Michael Obenieta: Feature Article By: Matthew Vaj L. Javier
Michael Obenieta: Feature Article By: Matthew Vaj L. Javier
Michael Obenieta was born in Cebu, Philippines and a truly Cebuano indeed. He writes
poetry and prose in both Cebuano and English. In addition to having a fellow for English
poetry in the Dumaguete, UP and Iligan workshops, Myke was published international,
national and local anthropologies and magazines, including the Free Pres, Graphics,
Panorama, Inquirer, Home life and Bisaya. He has many compositions or poems should I
say. The most famous work of him are “New writers speak up and mantala” , “Likhaan” ,
“Fiction(1996 to 1997)” , “Caracoa” ,”Insearch of heroes” , “The poem of the world”
and “The best of Youngblood(Anvil Publishing)”. Michael Obenieta has many honors and
the Bathalad Hall of Fame for writing grant for the NCCA-sponsored UBOD New
Author’s Series, for a book of Cebuano poems titled “Iring-iring sa Tingbitay sa Iro”. He
has been recognized as the most creative editor in the 2005 In house awards of sun star
Cebu, and for his work in the same publication catholic mass media awards of the same
year. He is now the current president of “Bathalanong Halad sa dagang” (Bathalad) ,a
group of Cebuano writers in the Visayas and ,Mindanao ,and is publisher of BISBIS
(Balak ,Inigmat ,Sugilanon ,ug inigat sa bisdak) ,a quarterly Cebuano literary folio. More
of his works maybe viewed of “A habit of harbors and “Beso Bisdak”.
Michael Obenieta has many famous and good works but the most attracted
one to me is his work entitled with “Kay ang kahilom usa usab ka siloy” that explains the
love of a mother to his son. This work of him makes me think that how important our
mother or should we say, our Philippine literature in our lives. It really makes us grow
better but what do we do to our own Philippine literature? We already forgotten and don’t
give enough attention to our own literature. And the second most attractive one to me is
his work entitled with “Iring-iring sa Tingbitay sa iro” because it really reflects reality.
Like this one this article explains the up’s and downs of the whole people and it can
really reflect to us in our own literature. Because Philippine literature are now obscured
and many people didn’t give more importance or attention to our own literature
nowadays and it’s because they are only focusing on one language here in our country.
This article of him can wake up all the Filipino’s to give attention to other regions here in
the Philippines and their languages in order for our Philippine literature will not be down
anymore and it will go up. This gives us a very good lesson because how can our own
literature go up if we make it down? That’s why we will make it fair to all other regions,
we will not focus only in manila but all of the regions in order for our Philippine
literature will go up and will have attention to the Filipino’s the way it was before.
Through this kind of article we can really learn or we can really turn sad reality into a
happy one.