Exploring the world of Bikol Poetry

Mga Rawitdawit

What is Rawitdawit?

 Rawitdawit is the bicol term used to refer to someone who uses flowery words and oftentimes,
verbose.

Rawitdawit Bikol Poetry

 Creative
 Simple
 Relatable

Jaime Jesus Borlagdan

 Jimple Borlagdan from Tabaco, Albay is one of the strongest voices of Bikol literature and has
won top awards in the Premio Tomas Arejola and Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino contests. He is a
poet, fictionist, musician and visual artist. He is one of the founding members of ABKAT, a
cultural group in his city and is an active blogger.
 WORKS: he has three chapbooks, one in Filipino, Pobya, two in Bikol, Que Lugar Este Kan Dayo
sa sadiring Banwa (2008), Suralista (2009), and two ebooks, X (2012) and Ha’dit sa Byahe Buda
iba pang mga bagahe (2013).

Characteristic of Bicol Poem

 Bako gayong malaadon/ bako man malumlom

 Nag adal sa saudan
 Ordinaryong gubing
 Daing harong, daing padumanan
 Yaon pirmi sa iristoryahan
 Maluhuon man an manggas
 Dai nagkukurahaw/ sa kinaban ini nagmamasid
 Kadurog kan daga/ pag-iriba kan mga lawas
 Tulos-tulos makikipagsimbagan

“An Dila Ta” ni Ben Escoto

 Manlaen-laen kaya makaribong daa an mga tataramon na Bikol

“Recuerdos” ni Jazmin Badong Llana

 The memory of a happier, freer past in the Bikol rice field is recorded in this most
anthologized poem by a poet from Camarines Sur and Albay.
“Para sa Moralista” ni Rodlfo Alano

 The poem makes us rethinks our own construction of morality.

“Pinagrok” ni Estelito Jacob

 Pinagrok is a sour fish soup, used here as a methapor for violence against women.