VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND ILLICIT DRUG TRADE NEXUS IN MINDANAO, by Mark Anthony J. Torres, PhD

Date : August 2, 2018 (Thursday), 12:00-2:00 pm,
Venue: Moore Hall 319 (Tokioka Room).
(We are located at 1890 East-West Road, Moore Hall 415
University of Hawaii at Manoa Campus)

Dr. Torres, Director of Peace Center at Mindanao State University, Iligan City, will talk about the siege of Marawi City, on the island of Mindanao, Philippines, that devastated the whole city, claimed hundreds of lives, and displaced some 400,000 residents in a five-month war in 2017.  The batte was fought between the combined forces of Maute brothers and Abu Sayyaf and the Philippine military.

The Marawi war was unprecedented. It was provoked by the Maute brothers and the Abu Sayyaf– two radicalized Islamic groups in the southern Philippines.  These fighters were composed mostly of young members, many in their early thirties.  The Maute brothers also founded Dawlah Islamiyah, which supports and propagates the idea of an Islamic state to be established in Mindanao in concert with the caliphate proposed by ISIS. The Abu Sayyaf, on the other hand, was led by Isnilon Hapilon, the ISIS leader in Southeast Asia who had a bounty of $5M from the US government.  Why the war took five months is a puzzle that the lecturer will unravel in his talk.

Dr. Torres will also give another lecture at UH Leeward Community College on August 4, 2018, Saturday, 10:00-12:00 noon, with Leeward CC and Knights of Rizal as co-sponsors.  Please see  flyer below for details.

Contact: Fred Magdalena, fm@hawaii.edu or Tel. (808) 956-6086. For the Leeward lecture, pls contact Raymund L. Liongson at rliongson@gmail.com.

Mini-Conference and Conversation on Mindanao:
Islam, Terrorism and the Marawi Siege of May 2017

On May 23, 2017, two radical groups that claim affiliation with the ISIS laid siege on the Islamic City of Marawi, on the island of Mindanao, Philippines. The Maute brothers from Lanao and the Abu Sayyaf Group joined forces and attacked the city, resulting in a deadly confrontation between these Islamists and government forces. For about five months of fighting and aerial bombardment, the Marawi siege has left untold devastation: more than half of the city’s infrastructure turned into rubbles, and practically all the city’s residents of some 30,000 were displaced.

The lectures and conversations will touch on the following:

Does ISIS in the Philippines exist? Will this crisis be the last, or will it spell more trouble in Mindanao? What does it take to contain the growing extremism among Muslim youth, and put Marawi back to its feet? Two professors from Mindanao State University in Iligan City, some 40 kilometers away from the scene of fighting will address these issues.

Dr. Marilou F. S. Nanaman and Dr. Sulpecia Ponce, Chair, Department of Political Science, and Professor of Sociology, respectively, from MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology will present lectures on what happened, why did these groups choose Marawi City, and what are the costs of reconstructing the war-torn city and healing the distraught Meranao and Bisayan residents. They will also discuss the implications of this conflict on the global war on terror, and the stalled peace process between Moro rebels and the Philippine government.

Sponsors: University of Hawaii at Manoa Center for Philippine Studies, UH Leeward Community College, Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, Congress of Visayan Organizations, and Knights of Rizal. With financial support from UHM SEED-IDEAS and UHM CPS Endowments.

Dates & Venues- Mini-conference: April 18, 2018 (UH Center for Korean Studies Auditorium, 12:00-2:00 pm) Please click on Flyer for more details.

Conversation/Panel Discussion: April 19, 2018 4:00-6:00 pm (Philippine Consulate General, Pali Highway). Reception to follow after the discussion. RSVP for Panel discussion by April 11, 2018 to cps@hawaii.edu. Please click on Flyer for details.

Meeting/informal discussion with community leaders (co-hosts: Knights of Rizal-Hawaii Chapter and Congress of Visayan Organizations):  April 20, 2018, Friday, 6:00 pm (Knights of Rizal-Hawaii Chapter, potluck dinner & conversation, Jerry Felicitas Residence, Waipahu).   April 21, 2018, 5:00 pm (Congress of Visayan Organizations, potluck dinner & meeting,  Balaan Catalina Clubhouse, Waipahu Depot Road).

Contact: Ms. Clem Montero, cps@hawaii or Tel (808) 956-6086
or Dr. Federico Magdalena, fm@hawaii.edu, Tel (808) 956-6086

First Call for application for Grants, deadline April 2, 2018

UHM Students wishing to do research in the Philippines, or something related to the Philippines and Filipinos, there are grants and research opportunities waiting.

Also available are small grants for faculty members who have projects for Spring or Fall 2018.

For more details, please visit our website by clicking on Funding .

2018 SPAS Graduate Conference, The Asian Century, March 14-16, 2018

The conference will highlight proposals for papers, panels, and performances, reflecting on what scholars and others deem “The Asian Century.” Through historical rotation of power, Asia is taking prominence on the global stage. We are interested in research that examines this concept, especially the ways that smaller countries across Asia have gained power.

More information: SPAS Graduate Conference at Facebook
Or click on SPAS Asian Studies Graduate Conference

Filipinists and Philippine Studies enthusiasts are invited to submit an abstract for the forthcoming Philippine Studies Association (PSA) conference on September 26-28, 2018 at the National Museum of the Philippines, Manila.

CALL FOR PAPERS
The Reshaping of Philippine Studies: Contending viewpoints, voices, and knowledges

In the era of global mobilities and fluid identities, Philippine Studies is constantly reframed, negotiated, or contested by scholars and academics. New theoretical and methodological directions emerge that reflect tensions between home-grown and diasporic scholarship, contending visions of nation, or new positions of identification.
Mindful of these competing viewpoints, voices, and knowledges, the Philippine Studies Association (PSA) invites original presentations that engage with, explore, or bear upon, these directions. Pre-formed panels are preferred.

Email submissions to philstudiesassociation@gmail.com and 2018natcon@philstudies.org.

For particulars, see details below.
PSA CONFERENCE 2018

Or visit PSA Website

Chinese Studies on the Philippines: Focus on Agriculture
By Prof. Bao Maohong

Abstract

This presentation examines the recent interest in Chinese Studies on the Philippines, which has been spurred by international trade, and the new economic policies of the Duterte administration. One major focus of such economic relations gives impetus to the rise of organic agriculture as an alternative to industrial production and trade characterizing the bilateral relations between China and the Philippines. Trade and friendly foreign relations between them have been encouraged by a recent visit in 2017 to China by Philippine president Rodrigo R. Duterte.
The author argues that the current emphasis on trade which puts premium on agriculture (e.g., production of organic fruits, like bananas) will provide a balance in foreign relations between the two countries rather than dwell on the West Philippine Sea dispute which also places China at odds with some Asian countries like Vietnam and Japan. Besides, organic agriculture in the Philippines has become an emergent market integrated into the national economy. In 1980s, the green revolution was deemed a failure due to its economic unsustainability and negative impact on the environment. The movement on international organic agriculture combined with reinvention of traditional Philippine agriculture will play a role as an alternative form of agricultural development that at the same time establishes new trading partnership. It also offers an economically viable alternative to rehabilitate degraded arable land. Hopefully, it will also strengthen foreign relations between the two countries through sustained agriculture exports of products in high demand from China.

Prof. Maohong’s brief CV
Prof. Maohong is professor of history and director of Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Peking University. His research focuses on environmental history of the Philippines, and world environmental history. His main publications include: Forest and Development: Deforestation in the Philippines, 1946-1995 (China Environmental Science Press, 2008), The Origins of Environmental History and its Development (Peking University Press, 2012). He is now working on the project “History of the Philippines”. He is a member of the editorial advisory board of Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints.

Date: January 29, 2018, Monday, 12:00-1:30 pm
Venue: Tokioka Room, Moore Hall 319
This lecture is co-sponsored with the UHM Center for Chinese Studies
Free and open to the public
Contact: email cps@hawaii.edu or call (808) 956-6086

Forwarding message to all UHM Graduates of Filipino program:

We will be holding the 2nd UH Mānoa FilGrad (Filipino graduation recognition ceremony) on Friday, May 11, 2018. We already have over 30 students signed up, but I know there are many others interested in participating. We want to make sure that everyone that is interested is included in this celebration. I would like to get a headcount by the 3rd week of January. Please email this google form out to all your students and colleagues. I will compile the names and emails into a document and get an email list going. Here is the link:

FilGrad 2018 Student Sign-up
https://goo.gl/forms/IqkDHkoH5X5TqyXk2

Just a reminder, students do not have to be Filipino nor be a major or minor in the Filipino or Ilokano programs to participate in this event. It is open to anyone who wishes to embrace Filipino culture.

Also, since FilGrad only happens at the end of the Spring semester, students who are graduating in Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Summer 2018, Fall 2018 are all eligible to participate in FilGrad 2018.

Here are some links where students can get more information about FilGrad.
FilGrad Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/FilGradManoa/

FilGrad 2018 Promo Video

Maraming salamat, agyamanak unay, daghang salamat, and mahalo nui loa,
Raju

Watch this movie:
THOSE LONG HAIRED NIGHTS
Sponsored by: Lei Magazine

Loosely based on true events, three transgender women — Hopeless romantic Tuesday, wise Amanda and recklessly ambitious Barbie — share a chaotic night of misguided love, a christening and drug dealing on the road to realizing their dreams in Manila’s red light Burgos district.
THOSE LONG HAIRED NIGHTS is lushly photographed under the neon backdrop of Manila nights, with tour-de-force acting from the entire cast.

Philippines 2017 | Tagalog | 72M | Southeast Asian Showcase |
Crime, Drama, LGBT
DIRECTOR: Gerardo Calagui
CAST: Matt Daclan, Anthony Falcon, Rocky Salumbides

SCREENINGS:
Sat, Nov 4 at 6:45pm – Dole Cannery E

FESTIVAL DATES:
OAHU: November 2-12, 2017

Tickets and flash passes can be purchased at the HIFF Box Office or online at HIFF.org.

Box OFFICE LOCATION
HIFF PRESALES BOX OFFICE: OCT. 13TH-NOV 1ST
680 Iwilei Road, Suite 100
Honolulu, HI 96817
PH: 808-447-0577

HIFF BOX OFFICE: NOV 2ND-12TH
Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 IMAX Foyer
735 Iwilei Road
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
PH: 808-447-0577

TICKET PRICES
(Including Opening/Centerpiece/Closing Films)
$10.00 HIFF Memeber tickets
$12.00 Senior, Military, Student
$14.00 General Admission

CLARK FREEPORT — The government on Monday declared an end to fierce urban warfare in Marawi after troops killed the last pro-Islamic State (IS) terrorists who seized the city five months ago to establish an enclave of the Middle East-based jihadi group in Southeast Asia.

For more details, please see article .

Everyone is invited to attend this event – “Batok: Filipino Tattoo Lecture Series” at selected UH Community College Campuses from October 25 to November 2, 2017.

Come and listen to Lane Wilcken, Traditional Filipino tattoo practitioner. For more info, click on the flyer below .

Please contact Prof. Leon F. Florendo or call the number listed below.

Leon F. Florendo
Assistant Professor, Counselor
Leeward Community College-Wai`anae Moku
87-380 Kula’aupuni Street
Wai`anae, HI 96792
(808) 454-4707 (Direct Line)
(808) 454-4702 (Front Desk)