The Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas housed this year’s International Conference of the South and Southeast Asian Association for the Study of Culture and Religion (SSEASR), held last May 16-19 at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex.

     With this year’s theme, “Healing, Belief Systems, Cultures and Religions of South and Southeast Asia”, the conference was attended by 140 registered participants from over 23 countries spread around the globe.

     Senate Chair on Education, Arts and Culture Committee Edgardo Angara in his keynote address said that greater connectivity between South and Southeast Asia will unlock enormous economic benefits for both sub-regions, pointing out the potentials of each.

     “However, I believe that for any cross-border economic or political integration to be successful, there should be an accompanying improvement in the ‘soft’ infrastructure: people-to-people linkages. This is where SSEASR will play a major role,” said the senator.

     Rev. Fr. Rector Herminio V. Dagohoy, in his opening remarks, discussed the interplay involving spirituality and religiosity, modern medicine, alternative modes of healing and faith-based practices.

     Two parallel sessions were held on the first day, following the plenary conference entitled “Healing Through Sound and Music: From Ancient Theologies to Pseudo Science” with Prof. Rosalind Hackett, Ph. D., President of the International Association for the History of Religions.

     Several topics were discussed by foreign delegates in the parallel sessions. Well-being in South Asia, Religious and Economic Issues, Healing Dimensions in Filipino Marian Devotions, and Sexual Identity Development among Christian and Muslim men are a few.

     Another plenary session was held on the second day with the theme “Religion and the Peace Project in Mindanao” which was discussed by the Graduate School Dean Prof. Lilian Sison, Ph. D.

     According to Sison, the University held a series of leadership trainings to the women in Mindanao to help them manage trauma due to rebel wars.

     Dialogues with the leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were also presented to help address the conflict and to help propagate peace in the Muslim-dominated island.

     Furthermore, Sison quoted Blessed John Paul II, “There is an urgent call for solidarity to all religions of the world to promote peace.”

Women in Philippine Literature
     “Why do writers produce literary memoirs?” posed Dr. Prof. Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, Director for Creative Writing and Studies, in her lecture on the role of women in Philippine Literature.

     The third day of the international conference was allotted for the lecture “Women in Philippine Literature” and a multitude of topics such as Woman and Religion, Politics, Traditional and Alternative Healing, Folk Christianity, and Indigenous Religious Traditions were discussed in respective parallel sessions.

     Prof. Pantoja-Hidalgo shared three literary memoirs of inspirational women who defied all odds and pursued excellence despite the tradition and culture imposed by Philippine society in the early 20th century.

     “A String of Pearls: Memoirs of a Filipino Suffragist” by Paz Policarpio Mendez touches the hearts of its readers through brunt details that illustrate the author’s engagement in various fields of studies while struggling the difficulties and challenges of being a woman.

     A life lived with passion and love is the central theme of Solita F. Camara-Besa’s “Up Close With Me”.

     The memoir is arranged in a linear and chronological fashion. It contains Camara-Besa’s exceptional educational prowess in the field of medicine and the roles of prominent men in her life.

     The cornucopia of literary elements in Gilda Cordero Fernando’s “The Last Full Moon: Lessons In My Life” weaves Gilda’s experiences as a teacher, businesswoman, and a writer, an interplay that embodies adventures and lifelong lessons cherished in her autobiography.

     Fernando considered her memoir as a “journal of pain” as manifested in her letters to his dying son who was diagnosed with kidney failure.

     Hidalgo concluded that literary memoirs produce a healing effect to both writers and readers. She applauded that these Filipinas made an effort to “make sense of their lives”.

     “The very act of writing, of giving shape to the chaos of life as lived creates meaning and makes understanding possible,” she said.

     These stories, as affirmed by Hidalgo, will strike a “sympathetic cord” in the hearts of Filipinos and contribute to the progress of society.

Closing Ceremonies
     Organizers along with guest speakers and delegates of the 5th SSEASR International Conference expressed their gratitude to the University during the closing ceremonies on Sunday, May 19.

     “During the event, I counted more or less 96 faces helping us, all of which are smiling. I respect all of you,” SSEASR President Dr. Amarjiva Lochan said.

     Meanwhile, the next SSEASR International Conference would be held at Sri Lanka on 2015.

Article by Charry Fatima D. Garcia, Kenn Anthony B. Mendoza, and Marleen Y. Peroz
Photo by Hans Adrian K. Lagman