Sixteen budding writers from Soccsksargen Region participated in the SOX Writers Workshop (SWW), held from November 25-27, 2023, at the Regional Science Research Center (RSRC), at Mindanao State University-General Santos City (MSU-GenSan).
The workshop, originally known as the SOX Summer Writing Camp and first launched at MSU GenSan in 2019, is a cornerstone of the growing literary scene in southern Mindanao. It seeks to foster and promote emerging writers in the region, inspiring them to create literary works that encapsulate and celebrate the diverse cultures of the Soccsksargen (SOX) Region.
The fellows of the SWW 2023 submitted their manuscripts, which included short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. These works became the focus of the workshop discussions, with literary mentors providing constructive critiques to enhance the pieces.
This year’s SWW fellows were as follows: In creative nonfiction, we had Rexcel Samulde (South Cotabato), Angelo Pasobillo (GenSan), Jemima Atok (Cotabato Province), and Zia Clyde Daguplo (Sarangani Province), all mentored by Jennie Arado.
In poetry, the fellows were Jessa Mae Magbanua (South Cotabato), Yeshia Cahilig (Sultan Kudarat), Raihana Lamalan and Angel Kate Bok (Sarangani Province), Arnel Lawa (GenSan), and Kevin Ray Abesamis (Cotabato Province), guided by their mentor Gerald Galindez.
In short fiction, the fellows included Benjie Martinez (Cotabato Province), Benhur Suminsing (Sarangani Province), Maria Shakera Khalan (South Cotabato), Princess Hannah Peligro (Sarangani Province), Laurehl Onyx Cabiles (Sultan Kudarat), and Angel Grace Llamelo (GenSan), all under the mentorship of Michael John Otanes.
On the first day of the workshop, three esteemed literary panelists, Dr. Estrella Golingay, Gutierrez “Teng” Mangansakan II, and Eric Gerard Nebran, provided an enlightening overview of SOX literature in the plenary discussion. They also shared insights from their personal writing journeys, offering a unique perspective to the participants.
“SWW 2023 serves not only as a learning platform for the region’s writers but also as a place where they can bond and form a stronger SOX literary community. It is always good to finally find peers who resonate with your intellectual and emotional spectrum,” said SWL Chairperson and workshop director Carlou Barroca Espedillon in his Facebook post.
The Sarangani Writers League (SWL) organized the SWW 2023 in partnership with Tridax Zines, Maratabat: MSU-GenSan Writers Guild, and Pingkian. The event was also supported by Aklat Alamid and the National Book Development Board. By Genory Vanz Alfasain, contributor