The Geography of My Words

For me, a sense of place helps make the reader/audience become immersed in the story they're consuming. It sort of grounds the reader and helps in conveying the themes and message that the writer is trying to tell. 

I guess my "lugar lang" would simply be Davao. I've quite literally lived my entire life here, and can barely remember the few times we visited places beyond Mindanao when I was younger. The various cultures meeting and blending with each other, Davao City being by the sea and the unity I've witnessed between the people here has been sources of inspiration for me in my writing. Yet, despite all of this, there is still much to learn about Davao because I grew up as a sheltered child that was  exposed early to the internet and became very enamored with foreign cultures . There are traditions, beliefs and places I haven't discovered, and need to explore in order to better develop myself as a writer that calls this place home.