The Center for Philippine Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa is hosting Ub-Ufok: Explorations on Philippine Folklore, a virtual conference on September 16-17, 2021.

Ub-Ufok is the Finallig word for the orature of the Ifiallig people in the Mountain Province of Barlig. This has become the title of the conference to capture academic and critical papers of the Philippine’s folkloric history, geneology, and cultural traditions.

Bringing together the work of various Filipinologists all over the world, the Ub-Ufok conference will address four major panel topics:

1. Retrieval Projects on Philippine Orature and Indigeneous Culture

Endangered by modernization and development, how can preservation of culture and oral traditions best be undertaken? How does heritage conservation ethically navigate the interests of indigenous culture bearers and the agenda of the state? How do projects rescue not just the past which fits what we are prepared to accept, but pasts that preserve the surprise and wonder of true discovery, cultural encounters, and fundamentally living heritage?

2. Translation and Trans-creation of Philippine Folklore

Originally used for entertainment and instruction, what social consequences are emerging from translating indigenous languages for greater circulation, translating oral practice to new media or creative formats, or translating traditional meanings in the context of minority group relations and national identities?

3. Critical Analysis of Philippine Folklore

Leading folklorists usually have been non-Filipino thinkers, but what is the range of folklore reception experienced by Filipinos themselves? How are critical approaches modified by encounters with Filipino folklore? What Filipino reflections upon the beliefs of varied peoples can speak to themes crossing cultures and philosophies? How does Filipino critical consciousness grow in response to problematics or paradoxes embodied in our folklore?

4. Critical Pedagogy of Philippine Folklore

How can we teach folkloric understanding in the present time to inform our daily lives, inspire the creativity of writers and artists, or include the light of heritage to disperse the shadows of historical violence and impoverished memories? What creative teaching strategies help today’s students appreciate the lessons that spring from our cultural traditions and orature?

Abstracts of no more than 250 words must be submitted no later than February 28, 2021. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis by no fewer than 3 members of the conference committee.

Notification of acceptance is on May 31, 2021. Videotaped 15-minute presentations of accepted papers must be submitted by July 31, 2021. Panelists must appear during the conference for Q&A.

A minimal registration fee of $25 will be charged to the participants to defray cost of honoraria and other expenses. Registration is free for all undergraduate students from all universities.

For paper submissions, please click this link: https://cpsconference2021.weebly.com/.

Other inquiries will be answered by Dr. Federico Magdalena, Associate Director of the Center for Philippine Studies, via [email protected].