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This is the blog of Ian Rosales Casocot. Filipino writer. Sometime academic. Former backpacker. Twink bait. Hamster lover.

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Thursday, January 23, 2025

entry arrow12:45 PM | Setting the Record Straight

Just to set the record straight, and why I became involved in this. In 2010, I was one of two Philippine delegates chosen as fellows to the International Writing Program in Iowa City, which just became a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008. When I was there, it dawned on me that this distinction was also fitting for Dumaguete. Since I came back from the U.S., I’ve been advocating for this every chance I got, including at several editions of the 6200 PopUp sponsored by DTI, and in all my lectures about Dumaguete literature in seminars and fora, including one on the creative economy at Silliman University for the NCCA. In 2014, I even curated an exhibit at Silliman Library titled “Cities of Literature,” which traced the link between Dumaguete and Iowa, with the blessings of the International Writing Program’s Christopher Merrill. In 2018, prodded by former Dumaguete City Tourism Officer Jacqueline Antonio, I prepared a white paper for Mayor Ipe Remollo to determine whether we should apply for City of Music or City of Literature. [You see, only the LGU can apply for UNESCO Creative City.] Naturally, as a writer, my bias was clear. The pandemic put these plans on hold. When I gave a talk about this at the first edition of Dumaguete LitFest in 2024, that propelled DTI Negros Oriental to take the first steps and got me involved in the official application, with the blessings of Mayor Remollo. And that’s the story.

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