The Negros Museum in Bacolod City hosted nearly 300 educators from DepEd Special Program in the Arts (SPA) Schools across the Philippines for the Husay Sining: Program for Teachers in the Arts Training Structure last July 15-19, 2024.
This event, organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as part of the NCCA-DepEd Cultural Education Program (NDCEP), aims to bolster the K-to-12 curriculum by providing extensive training in various art techniques. This year’s session emphasized enhancing artistic abilities among educators to foster creativity and cultural appreciation in their students.
One of the highlights of this year’s session was the participation of Asst. Prof. Noel Galon, a faculty member of UP High School in Iloilo (UPHSI), Division of Professional Education, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV). As an executive committee member of the National Committee on Literary Arts of the NCCA, Prof. Galon was chosen to share his expertise in teaching Creative Writing at the event.
Galon's presentation focused on innovative methods for teaching creative writing to educators from various regions. He emphasized the importance of adapting literature instruction to align with students' diverse backgrounds, advocating for a responsive approach to meet their unique needs. He also shared insights from the 2023 National Readership Survey, addressing challenges such as reading habits, book distribution, and access to quality literature. He proposed practical solutions to enhance the reading experience nationwide.
“I emphasized to the teachers the significance of conducting an initial survey in the classroom before diving into the discipline of creative writing. As educators, we need to grasp the context of our students’ lives. It’s vital to know if they are still reading, what types of literature or reading materials they consume, the formats or platforms they prefer, and their reasons for continuing to read despite numerous potential obstacles,” Galon explained.
He highlighted that understanding the broader context of students' lives and reading behaviors is crucial for effective creative writing instruction. Sharing data from the National Book Development Board (NBDB) survey, which revealed popular genres and formats among readers, Galon underscored the importance of tailoring teaching methods and materials to resonate with students, fostering a more engaging and effective learning experience.
Galon also introduced innovative methods to make the subject more engaging and meaningful for today’s students. He suggested strategies such as inviting living authors to the classroom, organizing visits to authors' homes or museums with original manuscripts, and inviting book publishers to discuss the publishing process. Cultural immersion activities related to the story’s setting and cross-curricular integration with subjects like history, science, or mathematics were also recommended to enrich students' understanding and critical thinking.
“To culminate creative writing classes, teachers can implement several engaging activities,” Galon advised. “Creating a Literary Map documenting local stories and writers, organizing a Writers’ Exhibit, conducting video interviews with local writers, and creating short videos for TikTok Reels can make literature more accessible and immersive for students.”
Galon has been deeply engaged in community education and reading programs for many years. He is a founding member of the Iloilo Mega Book Fair, an annual event dedicated to showcasing books from various regions of the Philippines, particularly those written in regional languages. Currently, he serves as one of the coordinators for the UPV Sibika Hub, collaborating with The Asia Foundation and USAID on citizenship projects in Western Visayas.
This October in Germany, Galon will also be the sole representative from Western Visayas at the upcoming Frankfurter Buchmesse (Frankfurt International Book Fair), the largest book fair in the world. The said book fair serves as a major marketplace for publishers, authors, agents, and industry professionals to showcase their works, negotiate rights, and network. In this event, he will highlight the literary works of the region, particularly books in Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, and Akeanon.
The Husay Sining program aims to enhance the teaching of Filipino arts across the country, making it more engaging and relevant for today’s youth. (With sources from Asst. Prof. Noel Galon)
