The Catalyst: Giving Up Is Never An Option

Literary Folio category judges, Palanca Awardee Jun Reyes Cruz and CEGP former National President Vijae Alquisola related how the folio impressed them.

“The illustrations were very good; the layout was clean; there was a good combination of form and content. It gave life to their struggles and beliefs. And they were able to do this despite the financial difficulties and the suppression they are experiencing. They are really very creative,” said Cruz.

Alquisola, on the other hand, thinks that the Catalyst was able to reflect the lives and situation of people, not only inside the PUP campus but also that of the whole society. “The Folio reflected the experiences of the PUP community and of the wider society. They demonstrated clearly the role of writers: to show human experience in a creative manner.”

“Great works are produced during times of repression; and it is also during these times that the true writer emerges. Reflecting the situation in the country and the experiences of the people, this is what distinguishes the folio of The Catalyst,” Alquisola added.

Villanueva shared that their current situation has influenced and inspired them in pursuing the release of the folio.

The decision to produce a folio was arrived at during a meeting of the editors. “While we were eating, we came across a photocopy of a literary folio. That was when the idea of publishing a folio came up. We know that we have funding limitations but the words are abundant and overflowing. So the next day, we called a staff meeting to finalize things,” Villanueva shared.

The editors and staff of the Catalyst saw the folio as a good medium for having their voices heard, and winning an award was just a bonus.

“It is really fulfilling to be a part of The Catalyst. It has been said that pressure brings out a person’s motivations and what he or she wants to do,” she added.

The Fight Continues

“The struggle for reviving the inclusion of the publication fee in the fees being collected by the administration during enrollment would still be our top priority. What we have produced so far is full of substance, but it would still be better if more students would be able to read it,” Villanueva said.

“We are planning to produce another literary folio. People have been asking if we are going to reproduce the literary folio at a reduced cost or with more pages. But the folio we have produced is already a part of history. And we want to leave it as it is. The next folio that we want to produce would include literary works from PUP students, and perhaps, the theme would not be limited to repression; it would include themes about other issues and concerns of PUP students as well, Villanueva concluded. (Bulatlat.com)