DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 26 March) — A Mindanawon anthology framed as part of a broader project of “transitional justice in Mindanao” has brought renewed attention to the role of regional scholarship in shaping national academic and literary discourse, following its recognition as Best Book in the Social Sciences category at the 43rd National Book Awards.
More Mindanawon Than We Admit: History, Culture, and Identity in the Philippine South, edited by Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz, was one of 10 Mindanawon works that were among 139 finalists this year, and one of five books that vied for Best Book in the Social Sciences.
Cruz, in her acceptance speech, framed the work as part of a larger project of “transitional justice in Mindanao,” while emphasizing that it was the result of a collective effort.
“The vision first articulated by Brother Karl Gaspar, Father Albert Alejo, and Carolyn Arguillas, to whom I owe so much for their tireless work. Most of all, I share this award with all the contributors to the book whose work in their respective fields illuminate the diverse aspects of Mindanao history, culture, and identity,” she said in her acceptance speech at the awards rites during the Philippine Book Festival at the Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City on March 14.
The recognition, she added, affirms two decades-worth of work since moving to Davao City, an ongoing process of “finding [her] place in Mindanao.”
Featuring contributions from researchers, artists, and practitioners across disciplines, the anthology offers varied perspectives of the region — from its evolving peace processes and oft overlooked sectors such as the LGBTQIA+, to its creative and intellectual traditions. It also engages with the narratives and biases that shape how Mindanao has been historically perceived.
The collection situates Mindanao’s stories within the larger national context, suggesting — as the book’s description reads — that a fuller embrace of our complexity and entanglements deepens, rather than fragments, our sense of Filipinoness.
This recognition underscores the growing visibility of scholarship and storytelling rooted in Mindanao, especially those that challenge the dominant, Manila-centric narratives of Philippine history and identity. It also affirms, for the field of social sciences, the importance of interdisciplinary work that brings together research, lived experience, and creative practice in examining complex realities. More broadly, it signals how perspectives from the margins are increasingly shaping national conversations, as Mindanao moves from the periphery, towards the center.
Cruz is a multi-awarded writer and a professor of Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines Mindanao, where she currently serves as Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from RMIT University, Australia. Her works include Abi Nako, Or So I Thought (2020), Tingle: Anthology of Pinay Lesbian Writing (2021), and Lugar Lang: Dispatch from Davao (2024).
Three Mindanawon books were among this year’s awardees at the 43rd National Book Awards.
More Mindanawon Than We Admit (Vibal Foundation) was awarded Best Book in the Social Sciences while Jerry Imbong’s Towards a Mindanawon/Lumad philosophy: The Filipino philosophy of Karl Gaspar (Aletheia Publishing), won Best Book in Philosophy and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri’s The Road to Peace: Crafting the Bangsamoro Organic Law (self-published) won the Best Book on Professions.
The National Book Awards honor excellence in Philippine publishing, and this win perhaps signals a shift towards a more inclusive Philippine literary canon. (Bea Gatmaytan / MindaNews)
