Literary

Oct

Artlets instructor, alumnus reap plums at F. Sionil Jose Young Writers Awards

TWO ARTLETS emerged as winners of the Filipino short story category at the 2026 F. Sionil Jose Young Writers Awards, a literary contest named after National Artist for Literature and former Thomasian F. Sionil Jose to uphold the legacy he left on Philippine literature. Creative Writing faculty Benjamin Gutierrez won…

58th: Revisiting the Maguindanao Massacre through visual discomfort

Sep

By The Flame Literary

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58th: Revisiting the Maguindanao Massacre through visual discomfort

TROOPS INVOLVED in the retrieval operation stopped digging at 57 bodies. As the police and excavators started to pack up, Reynafe (Glaiza de Castro) stood at the gloomy and empty massacre site. She realized that out of 58 victims, only one body had not been discovered: her father. Directed by…

Filipiñana: The perils in the picturesque

Sep

By The Flame Literary

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Filipiñana: The perils in the picturesque

RAFAEL MANUEL'S feature debut gives a Filipino take on the tale of Alice in Wonderland by having his heroine spiral into the buried secrets of paradise. Filipiñana (2026) was originally released as a short film at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival. Six years later, it debuted as a full-length…

Sep

By Adam Joseph Bolante

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Abong Bahaghari

Mula sa aspaltong tirintas na pumipiring sa Maynila gumuguhit ang liwanag sa dilim sa hugis nito. Sabi ng mama, kaya magkakaroon ng kalsada sa langit ay para mapagbuklod ang dalawang dako ng lungsod. Turo niya, mas tanaw mo ang ganda ng pamayanan sa itaas, malaya sa kalawang…

Ganggang: When innocence gets caught in the web of cruelty

Sep

By The Flame Literary

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Ganggang: When innocence gets caught in the web of cruelty

THREE children trapped in a state of oppression band together and find escape in the world of spider fighting, a game that unknowingly mirrors their town’s struggle with increasing military presence and its incessant red-baiting of the community. The struggle, which is beyond the comprehension of young minds, constituted the…

Cinemalaya 2026 Shorts A: Mirrors of the nation

Sep

By The Flame Literary

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Cinemalaya 2026 Shorts A: Mirrors of the nation

SPOTLIGHTING RELEVANT sociopolitical themes and giving exhibition to the nation’s finest filmmaking, this year’s Cinemalaya Shorts A demonstrated why local cinema remains vital as an authentic reflection of the country with subject matters ranging in gender, disability and poverty. The Shorts A collection of the 22nd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film…

Aug

By Anthea Anika de Sales

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Empty Nest

I SCREAM in protest as my father pulls me towards the enclosure of feathered beasts. He laughs tenderly at the sight of me creeping around their pen, as if there were no wires to clip their flight. A little later on, I shudder once more at the sight of…

Aug

By Ron Kyle Gabrielle Reyes

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Hand of God: A volley to the heart

CHILDHOOD INNOCENCE is often lost in translation. As people grow older, they often forget the simple joys that once made the world feel boundless: a game, a friendship and a field to run across. In the harsh realities of adulthood, these fleeting pleasures become distant memories. Yet for children caught…

The Odyssey: An ancient voyage that reflects the tides of the present

Aug

By Adam Joseph Bolante and Anthea Anika de Sales

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The Odyssey: An ancient voyage that reflects the tides of the present

THE FURY of the gods is no match for the backlash endured by Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s ancient epic. Yet, like its titular hero, The Odyssey defies the odds and comes home triumphant, proving to be a necessary admonition for a society that seems to be desensitized towards violence.…

Aug

By Anthea Anika de Sales

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Lifetimes

WHEN I asked my friend his age, he revealed it was as young as our independence. He told me that he had seen the sun and three stars when it was first hoisted up among the clouds. That day signaled freedom for his brothers, but for him, those yellow threads…