By Kel Almazan
Sa pagbabago ng panahon,
Patuloy ang pagputol ng mga puno
Kasabay ng pag-iyak ng mga ibon
Ang pagkatuyot ng mga dahon
Sakit ng kalikasan, dulot ng mga tao
Na siyang dapat mangalaga nito
Higit pa sa kayamanan o kahit anong ginto
Ating kalikasan, ipaglaban at huwag isuko
— Hinanakit ng Kalikasan, Kristel Anne Martinez
Eighteen writers from Valenzuela, Bulacan, and Rizal gathered to join the Luntiang Tinta, a community-based writing workshop on climate change. The activity was led by the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI) Knowledge Sharing Division in partnership with the Valenzuela Arts and Literary Society (VALS). The activity was held on November 15, 2025 at the Valenzuela City Academic Center for Excellence. The main goal of the workshop was to document the lived experiences of communities vulnerable to hazards in the form of poetry, fiction, and script.
The activity began with an introduction to science communication with Dr. Inez Ponce De Leon, Associate Professor at the Ateneo de Manila University. Where scientific information should not be confined to the academe, she cited the importance of going to communities, listening to their stories, and learning from their experiences. It was followed by a discussion on the climate crisis with Dr. Likha Minimo, Director of the Knowledge Sharing Division. She explained how systemic vulnerabilities aggravate the exposure to hazards. Then the UPRI YouthMappers, represented by Rian Maculado, Jelly Resurreccion, and Kylle Valero, led the activity on mental mapping. Participants illustrated their mental maps and shared the realization that each individual uses landmarks to navigate our everyday lives.
The next half of the activity was the writing workshop proper. VALS facilitated the breakout sessions with Christian Bilolo for poetry, Alden Pilongo for fiction, and Ian Jay Formacion for script.
Kailan bibigayang espasyo ang kung saan tayo’y naririto?
Bibigyang halaga ang kinatatayuan ng mga paa,
Iisipin ang hindi lang iilan kundi lahat ng atin
Pagkat lahat ay mawawala dahil sa ating hindi pagtingin
— Sa Hindi Pagtingin, Jobern Santos
Participants wrote their pieces anchored on the urgency of the climate crisis. The activity concluded by reaping the ‘punla’ that came from the ‘binhi’ at the beginning of the workshop. It served as a reminder for writers to continue sharing stories that will shape society.