Happy 74th Birthday, Bannawag!
November 3, 2008 by Sherma E. Benosa filed under Essays, Featured | 1,381 views
If Bannawag (meaning �dawn�) were a man, at 74, it would still be strong and kicking, what with the loads of saluyot and marunggay leaves that it would �daramudom� with bugguong and kamatis or kalamansi. Or how about the kilawen it would be eating with gusto, or the pinapaitan it would devour like there�s no tomorrow.
It would also still be mentally alert with all the thought-provoking discussions it hosts. And it would be rich with experience and filled with wisdom; its understanding of human nature deep and wide and far reaching, having contained in its bosom the aspirations, the struggles, the hopes and dreams, and the successes and failures of its sons and daughters � the Ilocanos.
Perhaps, it would be a Sagada residing in Hawaii, an RN in London, a domestic helper in Hongkong, or a bawang farmer in the Ilocos. Or how about a mannalon in the Tanap, or a community leader in Mindanao, or a balikbayan planning to stay in his ili for good. The Bannawag-man could take in any occupation it would fancy, but deep in its heart, the wanderlust that so defines its race and fills its soul would continue to pulsate as though it were an extension of its heart. Born and raised to harsh conditions, it would put high value to the fruits of its labor and would be known the world over as kuripot.
The Bannawag could be the wise grandparent who puts emphasis on the values that the Ilocano hold dear. It could be the loving parent wishing his or her sons and daughters to do well in the future. It could be the idealistic Manong Baro marching to Mendiola fighting for change; or the beautiful Manang Balasang whose scent rivals that of the roses in bloom, or whose smile is the envy of the moon. It could be the Ading who is impatient to leave and court better future to his or her side. Indeed, Bannawag could take on any role in the family, but to everyone, it would be a good friend � someone blessed with a sympathetic ear and gifted with a well of jokes; someone who knows how to make people laugh and cry, and understands human predicaments and gives well-thought-of pieces of advice.
But of course, Bannawag is not a man � it is an Ilokano weekly, widely read here and abroad. But it may as well be a living soul, the voice and heart of the Ilocano collective psyche. In its 74 years of existence, it has become a major vehicle for change. A living testament to the Ilocano endurance. A record of the Ilocano ingenuity.
Now 74 and still going strong, Bannawag has every reason to stand tall and proud, having withstood the challenges thrown its way and achieved what other local publications could only dream of.
For Apong Bannawag (the magazine), the journey continues.
Happy 74th birthday, Apong!
VF
Hmmm, pay no i-bannawagmo koma gayyem? La padasem ta ikkanka iti premiom hehehe!
Diay ayanmi, ili dagiti natataraki a lallaki, no maudika iti tsismis, bannawag kunada kenka.
Naminsan a nangyawidak iti Bannawag ditoy sako intugot diay trabahok, imbagada ketdin nga agbasbasaak iti Pilipino version ti Penthouse! Kasano ket nagsam-it ti isem diay cover girl hehehe.
I think, Bannawag too, is sometimes a society mag, a who-is-who mag, n’est-ce pas Buddy? Okay met laeng ketdi no mausar a kas caption ti maysa a ladawan ngem no isu laengen ti mabasam in a whole column, ayna ket saanko a basaenen a!
Seriously speaking, Bannawag is also a part of my childhood. And I dream that one day, Bannawag, as it matures to perfection, like other world famous magazines, ket maaddaanto met koman iti bukodna a website –di la ket ta mabannawagto la unayen!
November 4th, 2008 at 12:52 amjim agpalo
74na gayamen… dies sentimo pay la idi ti presiona, aglaklakon datao iti bannawag imbag la a balon a mapan agiskuela ti ganasia a siping, hehehe… ngem basaen pay nga umuna a ti linaonna sakbay nga isursur kadagiti kabalbalayan, hehehe…
November 4th, 2008 at 6:35 amSherma E. Benosa
Heyyo, VF! Hehehehe. Ket no English met, gyem!
Saanko pay ngamin a maay-ayam dagiti sentences ko iti Ilokano. Hmmmp!
Kadawyan kadagiti magazine ditoy Pilipinas ti adda Lugar, Tao, Pasamak (People, Places and Events) wenno tay makuna a society page na. This just shows that we Filipinos are very much into personalities.
Kitaem laengen a. Uray kasta unay simrontayo kenni Arroyo, nangruna dagiti nakurapay, ngem no adda dita ni Arroyo ket maki-abayda a makikodak! Hehehhe. 
Kasta met dagiti lifestyle magazines iti abroad ket.
Pang-light reading dagiti kakasta a section wenno pages.
Ngem ketdi, I won’t agree with you that Bannawag is sometimes a society mag. It’s a comprehensive (in terms of the range of topics it contains) mag with a society page.
Wen, mayat koma no adda website ti Bannawag. Ngem ketdi, it’s not advisable nga ikabilda ti linaon ti mag iti website. Baka makissayan ti aggatang, ehehehehe. Siguro, teaser laeng ken subscription details, submission guidelines, ken sige some of the most memorable stories in bannawag. Suna laeng ta understaffed da met, gayyem. Taltallo da. Maintaining a website is time consuming.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:42 amSherma E. Benosa
Hello, Manong Jim!
Agel-ellekak kadayta kunam a bsaem pay nga umuna ti linaonna samonto mapan isursor. Hehehehe.
I think I’ll do the same. heheheheh…
November 4th, 2008 at 11:49 amQuintin Mariano
Ay adingko Sherma naimbag nga aldawmo wenno rabii ngata dita;pagdispensaram ti panagdursokko kunak man a. Siak ni Quintin ditoy Canada;kayatko ti gumatang ‘ta
Bannawagmo basaem ti linaonna ket kissayam ti bayadna.Ket ni gayyem VF nataraki a talaga Very Fretty ta no babai ket Pretty aya.Pari jimmy! Idi nagpapukisak
k
February 14th, 2009 at 12:05 pminunak a kagkagudua ti adda buokna ket 50% bayadko ket nayatda!
lemon dick martinez
hello!!!!!!!!!!naimbag nga aldaw i kabsat
damagek man koma nu kasano nga mabasak dagitay novela nga diak idi nabasa,ana nukua nga website ti pangbirokak?agyamanak
lemon dick martinez
July 28th, 2009 at 11:28 amili ti banna ilocos nerte
ngem ditoy nak subic ita.
Bob
Sapay koma ta agtalinaed nga adda Bannawag a mangisarming ti kultura tayo nga Ilokano. Ta adu metten kadatayo ti agsao sao iti Iluko nga adda laok na a Tagalog ken dida pay kayat ti agsao ti Iluko uray no Ilokano da met.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:16 amSherma E. Benosa
Hello LDM: Adda dagiti nailibro a nobela, gayyem.
Adda met maysa a nobela nga available online: ti Bonete ti Kaibaan a sinurat ni Jovito Amorin. Availabe daytoy iti website ti GUMIL Metro Manila (http://gumilmetro.org). Serialized met laeng ti pannakaipostena.
Hi Bob: Bannawag is going strong.
Ken wen, sapay koma ta agpaut, ta daytoy ket maysan nga institusion Adun ti naitulongna ken adu pay iti maitultulongna kadagiti agbasbasa.
July 30th, 2009 at 7:20 amvirgie aquino jordan
Hi! Sapay ta agnanayon daytoy nga Bannawag….ado ti Ilocano ditoy London, ngem no daduma a ket, mabain da pay nga ag Iloco…diak ammo no apay. Awan kadi ti bannawag para London ? Panga asi yo pada Iloco ta iwayag wag tayo ti Ilocano ….Ammok kada lugar ket adda latta Iloco…..
gapo dayta Bannawag ket kasapolan nga iragsak tayo. Long live ILOCANOS xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Virgie Aquino Jordan LONDON
November 17th, 2009 at 6:56 amSherma E. Benosa
Hello Kabsat Virgie.
Diak sure no adda distributor ti Bannawag dita London, kabsat. Ti ketdi ammok, adu dagiti Ilocano sites a pakabasaan kadagiti Ilocano articles nga imatonan met laeng dagiti kakabsat a mannurat ti Bannawag a pakairamananen daytoy Bilingual Pen.
Dagitoy man ne ti sumagmamano:
http://dadapilan.com
http://mannurat.com
http://asseng.blogspot.com
http://tuggot.blogspot.com
http://penshadow.wordpress.com
http://hanseman.wordpress.com
ken adu pay! hehe.
Adda pay ti site ti GUMIL Filipinas: http://gumilfilipinas.com
Ala, ket nasayaat nga isasangbay, gayyem. Ipabpabalaymo kadi lattan.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:48 am