after MAY DAY eve

To outsiders, DUMAGUETE is still seen as a sleepy, provincial town largely known for Silliman University, a breeding ground of Philippine literature. Poet ANGELA GABRIELLE FABUNAN shows us how Dumaguete is also home to a unique and thriving art scene.

THERE ARE MAN Y WAYS DUMAGUETE’S HISTORY IS EVERYWHERE. For the writer Nick Joaquin, tropical gothic is a reaction to the West’s exoticizing gaze of the Philippines. It is grounded in Filipino folklore, as in his story “May Day Eve.” In some circles, Dumaguete is sometimes referred to as a tropical gothic town, a label often misunderstood as a way to further exoticize Dumaguete as a tourist destination.

In order to fit into the subversiveness of tropical gothic, Dumaguete must reject the remnants of its motley colonized past. For that to happen, it must let go of stuffy canonical figures from its colonial history, confront its present-day issues, and nurture in some way its quiet pockets of resistance. And, in my view, newly transplanted, I sense that Dumaguete has the potential to do so. For Dumaguete to stride into the 21st century, it must move on.

CULTURES OF RESISTANCE

Subcultures become mainstream once they’re directly engaged by popular expectations. Especially at the beginning, these pockets just under the surface is where the true work of culture lies.