After combing through over 90 entries, the UP College of Law (CL) revealed the contributors to its “first ever UP Law Literary Folio in the time of COVID-19.”

To choose the works to be published in the online folio titled “Dito sa UP Law: Many Voices, One Community,” CL held a competition earlier this year among its students, REPS, administrative staff, and faculty. On August 27, the College announced the 11 chosen, original works.

The literary pieces are: “Unum Diem Ad Tempus” by Kristine Tianzon Azanes (essay in English, student); “Life in Time of the Pandemic, Challenges and Coping Thereafter” by Bella Zenaida Torres Desamito (essay in English, non-academic staff), “Warm Hands” by Niobe Verena Moran Vidal (poetry in English, student); “The Dictionary of Marginal Notes” by Charlene Mae Olesco Tugano (story in English, student); “Pagkapit” by Charlemagne Revollido Dumaya (kuwento, student); “Nasaan ang Diwa” by Juancho Mozo Agoncillo (sanaysay, non-academic staff); and “Sanlibong Linta” by John Ray Allen Castillon Bisarra (tula at tuluyang patula, student).

Meanwhile, the visual artworks are: “Fever Dream (I Want to Stay)” by Jayvee Arbonida del Rosario (traditional visual art, student); “Stay with Me till the Sun Sets and We Rise Together” by Gianina O. Cabanilla (traditional visual art, non-academic staff); “Life Goes On…” by Razel Ann Pelandas Esteban (digital visual art, student); and “Pagsulong sa Kabila ng Pagsubok” by Marissa Lucido Iñigo (digital visual art, non-academic staff).

The seven literary pieces and four visual arts adhered to the theme, “After the Lockdown: Braving New Paths.”

The works were chosen by a panel of judges composed of College of Arts and Letters (CAL) professor emeritus, Jose Y. Dalisay Jr.,Ph.D; Philippine Senate Legislative Research Service director, Atty. Nicholas Pichay; College of Mass Communication film and audio-visual communication professor; Rolando Tolentino, Ph.D; UP Law Class ’82 representative, Atty. Rizalde Laudencia; UP Law assistant to the dean of alumni affairs, Atty. Fina dela Cuesta Tantuico, and CAL associate dean for administration, Atty. Alden Lauzon—all renowned authors, essayists, poets, and visual artists.

According to the info-memorandum of former CL dean, Fides Cordero-Tan (https://law.upd.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/INFO-MEMO-FCT-22-JAN-2021-UP-LAW-LITERARY-FOLIO.pdf), “Dito sa UP Law: Many Voices, One Community” was launched on January 22.

Cordero-Tan stated that the online publication “aims to capture the diverse experiences of the UP Law community in the most challenging period in recent history, expressed in literary and art form.” Accordingly, the publication reflects “the life of the students, faculty, and administrative staff of the CL” and provides “a platform for creative talents that are usually glossed over [and considered] unrelated to academic endeavors.”

Through the folio, “the College intended to strengthen and rally a strong sense of community throughout the UP Law Complex amid the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic through either written or visual art expressions.”

Meanwhile, Dean Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, in his memo (memorandum no. ECLV 2021-008) said that first place winners will get P20,000 and runners-up will get P10,000.

The folio may be viewed through the online exhibit at www.law.upd.edu.ph/up-law-folio-2021-winners.