Ten fellows—five students and five professionals—have been selected for the 11th San Agustin Writers Workshop:

Fraire Acupan, Kate Justine Cablas, Mae Sheilou Conserva and Meryl Panuncio—students from the College of Education of West Visayas State University; Stephanie Grace de la Cruz, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accountancy student of University of San Agustin; and Michael Angelou Centino and Nikos Primavera, alumni of University of the Philippines in the Visayas with the degrees Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Management and Bachelor of Arts in Sociology-Management, respectively.

Completing the list of fellows are Joseph Francis Jamora, a marketing and communications coordinator at the Philanthropic Office of University of San Agustin; Alfredo Miguel Maputol, a graduate of Bachelor of Laws at Southwestern University of Cebu; and Karla Marie Quimsing, a Cebu-based marketing copywriter of Author Solutions Philippines Inc. Maputol and Quimsing are alumni of University of San Agustin.

Spearheaded by Fray Luis de Leon Creative Writing Institute of University of San Agustin Coordinating Center for Research and Publications, this year’s workshop focuses on poetry and short story-writing in regional languages.

Palanca award-winning poet John Iremil E. Teodoro will serve as lead panelist together with other award-winning writers: Isidoro M. Cruz, Maria Luisa Defante-Gibraltar and Alice Tan-Gonzales.  Palanca hall-of-famer Leoncio P. Deriada will serve as guest lecturer.

The annual fellowships cover course fees, travel costs, and board and lodging provisions.

The workshop will be held May 1-4 at the President’s Conference Room of University of San Agustin, Gen. Luna St., Iloilo City.