37th philippine travel mart

A lot has happened back home, blurring through my periphery, that I completely forgot to mention that my poetry chapbooks Weights & Cushions and How to Make an Accident were among the titles featured by Libraria Books at the Dumaguete City booth for the 37th Philippine Travel Mart at SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, September 4–6, 2026.

This was just one way of showcasing why Dumaguete is the country’s first and only UNESCO Creative City of Literature. Many thanks go to the wonderful people of Libraria Books and the Dumaguete City Tourism Office for the support.

It was over so quickly. Sincerest apologies to friends in Metro Manila who were looking for those copies. Thankfully, you can always message Libraria, and they would be glad to connect you with these and other Filipiniana titles, especially by authors from the Visayas.

[ more photos here ]

in the news

So here’s a pre-holiday surprise gift from The Weekly Sillimanian. I honestly thought the article would come out next year.

Those are big words in that headline. But all I want (for Christmas) is to carry everything I’ve learned as a practicing writer and as a volunteer for Bohol Climate Walkers, Plastic Free Bohol, Kaliwat ni Karyapa, Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council, and Center for Culture and Arts Development - Bohol into my work as a museum researcher in Dumaguete City. That includes, especially, the hope of cultivating more writing in Binisaya from my two hometowns. Considering that the paper’s writers interviewed me on two separate occasions for almost four hours, it’s understandable that some things may have been lost in translation, or that not everything could fit into a single news article.

Still, I am deeply grateful. As I shared with them, everything I do is ultimately for the public. Projects should never be born out of a personality, but out of the needs of a particular community. Happy holidays, friends and family!

[ full article can be read here ]

surprise cameo

 I’ve received this link to a video four times now, from four different people. Turns out I make a small cameo in a video by lawyer and online personality Regal Oliva about Dumaguete’s declaration as a UNESCO Creative City of Literature.

Really looking forward to the next move, especially how the city government chooses to carry the weight of this title. Perhaps the most concrete step is the creation of an official council—entirely separate from the tourism office—that can genuinely dedicate time and resources to literary programs that shape how a community thinks, listens, and imagines.

literally literary

Last Saturday, December 13, turned into a very literary kind of weekend. After revising some old poems in the morning, went to the Arts and Design Collective Dumaguete (ADCD) in the afternoon for BazArt 2025—a gathering of local artisans, creatives, and makers. Got to see the fundraiser art exhibit and the soon-to-open office of the Buglas Writers Guild. Turns out, I was one of the first two visitors.

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 ]

fellow fellows

As the years go by, it becomes harder to round up and keep in touch with people you’ve found meaning and connection with. You might call it fellowship, especially when you first met as fellows in a writing workshop. That’s why last November 27 felt like such a gift, seeing Yas, my co-fellow from the 15th Iligan National Writers Workshop back in 2008, and Jennie, a fellow from the recent 63rd Silliman University National Writers Workshop, whom I met—and instantly clicked with—when their batch had the Fellows Forum at the museum last July. Both had come all the way from Davao for a quick visit.

I’m a transplant myself, somehow still finding my way here in Dumaguete City, which makes it both touching and amusing when people gravitate toward where you are and speak as if you last saw each other only yesterday. Funny because the last time I met Yas was in 2017. This is his first visit to the City of Gentle People, and now also a UNESCO Creative City of Literature. Yas and Jennie were heading back to their hometowns the next day, so I took them on a quick tour of my favorite spots. It was a beautiful day.

[ more photos here ]

the bar's open

We missed the happy hour club.

More photos here.

dumaguete pedicab 0483

Earlier this afternoon, I picked up a box of donated toys from a friend for our museum’s “Give a Toy, Share a Joy” project. Instead of just walking to the museum and lugging the box around, I hopped on pedicab 0483.

As we passed a group of protesters along the boulevard who were calling for justice, denouncing corruption, the wastewater spill in Bais, and other forms of neglect, the driver noticed me taking a video. He turned to me…

Driver: “Bisa’g unsaon nila’g singgit dira, dili gihapon na sila masabtan. [laughs]”

Me: “Sige lang. Naa man silay placards ug streamers. Makabasa ra ang tawo.”

Driver: “Gibayran siguro na sila noh? [laughs]”

Me: “Dili man. Kung mahuman kos akong lakaw ron ug dili ko kapuyon, muapil siguro ko nila.”

Driver: “Wala diay nay bayad?”

Me: “Wala. Pero kung ganahan ka, pwede ka muapil.”

(He fell quiet for a moment.)

Driver: “…So bahin diay na sa kamatuoran ug kaayohan sa katawhan?”

Me: “O. Para asa pa man diay ning gipangbuhat natong tanan?”

He stayed quiet for the rest of the ride.

Sometimes you don’t need to fight fire with fire. But you also shouldn’t shrink and allow yourself to be subjected to ridicule. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is hold your ground—calmly, firmly—and offer a clearer view of what others have long refused, or never had the chance, to see all their lives. 

After my trip to the museum, I walked back home, passed by the protesters again to take more photos and videos. I didn’t get to join them this time, but I am with them. 

essay on my poem

A breather in the middle of the suffocating week. Just learned that an essay about my poem, “The Electorate Weighs In,” is featured in Issue no. 7 of Buglas Writers Journal of the Buglas Writers Guild.

This essay first appeared in Dumaguete MetroPost (Vol. XXVI, No. 1292) for its May 18–24, 2025 issue, specifically in the paper’s City of Literature section.

The full article can be read here.

dumaguetres

The National Museum of the Philippines-Dumaguete turns three today, November 25, on the very same day Dumaguete City celebrates its fiesta in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of philosophers, scholars, and students! A fitting date for a museum dedicated to learning and promoting our culture, arts, and heritage. And most of all, for a city that is now a UNESCO Creative City of Literature. 

We may still be young and small, but we always make sure every visit is meaningful and memorable. 

We’re open every day—yes, Mondays to Sundays—from 9AM to 5PM. See you puhon! And Happy Fiesta, Dumaguete! 

[ More photos here ]

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

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! 

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.

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 ]

call for manuscripts to the 59th silliman university national writers workshop

The Silliman University National Writers Workshop is now accepting applications for the 59th Silliman University National Writers Workshop to be held from 27 April to 8 May 2020 at the Silliman University Rose Lamb Sobrepeña Writers Village and the Silliman University campus.

This Writers Workshop is offering ten fellowships to promising writers in the Philippines who want to have a chance to hone their craft and refine their style. Fellows will be provided housing, a modest stipend, and a subsidy to partially defray costs of their transportation.

To be considered, applicants should submit manuscripts on or before 6 December 2019. (Extension to the deadline will not be made.) All manuscripts should comply with the instructions stated below. (Failure to do so will automatically eliminate their entries).

Applicants for Fiction and Creative Nonfiction fellowships should submit three to four (3-4) entries. Applicants for Poetry fellowships should submit a suite of seven to ten (7-10) poems. Applicants for Drama fellowships should submit at least one (1) One-Act Play. Each fiction, creative nonfiction, or drama manuscript should not be more than 20 pages, double-spaced. We encourage you to stay well below the 20 pages. Aside from manuscripts in Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Drama that should be written in English, the Workshop will also be accepting manuscripts for Balak (poetry in Binisaya) and Sugilanon [short story in Binisaya]. Applicants should submit a suite of seven to ten (7-10) balak entries with their English translations, or three to four (3-4) sugilanon entries with their English translations.

Manuscripts should be submitted in five (5) hard copies. They should be computerized in MS Word, double-spaced, on 8.5 x 11 inches bond paper, with approximately one-inch margin on all sides. Please indicate the category (FICTION, CREATIVE NONFICTION, POETRY, ONE-ACT DRAMA, BALAK, or SUGILANON) immediately under the title. The page number must be typed consecutively (e.g., 1 of 30, 2 of 30, and so on) at the center of the bottom margin of each page. The font should be Book Antiqua or Palatino, and the font size should be 12.

The applicant’s real name and address must appear only in the official application form and the certification of originality of works, and must not appear on the manuscripts. Manuscripts should be accompanied by the official application form, a notarized certification of originality of works, and at least one letter of recommendation from a literature professor or an established writer. All requirements must be complete at the time of submission.

Send all applications or requests for information to the Department of English and Literature, attention Dr. Warlito Caturay Jr., Workshop Coordinator, 1/F Katipunan Hall, Silliman University, 6200 Dumaguete City. For inquiries, email us at nww@su.edu.ph or call 035-422-6002 loc. 350.

[ photo borrowed from this site ].

58th silliman university national writers workshop fellows

Silliman University, together with the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts, presents the 58th edition of the Silliman University National Writers Workshop on April 29 to May 10 at the Rose Lamb Sobrepeña Writers Village in Camp Look-out, Valencia, Negros Oriental and the SU Campus. Here are the 10 writing fellows of Batch 2019:

Poetry
Arielle Abrigo (Antipolo City)
Alsteine Diapana (Cebu City)

Balak
Jefferson Del Rosario (Danao City)
Dave Pregoner (Lapu-Lapu City)

Fiction 
Kaisa Aquino (Quezon City)
Catherina Dario (Muntinlupa City)
Samuel Evardone (Metro Manila)

Creative Nonfiction
Donna Patricia Manio (Imus City)
Cavite Riddick Recoter (Metro Manila)
Maria Gliceria Valdez (Davao City)

Tara Eunice de Leon and Jhudiel Brigid Plando will join them as special fellows for fiction and nonfiction respectively. Two applicants have also been invited as special workshop mentees: Alter Hofileña (Misamis Occidental) and Geormie Yanoc (Mabinay, Negros Oriental).

The panel of writers/critics for this year includes Director-in-Residence Anthony Tan, resident writers Cesar Ruiz Aquino and Ian Rosales Casocot, as well as regular panelists Alfred Yuson and Marjorie Evasco. They will be joined by guest panelists Rica Bolipata-Santos, Simeon Dumdum Jr., Susan Lara, Grace Monte de Ramos, and National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares.

Beginning last year, the Workshop has been accepting manuscripts for Balak (poetry in Binisaya) with corresponding English translation. The inclusion of Balak has further enriched workshop discussion regarding the craft of poetry rendered in different languages and the cultural nuances that underpin such expression.

Founded in 1962 by S.E.A. Write Awardee Edilberto K. Tiempo and National Artist Edith L. Tiempo, the workshop is the oldest creative writing workshop of its kind in Asia. It was recently given the Tanging Parangal in the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining by the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The Silliman University National Writers Workshop continues the legacy of the Tiempos in giving value to literature and creative writing in the Philippines.

For more information about forthcoming events during the workshop, e-mail Workshop Coordinator Lady Flor Partosa at nww@su.edu.ph or call the Department of English and Literature at (035) 422-6002 loc. 350.  

[ article lifted from the Edilberto and Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center Facebook page ]

my baby

Finally. After weeks of preparation and unloading buckets of anxiety, let me introduce you to my first baby: Weights & Cushions, a chapbook of poetry by yours truly.

Most of the poems are first written sometime between 2007 and 2012, and most of them are previously featured in zines, journals, magazines and literary reviews like Dark Blue Southern Seas, Montage, Philippines Free Press, Philippines Graphic, and Quarterly Literary Review Singapore.

Fresh off the printers this morning are 30 copies—20 of which are going to Dumaguete for Silliman University's LGBTQ Zine and Book Fest on June 25, 2018 (Monday) at the SU Main Library, starting at 10AM. The remaining 10 copies would be for people within my perimeters who would think of getting one. If I’d run out of copies, I’d publish another set for you.

I am selling these for P200 each. A bit pricey, I know, because working things on your own turned out to be laborious and costly. (Shipping costs will also be shouldered by the buyer; which is P100 for shipments around the Philippines).

If you want to support and help out a local writer trying to sell his goods that he has worked with sweat and blood, feel free to drop me a message personally. Feed an artist and get him to pay the bills on time. Trust me, you are doing something good with your purchase. Hehe.

happy birthday, mom.

I never knew then that this would be the last time I’d be seeing this elegant woman next to me in the photo above. That is Edith Lopez Tiempo. This was in 2011, during one of the many nightly events in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Silliman University National Writers Workshop, the oldest creative writing workshop in Asia she founded with her husband Edilberto Tiempo. She was 92 then but she always seemed so strong, full of life and humor. We had a small chat and I was amazed that she could still recall my name after so many years. That is her gift among many others, and the gift she has shared to us is this deep understanding of passion in literature and, basically, life which will always be remembered. There is a reason why we call her Mom; she is not only a National Artist, not only a teacher, but also a gentle nurturer of timeless wisdom. She offered criticism but never judgment, she provided insight and never insult. She is a life changer—especially to the person writing this blog entry. In a journal I had her autographed on back in 2008, she wrote, “Jordan. How proud I am to have a writer who is biblically approved.” Well, Mom, I am also biblically thankful. Happy birthday once again.

54th silliman university national writers workshop fellows

The family tree continues to grow. Congratulations and welcome to the literary brood!

*

The 54th edition of the Silliman University National Writers Workshop is slated to start on 11 May 2015 at the Rose Lamb Sobrepeña Writers Village in Camp Look-out, Valencia, Negros Oriental. The workshop closes on May 29.

Twelve writers from all over the Philippines have been accepted as regular workshop fellows.

Fellows for Poetry

Aimee Paulette O. Cando (University of Santo Tomas)
Angela Gabriele R. Fabunan (University of the Philippines-Diliman)
Darylle Luzarita Rubino (University of the Philippines-Mindanao)
Mohammad Nassefh R. Macla (University of the Philippines-Mindanao)

Fellows for Fiction

Luis Manuel Diores (University of San Carlos)
Patricia Corazon F. Lim (Ateneo de Manila University)
Kristine Abelink Patenio (University of St. La Salle-Bacolod)
Rodolfo Eduardo T. Santiago (Ateneo de Manila University)

Fellows for Creative Nonfiction

Jona Branzuela Bering (Cebu Normal University)
Rowena Rose M. Lee (University of the Philippines-Mindanao)
Miguel Antonio Lizada (National University of Singapore)
Edmark Tejarcio Tan (University of Santo Tomas)


Khail Campos Santia of Malaybalay, Bukidnon (Silliman University) will join them as a special fellow for poetry. The names of other special fellows from around the Asia-Pacific region will be announced later.

Four alternates have also been chosen in case any of the regular fellows declines the invitation: Christian Jil R. Benitez of San Mateo, Rizal (Ateneo de Manila University) for poetry, Edmond Julian Y. Dela Cerna of Davao City (San Pedro College) and Matthew Jacob F. Ramos of Cebu City (Ateneo de Manila University) for fiction, and Fritzie D. Rodriguez of Balaga City, Bataan (University of the Philippines-Diliman) for creative nonfiction.

Three applicants have also been invited to sit as special workshop mentees, including Ana Joaquina Adriano of Dumaguete City (Enderun College), Silvin Federic Real Maceren of Cebu City (Silliman University), and Chuckie Perez Manio of Bacolod City (Silliman University).

The panel of writers/critics for this year will also be announced later.

The workshop, which traditionally lasts for three weeks, is the oldest creative writing workshop of its kind in Asia. It was founded in 1962 by S.E.A. Write Awardee Edilberto K. Tiempo and National Artist Edith L. Tiempo, and was recently given the Tanging Parangal in the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining by the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

For more information about forthcoming events during the workshop, please email Workshop Coordinator Ian Rosales Casocot at silliman.cwc@gmail.com or call the Department of English and Literature at (035) 422-6002 loc. 520. (Edilberto and Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center)