Isang maiksing repleksyon at tula kung bakit pinili kong maging manunulat / A short reflection and poem about why I chose to be a writer.
Ako ay namulat sa historyang pinalaya ng mga salita / I am from a history whose freedom came from people who fought with words
Hindi nagmula sa kawalan ang aking mga isinisulat / The things that I write do not come from nowhere
Sila ay nagmula sa pakikinig at pakikipag-kapwa* / They come from listening and being a companion, a fellow

I struggle to translate the Tagalog word Kapwa to english, because it encapsulates deep and rich relationships, and a way of relating to other humans. Kapwa is a Filipino form of recognizing and relating to another being as equal, as someone like you; hence it breeds and nurtures mutual respect, and openness to understanding differences.

Read Manunulat.