SU’s wild sanctuary and call for writers

Imagine walking under the giant acacia trees inside the Silliman University campus in Dumaguete City. Birds are flying above you, frogs are leaping over your ankle, and reptiles are crawling on the lawns sparkling with dew. In sheer delight or fear of being bitten, you’re tempted to toss a stone at the creatures.

But you are warned not to do anything of the sort.

Because Silliman is now a wildlife sanctuary.

This declaration was made by the Silliman board of trustees last August. As such the campus is not just a bird sanctuary, but also a wildlife sanctuary, thus collecting or harming wildlife on campus is a no-no.

Dr. Angel Alcala, BOT vice chair and head of the Silliman University Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management (SUAKCREM), said the BOT has agreed that it is SU’s responsibility to protect and conserve wildlife as an institution that has been active in conducting research and advocacy on biodiversity, which includes wildlife species, since 1941.

According to the Silliman information office, Alcala said another reason why SU should protect wildlife is because populations of wildlife in tropical rain forests and mangrove forests in the country have been declining, although some forestdwelling biodiversity species are able to adapt to and exist in human-dominated communities and altered or marginal forest habitats.

“Studies on Philippine fauna and flora have documented the decline of populations of wildlife in the tropical rain forests and mangrove forests of the country, where as much as 80 percent of wildlife species are naturally found. These forests have been reduced to fragments and, in general, are not able to support the ecological and biological requirements of wildlife,” said Alcala, a former secretary of environment.

There are 69 species of trees, 44 species of recruited trees and community associates, 62 species of birds, 32 species of mammals and 27 species of reptiles and amphibians in Silliman, based on a SUAKCREM study of trees and animals on the SU campus, which includes the A.Y. Reyes Zoological & Botanical Garden and mangrove garden at the Dr. Angel C. Alcala Environment and Marine Science Laboratories.

“Trees have been included (in the study) because they serve as habitats of birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals, and they also provide food for the animals,” added Alcala.

The BOT’s declaration of SU as a wildlife sanctuary also covers SU’s other sites, such as the SU Farm at the College of Agriculture and SU Center for Tropical Conservation Studies (Centrop) extension site in Palinpinon, Valencia.

Alcala clarified that there are no poisonous reptiles on the Silliman campus and that all snakes on campus are harmless.

“There are large reptiles that invade the attics of houses, but they are there because they feed on rats. An example is the reticulated python. Another large reptile species is the monitor lizard. This is a beautiful and harmless species. All snakes on campus are harmless, and they should be free to roam the campus...In general, snakes are more afraid of humans, and they should be allowed to move freely,” he said.

All frogs on campus are also harmless, said Alcala, except the toad which he said is not endemic or native in the Philippines and exudes a milky substance which may cause injury to the eyes.

Alcala also said birds, fruit bats and mammals such as wild cats that come to the campus to feed on fruits from its trees should be allowed to do so.

Alcala also cited a recent development in genetics that suggests “kinship of humans with biodiversity species because of the similarity of the DNA molecule in both humans and wildlife” as another reason for SU’s responsibility to protect and conserve wildlife.

In 1974, SU was declared as a bird sanctuary by its university cabinet, which made SU the first institution in the Philippines whose entire campus has been declared a natural bird habitat. During that time, Alcala was the head of SU’s environmental center, which spearheaded initiatives to protect all kinds of birds on campus, such as: putting up signs and notices; prohibition of feeding poisonous food to birds, throwing stones and getting a bird’s nestling; and confiscation of harmful devices like slingshots and air guns by security personnel.

* * * Meanwhile, the Silliman University (SU) National Writers Workshop, the oldest creative writing program in Asia, is now accepting applications for the 59th SU National Writers Workshop to be held from April 27 to May 8, 2020 at the SU Rose Lamb Sobrepeña Writers Village and the SU campus.

The writers workshop is offering 10 fellowships to promising writers in the Philippines who want to have a chance to hone their craft and refine their style. Fellows will be provided housing, a modest stipend, and a subsidy to partially defray the costs of their transportation.

To be considered, applicants should submit manuscripts on or before Dec. 6, 2019. Extension of the deadline will not be made. All manuscripts should comply with the instructions stated below (failure to do so will automatically eliminate their entries).

Applicants for Fiction and Creative Nonfiction fellowships should submit three to four entries. Applicants for Poetry fellowships should submit a suite of seven to ten poems. Applicants for Drama fellowships should submit at least one one-act play. Each fiction, creative nonfiction, or drama manuscript should not be more than 20 pages, double-spaced. Aside from manuscripts in Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Drama that should be written in English, the workshop will also be accepting manuscripts for Balak (poetry in Binisaya) and Sugilanon (short story in Binisaya). Applicants should submit a suite of seven to ten balak entries with their English translations, or three to four sugilanon entries with their English translations.

Manuscripts should be submitted in five hard copies. They should be computerized in MS Word, double-spaced, on 8.5 x 11 inches bond paper, with approximately one-inch margin on all sides. The category (Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, OneAct Drama, Balak, or Sugilanon) must be indicated immediately under the title. The page number must be typed consecutively (e.g., 1 of 30, 2 of 30, and so on) at the center of the bottom margin of each page. The font should be Book Antiqua or Palatino, and the font size should be 12.

The applicant’s real name and address must appear only in the official application form and the certification of originality of works, and must not appear on the manuscripts. Manuscripts should be accompanied by the official application form, a notarized certification of originality of works, and at least one letter of recommendation from a literature professor or an established writer. All requirements must be complete at the time of submission.

Applications or requests for information must be directed to the department of English and Literature, attention Dr. Warlito Caturay Jr., workshop coordinator, 1/F Katipunan Hall, Silliman University, Dumaguete City.