Irene Sarmiento - "The Great Philippine Literary Boys' Club" - #MeToo Philippines Series #2

 

 

Irene Sarmiento

WELCOME TO THE #METOO PHILIPPINES SERIES hosted by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and her publishing house PALH. The writer Nikko Miguel Garcia explains the background of how this #MeToo Philippines Series came about. Please click here. 

 The #METOO PHILIPPINES SERIES has the purpose of educating and raising consciousness about sexual harassment and abuse and injustice in the Philippines. All articles and photos are copyrighted by the individual authors. All rights reserved. Cecilia Brainard and PALH have permission from the authors to use their materials.  

This is Series #2, featuring Irene Sarmiento and her personal essay: "The Great Philippine Literary Boys' Club." 

 

BIO: IRENE SARMIENTO  is the first Filipino author to be invited to the White Ravens Festival, which is held in Munich and celebrates excellence in international children’s and youth literature.

She wrote Stray Cats, published by Ateneo de Manila University Press (2023). This work of young adult literature highlights the heroism of girls growing up in Manila, where economic inequity and human exploitation form the undercurrents of everyday life. Stray Cats has received glowing reviews and was one of the Kids’ Choice winners at the 8th National Children’s Book Awards. 

 

Irene has also published two illustrated children’s books with Anvil. Her award-winning Tabon Girl (2012) discusses gender roles and expectations through concepts in archaeology and Philippine history. Her short stories have received accolades from The Palanca Memorial Foundation, Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards, and Stories to Change the World. She has contributed opinion pieces to Rappler about issues concerning migration, race, and healthcare, which are a blend of personal histories, research, and analyses of current events. These are based on her experiences as an occupational therapist and former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW).

Order from Amazon

 Look for it in Shopee and Lazada

***

THE GREAT PHILIPPINE LITERARY BOYS' CLUB

by

IRENE SARMIENTO

Copyright 2026 by Irene Sarmiento, All Rights Reserved.

A bingo card no one asked for

Scrolling through my Facebook feed on the night of July 8, 2026, I spotted a two-day-old post from the nationally renowned author Alfred “Krip” Yuson, depicting an AI-generated image of Emma Watson in a white bikini and high heels. Yuson captioned it, “Bellingham, Kane, and Emma Watson of England beat the Burritos, 3-2.”

It was apparently a World Cup update, and by “Burritos,” the esteemed Filipino writer meant Mexicans.

Gross.

I found a bingo card no one asked for: a cultural elder speaking his truth in the form of a sports reference, generative AI slop, a successful young woman being objectified, and… (drumroll please) a racist joke.

As if things couldn’t get any crasser, broadcast journalist Howie Severino commented, “What position did she play?” to which Yuson replied, “They parked the defensive bus behind her. Then she flew on the Quidditch broomstick until she caught the Golden Snitch on extra time. [smiley face]”

The Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act No. 11313), a.k.a. the Bawal Bastos Law, penalizes uploading or sharing media that contains sexual content without consent. The only reason Yuson’s post might not fully qualify as sexual harassment is that Emma Watson hasn’t seen it, and therefore, can’t file a complaint. Given her status as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, it’s likely that Watson would not be okay with the publication of her AI-generated half-naked likeness, along with comments degrading her in a fictitious sport played by a character she portrayed as a child.

Since no one pointed out what to me was Gender-Based Online Sexual Harassment (GBOSH), or at the very least bastos, I decided to say something.

“Ahhh, ganito nga pala pinag-uusapan ng mga men about women (Ahhh, this is what men say about women)—including women generated by AI without their clothes or consent,” I typed.

I’ll admit, even though it was a small act, it wasn’t easy for me. Worried about getting dogpiled by Yuson and his friends in high places, I took screenshots to protect myself from potential backlash.

But no one noticed and nothing happened. Not yet.

Carlos Bulosan Book Club Awards - Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Joseph Bernardo

 

 

Carlos Bulosan Book Club Awards

Presented by the Friends of Echo Park Library, the Carlos Bulosan Book Club Awards honors distinguished Filipino American literary advocates for their contributions to storytelling, cultural preservation, and community engagement. Included will be award presentations, brief honoree remarks, and a moderated conversation on literature, memory, and community.

 

Recipients are: Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, and Joseph Bernardo.

 

Carlos Bulosan Book Club Awards

Date: May 16, 2026, 11:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Please get there before the program starts)

Location: Taper Auditorium,  LAPL Central Library, 630 W. Fifth Street, downtown Los Angeles 90071.

Awardees:

Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal – Lifetime Achievement Award

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard – Literary Advocate Award

Joseph Bernardo – Literary Advocate & Historian of the Filipino American Experience Award

Audience: All ages, event is free

 

This Filipino American celebration is part of the Los Angeles Public Library Celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Free Day-Long Festival from 11-5 at the Central Library, downtown Los Angeles. Highlights include lion dancers, Japanese dance performers, Korean fabric art, lei making, and the Carlos Bulosan Book Club Awards. Speakers include Los Angeles City Council member Ysabel Jurado of Council District 14, Philippine Consul General Adelio Angelito S. Cruz, and Philippine Vice Consul Levi Anthony B. Malaylay. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: #FilAmliterature #filipinoamericanawards #filipinoamericanadvocates #AsianPacificIslanders

 

 

 

 

Ramil Digal Gulle - Are Filipino Writing Workshops Safe Places? #MeToo Philippines

ARE FILIPINO WRITING WORKSHOPS SAFE SPACES FOR NEWBIE FEMALE (OR EVEN MALE) WRITERS?

by Ramil Digal Gulle 

Copyright 2026 by Ramil Digal Gulle  

Reprinted by permission of the author. This first appeared in 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Er9yK8nT5/

Are Filipino Writing Workshops Safe Places for Newbie Female (or even Male) Writers?

THIS IS A VALID QUESTION.  Dahil ilang former workshop fellows na ang nagbahagi ng sarili nilang masamang karanasan sa mga older, established writers na naging panelists at mentors nila. Basahin ang mga post nina Gian Lao at Marguerite Alcazaren De Leon.

Mariquit E. Soriano - "Who Does She Think She Is?" - #MeToo Philippines Series 1

 

 

Mariquit E. Soriano

 WELCOME TO THE #METOO PHILIPPINES SERIES hosted by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and her publishing house PALH. The writer Nikko Miguel Garcia explains the background of how this #MeToo Philippines Series came about. Please click here.

 The #METOO PHILIPPINES SERIES has the purpose of educating and raising consciousness about sexual harassment and abuse and injustice in the Philippines. All articles and photos are copyrighted by the individual authors. All rights reserved. Cecilia Brainard and PALH have permission from the authors to use their materials.  

 To start our #MeToo Philippines Series here is Mariquit E. Soriano with her  personal essay:

"Who Does She Think She Is?" 

BIO: MARIQUIT E. SORIANO had the best of both her career as a First Grade Civil Service qualified government employee and a private sector middle management executive.  

After a brief stay in the United States, she returned to pick up from where she left in the practice of marketing and communications.  She got hired in two advertising and public relations agencies and oversaw accounts in the fields of telecommunications, sports, and IT, to name a few.

She equally highlights her 12-year employment in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) global organizations where she was a frequent awardee as Customer/Technical Service Representative. 

Currently the Proprietor of KitSunshine Real Estate Services, engaged in real estate buy and sell, and lease, she enjoys the challenges of real estate project selling and brokerage.

She has four children one of whom is deceased, and three grandchildren.

***

WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?

by MARIQUIT E. SORIANO 

Copyright 2026 by Mariquit E. Soriano, all rights reserved. 

 

MANY YEARS AFTER the harrowing experience that I had in a telecom company, I feel the pain of being shortchanged by our Philippine justice system, betrayed by media friends, ridiculed. “Who does she think she is?”’

As a mother of four growing children, I aspired for professionalism and be compensated for work, oftentimes extending beyond and on top of what was required of me. I was in marketing and corporate communications, weaseled my way through conglomerates, and advertising and public relations agencies. In the telecom company, the position was for a Vice-President, whittled down to Director for Marketing and Communications, because, it was clearly pointed out I'm not worthy enough. My predecessor was a daughter of its Vice Chairman. "Beth took the position with her," snickered the recruiting officer.

Fil-Am Author Cecilia Brainard Creates 'Philippine #MeToo Accounts' - #MeToo Philippines

 

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia 

Fil-Am Author Cecilia Brainard Creates Philippine #MeToo Accounts 

          By Nikko Miguel Garcia 

Copyright 2026 by Nikko Miguel Garcia 
published in Radar Lifestyle, September 21, 2026, Radar.ph on Facebook, reprinted by permission of the author. 

 

She invites abuse survivors to document their experiences in the wake of 'Junglegate'

VETERAN FILIPINO-AMERICAN AUTHOR Cecilia Brainard invited Filipinos here and abroad to come forward with their accounts of abuse—launching what appears to be the first dedicated project by a prominent writer to collect and publish survivor accounts.

In a Sept. 22 post, Brainard said “Philippine #MeToo Accounts” will initially be published on her blog, with the possibility that the essays will later be collected into a book. 

She said the essays may run from 2,500 to 5,000 words, and contributors should not name the alleged perpetrator.  (Addendum: Shorter pieces and poems are welcome.)

Survivors, regardless of gender or occupation, are encouraged to recall details of the abuse, including where and when it happened, their aspirations, and the people they were with, “without being too graphic.” 

Brainard also asked contributors to write about how they felt while the abuse was happening and afterward, how they dealt with the experience over the years, and how they are doing now. 

She said the accounts will undergo review by two lawyers in her family amid concerns over libel. 

Brainard set an Oct. 15 deadline, although she noted that survivors may submit their pieces “as soon as ready.” (Addendum: email to palhbooks@gmail.com)

Remembering Mila Aguilar by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

 

Remembering Mila Aguilar

Copyright 2026 by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

         SHORTLY AFTER MY BROTHER DIED in 1994, my mother made arrangements to transfer a house and property in Makati to my name. Seeing my siblings bickering over money, Mama decided—while she was alive—to hand over the property to me, free and clear. That way, I would have a nice piece of property from her should the family end up in all-out fighting over inheritance. Which it did. But this story is not about the decades-long family litigation, rather it’s about an incident that had to do with my house on Mercury Street, Bel Air, Makati—a lovely, airy four-bedroom bungalow.

          When my mother was a child, a fortune teller told her she would be wealthy and that her “sun would never set”, meaning she would always be at her zenith. This was a story she liked to tell when the properties she had bought in Makati soared in price. The fortune teller was correct. Even though she had trained as a classical pianist, she had a knack for making money, and properties she held all turned out to be prime land. But regarding my mother’s sun never setting when she became really old, in her last years, Mama ended up isolated from the rest of us, except for a sibling who orchestrated events. My Mother's last years were not bright at all.

Linda Ty-Casper's Books Published by PALH (Philippine American Literary House)

 

 

Linda Ty-Casper

LINDA TY-CASPER had graduated from her studies in Law from the University of the Philippines and Harvard when she came across erroneous and biased books at Widener Library. She abandoned Law and became an advocate, through faithfully researched historical fiction, of the Filipino’s right to self-definition/determination.

Her 16 books of fiction deal with Philippine events from the 18^th century, the 1896 Philippine revolution, the Philippine-American War (1898-1902), World War II, on to the Martial Law years of the Marcos Dictatorship, and the post-Marcos days until the early 2000s.

She edited her husband’s biography, Will You Happen, Past the Silence, Through the Dark: Remembering Leonard Ralph Casper, (PALH 2023 The next near 2024, Exploding Galaxies reissued her The Three-Cornered Sun. She also wrote her memoir, Lives Remembered, a Memoir (PALH 2025). Her A Small Party in a Garden: Revised and Critical Edition and Fortress in the Plaza, Revised Edition were released by PALH in 2026. 

 

 

Ms. Casper’s awards include the SEA Write Award, the ALIWW Parangal, UNESCO/P.E.N., Rockefeller (Bellagio), Radcliffe Fellowship, among others. Her stories have been published in Antioch Review, The Asia Magazine, Windsor Review, Hawaii Review, Triquarterly, among many others.

        The following are books by Linda Ty-Casper published by PALH (Philippine American Literary House), 

A Small Party in a Garden: Revised and Critical Edition

by Linda Ty-Casper
PALH 2026, 177 pages
ISBN: 978-1-953716-55-2 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-953716-56-9(Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-953716-576 (Ebook)

A Small Party in a Garden, Revised and Critical Edition, re-introduces an important historical novella that was first published 38 years ago. Written by award-winning Filipina writer, Linda Ty-Casper, A Small Party in a Garden is set in the Philippines during the Marcos Dictatorship. The story's protagonist is a privileged woman who is the right-hand woman of Imelda Marcos, and who learns first hand what brutality meant under Martial Law. This revised and critical edition has an Introduction by Dr. Charlie Samuya Veric, Professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, who analyzes the novella in terms of its continued historical and literary significance. Dr. Lynn M. Grow, Emeritus Senior Professor of English at Broward College gives a comprehensive overview of Linda Ty-Casper's literary works.

Linda Ty-Casper is the author of over sixteen books, which generally deal with Philippine historical and political themes. She is the recipient of the SEA Write Award, UNESCO/P.E.N., Rockefeller Bellagio, Radcliffe Fellowships and other awards. Her literary work is considered a significant contribution to Filipino, Philippine American, as well as Asian American literature. Her works of fiction are so powerful that two of her novels, Wings of Stone and Awaiting Trespass, were banned in the Philippines during the Marcos Dictatorship; the books were published in London.

Her recent books include the biography of her husband:: Will You Happen, Past the Silence, Through the Dark: Remembering Leonard Ralph Casper, and Lives Remembered, A Memoir

Book Review of A Small Party in a Garden: Revised and Critical Edition: by Eileen Tabios in The Halo-Halo Review

Introduction of A Small Party by Charlie Samuya Veric, published in Esquire Magazine - https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/books-and-art/gardens-and-mountains-of-philippine-literature-a7837-20260108-dyn

How I Became a Writer 2: Essays by Filipino Writers - Information and Links

 

 

How I Became a Writer 2: Essays by Filipino Writers

Collected and Edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

ISBN 978-971-97-1067-7 - (Vibal Foundation 2026), softcover, 170 pages, with full color photos, order from Vibal Shop, Lazada (- https://tinyurl.com/3ap3dphn) in the US, contact palhbooks@gmail.com

PRAISE:

"How I Became a Writer, Volume 2 affords twenty-five fascinating glimpses of the phenomenon by which experience, sense, and sensibility are transmuted by the grace of writing—not to mention opportunity and stamina—into a form of intervention in the world. This is a book to be read for fun, for insight, and for inspiration. " ~ Caroline S. Hau,Ph.D. Literary Critic and Fiction Writer

"The 25 new essays in How I Became  A Writer, Volume 2, recount the failures and frustrations as well as successes and joys of the writers of all genres, whether of creative writing (prose fiction, poetry, plays and/or of essays and journalistic pieces.  Readers, whether Filipino or not, get to know the writers close up, as people as well as practitioners, with extensive, often multi-national experiences.  Combined with volume 1 of How I Became A Writer (Vibal, 2025), we see the remarkable richness of Filipino literature, wherever inthe Philippines or the diaspora it may originate." ~ Lynn M. Grow, Ph.D. Emeritus Senior Professor of English, Broward College

"This book is remarkable because it reveals what few readers get to explore, the inner lives, private rituals, or simple kismet paths to creative expression that marks the life of every writer. It is a compendium of life experiences leading to a documentation of craft: of individuals, and generations of some of the keenest minds this country has produced." ~ Manolo L. Quezon III, Author and Historian

 

GERONIMO TAGATAC

My publisher Vibal, the other contributors of How I Became a Writer 2, and I are deeply saddened at the passing of Geronimo Tagatac on September 23, 2026. This was a shock to me. As editor of the anthology How I Became a Writer 2, I was trying (these past days) to reach Geronimo to send a copy of the book, which includes his personal essay about his journey to becoming a writer. I share this in my blog, as a way of honoring Geronimo. I did not have the chance to meet him, but we had brief conversations via email. I asked him about his trips to other places, seeking his travel advice at time, just admiring his photographs on other occasions. I had also read his writings online, which I admired, and which is why I included in the collection of writers that I edited.  May he rest in peace.

***

Geronimo Tagatac’s father was from Ilocos Norte. His mother was a Russian Jew. Geronimo has been a Special Forces soldier, a legislative consultant, a dishwasher, cook, folksinger, computer system planner, a modern and jazz dancer and a roofer. His short fiction has appeared in Writers Forum, The Northwest Review, Alternatives Magazine, Orion Magazine, The Clackamas Literary Review and The Chautauqua Literary Review. He’s received fellowships from Oregon Literary Arts and Fishtrap. “Summer of the Aswang,” received the 2017 Timberline Award for short fiction. His first book of short fiction, The Weight of the Sun, was a 2007 Oregon Literary Arts finalist.
***

A TWISTED PATH TO BECOMING A WRITER

COPYRIGHT 2026 BY GERONIMO TAGATAC 

 

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY STRANDS to my life that have gone in so many directions. They eventually converged to make me a writer.

            I grew up surrounded by stories. My earliest memories are of the stories my father told of his boyhood in Baay, a lakeside place in Ilocos Norte, and of his ship’s journey as a nineteen-year-old to America. One night, as my father and I stood at the edge of a field and looked up at the stars, he told me about when the ship put in at Hong Kong, and he said that he couldn’t tell where the city lights ended and the star-filled sky began. He told me the story of the bamboo grove at the edge of his family’s village where, on some still nights, the bamboo bent as though pushed by a strong wind. It was where, during the Japanese occupation, Filipino guerillas had slaughtered a Japanese army patrol and dumped their bodies.

Cecilia Brainard at the MIBF26 for Book Launch and Book Signings

 

front l-r: Marites Vitug, Cecilia Brainard, Alma Miclat Cruz, Ceres Doyo, Jose Victor Torres;

back l-r: Joem Antonio, Wendell Capili, Gelo Lopez, Fr. Jay Miranda, Charlie Veric

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard was at the Manila International Book Fair 2026 at SMX Convention Center Manila on Saturday September 12, 2026, to sign copies of her books published by the UST Publishing house: When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena, The Newspaper Widow, her Selected Short Stories, and Growing Up Filipino 3.  

She also launched the anthology she edited, How I Became a Writer 2: Essays by Filipino Writers, on Saturday, September 12, 2026, 5 pm at the MIBF, Vibal booth (Booth Nos. 189–193 and 204–209, Aisles K & L) Manila International Book Fair 2026 at SMX Convention Center Manila. (You can find the book at Vibal Bookshop, Lazada, Vibal; in the US contact palhbooksatgmaildotcom.)

Contributors present were: Joachim Emilio Antonio, Ceres P Doyo Alma Cruz Miclat , Jose Victor Torres , Jesus Jay M Miranda Jr. , Charlie Samuya Veric, Randy Valiente , Marites Danguilan Vitug .

Contributors who did not make it are: Gene Alcantara, Rene Ciria Cruz, Claire Betita de Guzman, Susan Evangelista, Luis Francia, Myles Garcia, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Marra Pl. Lanot +, Elizabeth Lalorga, Vicente Rafael +, Ige Ramos, Danton Remoto, Brian Roley, Geronimo Tagatac, Grace Talusan, and Jessica Zafra.

The following link has the Introduction to the anthology and other information:

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2026/08/book-launches-for-how-i-became-writer-2.html

The following FB link has the book trailer of How I Became a Writer 2:

https://fb.watch/v/82q1boZfh/

Here are some pictures of the Book Launch and the Book Signing at UST booths. I'll be adding pictures, so please check back.

 

  

l-r: Wendell Capili, Gelo Lopez, Cecilia Brainard, Ceres Doyo, Marites Vitug, Randy Valiente

 

 

 

  

Cecilia (left foreground) with l-r: Carlos Zialcita, Oscar Penaranda, and their family

l-r: Cecilia Brainard, Gelo Lopez

 

 

 

l-r: Cecilia Brainard, Jordan Santos

l-r: Wendell Capilo, Alma Miclat, Cecilia Brainard, Gelo Lopez, Guest, Guest, Ceres Doyo, Father Miranda, Randy Valiente, Marites Vitug, Chalie Veric  

 

l-r: Cecilia Brainard and Rio Brigino-Lim

 

L-r: Ditas Arambulo Antenor, Cecilia Brainard, Charlie Samuya Veric 

 

L-r: Anthony Balisi, Gelo Lopez, Cecilia Brainard, Charlie Samuya Veric 

 

L-r: Mitos Ming Suson, Cecilia Brainard 

L-r: Pacita Agoncillo Sode, Cecilia Brainard, Kingsley Side Medalla

UST Publishing House Book Signing

check back for more pictures

Read also:

Book Launches for How I Became a Writer 2

         Perspectives in the Arts and Humatiies Asia - Dr. Charlie Veric Interviws Cecilia Brainard 

Writing Amid the Babel of Books by Vicente L Rafael - included in How I Became a Writer 2

I Became a Writer by Marra Pl. Lanot - included in How I Became a Writer 2 

Book Review of How I Became a Writer: Essays by Filipino and Filipino American Writers by Elfren S. Cruz  

#mibf26

#booksphilippines

#ManilaInternationalBookFair