Marking its third year of bridging borders in language, literature, and culture through scholarly exchange, MSU-IIT’s Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan (DFP), together with Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Indonesia, hosted Salindunong 2025: 3rd International Conference and 17th National Conference on the Filipino Language, Literature, and Research from October 22 to 24 on Zoom.
A total of 182 studies were presented, each offering unique perspectives on how Filipinos and other communities navigate identity, belonging, and transformation in a transnational world. Ranging from topics about the preservation of indigenous languages to feminist readings of popular media, these researches reflected the spirit of collaboration and critical inquiry that Salindunong continues to champion annually.
Embodying this year’s theme “Borders and Belonging: Language, Literature, and Culture in Transnational Contexts,” the conference brought together educators, researchers, translators, and cultural workers from the Philippines and abroad for three days of online plenary sessions, featuring keynote and invited speakers from both international and national academic institutions, alongside researchers from different regions.
As CASS Dean and DFP professor Dr. Marie Joy Banawa described, Salindunong was more than a meeting of minds but “a space of belonging; a place where ideas meet purpose, where theories meet practice, and where diverse voices come together to reimagine education in transnational and intercultural contexts.”
Esteemed scholars were invited to share their studies namely: Dr. Daniel Aaron Kaufman of Queens College, City University of New York, who spoke about how linguistic identities evolve through contact and shared histories in the Philippine–Indo-Malaysian borderlands; Dr. Ma. Crisanta Nelmida-Flores of the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD), who discussed Philippine literature’s transnational dimensions; and Dr. Mary Jane Rodriguez-Tatel, also of UPD, who talked about how indigenous literature turns boundaries into meeting points of culture and identity.
Parallel sessions began on the first day, highlighting the breadth and diversity of research presented by scholars from various institutions as it covered themes from gender and media to linguistics and cultural discourse.
Under Gender and Literature, Xercys Nicolle Awa and Charlene Jessa Delos Angeles of MSU-IIT presented “Salamin, Salamin: Isang Postkolonyal na Feminisimong Pagdalumat sa Imahe ni Yeyeng sa Akdang Bb. Pathupats bilang Representasyon ng Kababaihan,” reexamining the portrayal of women in colonial and postcolonial contexts and offering a feminist read that challenges the persistence of patriarchal images in Philippine literature.
For Media Studies, Apryll Jane Sabuclalao of J.H. Cerilles State College explored feminist perspectives in OPM through her paper, “Lakas at Luhang Hinubog ng Tinig: Isang Feministang Pagsusuri sa mga Piling Awit ni Yeng Constantino,” illuminating how Constantino’s songs become powerful spaces for female self-expression, resilience, and emotional honesty in mainstream media.
In Morphological Analysis, Love Batoon of MSU-General Santos discussed “Gramatikal na Pagkakaiba ng at Sa: Isang Deskriptibong Pag-Aaral,” a linguistic inquiry that deepened the understanding of Filipino grammar through precise description and contextual analysis of function words often overlooked in language teaching.
Representing Language Teaching, Vida Villanueva of Central Mindanao University (CMU) discussed “Paggamit ng Digital Comics Bilang Interbensiyon ng Pagbasang may Komprehension,” highlighting the pedagogical potential of digital storytelling in enhancing reading comprehension, especially among young learners in the digital age.
Meanwhile, under Cultural Discourse, Insiraha Baruang of MSU-IIT presented “Aydaw, Aynaw: Isang Pagsusuri sa Ekpresyong Meranaw,” delving into expressions of Meranaw identity and culture.
These papers represent only a few among the many studies shared during the first day of the parallel sessions, each contributing to the ongoing dialogue on how language, literature, and culture intersect, challenge boundaries, and foster understanding in an interconnected world.
On the second day of Salindunong 2025, Dr. Muh. Naim Madjid of UMY, Indonesia, presented “Building Cultural Bridges and Global Networks through Transnational Translation: Its Role and Challenges,” exploring the connection of language, culture, and ethics in global communication.
Dr. Madjid emphasized that transnational translation demands more than linguistic skills, requiring deep cultural sensitivity and ethical considerations. He noted that some words lack direct translations in other languages due to cultural meanings, making the process more complex than mere language translation.
“Translation plays an important role in linking cultural and posturing understanding. Beyond language transfer, translation has cultural negotiation and global integration,” he added.
He also pointed out the challenges in transnational translation such as cultural bias, language imbalance, power dynamics, homogenization, and the complexities introduced by digital advancements.
“Translation is both a bridge and a challenge. It unites people, but it can also misrepresent them if not done ethically,” Dr. Madjid stated, underscoring the importance of ethical competence along with linguistic skills.
When asked about the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in translation, Dr. Madjid acknowledged its speed and convenience but cautioned against overreliance, reminding that AI struggles with interpreting idioms, cultural references, and figurative language that are crucial to accurate and respectful translation.
“AI must always serve human goals, not define them. The AI system, including the tools, should be designed with the human in the loop or approach, meaning the human remains the ultimate decision maker,” he noted.
The final day of Salindunong 2025 opened with a keynote discussion by Dr. Allan Punzalan Isaac, Professor of American Studies and English at Rutgers University-New Brunswick on “Reminders of Atopia: Recalling the Otherworldly Present.”
“Atopia means ‘no place’, but for Filipinos, it can also mean every place—a reminder that we continue to create ourselves wherever we are,” Dr. Isaac explained.
He discussed how Filipino artists reclaim identity and space through the “monstrous” and the “vernacular,” challenging neat definitions of belonging.
“The grotesque is not alienation—it’s survival. It’s how we adapt in a world that often makes no place for us,” he said.
Following this was another discussion from keynote speaker, Dr. Nurul Huda Binti Hamzah of the Universiti Malaya, who spoke on “From Communities to Nations: Broader Implications of Language Maintenance and Shift.”
Underscoring language as a community’s “cultural DNA,” she emphasized that its preservation is vital to the continuity of their identity and worldview, stating “Language is the cultural DNA of a people. When a language fades, a worldview disappears with it.”
Dr. Hamzah encouraged young scholars to pursue research with curiosity and courage, reminding them, “We must move from the unknown to the known, always learning, always questioning.”
A total of 182 studies were presented, each offering unique perspectives on how Filipinos and other communities navigate identity, belonging, and transformation in a transnational world. Ranging from topics about the preservation of indigenous languages to feminist readings of popular media, these researches reflected the spirit of collaboration and critical inquiry that Salindunong continues to champion annually.
Embodying this year’s theme “Borders and Belonging: Language, Literature, and Culture in Transnational Contexts,” the conference brought together educators, researchers, translators, and cultural workers from the Philippines and abroad for three days of online plenary sessions, featuring keynote and invited speakers from both international and national academic institutions, alongside researchers from different regions.
As CASS Dean and DFP professor Dr. Marie Joy Banawa described, Salindunong was more than a meeting of minds but “a space of belonging; a place where ideas meet purpose, where theories meet practice, and where diverse voices come together to reimagine education in transnational and intercultural contexts.”
Esteemed scholars were invited to share their studies namely: Dr. Daniel Aaron Kaufman of Queens College, City University of New York, who spoke about how linguistic identities evolve through contact and shared histories in the Philippine–Indo-Malaysian borderlands; Dr. Ma. Crisanta Nelmida-Flores of the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD), who discussed Philippine literature’s transnational dimensions; and Dr. Mary Jane Rodriguez-Tatel, also of UPD, who talked about how indigenous literature turns boundaries into meeting points of culture and identity.
Parallel sessions began on the first day, highlighting the breadth and diversity of research presented by scholars from various institutions as it covered themes from gender and media to linguistics and cultural discourse.
Under Gender and Literature, Xercys Nicolle Awa and Charlene Jessa Delos Angeles of MSU-IIT presented “Salamin, Salamin: Isang Postkolonyal na Feminisimong Pagdalumat sa Imahe ni Yeyeng sa Akdang Bb. Pathupats bilang Representasyon ng Kababaihan,” reexamining the portrayal of women in colonial and postcolonial contexts and offering a feminist read that challenges the persistence of patriarchal images in Philippine literature.
For Media Studies, Apryll Jane Sabuclalao of J.H. Cerilles State College explored feminist perspectives in OPM through her paper, “Lakas at Luhang Hinubog ng Tinig: Isang Feministang Pagsusuri sa mga Piling Awit ni Yeng Constantino,” illuminating how Constantino’s songs become powerful spaces for female self-expression, resilience, and emotional honesty in mainstream media.
In Morphological Analysis, Love Batoon of MSU-General Santos discussed “Gramatikal na Pagkakaiba ng at Sa: Isang Deskriptibong Pag-Aaral,” a linguistic inquiry that deepened the understanding of Filipino grammar through precise description and contextual analysis of function words often overlooked in language teaching.
Representing Language Teaching, Vida Villanueva of Central Mindanao University (CMU) discussed “Paggamit ng Digital Comics Bilang Interbensiyon ng Pagbasang may Komprehension,” highlighting the pedagogical potential of digital storytelling in enhancing reading comprehension, especially among young learners in the digital age.
Meanwhile, under Cultural Discourse, Insiraha Baruang of MSU-IIT presented “Aydaw, Aynaw: Isang Pagsusuri sa Ekpresyong Meranaw,” delving into expressions of Meranaw identity and culture.
These papers represent only a few among the many studies shared during the first day of the parallel sessions, each contributing to the ongoing dialogue on how language, literature, and culture intersect, challenge boundaries, and foster understanding in an interconnected world.
On the second day of Salindunong 2025, Dr. Muh. Naim Madjid of UMY, Indonesia, presented “Building Cultural Bridges and Global Networks through Transnational Translation: Its Role and Challenges,” exploring the connection of language, culture, and ethics in global communication.
Dr. Madjid emphasized that transnational translation demands more than linguistic skills, requiring deep cultural sensitivity and ethical considerations. He noted that some words lack direct translations in other languages due to cultural meanings, making the process more complex than mere language translation.
“Translation plays an important role in linking cultural and posturing understanding. Beyond language transfer, translation has cultural negotiation and global integration,” he added.
He also pointed out the challenges in transnational translation such as cultural bias, language imbalance, power dynamics, homogenization, and the complexities introduced by digital advancements.
“Translation is both a bridge and a challenge. It unites people, but it can also misrepresent them if not done ethically,” Dr. Madjid stated, underscoring the importance of ethical competence along with linguistic skills.
When asked about the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in translation, Dr. Madjid acknowledged its speed and convenience but cautioned against overreliance, reminding that AI struggles with interpreting idioms, cultural references, and figurative language that are crucial to accurate and respectful translation.
“AI must always serve human goals, not define them. The AI system, including the tools, should be designed with the human in the loop or approach, meaning the human remains the ultimate decision maker,” he noted.
The final day of Salindunong 2025 opened with a keynote discussion by Dr. Allan Punzalan Isaac, Professor of American Studies and English at Rutgers University-New Brunswick on “Reminders of Atopia: Recalling the Otherworldly Present.”
“Atopia means ‘no place’, but for Filipinos, it can also mean every place—a reminder that we continue to create ourselves wherever we are,” Dr. Isaac explained.
He discussed how Filipino artists reclaim identity and space through the “monstrous” and the “vernacular,” challenging neat definitions of belonging.
“The grotesque is not alienation—it’s survival. It’s how we adapt in a world that often makes no place for us,” he said.
Following this was another discussion from keynote speaker, Dr. Nurul Huda Binti Hamzah of the Universiti Malaya, who spoke on “From Communities to Nations: Broader Implications of Language Maintenance and Shift.”
Underscoring language as a community’s “cultural DNA,” she emphasized that its preservation is vital to the continuity of their identity and worldview, stating “Language is the cultural DNA of a people. When a language fades, a worldview disappears with it.”
Dr. Hamzah encouraged young scholars to pursue research with curiosity and courage, reminding them, “We must move from the unknown to the known, always learning, always questioning.”
Following the keynote sessions, the conference transitioned into its fourth series of parallel discussions, where researchers and educators from diverse institutions showcased studies that embodied the depth and breadth of contemporary Filipino scholarship.
Spanning seven specialized categories—from literary criticism and linguistics to pedagogy and cultural studies—the presentations offered fresh perspectives on how language and literature shape identity, culture, and belonging in an increasingly transnational world.
In the Literary Studies category, one of the presenters was Jan Marvin Goh from the University of Santo Tomas who discussed “Dili Ingon Nato: Configuring the ‘Gothic’ in Mindanao Fiction through Harvest 1 (1994),” examining Gothic conventions in Mindanawan literature and how narratives of fear, silence, and displacement take on distinctly local meanings.
“The Gothic in Mindanao fiction is not a borrowed form—it is a mirror of our regional histories and collective anxieties,” Goh remarked.
Meanwhile, in the Linguistics category, Jonel Catimbang of Kimagango High School also shared his study “Pag-Aaral sa Varyasyon ng Wikang Erumanen Ne Menuvuu ng Barongis, Libungan at Aromon, Carmen, Hilagang Cotabato,” which investigated phonological variations of the Erumanen Ne Menuvu language across different communities and examined how geography, culture, and daily interaction shape linguistic diversity.
“Language variation is not simply about sound—it’s about identity, community, and continuity,” Catimbang emphasized
As Salindunong 2025 drew to a close, the three-day conference left participants with a renewed appreciation for the role of language and literature in bridging cultures. Through its plenary sessions, keynote talks, and paper presentations, the event fostered meaningful exchanges across disciplines and borders, setting a strong foundation for future research on language and literature and their place in the global intellectual landscape.
Written by Bea Faye Eumague, Maan Deuda, and Raneshka Angela Gudes
Proofread by Andrea Ross Sedero
Layout by Andrea Ross Sedero
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