BA English Constituents Celebrate National Literature Month and BAE Week

The BA English (Creative Writing) program constituents and the Literary Society and kicked off the celebration of National Literature Month and BA English (BAE) Week with an opening program on April 21, 2025, featuring inspirational messages, an interactive forum, a film screening, a book pantry, and other events undertaken throughout the week.

The top photo shows the opening of the Community Book Pantry, which expanded later in the week with additional book donations.

Asst. Prof. Farah Aimee Virador gave the warm Welcome Remarks to the assembly at the BAE Week Opening Program.

Kelly Marie Conlon, BA English alumna, delivered an inspirational message wherein she advised the BAE students to acquire the writing tools in school and then develop life skills through maturity. “Perspective, discernment, and emotional balance emerge from a combination of living and choosing to grow up,” she said.

She connected writing with the human experience of finding ways and means, and the aim to bring conflicts to a proper end. ” Do not place limits on what you can learn and become, and see how far that will take you. You will break free from trauma, sharpen your mind, and strengthen your heart into triumph,” she said.

BA English professor Dean Jhoanna Lynn Cruz shared her thoughts on celebrating National Literature Month. “What do we mean when we say national literature?” she asked.

“Because April is National Literature Month and when the Literary Society holds BA English Week in April, it’s your bid to make yourself known to the nation, to the country, as a member of that imagined community, as a distinct community that helps form what is called national literature,” she said.

“When you write your thesis, your blogs, your Facebook posts, you are the national literature. I think that’s the importance of National Literature Month, to remind you of your place in what is called National Literature. You are Philippine literature, we are Philippine literature,” she said.

The BAE Week Opening Program proceeded with the sharing of insights from both speakers and participants, a storytelling workshop headed by Ms. Pia Duran and Ms. Ren Galeno, and a documentary screening of Bantay Bukid.

After a week of celebration, BAE Week 2025 was concluded on April 25. The constituents recalled the highlights, such as substantive discussions about the BA English (Creative Writing)—the program, its history and intent—to the lineup of activities and creative segments, including a storytelling workshop and documentary screening + talkback from the accomplished speakers, poetry contest, the income-generating project corner, and the Community Reading Pantry, which showed the spirit of the writing community. The BAE constituents agreed that this was a fitting celebration of BAE Week and the National Literature Month. The organizers thanked their fellow celebrators and closed with an exhortation to continue celebrating arts and literature in individual ways within the university, to aspiring writers around Mindanao, and the whole country.

Their cheer: “Ariba, Ariba, BAE! 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐧, 𝐦𝐠𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐧𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧!

Below are photos from the opening program.