Paranormal consultant assesses chances of National Artist nominee

Let’s get it from Maha Sri Babaji—a visionary, a mystical wordsmith, a freelance journalist, a social and cultural critic, an energy reader and healer and an intuitive spiritual counselor—who reads, interprets and concludes a person’s fate.

Here’s Maha Sri Babaji’s assessment of Epitacio Tongohan, also known as Bugtong Takipsilim (B Takipsilim) and Doc Pen Pen for truly he is a medical practitioner—a nominee to the Order of National Artist.

(Excerpts of this assessment appears in the hard copy of OpinYon 08 but here’s the full text of story):

“The Philippines is a place where talents abound, especially in literature and the arts. Dr. Epitacio Ramos Tongohan, also known as Doc PenPen Bugtong Takipsilim, or simply Doc PenPen, is one of them, but perhaps even better. This poet from Tanay, Rizal, has been making waves in both the local and international literary scenes because of his mind-boggling, life-changing visual poetry—the visual poetry that has made ripples all over the globe.

“DOC PENPEN BUGTONG TAKIPSILIM: A POETIC SCIENTIST, MATHEMATICIAN, AND PHILOSOPHER—As a poet, Tongohan does not only create poetry. It has become his life, his religion, and his love, which has become his utmost obsession. His dream of becoming the best DNA engineer and clone scientist just became a mist in mid-afternoon, vanishing in thin air and it has been replaced with the mission of bringing his poetry to the world with the strong faith that it will become a catalyst of social and spiritual change. In the mid-2000s, he left the lucrative career of medicine, particularly anatomical pathology, in the pursuit of creating living and soulful visual poetry. His group, Pentasi B World Friendship Poetry® has become his vehicle, the portal that he used to penetrate the mystical world of poetry. Although his poetry is not mere weaving of words, a fruit of his daydreaming. Tongohan used his medical knowledge and his understanding of the fragility and fleeting nature of life to develop literary pieces that profoundly affect the reader’s mind, body, and soul.

“As former chair of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Professor Jose Laderas Santos said, Tongohan’s profession as a physician and medical scientist has become an edge for this poet from Tanay, Rizal. Since Tongohan fully understands the frailty of the human body, the complexity and wonders of the human mind, and the ebb and flow of life itself, his poesis became a science, and his production of visual poetry (which Doc PenPen calls Pentasi B Poetry) appeared to be both an artistic, scientific, philosophical, and even a mathematical pursuit.

“The multi-awarded poet, literary critic, PR man, and former press undersecretary for Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Edwin M. Cordevilla, described Doc PenPen’s visual poetry as “5M”— multilingual, multimodal, multi-angular, multisensorial, and multi-dimensional. As discussed earlier, since the poet is familiar with how the human mind and body work, he has been able to calculate using a “hidden poetic technique” through which he can influence the audience and transform them for the better. This is the “mathematical and psychological” component of his poetry. Cordevilla also observed that Doc PenPen’s poetics ‘transcends the boundaries of time and space, connecting us to the universal human experience and revealing the interconnectedness of all beings,’ and this is what made Tongohan’s poetry philosophical and mystical. It was also Cordevilla who expounded on the concept and the meaning of Pentasi B as a form of visual poetry: ‘(P) Poetic and Philosophical Content, (E) Extraordinary and Evolution, ( N ) Neo or New Genre, (T) Technology, (A) Arts and Aesthetics, (S) Science, (I) Invention and Innovation and (B) Bio or Life.’

“DOC PENPEN AS THE PIONEER OF LIVING, HEALING, AND LIBERATING VISUAL POETRY—More than a compilation of words with imagery and rhythm, readers of Tongohan’s poetry find his works, as a living creature that has a soul of its own. Noel Sales Barcelona, a mystic, poet, social and cultural critic, and visionary wrote about Tongohan’s life and his visual poetry: Interestingly, there is one person who is said to have mastered the art and science of visual poetry that poets all over the world gave him the prestigious title ‘Father and King of Visual Poetry.’ He is Dr. Tongohan, a medical doctor and a pathologist born and raised in the humble town of Tanay, in the Province of Rizal, in the Philippines. Known by his pseudonyms, Doc PenPen Bugtong Takipsilim, or simply Doc Penpen, Tongohan has introduced to the world a new type of visual poetry which, according to his readers, has a life and soul of its own as it moves…from the pages where they were written. Furthermore, the impact of his visual poetry is also enormous as it affects the mind, body, and spirit of those who read them. (Underscoring provided by this writer).

“The late critic, journalist, and professor from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Rogelio Lunasco Ordoñez (September 24, 1940–May 19, 2016) said about Doc PenPen’s style of visual poetry: ‘This poem is unique; it surpasses Jose Garcia Villa's comma poem. While Garcia’s work is respected, this one offers greater depth,’ referring to one of Tongohan’s poems titled ‘oo. sa mga retaso.’

“Another critic, author, and University of the Philippines–Diliman professor, Lilyrose Tope, Ph. D. said about Tongohan’s visual poems, that his concept of visual poetry sets him apart from other candidates being the Father of Visual Poetry—the title that Doc PenPen now holds.

“Aside from moving letters and hidden meanings, Doc PenPen’s poems are considered by Zambaleño essayist, poet, and visionary Danilo E. Gallardo as ‘unique, liberamorphic and therapeunigmatic,’ the terms I think he coined. Tongohan’s poetry is liberamorphic because it does not follow the usual construct of regular poetry or the rules that have been established by the academe and the pioneers of poetic study. While Doc PenPen’s poetry does not follow the usual rules, still it has the powerful and natural rhythm of the human heart and nature. It has the expansion and contraction of the human mind and emotions, and it has the enigma of the Cosmos or the Divine Providence itself, as Noel Sales Barcelona wrote in one of his critiques of Tongohan’s poetry: Dr. Tongohan has been creating poems about love—universal love to be specific. This kind of love, just like what Sufis, Christian, and Hindu mystics have explained, has nothing to do with romantic and sensual/sexual relationships. Although there are times that romance and sexual connection are used as metaphors, this kind of love is ultra-focused on the divine and the connection of human beings—being on the top of the evolutionary pyramid—to other beings through the thread of this so-called ‘divine love,’ which is purely transcendental in nature. Meanwhile, Doc PenPen’s poesis also has the characteristics of being ‘therapeunigmatic.’ The term, which is the combination of two words—therapeutic and enigmatic—encapsulates the mysterious healing powers of Tongohan’s visual poetry.

“Filipino visual artist and poet, Enrique “Erik” Gómez attested that Doc PenPen’s words and visuals impacted him profoundly, salvaging him from the abyss of self-destruction and despair. Gómez said it was Doc PenPen Bugtong Takipsilim’s poetic documentary titled ‘Takipsilim’ that freed him from the thought of killing himself and miraculously cured him of his addictions.

“Singer and television talent, Marco Diolata who appeared in the hit television series “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” of ABS-CBN also stated that Takipsilim made him realize the beauty and meaning of life, and the need to live in the present moment, and to love life and existence itself.

“Even the international multi-awarded poet and peace advocate, Ceri Naz (Caroline Nazareno in real life) mentioned in one of her social media posts that Doc PenPen’s visual poetry has been therapeutic to her. Nazareno explained: ‘For me, these rules are just blends of aesthetic criteria--> of course the accents, the photo itself is beautiful…we should also consider the truth behind these poems, TRUTH about LOVE, FREEDOM, AND WISDOM is more beautiful, and the most beautiful is YOU!’ ‘Personal Experience and Emotion: When you use such rules, it doesn’t mean you have decoded the full and real meaning of the poem. Mine is different—for ‘I’ look at it as the ‘'highest stage of theoretical thought,’ not just a relief when I've gone over this visual poem, it's POLYTHERAPY to me. I've read it over and over again.’ Nazareno further explained: ‘It does penetrate the 'NEPHESH' state. Not only did it give me the psychosomatic effect, but Nephesh was affected: a) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion b) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man c) living being’ Also, Tongohan’s poetry is liberating not only in the sense that it liberates the mind, heart, and body of its readers. It is liberating since Doc PenPen brought to the fore the concept of ‘liberating the poiesis.’ For Tongohan, there are times when poetic structure, grammar, and syntax are deemed unnecessary in composing effective and life-changing poetry. What’s more important, the Father and King of Visual Poetry argued, is the heart and soul of the written word. As long as the heart and the soul understand, it is pure and beautiful poetry regardless of the structure and technicalities of poetry writing. Moreover, as Cordevilla said, Tongohan has democratized poetry, bringing its power back to the ordinary people. Additionally, his philosophy and style in visual poetry have earned him more than 40 local and international awards, including the prestigious Father and King of Visual Poetry, which different poetry organizations and institutions all over the world have given him. Until now, there is no other figure in the entire global literary history who earned these titles but Tongohan.

“DOC PENPEN: THE SPARKLING GEM OF INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL LITERARY CULTURE—Aside from his poetic prowess, Tongohan served as the key to uniting poets, writers, and cultural workers worldwide to aspire for a better world through the pen and the new cultural revolution, with poetry as the main platform. His Pentasi B World Friendship Poetry® has become the eighth continent as it became the haven for poets and other creatives who are tirelessly campaigning for world peace and genuine kinship of all races and nations. The philosophy of the group reflects Tongohan’s philosophy—no colors, no races, all colors, all races, all loves embrace (love in plural form, meaning all kinds of love; embraces meaning all-encompassing), and has become the motto of all creatives who consider themselves as a Pentasian. Besides this, as a cultural worker, Doc PenPen is at the forefront of the campaign to have the Philippines declared the heart—not the hub—of poetry in the world, a concept that no one has ever considered. His reason is simple: When the Philippines becomes the poetry heart of the planet, all Filipinos will benefit, and the country will become a beacon of light to the world, not only in literature but also in a new social movement that will bring peace, harmony, and unity among all people, regardless of race, creed, or language. This is because this archipelagic nation is the birthplace of the Father and King of Visual Poetry and the Pentasian Movement—the fulfillment of the 'Shakespearean vision' that Gallardo deciphered in the great English poet’s Sonnet No. 7. In addition to his work in poetry, Doc PenPen can also be considered a development worker in his own right since he has been helping the poor and the needy in his town since the late 1980s. Believing in the power of philanthropy, Tongohan had his 3-volume Pentasi B poems auctioned for US$30,000 to help underprivileged but deserving Filipino students. He plans to build a museum and a library in his town that will serve as the Pentasian Center to attract more tourists, particularly literary and cultural researchers, not only to improve the economic condition of the local communities in Tanay but also to further contribute to the evolution and advancement of visual poetry and world literature as a whole. Furthermore, Pentasi B World Friendship Poetry® is also planning to organize the grandest assembly of poets all over the world in the future, to celebrate the power of poetry and for these poet-laureates to immerse and know more about the cultural and literary heritage of the Philippines. And all of these, he is doing for his love for poetry and the Filipino people.

“DOC PENPEN DESERVES THE NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD Needless to say, all of his achievements have given honor and prestige to the Filipino people and put the Philippines in the spotlight of global literary history. Being crowned as the Father and King of Visual Poetry is an incontestable feat, and it is an irrefutable testament to his contributions to the development of contemporary visual poetry. As Ordoñez said, Doc PenPen’s visual poetry even surpassed the National Artist for Literature Jose Garcia Villa’s famous ‘Comma Poem.’ Moreover, his Pentasi B World Friendship Poetry® has exploded as a strong global poetic movement, not a mere social organization of poets, writers, and artists, that advocates for genuine brotherhood among peoples of all nations and pushes for world peace, unity, and development so that the world would become a utopia. In other words, his vision and visual poetry have impacted the world through the members of Pentasi B World Friendship Poetry® who decided to make his vision their own. More so, his therapeutic and enigmatic form of visual poetry also brought positive changes in the lives of the individuals who read it. The stories of Gómez, Diolata, and Nazareno are a few of the stories that attest to the ‘efficacy’ of Tongohan’s transcendental-mystical poetics. In addition to this, Tongohan is now also working for the Philippines to be recognized as the poetry heart of the world, which will boost the local economy through cultural and literary tourism. If this vision comes true, the Philippines will lead the new global cultural revolution, heralding a new epoch in human history. This being said Epitacio Ramos Tongohan, MD, aka Doc PenPen Bugtong Takipsilim, must be recognized by the Philippine government and literary luminaries as the next National Artist for Literature as he has contributed that much not only in the metamorphosis of writing poetry into a living form of philosophy and a science that can transform the perception, attitude, and inner dialogue of the readers, prompting them not only to change their own lives for the better but also to serve as catalysts for positive societal changes. The Tanay Municipal Council did the right thing when they passed and signed Resolution No. 43, s. 2024, acknowledging Tongohan’s contributions to the development of local and global literature and culture, and formally nominating him for the National Artist Award for Literature. Besides, with all of Doc PenPen’s hard work to contribute to social, cultural, and spiritual change not only of this nation but of the world, there are no ifs and buts in giving him the recognition as the next National Artist.”

Photo Caption: Doc Pen Pen with friends from the literary world (Photo Credit: Dr. Epitacio Tongohan/Facebook)

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