It's Priceless
by Melchor F. Cichon.
October 3, 2018
(revised: Oct. 4, 2018)
Even before I retired as a librarian from the University of the Philippines, I spend most of my vacant time writing. From this passion, I have written poems, articles, short stories, and flash fictions. From these creative works, I have published seven books of poems, proverbs, short stories, flash fictions, and haiku and haiga. I also have published some of my poems, articles and short stories in magazines and in newspapers. Some of them have been published in anthologies and journals like Ani; Bigkas Binalaybay: kritisismo, antolohiya; SanAG, the Literary Journal of the Fray Luis Leon Creative Desk; Patubas: an anthology of West Visayan Poetry, 1986-1994; Sa Atong Dila; an introduction to Visayan literature; and in Sansiglong Mahigit ng Makabagong Tula sa Filipinas.
But before I publish my writings in books, I published them first in my blogs and in my Facebook account. These serve as my drafts. Most of these are open to anybody. And because they are open to everybody, my works are available to anybody. Because of this, many people who are interested in Aklanon Literature including students, faculty, researchers and others have read my works. As a result, some students use my works for their literary research papers. So far, three graduate theses and a dissertation have been approved using my poems as subjects of their studies.
Because my literary works are open to the public, it is possible for some people to lift my works and put them in their blogs without asking permission from me nor putting my name as the author of those lifted works. There was a graduate student who lifted one of my articles and submitted it to a certain internet site that allows a reader to download other articles from that site provided he/she submits an article. And because this graduate student who happens to be a faculty in a private college in Aklan found my article appropriate, he uploaded my article to this site without my permission. Fortunately, he retains my name as the author of that article. I found it out when I checked the internet for an article on Aklan Literature. I immediately wrote the owner of the site and informed him that one of the articles in his site is mine and was uploaded there without my knowledge. It was deleted from his site. Just recently, I discovered too that a certain student lifted some of my poems and put them in his blog without my knowledge. What is worst is that he did not even put my name as the author of those poems. Nor their source. I accidentally discovered this when I was looking for sources in the internet on Aklanon riddles. Google led me to a blog where a group of Aklanon riddles are posted. When I read Maeara and the name of my wife, I was shocked. I immediately cut and pasted the links of his website and mine in my Facebook account to compare the contents of both blogs. With the help of some of my facebook friends, my complaint reached him. Immediately, he asked for my forgiveness. I told him that I would consider the case as close after he had deleted all those poems which he lifted from my blog without my permission and without putting their sources. He did. I forgave him.
There was another incident wherein one of my poems was published by a faculty of a university in Iloilo City along with other poems written by Western Visayas writers. I understand that that book was being used as a textbook and was being reprinted every year.
One time I attended a literary event in that university where their students were in attendance. Knowing that I was in that event, three female students of that university approached me and asked me for the meaning of the poem that was included in that textbook. After explaining to them what I thought of that poem, I asked them where they got a copy of that poem. They showed me the book itself where my poem is included. Since I know the author of that book, I approached him and told him about the poem in his book. He apologized to me for not asking permission from me. He promised he would give me a copy of the said book. After some time, he gave me a copy.
There was another instance where a chapter of an anthology is devoted to Aklanon Literature. This anthology was compiled and edited by a well-known Filipino writer. She asked my permission to publish my poems and a short story together with other poems and short stories written by other Aklanon writers. I gave her my permission. When the book was published by a university press, I saw my name as the author of my works along with the names of other contributors. Expecting that I could get a complimentary copy of the said book, but when I contacted the editor, she told me that I could not get a free copy because its printing is costly. Indeed it was because when I bought a copy of it in Makati, it cost me P1,500.00. I told myself, this is unfair. Anyway, I said, it is an honor to be included in an anthology edited by a well-known author/editor and for sure many university students and faculty members will read my works as well as those works written by other Aklanons. And that is priceless.
Please do not get me wrong.
Actually, I am not against the copying of my works and posting them in their sites or publish them in books or magazines provided he/she asks permission from me and he/she puts my name as the author of those works. I am truly happy that some people find my literary works significant.
This is also one way of spreading our Aklanon Literature. This is also one reason why some Filipino faculty members who are teaching Philippine Literature are using my works in their classes.
My granddaughter, Angelica Cichon Docena, told me two nights ago that my poems are being discussed in their classes at Universidad de Zamboanga in Zamboanga City. I know that some of my poems are also being discussed in some other institutions of higher learning like De La Salle University, University of San Agustin and UP in the Visayas.
Some undergraduate and graduate students are now studying my works for their theses and dissertations. This is also one reason why Aklanon Literature is now getting its space in Philippine Literature. What is important is I am being acknowledged as the author of those works and I am able to help develop our Aklanon Literature.
I do not exactly know why some people study my works especially my poems and short stories, but I think it is because most of the topics in my works deal on socio-cultural happenings in our country.
***
It's Priceless
April 3, 2018
Revised: October 3, 2018
Even before I retired as a librarian from the University of the Philippines, I spend most of my vacant time writing. From this passion, I have written poems, articles, short stories, and flash fictions. From these creative works, I have published seven books of poems, proverbs, short stories, flash fictions, and haiku and haiga. I also have published some of my poems, articles and short stories in magazines and in newspapers. Some of them have been published in anthologies and journals like Ani; Bigkas Binalaybay: kritisismo, antolohiya; SanAG, the Literary Journal of the Fray Luis Leon Creative Desk; Patubas: an anthology of West Visayan Poetry, 1986-1994; Sa Atong Dila; an introduction to Visayan literature; and in Sansiglong Mahigit ng Makabagong Tula sa Filipinas.
But before I publish my writings in books, I published them first in my blogs and in my Facebook account. These serve as my drafts. Most of these are open to anybody. And because they are open to everybody, my works are available to anybody. Because of this, many people who are interested in Aklanon Literature including students, faculty, researchers and others have read my works. As a result, some students use my works for their literary research papers. So far, three graduate theses and a dissertation have been approved using my poems as subjects of their studies.
Because my literary works are open to the public, it is possible for some people to lift my works and put them in their blogs without asking permission from me nor putting my name as the author of those lifted works. There was a graduate student who lifted one of my articles and submitted it to a certain internet site that allows a reader to download other articles from that site provided he/she submits an article. And because this graduate student who happens to be a faculty in a private college in Aklan found my article appropriate, he uploaded my article to this site without my permission. Fortunately, he retains my name as the author of that article. I found it out when I checked the internet for an article on Aklan Literature. I immediately wrote the owner of the site and informed him that one of the articles in his site is mine and was uploaded there without my knowledge. It was deleted from his site. Just recently, I discovered too that a certain student lifted some of my poems and put them in his blog without my knowledge. What is worst is that he did not even put my name as the author of those poems. Nor their source. I accidentally discovered this when I was looking for sources in the internet on Aklanon riddles. Google led me to a blog where a group of Aklanon riddles are posted. When I read Maeara and the name of my wife, I was shocked. I immediately posted the website where my riddles are found and posted my blog where the originals are found to compare the contents of both blogs. With the help of some of my friends, my complaint reached him. Immediately, he asked for my forgiveness. I told him that I would consider the case as close after he had deleted all those poems which he lifted from my blog without my permission and without putting their sources. He did. I forgave him.
There was another incident wherein one of my poems was published by a faculty of a university in Iloilo City along with other poems written by Western Visayas writers. I understand that that book was being used as a textbook and was being reprinted every year.
One time I attended a literary event in that university where their students were in attendance. Knowing that I was in that event, three female students of that university approached me and asked me for the meaning of the poem that was included in that textbook. After explaining to them what I thought of that poem, I asked them where they got a copy of that poem. They showed me the book itself where my poem is included. Since I know the author of that book, I approached him and told him about the poem in his book. He apologized to me for not asking permission from me. He promised he would give me a copy of the said book. After some time, he gave me a copy.
There was another instance where a chapter of an anthology is devoted to Aklanon Literature. This anthology was compiled and edited by a well-known Filipino writer. She asked my permission to publish my poems and a short story together with other poems and short stories written by other Aklanon writers. I gave her my permission. When the book was published by a university press, I saw my name as the author of my works along with the names of other contributors. Expecting that I could get a complimentary copy of the said book, but when I contacted the editor, she told me that I could not get a free copy because its printing is costly. Indeed it was because when I bought a copy of it in Makati, it cost me P1,500.00. I told myself, this is unfair. Anyway, I said, it is an honor to be included in an anthology edited by a well-known author/editor and for sure many university students and faculty members will read my works as well as those works written by other Aklanons. And that is priceless.
Please do not get me wrong.
Actually, I am not against the copying of my works and posting them in their sites or publish them in books or magazines provided he/she asks permission from me and he/she puts my name as the author of those works. I am truly happy that some people find my literary works significant.
This is also one way of spreading our Aklanon Literature. This is also one reason why some Filipino faculty members who are teaching Philippine Literature are using my works in their classes.
My granddaughter, Angelica Cichon Docena, told me two nights ago that my poems are being discussed in their classes at Universidad de Zamboanga in Zamboanga City. I know that some of my poems are also being discussed in some other institutions of higher learning like De La Salle University, University of San Agustin and UP in the Visayas.
Some undergraduate and graduate students are now studying my works for their theses and dissertations. This is also one reason why Aklanon Literature is now getting its space in Philippine Literature. What is important is I am being acknowledged as the author of those works and I am able to help develop our Aklanon Literature.
I do not exactly know why some people study my works especially my poems and short stories, but I think it is because most of the topics in my works deal on socio-cultural happenings in our country.
