This is my presentation to the 3rd Pasig Writers Workshop last 24-25 October 2026 at the Alumni Hall of Rizal High School, Brgy. Caniogan, Pasig City. I shared my experiences in grassroots initiatives from the world of reading and writing, to organizing and storytelling.
Abstract: From quiet pages to a bustling city movement, this presentation explores the journey of transforming a solitary literary hobby into thriving, interconnected communities. Discover how grassroots initiatives like Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books and AGOS ng Pasig came to life, navigating the delicate balance between personal capacity and real-world hurdles. Through local writing workshops, zine projects, and shared creative spaces, this talk highlights the profound power of showing up for one another. Ultimately, it is a heartfelt reminder of why we write to remember, organize to be remembered, and keep the creative current flowing together.
“Hello, I am Ella! A geriatric millennial who wants to feed you something literary.”
This is “content creator prompt” in my Tik Tok page, when I tried sharing all of my thoughts of the book that I read, or a Book Discussion that I moderated, or just a random day in the life of a literary event that I attended. I maybe an accountant, but I do have this literary side. Let me navigate you to my personal journey of organizing these collectives.
I always rant when I am drained out from grinding the corporate to cleaning my house and ultimately, to doing routines that are grueling and sad. That is why I encourage you to go to a Third Space. A third space (sometimes called a third place) is a social environment where people come together for connection, creativity, and belonging. Whether that’s a neighborhood coffee shop, a park bench, or a lively online gaming community, these spaces carry an important role in human life.
For me, this third space is the world of books and stories.
Paano ba ako napasok sa mundo ng pagbabasa? I was a newswriter and feature writer in my early years but it was my first ex who oriented me to book clubs.
Way back before social media and content monetization, he would tell me of his plans to attend monthly meetups.
However, it was KD, a member of the goodreads group where my ex was, who sparked the idea of showcasing Filipino works, and going to the places where the books are set, or were written.
At 2012, the Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books was born! Out of the spirit of volunteerism and a passionate desire to explore the world of Filipiniana, doing some trips together and going to the settings of the books, or where a story collection or a novel was made.
Years down the road and with the help of the community built by the same readers who champion the Filipino works, another spark came last 2023. When Justine Taño, mulling about the vision of a local scene of young writers, deciding to post a facebook update about creating spaces to showcase the culture and sensibilities of the city.
Thus, the 2024 Pasig Writers Workshop was organized.
Sakto, may bago akong bahay sa Pasig! But I do not know how to write of the same calibre of Rogelio Sicat. I am not adept to writing an urban poor lens. I was one of the privileged ones: an EMBO girl, an MTAP achiever, and a lucky girl who recited poems about EDSA revolution in DZRH. I was never like those students in UP studying creative writing.
I was filled with self-doubt. I even shared the call for submissions: Sana pumasa kahit anchakang middle class ang lente ng pagsulat ko ahuhu RIP retirement career kineso.
The push to finally submit was my friends from the PRPB. It was actually Jaffy who “pressured me” to just write it up and send it out. If it got declined, then so be it. Keep writing, he says. “Bakla, sumulat ka lang!”
My own unique calibre was my personal experiences, my practices with book reviews and summarizing BT’s (Book Talakayan), and the perspective of translating SOPs, Audit Findings and vlookup formulas to a prose easily digestible by the non-accountants.
I have to thank Markus Aserit of CYWA for mentioning this in his previous talk with PS Cavite Reads, another literary for Caviteños encouraging the audience to write. As he said, “In a community, there is support and encouragement.”
MY ESSAY GOT ACCEPTED! I was one of the lucky fellows, and the last entry that the whole crowd discussed. Panelists, speakers, and even the organizers have a piece to say about my piece! I was elated, never had I experienced such power in the prose: an entry to open a discourse about crafting Creative Nonficton traversing two cities, two socioeconomic strata, and two languages.
We graduated last 21 April 2024. They gifted us insights, books, and a huge responsibility: “Next year, kayo na magpu-push nito ah!”
Pangiti-ngiti lang yan sila, pero kabado bente na kami nyan.
Back to KD and Justine: these two men started the moment. But the struggle really is the continuous movement. Sustainability and Longetivity is a huge challenge. All of us are newbies! We haven’t had any experience in spearheading a writing workshop. All we had are our hobby of reading and a desire to write.
But with the push of Gerome, we hopped on a zoom meeting to finalize the name of our collective that can resonate our city and our connections as writers. Thanks to Brayan Buten he coined the name Adhika ng Giting sa Obra at Sining ng Pasig (AGOS ng PASIG) — envisioning ourselves to be a body of water that connects, traverses and gives life to the city.
At the same meeting, they asked: “Kailan sisimulan ang pagpa-plano ng 2025 Pasig Writers Workshop? May pondo ba? Paano?” to which I simply replied in sigh:
Maitatawid naman siguro natin ito!
At the start of January 2025, we identified how the group will be structured (like the PH government), the different Secretariats or Committees, the calendar of postings and the logistics of seeking donations. We did the hard-launch at 11:55PM last 31 January 2025 to finally identify the new group name and logo.
We did the call for submissions, did some extensions, prepared for the printouts, logistics and all. The 2025 Workshop happened last 26-27 April 2025.
After the rush of the 4 months worth of preparation, I was simply tired. I don’t want to do workshops anymore. Felt burnout, but the momentum was already there. I personally cannot risk losing the inspiration and the connections formed with the batch 2 fellows.
Again, back to what Markus mentioned: Magkita-kita lang! Regular meetups help on reaching out to the writers who wanted to explore the world of reading literary. Meetups help in building a sustainable routine, even if it becomes a FOMO (in effect).
Good thing that we 2024 fellows brainstormed an idea to collate creative works and create a journal that can be sold for Php200, increasing our funding for future workshops. In addition, queer fellows from 1st and 2nd batches were tapped to submit their craft for the citywide PRIDE Month celebration.
We also collaborated with another collective in the city — Samahang Pangkasaysayan ng Pasig — who are composed of anthropologists, journalists, and musicians who conduct historical walking tours, open mic poetries, and soirees to all Pasigueños who are interested in joining the said group. We attended their events last August 2025 in commemoration of the National Heroes day, reliving the moments of “Nagsabado ng Pasig” a historical Saturday that sparked the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish colonialism.
The biggest crossover with these two groups I lead with happened last September 2025, when fellows from the AGOS ng Pasig attended a Book Talakayan for PRPB. Most of us joined Pat Evangelista’s Some People Need Killing.
Come 2026, lots of things happened with most of the fellows. Some resigned and moved jobs, others graduated and pursued Graduate studies, and some jumpstarted their careers and focusing less on creative writing. Meanwhile, Ella got promoted and hounded at Feb 1st, rushed a family member to the hospital last April 10th, and encountered death at May 9th.
To atone for so many things, I simply donated a lump sum to the fund, hoping that the rest of the fellows and organizers forgive me for being too demotivated to run the 3rd year of Pasig Writers Workshop. Hindi pa kasi ako nakakapagluksa. I even went to a far-flung municipality of Siruma (Happy birthday Ronie!) just to sit and do nothing, or maybe I give myself a space to look at the sea and cry.
At June 2026, we hopped on another zoom call. Kriselda and I suggested that we can chill out first and postpone the workshop to 2027, and instead, do a poetry night on my birthday just to maintain the connection we all started. However, Brian kept on asking, “Bakit ba ayaw mong ituloy this year? May humahadlang ba?”
Told him I was demotivated because we lacked the funds and the help from other members. I wasn’t the only one who experiences burnout, there are many of us. But Brian kept encouraging. I counter-offered two things, “I nominate Brian to be this year’s workshop director, and make the theme Intimate and Personal, because we cannot afford inviting people for their free food and for their free comment on someone’s submission.”
At the same meeting, they asked: “Kailan sisimulan ang pagpa-plano ng 2025 Pasig Writers Workshop? May pondo ba? Paano?” to which I simply replied in singhal:
Maitatawid naman siguro natin ito!
I guess I can also share my previous facebook post about making 2026 Pasig Writers Workshop a reality:
Madalas kong naging tanong ngayong taon ang pagpapatuloy. Parating may preno, pero mas madalas ang highway to hell. Ang pag-angat ko sa corporate ladder ang nagiging biyaheng expressway, at ang pagpanaw ni papa ang kanyang sudden break. Katawan ko man ay naka-seatbelt, pero madalas ang diwa at ang kaluluwa ang tumitilapon.
Pero heto ako ngayon, nagsasalita (magsasalita sa workshop day) na huwag basta bitawan ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nagsimula. Sa bawat pintig ng pulso pagkadinig ng, “Ui! Ang ganda nitong group nyo.” at sa bawat luha sa mga katagang, “Ang gandang vision ito, sana tuluy-tuloy”, at sa bawat lukso ng dibdib sa, “May ganito pala? Wala kasi nito noon!”, isa itong maliit na kislap sa puso para magkaroon ng tibay at tiyaga. Isang spark na hindi lang ako ang personal na naghahanap, pero marami tayo. Ang kapag marami tayong nagtutulungan, kaya nating ihandog ang simple passion project sa mga susunod na taon, hanggang sa, harinawa, maging institusyon.
Nasa awa nga ba ang halina? Siguro. Ang masasabi ko muna, bilang tumatayong pangulo ng ating adhika, tuloy lang!
Padayon sa pagpapadaloy.
At the end of my yapping session, the ethos is this: Nagsusulat tayo para maalala, nago-organisa tayo para makaalala.
We write, hoping to remember.
We organize, hoping to be remembered.
