The country’s poets, playwrights, essayists and fictionists from different parts of the Philippines will converge in Pampanga for the upcoming Taboan: Philippine Writers Festival, which will be held on February 9 to 11, 2012. Taboan is one of the seven flagship projects of next year’s Philippine Arts Festival (PAF)

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has been hosting the conference for the past three years in pursuit of its goal to harness the skills of today’s writers and to highlight the importance of history and culture in Philippine literature.

NCCA will gather writers from different parts of the country for this conference, to share their expertise, and to celebrate the written word.

Led by Festival Director Dr. Juliet Mallari and NCLA Head Dr. Priscilla Macansantos, Taboan will feature panel discussions, lectures, literary readings, performances and a book fair. Next year’s Taboan is inspired by the National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary celebration.

Last February, Taboan focused on Mindanao-based writers and the island group’s literature. Delegates to Taboan 2012 represent Bicol, Central Luzon, the Cordilleras, Ilocos, NCR, Central Visayas, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, and Western Mindanao.

PAF is held every February in celebration of the National Arts Month,  in accordance with Presidential Proclamation No. 683 signed in 1991. The month-long festival is spearheaded by the NCCA, led by its Chairman Felipe de Leon Jr. and OIC-executive director Adelina Suemith, with Marichu  Tellano as head of the Planning, Policy Formulation, and Programming Division.

For next year’s celebration, the NCCA has adopted the theme “Tradisyon at Inobasyon” (Tradition and Innovation) which aims to recognize local creativity in the arts.   Eminent local and foreign artists will take part in this biggest  month-long cultural gathering.

http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca/press-releases/press-release.php?i=122