The City I Come Back To

A sense of place is important in creative writing because this is what shapes the story a writer wants to tell. It gives the scenes emotion and makes them feel real, thus helping the readers connect with the characters’ experiences.

For me, my "lugar lang" would be Makati. My family moves around a lot, but Makati holds a special place in my heart because it is where we lived and where most of my childhood memories were made before we moved outside Luzon. Even as a child, I remember looking out the window and gazing at the bright lights of buildings and streets, fascinated by the people moving through the city below. Although I live in Davao now, my family often flies back to Luzon during long vacations or holidays. Most of my relatives are scattered across Cavite, Pasig, Tondo, and Taguig, and Makati feels like the center of it all. I have spent countless summers there, and it was always comforting how there’s a constant hum of life all around. Makati has seen me grow up and witnessed different versions of myself with each visit. There's something peaceful about city life, even with all the noise and traffic, and as a night owl, I still love feeling a sense of how the city never truly sleeps.