This issue is focused on Southeast Asia. We are publishing here lectures on various aspects of Southeast Asia delivered at the annual Southeast Asia Week at Silliman University, in February, 1970.

Leading off is Dr, Edith Tiempo on Southeast Asian poetry. One interesting point brought out by Dr. Tiempo in her excellent article is the fact that the West also borrowed literary forms from the East.

Fr. Demetrio follows with a ponderous essay in which he proposes a huge task—the systematic gathering, classifying and analysis of Philippine folktales. Dr. Francisco in the third article traces the Indian influence in the literature of South-east Asia.

The fourth article did not come from this year’s Southeast Asia Week lectures, but it is also about the region. Dr. McHale delivered the lecture in last year’s Southeast Asia Week (1969).

The last two articles in this issue are not about Southeast Asia—but they are about the Philippines. Mr. Rice talks about crime and punishment, with special reference to the Kalahan tribe in northern Luzon, about whom he knows a lot.

We present a case study on one successful community newspaper in the Philippines, as proof that the local paper can succeed in a country where the community paper is notoriously unstable. 

And then, for the first time, in the interest of research and researchers, we are publishing abstracts of master’s theses done at Silliman University. We will publish more abstracts in sueceeding issues.