dumaguete: unesco creative city of literature

We did it, fam! What a glorious way to end the month of October! Dumaguete City is now officially a UNESCO Creative City of Literature! It joins a distinguished network of just over 50 cities around the world recognized for their outstanding literary culture and commitment to creativity.

I had the honor of representing the National Museum of the Philippines - Dumaguete as one of the major stakeholders during the city’s bid to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) over the past months, presenting how the museum continues to promote and sustain the community’s literary heritage through its public programs and visitor engagement activities, such as our Knowledge Nook mini-library, Muse and Metaphor at the Museum lecture, Paglampos: Stories of Triumph by the Women of SAFIRE, Paglampos: The Art of Zine-making, the Silliman University National Writers Workshop: The Fellows Forum, among others. And there’s more to come! 

Established in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network fosters international cooperation among cities that place culture and creativity at the heart of sustainable urban development. The network recognizes cities in seven creative fields, namely, Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music. All this encourages the cities to exchange best practices, form partnerships, and integrate cultural development into local planning.

Before this milestone, through the UNESCO-Philippine National Commission, the Philippines only had three UNESCO Creative Cities: Baguio (Crafts and Folk Art, 2017), Cebu (Design, 2019), and Iloilo (Gastronomy, 2023). With Dumaguete’s inclusion, the country now proudly adds a City of Literature to the list.

Dumaguete City, along with Quezon City (for City of Film), made history as the first designations in their respective fields in the country. Dumaguete, in particular, is among the first Creative Cities of Literature in Southeast Asia alongside Jakarta. 

This push was spearheaded by the Dumaguete City Tourism Office, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Negros Oriental Provincial Office, and a core group of creatives led by award-winning writer Ian Rosales Casocot. Grateful to everyone who worked so tirelessly to make this happen, and excited to see what lies ahead for my second home under this groundbreaking recognition. 

[ Read more about the declaration here ]

cant. write. well.

Clearly our overreliance on messaging apps for work has dulled our ability to communicate with clarity and intent. Many no longer write in complete sentences, sometimes mistaking brevity for efficiency. Meaning gives way to speed, as if speed is equal to being professional.

Ultimately, logic is often hijacked by a false sense of urgency, as though it were the reader’s task to piece together what the sender failed to articulate well. So pagsulat mog tarong, please. Or better yet, maybe find another avenue to communicate instead of personal social media accounts? Like an email?

surprise email from carlos

Before heading back home to Bohol later this afternoon for this year’s Undas, a special email from “Carlos” suddenly appeared in my inbox this morning…

❎ Carlos Palanca Awards

✅ Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Awards

Bokya na naman tayo this year sa Palanca, but I will gladly take this alternative. My province of Bohol has been a constant blessing in this life. Dear cosmos, family, friends, and my beloved, this is all for you.

It has always been for you. 

negros design week 2025

Weekend itinerary be like, after a quick doctor visit confirming that the stye in my right eye has officially graduated into a chalazion, heading straight to the last day of lectures for Negros Design Week. Then somehow ending up as an instant PA for Pride Run Club 6200’s photoshoot, and then joining their carbo-loading session before their run for the International Negros Oriental Marathon (or INOM… I see what you did there…) the following day. Not bad for a weekend.

[ More photos here ]

happy birthday, pj!

PJ turns two today! Say hi! For such a little girl, she filled a huge void when our six-year-old orange cat, Lazy CJ, left us just a week before. It’s as if the universe stepped in and sent this beautiful calico kitty our way, wandering into our garden one morning in 2023, right when we needed her most. 

See you soon, PJ!

[ More photos here ]

duaw ta!

Last Friday, October 17, found ourselves walking the entire stretch of Hibbard Avenue, cutting through Colon Street, and braving the piercing midday heat all the way to Ninoy Aquino Freedom Park for this year’s Buglasan Civic-Military Parade. Felt a bit like test subjects for the street-dancing parade happening later that day! Kidding aside, made the right call to design and print our own shirts for the IEC school campaign we had last month; now we have something uniquely ours to wear at events like this. So kaya pa ba next year? 

[ More photos here ]

happy birthday, chari!

Today marks the 6th birthday of our beloved tilapia, Chari! From a daily leaf-giver to an occasional plastic bag muncher, he’s truly become one of the most eccentric family members we have.

It’s been six years since that wild day I jumped out of the car and ran straight into the middle of the road, waving my arms like a madman before an oncoming truck, just to save this once tiny fella. Haaay. See you soon, perpetually sleepy Chari boy! 

[ More photos here ]

happy sunday

There’s never a shortage of things to do, even on weekends, but there’s also plenty to be grateful for. Kaliwat ni Karyapa, organizer of the 4th edition of the Tagik Poetry Writing Competition and Kinalitkalit Flash Fiction Writing Competition, made possible with the support of the Provincial Government of Bohol’s Center for Culture & Arts Development (CCAD) through the Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage (BACH) Council–Literary Arts Committee, has gathered over 142 entries from 107 Bol-anon writers this year.

As lead project coordinator, just finished formatting the shortlist and sending score sheets to all six judges. There’s a lot of exciting work in this batch.

I also got a bit of surprising news today, something I never imagined I’d be hearing in this lifetime. The ink hasn’t dried yet, but the news alone feels like enough fuel to keep me going for the rest of the year.

Still, somewhere between the busyness, I found a quiet moment this morning to reflect. Maybe when you’re genuinely happy for other people’s successes and at peace with what you love doing, your own time will come too. All in due time, always.

Tonight, it’s back to work on an essay due also tonight! Crazy, but all good. Thank you, dear cosmos, for the strength. 

[ More photos here ]

museums and galleries month 2025

Happy Museums and Galleries Month, everyone! Every October, museums all over the country celebrate Museums and Galleries Month (or MGM). It is our time to honor our nation’s cultural heritage and the institutions that help preserve it. Established through Presidential Proclamation No. 798, s. 1991, this month encourages all of us to appreciate Philippine art, history, and the stories behind our sacred and everyday objects. 

It’s a reminder to visit your local museums (especially our National Museum of the Philippines-Dumaguete!), check out or even join an exhibit, or simply reconnect with the past that continues to shape who we are today. Also, this post is meant to commemorate the stye in my right eye. A first! What perfect timing! Great job, Staphylococcus aureus bacterium! 

just a thought

 When your vision is so small, you will mistake a window for the world. The small of sight always finds its horizon in a box.

teatro sillimaniana dos

Last Saturday, October 4, dropped by the Woodward Little Theater to catch Teatro Sillimaniana Dos, a series of award-winning plays by Silliman playwrights, directed by the SU Speech and Theatre Department’s senior class.

The last time I was in this black box theater was in college. Good to see it still alive and pulsing with the energy of the community’s creatives.

Two plays by friends were staged that night. First was Ian Rosales Casocot’s The Midsummer of Manuel Arguilla, directed by Merliel Natad Putong. It is a 2023 Palanca-winning one-act reimagining the famous short story writer’s final hours before his execution in 1944. His wife Lydia tries to visit but never gets to see him, speaking only with his fellow prisoner Leon. After torture, Manuel clings to stories to endure, recalling his own “Midsummer.” In the end, Lydia reveals the story’s deeper truth. Lady Lorraine Elmido as Ading was a standout. She was sharp, sly, and fully in control of the story’s rhythm.

Then came Rolin Migyuel Olina’s The Late Mister Real, directed by Jefferson M. Balandra. And my golly, I wasn’t prepared. Set in a COVID-19 quarantine facility, it reunites ex-spouses Boyet and Raquel after years apart. It begins as awkward small talks and then unravels into humor, pain, and lingering regret. Some wounds and the choices that cause them truly never heal. Justine Lawrence Lopez and Julianne Andrea Oyao were phenomenal. No surprise Rolin’s play made it to CCP’s Virgin Labfest XX this year.

Watching both made me wish I could write like that. Plays are a different breed. I wrote one in college and buried it somewhere no one will find. Still, there’s something about theater, how silence and subtext can speak louder than dialogue. Hmmm. I’ll think about it.

There’s more coming from Teatro Sillimaniana Dos this Friday and Saturday. You might want to catch them.

empanadas, anyone?

Remembering Vigan and its food. Yes, definitely the food. When we visited last September, I was told their empanadas are a must-try, that I couldn’t possibly leave the city without tasting one. So, of course, I did.

What I didn’t realize was that there are two kinds of empanadas competing for people’s cravings here—the Vigan Empanada of Ilocos Sur and the Batac Empanada of Ilocos Norte. Both are about the size of a plate, half-moon shaped, deep-fried savory pastries usually sold at roadside stalls or food parks. The difference lies in the ingredients and appearance, I think. Please correct me if I’m wrong, people of Ilocos!

Turns out, what I got was a Batac Empanada, not the Vigan version. Batac empanada is recognizable by its bright orange shell. Curious, I asked the cook why it’s colored that way, but before he could answer, another buyer jumped in to explain that the dough, made with rice flour, is tinted with annatto seeds or atsuete.

He said that in Batac, many even enjoy the crunchy-salty shell on its own, without filling. Like crisps! They call it pinais and usually pair it with spiced sugarcane vinegar or sukang Iloco. That was new to me. I just love how locals are always the best guides when it comes to food.

I ended up with the Special Batac Empanada for P60, which was stuffed with grated green papaya, mongo sprouts, egg, and Ilocos longganisa. I was encouraged to try the Vigan Empanada, too, but the nearby stall was already closing for the night. So I still don’t know its difference.

Maybe that’s reason enough to return to Vigan. Then again, who really needs a reason to go back here?

[ More photos here ] 

not bittersweet

Last September 25, came home from Valencia after a long day of work (you can call it hustling, which probably deserves its own post). Then I remembered the book launch of Bittersweetland, a new novel by Bacolod writer Rayboy Torres Pandan, at Libraria. I had to go. The last time I met Sir Rayboy was way back in October 2018, when the province of Bohol hosted the Taboan Writers Festival, a project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) that travels across regions in the Philippines every year. Not sure if it still exists today. 

Just glad I stepped out of the house that night despite the rains. Sir Rayboy signed my copy of his novel, which hones in on the sugarcane crisis of Negros Island, particularly a period in Bacolod City that sizzles with both scandal and sincerity. Also caught up with Dauin writer Michael Aaron Gomez, who happened to be in Dumaguete for a short while. I still remember “yaya-ing” his Silliman National Writers Workshop batch back in 2012. We were practically kids then. Now he’s a multiple Palanca winner, with a special prize for the novel in English, a first prize in the short story in Cebuano, and more.

Went home with more than a book in my bag. There was another batch of stories to be written here. Nights like this just remind me that literature archive everything and everyone. Basically, we write to remember. 

[ More photos here ]