Diversifying OFW narratives
All three panelists see Filipino diasporic literature as an instrument that could nullify anti-immigrant sentiments
On 16 November, the Philippine Embassy in Singapore and online news platform Rated J organized the webinar “Writing About the Filipino Diaspora: Impact on Migration Discourse and Philippine Culture.”
The event featured three Filipino women writers who see Philippine diasporic literature as an evolving and expanding genre, a tool that can also aid the Philippines in matters of cultural diplomacy.
Livestreamed through the Facebook pages of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore and Rated J, the webinar’s panelists were writers Migs Bravo Dutt, author of the dramatic novel The Rosales House which focuses on a young Filipino advertising executive in Singapore; Donna Ave l l ana Kunzler, author of the non-fiction The
Overseas Fabulous
Pinay: A Modern Filipina’s Handbook on How to Thrive Abroad, a novel that lifts the image of overseas Filipino women from the stereotype of being “miserable and lonely”; and I.S.A. Crisostomo-Lopez, author of the sci-fi book 58 Minutes in Driftland, which tells the story of a young US immigrant who discovers he could switch with his alternate self for 58 minutes.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Joseph del Mar Yap said: “From a cultural perspective, Filipino diasporic literature is still a developing frontier when it comes to showcasing Filipino literary talent, as well as Philippine culture and psyche in general, especially in the context of the culture and psyche of living in a different country and among different cultures.”
All three panelists see Filipino diasporic literature as an instrument that could nullify anti- immigrant sentiments.
The program aims to help the Filipino diasporic literature grow as the local publishing industry becomes liberalized. For more information, visit
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