12/07/2023
Bikol literature has been a reflection of the vibrant culture and beliefs of Bicolanos; a day-to-day experience stitched into a creative piece with the aim to reach the readers with thought-provoking ideas and knowledge; or just an author’s imagination fueled by motivation and turned into words hoping to make a difference.
But for Jerome Hipolito’s Dyurnal Intris, a co-winning entry for the first Premyo Valledor for Bikol Novel, literature is born out of blank pages and turns into a world that resembles the writer’s perspectives, wisdom, and observation.
“Garo man sana an, paghapot sa sarong panadero kun nata sya nagsusunad nin tinapay sa oven o tano nagda-drayb an sarong drayber. (It's like asking a baker why he bakes bread in an oven or why a driver drives,)” he answered when asked what made him write his winning entry.
Hipolito’s book is a compilation of his daily journal entries, showcasing the journey of the characters that populate its pages: “Pighanapan ko sana nin lawas an man-iriba-ibang naratibo, na garo baga sarong dyos na hali sa tataramon, na nagin tawo. (I just searched for a body that would fit the different narratives, akin to a god emerging from words and becoming a human being.)”
The book gives him the opportunity to put other people’s stories into words, where he tells their narratives, stories, and lives.
“Bilang tawo, nagin mas mapag-intindi ako sa mga inaagihan kan tawo, mas nirerespito ko an saindang sitwasyon,” (As a person, I developed a greater sense of empathy towards people's experiences, and I now hold a deeper respect for their situation,)” he acknowledged.
The Dyurnal Intris tells the story of a young writer who just wanted to write, or for some, the story of an ordinary person. “Isturya ko ini, pero isturya man ini kan mga tawo na nakahampang ko, saka dai harayo, na pwede man nanggad, na isturya mo man ini. (This is my story, but this is also the story of every person I encountered. Moreover, it closely resonates with, and quite possibly mirrors, your own story,)” he said.
Jerome Hipolito is a prominent Bikolano poet and educator from Calabanga, Camarines Sur. His remarkable achievements: in 2008, he bagged second place in the poetry category of the Premio Tomas Arejola para sa Literaturang Bikolnon.
Furthermore, in 2019, he is the co-winner, together with Niles Jordan Breis’ Kalatraban sa Alkawaran, of the first Premyo Valledor, a novel prize for Bicolano writers with original novels written in Bikol, established by a Catanduanes native, Victorio C. Valledor, together with Ateneo de Naga University Press and the National Book Development Board.
Don’t miss the opportunity to grab your own copies of this winning book, “Dyurnal Intris,” for only 350 pesos, available for purchase at both AdNU Press and Savage Mind: Arts, Books, and Cinema in Naga City.
📷: Jerome M. Hipolito | Savage Mind: Arts, Books, and Cinema page
🖋️:The Independent Bicol Mag.Ph
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