Michael de la Peña of Dumangas, Iloilo.
Edward Marcito of La Carlota City, Negros Occidental won the Poetry Inspired by a Story in 2017.
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Serafin I. Plotria, Jr. of Bacolod City won Mga Binalaybay Sabat sa Panghangkat (Poem-a-thon) in 2018.
We returned to Love Poetry in 2019, and Ferlie Joy M. Lanaria’s very erotic collection won the prize. Lanaria is from Passi City.
Last year, we had Poetry by 21 & Under, which was age-specific, and was in all regional languages of the Philippines. It was won by Reyniel O. Tomas from San Jose, Nueva Ecija with his very Tagalog collection.
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This year, we are back to Love Poems in Hiligaynon, just like in 2013 and 2019.
Your collection may be mostly poems of Love and Longing like in 2013 (won by Jesus C. Insilada of Calinog, Iloilo).
Or it may be again be Erotic and Amorous poems like Lanaria’s in 2019.
Or, it may be an entirely different take on aspects of Love.
You tell us.
You show us.
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The idea is for you to present a collection of seven (7) poems in Hiligaynon that covers the whole range of the love experience—
From falling in love, to infatuation, to touching, to stagnation, to maybe even breakup and despair.
In the end, we just want to hear a lover’s unique way of seeing and saying things about love.
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The greatest danger about writing love poems is that writers fall into the trap of the cliche.
It’s just easier to talk of love in terms of three red roses, box of chocolates, and quivering or bleeding heart.
There is a traditional vocabulary for love poetry in the past century.
But can we talk about love in the vocabulary and terms of the 2020s?
What are the contemporary images of love in the 21st century?
That’s the challenge of the 2023 Peter’s Prize for Love Poetry in Hiligaynon.
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Seven Hiligaynon poems on the subject of Love.
Give a name/title to this collection. Like, what is it going to be called if this were published as a book?
In Word Document (or similar text format), email this to 500tinaga@gmail.combefore midnight of May 31, 2023.
The submission period is May 28-31.
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Three winners will receive Certificates of Award.
First prize winner gets a cash prize of P5,000.
Second prize gets P3,000.
Third prize gets P2,000.
In addition, the first prize winner will get the specially crafted Peter’s Prize medallion, and the commission to be The Peter Solis Nery Foundation Ambassador for Literature.
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Maybe it is true that there is no longer “forever” in our time.
But love poetry lives on.
And that is “forever” enough for me.
I do not feel that we can ever run out of love poetry.
There will always be a need for love poetry to help lovers in our time to navigate the rollercoaster experience of love in the time of the Internet.
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What we do not want are clichés.
The same old stories, the same old views about love.
In last year’s poetry contest for 21 years old and under, the theme was Gender and Sexuality (interpreted as LGBTQIA issues and concerns).
At least half of the submissions (we received 26 total) spoke of Queer Love.
Queer, but Love.
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The return to Love Poetry in Hiligaynon is deliberate.
Many writers still think that poetry will save our local literature.
They write more poems than novels or plays, or even short stories.
But many are also lost as their poems become more mundane.
I feel that in love, we will find our spirit once again.
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What is love in the post-pandemic era?
How do Ilonggos and other Hiligaynon speakers think and talk about it?
Love poetry is a beautiful thing.
It may not save our Hiligaynon literature, but I’m sure it can save us as a people.
Iloilo is supposed to be the city of Love.
But I think that Hiligaynon, whether in Iloilo, Negros, South Cotabato and elsewhere, is the language of Love./PN
