emanila’s niche and unique site, emanilapoetry, recently registered its 1,000th post in its WordPress install with a poem by emanilapoetry’s veteran Fermin Salvador, “Natanggap mo ba ang tula,” Immediately following Fermin’s poem is “Short Shorts” by Wilfredo Bongcaron, also another emanila member for the last two years.

emanilapoetry started using WordPress last September 2007 after Compucentric / emanila selected WP from among other blogging applications based on a survey among members who gave WP an overwhelming thumbs-up.

emanilapoetry would now be counting more than 8,000 entries in its library of Filipino, English, Bicol, Pampango and Ilocano poems.

emanilapoetry launched on 19 June 2005 on the occasion of the 144th birth anniversary of the Philippines national hero, Dr Jose P. Rizal.

With less than only a month since its opening, our new Poetry site has recorded more than 100 poem entries as of 15 October.

The new site has also processed close to 100 registrations from the former Writers Group and new members. The old site has 404 members registered over a period of 26 months.

The new site has given members more flexibility in editing or revising their works online. It also gives them the facility to comment on the works of their peers as well as to engage in one-to-one personal messages.

From what had been posted so far, we have a seen a number of poems from members that are a marked improvement from their previous postings.

Plans are afoot that emanila’s Poetry site will again venture into other areas that will give its members a wider window of opportunities to express themselves - online and offline.

In February 2006, emanila published its first book of poems culled from its collection of poems on emanilapoetry. The book is available online and at selectd outlets of National BookStore in the Philippines. #