Mindanao literature, ethics intersect in Cagayan de Oro scholars’ gathering

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Mindanao literature has long been overlooked despite its rich heritage. Scholars have struggled to address this neglect through archiving, translating, and promoting works by local authors.

The 1st Regional Conference on Ethical Criticism of Mindanao Literature at the Little Theater of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan in Cagayan de Oro, sought to change that narrative. 

The event stressed the importance of ethical criticism in amplifying Mindanao’s literary voice, offering a deeper understanding of its culture and history through the lens of morality and ethics.

The conference brought together proponents of ethical criticism, paper presenters, literature teachers from high school and college levels, and English majors and graduate students. They engaged in discussions of works by Mindanaoan authors using ethics as a pedagogical, analytical, and critical tool for understanding and appreciating literary and cultural texts.

Dr. Maria Luisa Reyes, panel head of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Center of Development (COD), pointed out the importance of going beyond aesthetics to critique societal issues. She stressed the need to analyze the relationship between ethics and aesthetics in literary studies.

“We have long believed that Ethical Literary Criticism has a unique position that challenges us to consider literature beyond its artistic merits and aesthetic qualities,” said Professor Nie Zhenzhao, president of the International Association for Ethical Literary Criticism (IALC), in a presentation from China. “It allows us to ask more of literature, and asks us not only to reflect on what is well-crafted, but also on what is just, what is humane, and what is morally essential.”

Zhenzhao noted that Mindanao literature transcends storytelling by embodying the voices of diverse generations, languages, and ideologies. He described it as an avenue for exploring justice, identity, and resilience in a dynamic cultural landscape.

Dr. Ferdinand Cantular, chair of Xavier Ateneo’s Department of English Language and Literature, underscored how Mindanao’s cultural and ethnic diversity shapes its literature. He noted that Mindanao’s diverse belief systems – Christianity, Islam, and animism – create complex layers of moral awareness and ethical inquiry.

The conference, held from November 15 to 16, also highlighted ethical criticism as a method of literary analysis that examines the moral dimensions of a text within its cultural, social, and historical context. The approach is particularly meaningful when applied to Mindanao literature, which reflects themes of justice, identity, and conflict shaped by the region’s unique socio-political history.

Dr. Arlene Yandug, XU Press director and conference convenor, spearheaded the event in collaboration with the Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts and organizations such as the Ethical, Literary, and Cultural Criticism of the Philippines (ELCCAP) and IAELC.

As a CHED-designated Center of Development (COD) since 2014, the Xavier Ateneo Department of English Language and Literature has taken a leading role in advancing literature as a curriculum, academic discipline, and scholarly pursuit. Through conferences, training sessions, and workshops, the department influences literary studies and programs across Northern Mindanao. – Rappler.com