PEN Philippines

19/01/2026

"While PEN International welcomes this long-overdue decision, justice delayed is justice denied. Authorities should never have imprisoned Amanda Echanis, and no court ruling can restore the years taken from her and her family."

“This acquittal confirms what Amanda Echanis has said from the beginning: the charge against her was baseless. Her case is a stark reminder of how red-tagging and fabricated charges continue to be used to silence writers, activists, and human rights defenders in the Philippines”. Ma Thida, Chair

04/09/2025

At the PEN International Congress in Krakow, Poland yesterday, PEN Philippines presented the ceremonial empty chair for Amanda Echanis.

Amanda Echanis—poet, playwright, activist, and mother—has lived at the intersection of art and struggle. She was arrested in December 2020, only weeks after giving birth to her son. Her infant was with her when she was taken, and she has since had to endure the early years of motherhood behind bars.

Amanda’s case is emblematic of the dangers faced by writers and artists in the Philippines who dare to speak truth to power. Her imprisonment is not an isolated injustice but part of a broader climate where dissent is criminalized, and where words are treated as threats. As the daughter of slain peasant leader Randall Echanis, Amanda inherited both a legacy of struggle and the weight of persecution. Yet even within prison walls, she has not been silenced. She continues to write, most notably “Binhi ng Paglaya”—Seeds of Liberation, a testament to her imagination and courage in the face of repression.

Her story is a reminder that the suppression of a single voice reverberates far beyond one individual; it marks the silencing of women, of mothers, of writers and artists who carry within them the power to imagine—and build—a freer and more just world. We at PEN Philippines thank PEN International for repeatedly calling for her immediate release and for a transparent investigation into her arrest, recognizing that the defense of Amanda’s freedom is inseparable from the defense of freedom of expression everywhere.

This empty chair, dedicated to Amanda today, does not stand for absence alone. It stands for presence: for Amanda’s words, her resilience, her continuing struggle, and the unyielding duty we all share to defend the right to write, to speak, to create.



Send a message to the Free Amanda Echanis Movement page if you want to be part of the movement:
https://www.facebook.com/freeamandaechanis.network

18/07/2025

Ongoing panel on AI in education. Tomorrow, creative industries naman! Register today at https://bit.ly/aiforum2025

13/07/2025

PEN Philippines, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the University of Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with Abenson and the National Book Development Board - Philippines, proudly present the public conference “Generation AI” organized by PEN Philippines on July 18 and 19, 2025, at the University of Asia and the Pacific. The event aims to explore the fine lines between artificial intelligence, learning, and creative industries.

The first day of the event, scheduled on July 18, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at UA&P’s Dizon hall, will focus on the role of artificial intelligence in education. Mr. Robin Sebolino, author and educator, will be the moderator on this day. The panelists are Dr. Joachim Emilio Antonio, Dr. Philip Peckson, Dr. Guillermo Dionisio, Dr. Maria Jesusa Carina Aunario, and Eri H. Kondo. The forum shall revolve around the ways artificial intelligence is transforming classrooms and how schools can adapt to this new paradigm.

The event’s second day, happening on July 19, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at PLDT Hall in UA&P, will be moderated by author and PEN President Sarge Lacuesta and will explore the impact of artificial intelligence in the creative sector. The panelists are Christian “X” Vallez from the University of Asia and the Pacific, JV Valerio, artist Pepot Atienza, AI ethicist Carl Javier, technology journalist Jayvee Fernandez, and Freelance Writers Guild of the Philippines member Liezl Formilleza Dunuan. The event will focus on how artificial intelligence is influencing the creative sector, raising critical concerns regarding human creativity in today’s AI world.

This conference is open to students, educators, writers, artists, and anyone interested about the intersection of human creativity and AI. The two-day conference offers thoughtful insights, lively discussions, and valuable insights, regardless of your level of involvement in the creative or educational sector or your level of interest in seeing how AI is changing the world.

Admission is free—attendees must register through this link: https://bit.ly/aiforum2025.

27/06/2025

What kind of world does AI imagine for us——and how do we imagine it back? How does it impact our workforce and our ways of teaching and learning?

Join writers, artists, educators, technologists, and policymakers as we explore the tension, promise, and power of AI in shaping creative futures.

July 18, Friday, 9 am-12 pm
AI, Teaching, and Learning

July 19, 2025, 9 am-12 pm
AI and the Creative Industries

Free and open to the public—registration required.

Register now at https://bit.ly/aiforum2025 or through the QR code above.

05/06/2025

“Genocide is the ultimate form of silencing. The ideal of one humanity living in peace and equality is at the core of PEN International’s mission. World leaders must respond to the gravity of the ongoing genocide in Gaza immediately and unequivocally. The dereliction of duty to prevent the genoc...

28/04/2025

PEN members and the general public are welcome to join the discussion this Thursday, May 1, at 3pm.

08/03/2025