Bersong EuroPinoy 2021 Con Buen Amistad is part of the poetry recital Verses versus the Virus on the theme of partnership and friendship. The event is brought to you by the European Union in the Philippines and the Ateneo de Zamboanga University’s Ateneo Center for Culture and the Arts and School of Liberal Arts. The featured poets are comprised of:
M.J Cagumba Tumamac
M.J Cagumba Tumamac is a writer and a reading advocate for Southern Mindanao. M.J. Cagumbay Tumamac reads his poem “Pabay-an nga magbalhas sang nana ang ginasugba nga indangan” translated into English by Eric Gerard H. Nebran “Let pus drip from the surgeonfish sweating on the grill”.
Sigrid Marianne Gayangos
Sigrid was born and raised in Zamboanga City. Her works have appeared or are forthcoming in Fantasy: Fiction for Young Adults, Maximum Volume: Best New Philippine Fiction 3, Philippine Speculative Fiction 12, Likhaan Journal 13, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, OMBAK Southeast Asia’s Weird Fiction Journal, The Best Small Fictions 2019, and Everything Change Climate Fiction Anthology, among other publications. In 2018, she received the Palanca Award for her poetry collection “Of Monsters, Math and Magic”. She is currently based in Dumaguete, where she is finishing her collection of short stories. Sigrid Marianne Gayangos reads her poem “Cuando ya busca yo con el maga palabra” translated into English by Floraime Oliveros Pantaleta “When I was searching for the words.”
Errol Merquita
Mr Merquita is from Los Amigos, Davao City. He is a recipient of the University of the Philippines Chancellor’s Medal for Culture and Arts (2002) and Most Distinguished Alumnus Award (2016). His poems and short stories are published in National Commission for Culture and the Arts Ubod Series, Philippines Graphic, Davao Harvest, Mindanao Harvest, Philippine Humanities Review, Likhaan: Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature, Literature of Fragile Environments, The Literary Apprentice and The Loch Raven Review. He has won numerous Carlos Palanca awards for fiction in Sebuano and poetry for Children in Filipino. He served as program coordinator in various United Nations agencies. He is currently managing an emergency ands early recovery projects in the Islamic City of Marawi under an INGO. Errol A Merquita reads his poem “Pangamuyo sa Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga (sa padayong pagbakwit ug kagubot)” translated into English by Ralph Semino Galán “Entreaty from Brgy Diatagon, Lianga (on the continuing evacuation and chaos).”
