Claiming the enviable honor as the oldest existing student publication in the country, The TORCH Publication marks its centenary with a book featuring the creative works of eight young PNU alumni in an anthology titled “minsan lang sila normal” published by the PNU Press. The young writers include Eros Atalia, Benjo Basas, Shiela R. Castillo, Joselito D. Delos Reyes, Tino Dulay, Genaro Gojo Cruz, Ferdinand Pisigan Jarin, and Radney Ranario. Jerry Gracio edited the book and wrote the introduction for the 143-page collection.
Authors
Taga-Coloong si Joselito D. Delos Reyes. Bago siya maging guro ng Humanities, Literature, at Journalism sa Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas, nagtrabaho siya bilang Barangay Secretary ng Coloong, empleyado ng pamahalaang panlungsod ng Valenzuela habang isang semestreng gurong panggabi sa PLV (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela), project manager ng isang IT firm sa Ortigas, at guro sa Southern Luzon State University. Maliban sa Coloong Elementary School at Valenzuela Municipal High School Polo Annex (Polo National High School ngayon), nagtapos din siya sa Philippine Normal University sa kursong BSE Social Science at sa De La Salle University sa kursong M.A. Philippine Studies. Sa De La Salle University sa Maynila rin niya kinukuha ngayon ang kaniyang Ph.D. sa Philippine Studies. Inilathala noong 2005 ang una niyang aklat, “Ang Lungsod Namin” ng National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Nagkamit na siya ng iba’t ibang pagkilala at pambansang parangal para sa kaniyang isinulat, ikinukuwento, at sinasaliksik: 2nd place, UNESCO On-The-Spot Poetry Writing, Philippine Normal University (2008); 2nd place, ika-8 Gawad Pampanitikan (Tula), PNU; Ikatlong Gantimpala, Gawad Komisyon sa Tula (2003); Grand Prize, 1st Maningning Miclat Awards for Poetry (2003). Noong 2003, nakamit niya ang pinakamataas na pagkilala para sa mga natatanging mamamayan ng Valenzuela: ang Dr. Pio Valenzuela Memorial Awards sa larangan ng Journalism at Literature. Naging fellow siya para sa maikling kuwento sa 9th Ateneo National Writers’ Workshop, para sa tula sa 9th Iyas Creative Writing Workshop sa Lungsod ng Bacolod at sa 36th University of the Philippines National Writers’ Workshop sa Lungsod ng Baguio. Tatlong taon na siyang panelist ng UST Creative Writing Workshop. Kasaping tagapagtatag at dating pangulo siya ng Bolpen at Papel, PNU Creative Writers’ Club. Nalathala sa mga dyornal, antolohiya, pahayagan at magasin ang kaniyang mga akda, pananaliksik, at salin. Nagpapabalik-balik siya sa mga palaisdaan ng Coloong at sa hamog at halumigmig ng Banahaw upang makapiling ang kaniyang dalawang anak, sina Divine at Esperanza, at asawang si Angela na guro ng physics sa Lucban Academy.
Ferdinand Pisigan Jarin is the author of Anim na Sabado ng Beyblade at iba pang Sanaysay, which won a National Book Award for Nonfiction in Filipino in 2014 from the Manila Critics Circle and National Book Development Board and was a finalist for Madrigal-Gonzales First Best Book Award administered by the University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing (UP ICW). He has published several children’s books; won three Carlos Palanca Awards; and was a Writing Fellow for Sanaysay in both the Palihang Rogelio Sicat 5 (2012) and 53rd UP National Writers Workshop. He also translated Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth in Filipino, commissioned by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino and National Commission for Culture and the Arts. He is also one of the Editor, together with Rolando Tolentino and Joselito Delos Reyes, of Hayskul: Mga Sanaysay na Hindi Pang-Formal Theme from Visprint Publishing. He is one of the scriptwriter of the now defunct children’s show Batibot in television and TV Sitcom titled Tom en Gerrie. He also creates OST for GMA News TV documentaries such as Investigative Documentaries (ID), Motorcycle Diaries and Reel Time. Jarin is a former Professor of Literature and Popular Culture at the Philippine Normal University and Malikhaing Pagsulat for Creative Nonfiction and Television Scriptwriting at the Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines-Diliman and for the Department of Filipino, De La Salle University-Manila. Presently, Jarin is working on the prequel of Anim na Sabado ng Beyblade, entitled ”Tangke, Mga Gunita ng Pagkabata”. There will also be a reprinting for Beyblade and the second edition will come out this April 2020. He is also set to publish his first collection of fiction stories, “Ang May-ari ng Boracay,” this year.
