“We thank our emerging voices for challenging the status quo. Their innovation in the digital age is our compass”
SIXTY years ago this December, Ilokano writers in Manila quietly, if modestly, gathered and enkindled a breathing beacon on the power of the written word, in this case a page for the Ilokano language and the region’s cultural heritage.
The writers, from the north of the country but were hacking out a living in the erstwhile capital – it was returned as the capital from Quezon City on June 24, 1976, effectively ending the latter’s 28-year tenure as the capital – in the academe, government agencies and private entities and elected Hermogenes F. Belen of Naguilian, La Union their founding president.
This year, we join Ilokano writers in celebrating that legacy, not merely as a milestone of time, but as a foundation of endurance.
The forthcoming Dec 8, 2026 event is a progress marker, very similar to a physical milestone on a road, which shows how far Ilokano writers in the capital have run which provides a moment for reflection.
Those who have been blest and gifted by members to handle the association’s literary gear since its foundation on Dec. 8, 1966 will agree with us that the date is not just any moment but represents a noteworthy, often celebratory accomplishment.
GUMIL Metro Manila has had 17 presidents, two of them women – Eden Cachola Bulong, from Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, and the incumbent Faye Q. Flores-Melegrito, from Caoayan, Ilocos Sur.
By province, two are from La Union, eight from Ilocos Sur, one from Isabela, two from Cagayan, and four from Ilocos Norte.
1966 was the first year of Ferdinand Marcos’ presidency, marked by calls for “self-denial” and an intense focus on economic development, following his election in the latter part of 1965.
While religious holidays (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) are associated with Dec. 8 through Republic Act 10966, in the context of literary history, this is a cornerstone date for Ilokano writers and literature.
It marks the formal founding of GUMIL Manila, which would morph eventually into GUMIL Metro Manila, which revolutionized the production and organization of literary works of Ilokano writers, two years before the umbrella organization GUMIL Filipinas was founded during a national convention in Oct 1968 in Baguio City with Art Padua, then mayor of Sison, Pangasinan as the founding president.
Observers of the literary scene say Dec 8, 1966 is significant because it transformed Ilokano writing from a fragmented, individual pursuit into a cohesive, organized movement that elevated the stature of regional literature.
GUMIL Manila, among other chapters born in the 1960s, helped provide a formal platform for advocating the development of Ilokano literature, ensuring its growth amidst the prevalence of English and Tagalog-focused literary scenes.
The organization allowed for better networking, mentoring, and support, which led to a rise in the quality of Ilokano fiction and poetry, particularly following the post-war boom in the 1960s.
Other observers say GUMIL helped strengthen the impact of Bannawag magazine, the premier publication that served as the primary venue for publishing novels (nobela), short stories (sarita), and poetry (daniw).
For Ilokano writers, this date represents the moment they claimed their place in the national literary landscape, moving from regional obscurity to a structured, recognized literary community.
We see in the golden jubilee the foundation of endurance, the aerobic capacity, the mental resilience and the consistency over intensity, many thanks to the younger generations who are keeping the faith as lighted up by their elders.
While we congratulate the younger generation of Ilokano writers – and we are not talking here of the Gregorian calendar – we doff our hat as well to the veteran writers for nurturing our cultural roots.
Their wisdom, minted from the typewriter age, remains as it were our anchor.
We thank our emerging voices for challenging the status quo. Their innovation in the digital age is our compass.
