Better Late Than Never

I have been planning this post since December 2025. When I began my journey toward a master’s degree, my time and energy gradually shifted away from the writing circles I had once been deeply involved in. Even years after completing that degree, I found myself still distant from those spaces that once shaped my identity as a writer.

Because of that realization, I decided to write this post. Think of it as a small personal manifesto, my way of recommitting to art and literature as a writer from Iligan.

The plan is simple but intentional: I will begin releasing the projects I have been postponing for years, one small piece at a time. While my day job has often taken much of my attention, I prefer to see it not as a limitation but as a reminder to move forward steadily and realistically. Rather than waiting for the “perfect time,” I will work on these ideas step by step.

To help sustain this effort—and to hold myself accountable—I also plan to open a patron-support platform where those who believe in my work can support these creative projects. (I will share the links soon on my Facebook account.) Even modest support can go a long way in helping ensure that at least one project moves from idea to completion.

Alongside these personal projects, I am also working with a small but passionate group of student-artists at the university where I teach. Together, we co-founded an art collective called Mugna Kalinaw Artvocates (Mugna).

Mugna's First Major Activity: Face-Painting Workshop

The collective began in 2024 when a handful of freshmen from my Art Appreciation class—who were also the first students who welcomed me as a new faculty member at USTP—approached me with an idea. They wanted to build an art community similar to the ones they had experienced in their high schools. After a few months in the university, they noticed the limited number of student organizations and creative activities available to them. With their initiative and enthusiasm, we worked together to establish Mugna.

From my experience helping build student organizations, I know that the early years are often the most challenging. Sustainability, especially financial sustainability, is usually the biggest hurdle. To help support the organization while also developing my own creative practice, I will begin offering consultancy services related to art, writing, and creative projects. This will be my first time doing so, and I look forward to learning from the process. Here are some of the services I can offer for  consultation:

• Creative Writing Consultations
• Public Speaking Consultations
• Undergraduate Research Consultations
• Academic Consultations
• Online ESL/EFL Teaching Consultations
• Content Writing
• Speech Writing
• Translation for Specific Purposes (Binisaya, English, Filipino)
• Voice-overs
• Product Reviews and other Art Project Collaborations

Mugna's First Institutional Recognition

In many ways, this moment feels like a quiet restart—one that brings together teaching, writing, and community-building.

Looking ahead, I hope this space will document not only finished works but also the process of making them. If you have followed my work before, thank you for staying with me. And if you are encountering my writing for the first time, welcome.

If you would like to support these projects, whether by reading, sharing, collaborating, or eventually becoming a patron; I would be deeply grateful. I will also be posting updates here and on my social media pages as new pieces, initiatives, and opportunities unfold.

For now, this post simply marks the beginning. And perhaps, as the saying goes, better late than never.