Later that evening, had dinner with friends from the Pride Run Club and met Vince Lopez of Mugna Gallery, along with the gallery’s latest featured artist, Marvin Chito Natural. I had admired his realist works, but unfortunately, only through Facebook. He’s easily like a modern-day Amorsolo.
Chito shared that before fully committing to painting, he used to write balak—poetry in Binisaya—and asked for advice on translation and on finding his way back to writing. He then showed me some of his pieces. All I could really say was he should keep doing both writing and painting. He's really good.
After a hearty Vietnamese dinner and a calamansi liquor sorbet for dessert, spontaneously joined the poetry reading and open mic at The Shed, and read two unpublished poems I’d recently sent via text to friends—“Waterworld” and “Everything is Metaphor (or The Dolphins).” Before heading home, I slipped into a core group meeting for the third edition of the Dumaguete Literary Festival (DumaLitFest) in April 2026. We talked plans—and even dreams—for Dumaguete as the newest Creative City of Literature in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.
Also mentioned to the group that it is also the right moment to lobby for a council or a provincial government arm to preserve, promote, and develop Negros Oriental’s cultural heritage and artistic talents through various programs, workshops, events, and collaborations with local and national partners, and not just for literature. This office should be separate from both city and provincial tourism offices because tourism has a different set of priorities. Just my Christmas wish.
Thrilling times ahead. Here’s hoping we get the support we need from the people and institutions meant to help carry these projects forward.
[ more photos here ]
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