SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY

OF SAN JOSE, BATANGAS INCORPORATED

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
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MODULE NUMBER: 5-6 SECOND SEMESTER

Date: __________________________ 2nd QUARTER S.Y. 2022 – 2023

SUBJECT: CONTEMPORARY
PHILIPPINE ARTS FROM THE REGIONS (CPAR)

NAME: _____________________________________________ TEACHER: ENGR.

RAFAEL E. AQUINO
GRADE AND SECTION: STEM 12/HUMSS 12/ABM 12 CONTACT #:

SJA Vision Statement SJA Mission Statement

The SJA Administrators, faculty and staff join
hands with the parents, alumni and its allies in
creating an educational environment that will develop
in its learners the 21st century skills necessary to
improve literacy, scientific and technical potentials that
embodies love, loyalty and hope for the family, school,
community
SJA and country.
Philosophy Statement
SJA Philosophy Statement
The SJA, a recognized institution of learning
commits itself for the upliftment, development, and
integral growth of its learners. SJA provides learners a
well-rounded education that will maximize their 21st
century skills and develop their total personality to
prepare them for higher educational pursuits and global
competitiveness.

Saint Joseph Academy is a highly respected non-sectarian secondary institution dedicated to impart to the
students the respect in the individual needs of themselves and others. Thus, SJA believes that every student has
the right to learn and get a quality education.

SJA Goals and Objectives

Accepting its role as the second home of its students, SJA endeavors to:

Mould its students to be God-loving and God-fearing, in imitation of the virtues of St. Joseph while respecting
all religious beliefs existing in the community.
Direct the minds of students to become productive citizen with positive Filipino values, developing in them love
of family, community and country.
strengthen the school-community relations through extension programs
stimulate in each student a desire to maximize his own talent

SJA Core Values

S – Simplicity and Self Discipline (Kasimplehan at Disiplinang Pansarili)

J – Justice (Hustisya)
A – Acceptance and Asssertiveness (Pagtanggap at Pagtitiwala)
E – Excellence and Enthusiasm (Kahusayan at Kasipagan)
R – Rapport and Respect (Pagkakaisa at Paggalang)

- - - - - A STUDENT’S PRAYER - - - - -
Lord Jesus, I dedicate myself to you as a student
Thank you for all your blessings and graces, thank you for my parents, teachers, classmates and my school.
Enlighten me to realize the importance of education.
Always be there to guide me to overcome my faults, failures and frustrations that I may become more pleasing to you.
Cast out all evil spirits from me and all my educational materials and other elements that I may encounter during my
student life.
Help me to learn the right values and be able to achieve my goals in life.
Mould me in my growing years to develop my god –given skills and talents.
Empower me with the “gifts of the holy spirit” especially the gift of wisdom, knowledge and love.

MID-TERM I ask these in the mighty name of Jesus through the powerful intercession of Mama Mary.
Yes, Lord Jesus, teach me for you are the greatest teacher.
Amen.

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QUARTER

2 SPOKEN POETRY

What Is Spoken Word Poetry?

Spoken word poetry is a word-based performance art where speakers
engage in powerful self-expression by sharing their views on particular topics
for a live audience, focusing on sound and presentation. Spoken word
performances require memorization, performative body language (like
gestures and facial expressions), enunciation, and eye contact with viewers.

Spoken word poetry is a form of poetry that doesn’t have to rhyme, but
certain parts can be rhymed to emphasize an image or give it a lyrical quality.
Spoken word poems will sometimes contain elements of hip-hop, folk music,
or jazz to enhance the rhythmic presentation.

How to Write Spoken Word Poetry

Written by the MasterClass staff

Last updated: Aug 23, 2021 • 4 min read

Spoken word poetry is a performance art that transcends the written form. If you’ve ever watched slam
poetry or a dramatic monologue at an open mic night, the intense, emotional delivery may have stayed
with you long after it was over. This is the power of spoken word poetry, and it’s meant to be memorable.

How to Write Spoken Word Poetry

Writing spoken word poetry takes both skill and an ability to express emotion
through written words spoken aloud. If you’re looking to create your own
spoken-word piece, check out the following tips for writing this passionate
oral art form:

1. Pick a topic you’re passionate about. Spoken word performances are

filled with emotion, so before you even start writing, make sure the
subject you’re tackling is something you feel strongly about or can
generate a lot of feelings toward. Spoken word poems can cover topics
—however, there is usually a central focus to broader topics. For
example, the topic of “family” might delve into how your grandmother
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inspired you, or how a close relationship with a cousin shaped you, or

how your favorite teacher became like a parental figure to you. Spoken
word poetry can also cover life experiences, like growing up in a broken
home, or it can answer a personal question about yourself, like “What
are you most afraid of?” It could be a unique perspective on social
justice, the first time you experienced a broken heart, or a memory
that’s stayed with you after all these years.
2. Write the gateway line. The gateway line is like your poem’s thesis—it
lets the audience know what you’re going to be talking about. While
your first line prepares viewers for your subject matter, the rest of the
poem should be spent reinforcing, supporting, and expanding on that
initial idea.
3. Focus on sensory details. You want the audience to be put right in the
scene you’re verbally crafting for them, and the best way to do that is to
write vividly . Write what you want the audience to be seeing, hearing,
feeling, tasting, and smelling throughout your entire piece, and use
literary devices like metaphors or similes to create comparisons. You’re
not just memorizing a poem to read back to people, you’re trying to
immerse them into your world, if only for a moment. Vivid descriptions
will create impactful, memorable images, which is exactly what you
want when writing performance poetry.
4. Use repetition and wordplay. Repeating certain lines or words  in a piece
can emphasize an image or idea for your audience. Repeated lines
have staying power in a person’s mind and are effective in getting them
to remember particular scenes. Wordplay is also used often, crafting a
clever mix of pictures, feelings, and sounds for those watching and
listening. Including some of this in your writing can give your poem a
more sophisticated or creative feel.
5. Make it sound good. Spoken word poetry is written to be read aloud, so
the way the poem itself sounds is just as important as the content of the
written words. Poetic devices like onomatopoeia, alliteration, and
assonance are ways to introduce a more rhythmic feel  to the words you
write. A rhyme scheme isn’t necessary, but rhyming particular words or
lines together can enhance your message or story when used properly.
6. Set your poem aside for a while, then revise it. Sometimes when you get
caught up in the emotion of writing a passionate piece, you realize there
are things you could have said better. Walking away from the first draft
of your poem can help you collect your feelings and revisit your work
with fresh eyes, allowing any new thoughts, clarifications, or emotions
regarding your topic to further shape how you deliver your piece.
7. Watch others perform. You can get a better feel for rhythm, structure,
and cadence when you hear experienced spoken word artists do it.
Watch some of the best spoken word poetry either live or on the internet
to understand how to craft great lines with impact. Pay attention to how

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they use their space and the language they use—it may inspire you to
approach your own creative writing  more boldly.
8. End with an image. Your conclusion should wrap up your story for the
audience, or leave them with a lingering thought or feeling. It could be
one of hope, it could be one of pain, it could be one of a lesson learned
—however you decide to conclude your piece, it should tie in with the
message of the poem as a whole. What should viewers take away from
this performance? What should they know about you after watching?
You don’t need a neat ending, but you do need one that creates a
lasting impression.
22 Of Our Favorite Pinoy Spoken Word Artists On
Writing and Performing
Poetry comes in any manner of shape, size, or form. While poetry has always been deeply beautiful it is truly in the past few years
that it’s become widely accessible. Spoken Word, which is poetry performed, has been one of the most significant catalysts to this
movement. Concepts and ideas that were once difficult to convey become relatable to the public once fleshed out through
performance. Here are some local Spoken Word Artists — some poets, others monologists — who we love for bringing the written
word to life:

22. Mark Ghosn

How would you describe your writing or what do you write
most about?:  I get referred to as “the bitter writer” cause I write
mostly about the different kinds of bitterness in love and in life.

What inspires or informs your writing?: I try to make it as

relevant as possible. I get inspired by what’s going on in the world
and combine that with the real stories of people I meet online or in
real life.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: I think

this art form has a lot of potential to entertain, educate and
empower people. If the bitterness that I write can somehow
contribute to making someone feel better, think better, or know
better, then my work as a writer is done.

21. Carlo Bonn Felix Hornilla

How would you describe your writing or what do you write most
about?:  My pieces tend to be of the storytelling type. In poetry, we
aim to say things by not saying it. I’d like to think of my pieces as a
persona sharing his stand about social issues through telling a simple,
funny story.

What inspires or informs your writing?: The news; personal accounts

I hear from people affected by a certain issue; everyday stories from
people I spend time with.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: My greatest

hope for spoken word is for people to have respect for it as we respect
other performance arts such as dance and theater. My greatest hope for
MY spoken word is for my pieces to echo the sentiments of those who

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agree with me, to convince those who do not have an opinion to take a stand, or at least, to be a way to start discourse for those
who disagree with my take.

20. Ian Sudiacal

How would you describe your writing or what do you
write most about?: After thinking or stumbling upon a
message, what comes to mind next is the approach: what
will I ‘write on the box’ or what am I going to use to
wrap it. We’re always told to ‘think outside the box’ but
since that is the go-to advice, I believe that ‘outside’ is
where clichés are because that is where the people are.
Come to think of it, ‘thinking outside the box’ is a
cliché.

I’m not saying that what I write most of the time are
never-been-written-before ideas but I think of ways to
present it in a new light or in an unexpected
way. Needless to say that the box shouldn’t be empty
either.

The things I write about range from love poems for

wedding clients and ‘dead people’ to advocacy pieces that talk about mental health, family, historical revisionism, government and
fake news. 

What inspires or informs your writing?: Except when there are deadlines to meet or a project to finish, I often write when I am
‘at the moment’. Mostly after reading a news article and/or its comment section; a friend shared fake news with a ‘cute’ caption
but doesn’t happen now since I’ve unfriended or unfollowed them already; Or when I remember something. Or someone. Basically
my ‘atm’, be it the present or the past, is my ink.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: When I started way back 2015, what I wanted was just to simply share the
truths and the lies I tell myself. And it saved me from what I was going through then.

But more than the art form, what saved me was the community. I became friends with amazing and like-minded people. 

Now, I also promote the art and the community in my own little way by providing a venue to artists and enthusiasts alike by
organizing spoken word events and poetry submissions feature through the Spoken Word Philippines page and with my
Collaboratory.PH friends.

19. Sonson O.
How would you describe your art form?: In
Ampalaya Monologues, Mark Ghosn writes all the
monologues that we perform. As a monologist, our
job is to give life to all the characters that Mark
Ghosn writes so we can give inspiration to all the
people who can relate.

What inspires or informs your art form?: In my

case, my art form is performing rather than writing.
Being a member of the LGBT Community, I am
always inspired to perform and keep on going
especially when our audience compliments us and
says that they can relate to our performances. The
audience is very thankful that we let ourselves
become an instrument and be the voice for the
people that are having a hard time expressing
themselves and their feelings.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?:I hope that my performances will reach a lot of people so that they will be
able to understand the LGBT Community; not for what they are but for who and what can we do and contribute to the world.

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18. Ryan Macasero

How would you describe your writing or what do you write most
about?: I’d describe my spoken word as a meeting of hip hop and
journalism. I write mostly about sociopolitical issues from the lens of
my intersectional identity as a Cebuano; as the son of Filipino
immigrants who grew up in the diaspora; as a “balikbayan” since 2013;
and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

My writing is highly opinionated and I don’t see it as a bad thing when

it’s tagged as political. I’m with the late Toni Morrison who said: “All
good art is political.”

At the end of the day, I just see it as art that is informed by facts, data
and real-life stories.

*What inspires or informs your writing?:  I spent my early years in

the San Francisco Bay Area, the United States, where hip hop and
spoken word is really popular. Although I can’t call myself a rapper
because I suck at freestyling, I grew up addicted to Def Poetry Jam on
HBO, and staring at music videos on BET and MTV until my parents
had to cut off the cable from our house.

But what informs my writing is my experience as a journalist.

Because of the nature of my work I observe all kinds of violence, social injustice and inequality around me. I often found myself
frustrated and deeply affected emotionally in my reporting on the struggles of groups like OFWs, laborers, farmworkers,
LGBTQIA+s, and even fellow journalists.

I’ve found spoken word — where I was allowed to be more emotional and opinionated —to be cathartic and a good way to sort out
how covering these stories affected me emotionally.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: I try not to overthink it, but what I hope to achieve through this art form is
actually not much different than what I hope to achieve through journalism — to speak truth to power, to inform, maybe inspire,
and/or to simply make people think.

When I start to overthink doing this art, I bring myself to this popular quote about art (although I can’t verify who said it first) it
goes: Art should comfort the disturb and disturb the comfortable.

At the end of the day, that’s all I want to do as an artist.

17. Blaire John

*How would you describe your writing or what
do you write most about?: All the pieces that I
performed as one of their actors were written by our
director/writer/founder/mentor (all-in-one, jack of all
trades) Mark Ghosn […]For me, I would best
describe his pieces as very emotional yet realistic
and inspiring […] It makes people like me realize
how bad our decisions were before and would make
us learn from it already moving forward.

What inspires or informs your writing?:  I think

[Mark’s] writing is inspired by the daily heartbreak
that every human being in this world is experiencing.
These are the things that we, as humans, are
normally shy to discuss with other people because
were scared that we might be judged or we might
embarrass ourselves in front of other people.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: I hope to reach a wider audience and make people realize that it’s okay to
discuss things we think as small or things we think do not even matter at all on a daily basis. But these are the things that normally
cause us frustrations, heartaches, mental health issues especially when ignored. No one is really perfect to have a great life.
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Sometimes, what we need in order to move

along and be okay is just talk about it. Talk
about the things we really want to talk
about. We need one another. No one can live
alone. No man is an island.

16. Louise Meets

How would you describe your writing or
what do you write most about?: I guess
“confessional” is how I would describe my
writing. I like rattling the skeletons in my
closet. I know confessional writing is often
considered self-indulgent, but I find it
cathartic and intimate, an exorcism of sorts.
Home, mental illness, sexuality, and
womanhood are some themes that usually
appear in my writing.

What inspires or informs your

writing?: My writing is largely informed by
my own memories and experiences.

What do you hope to achieve through this

art form?: I began writing because I wanted
to A) name the bad and take away its power
and B) celebrate and immortalize the good. I never thought other people would enjoy/relate to my writing. But since I started
performing, a lot of people have come up to me saying they saw themselves in my poems. That my words became a source of hope
for them. And I guess that’s what I hope to achieve: to make other people feel less alone, even if I don’t have any answers.

15. Raymart Avellaneda

How would you describe your writing or what do you write most about?: Noong nagkaroon ako ng lakas ng loob na
magpaskil ng aking mga katha sa social media, karaniwan kung naging paksa ay tungkol sa  pang-aabuso (gahasa kadalasan).
Tinawag na ‘dark’ ng ilang mambabasa ang aking genre sapagkat madalas ito’y madugo at may namamatay sa dulo ng kwento. Ito
ang munti kong paraan ng pagsimpatya sa mga madidilim at karumaldumal na danas nilang mga naiwan sa dilim. Mga
pangyayaring iniiwasang pag-usapan ngunit naganap, nagaganap, at magaganap pang tiyak. Ngunit nang magsimula ako sa
entablado ng pagtatanghal, mas namulat at napag-aralan ko pa ang iba’t ibang disiplina sa maraming mukha ng sining. Ngayon,
itinuturing ko ang sarili bilang manunulat na kagaya ng tubig; walang sariling hulma at sumusunod lamang sa hugis ng sisidlang
paglalagyan— ngunit hindi nababawasan ang pagiging tubig; hindi nawawala ang bitbit na mensahe sa bawat kwento.

What inspires or informs your writing?: Nagsimula akong magsulat sa pagkakatanda ko ay noong nasa ikalawang baitang ako
ng elementarya (7yrs.old). Wala akong pambili ng mga laruan kaya ‘ini-imagine’ ko na lang ang mga senaryo at isinusulat ko. Mas
naaliw ako dahil pakiramdam ko kontrolado ko ang lahat ng puwedeng mangyari. Ako ang pumipili kung sino ang taya, sino bida,
sino kalaban, sino burot— ako ang ‘boss’ kumbaga. Sa paraan naman ng pagsulat, dalawang libro na mayroon ako ang
pinanggalingan ng istilo ko: mga textbook na pinahihiram nang libre noon sa mga pampublikong paaralan at ilang pocketbooks na
palihim kung binabasa noon (nagtatago ako sa nanay ko dahil bawal daw sa bata iyun). Hanggang ngayon ay dala ko pa rin ang
mga impluwensyang iyan sa panulat ko.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: Bago pa man ako tumuntong sa entablado ng pagsulat, inisip ko nang
mabuti ito. ‘Full-time’ ika nga sa wikang Ingles ang pagiging manunulat ko. Ibinigay ko na sa sining ang buhay ko kaya
magtagumpay, may marating man o wala ay tanggap ko na. Ang mahalaga ay pinili ko ang nag-iisang bagay na nagpapasaya at
iniibig ko. Pero kung tatanungin ako kung anong pangarap ko bilang manunulat, libre naman mangarap kaya tataasan ko na: a)
gusto kong manalo ng Palanca Awards, Makabuo ng libro, makapagsulat para sa pelikula. B) Gusto kong marating ng mga sulatin
ko ang iba pang mapangaraping kaluluwa, mabasa’t pag-aralan nila ako hanggang makagawa sila nang sarili nilang obra, gusto
kong mapagyabong ang pagkukwwento sa wikang Filipino. Gusto kong sa modernong panahon ay makalilok kami ng sariling
larawan kung paano naging salamin ng lipunan ang mga likha ng aking henerasyon. Gusto kong maging immortal ang Pilipinong
Sining.

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14. Justinne Punsalang

*How would you describe your art
form?: My forte, I should say, is
performing angry characters. I think it is
because it is easy for me to tap on my
anger and that when I am angry, I have
less hesitations. But recently, [I have
been given] what I would call ‘soft’
characters or characters that are calm and
have inward emotional struggles. Those
characters are helping me develop as an
actor because they are challenging me to
tap on other emotions, to put myself in
the shoes of a person I cannot relate with
in reality, and to explore my acting
prowess.

What inspires or informs your art

form?: I perform because I love to
perform. I find it enjoyable to explore a
character, learn her experiences, share
her emotions through the pages of the
script given to me. It is liberating for me to temporarily leave my own body and give way for the character to enter me and give
her five to 10 minutes of life and give her a voice. I cannot explain it in words but I will do my best — I enjoy the rush of
adrenaline before coming on stage, nervousness during the first minute of performance, the nakedness of bearing my raw and
vulnerable self in front of people I know, and the calm after the storm or the satisfaction that I did my best to give justice to the
character. I learn from these characters and their experiences serve as lessons for me. 

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: On a personal level, I hope to achieve personal growth through
performing. I am not a social person, so I have a hard time conversing with other people. But with exploring the characters I am
given, I get to understand other people, get a glimpse of other people’s experiences. I learn empathy through performing. But on a
bigger and more social scope, I hope that as an artist, as a member of Ampalaya Monologues, we get to help people out. I hope
that our performances will encourage battered women to step up and fight for their rights. I hope that our monologues will raise
awareness and support to members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I hope that we can help people experiencing heartbreak to
move on. I hope that as much lesson as we as performers gain, our audiences will also learn from our characters.

13. M Manese
How would you describe your writing or what
do you write most about?: I don’t think I write
very well, to be quite honest. I do, however, think
that I understand emotions decently. If anything,
what I lose in form, I retain with rawness. So I
tell stories that are close to me, stories I
understand a little better. I write a lot about my
family, crazy as we are. My relationship with my
mother, my being a woman. I write a lot about
love, my selfishness with it, the acceptance of
this. All sorts of things.

What inspires or informs your writing?: Music

is my top inspiration. I consume a lot of it. I also
love to read.

What do you hope to achieve through this art

form?: I think it never changed since I first took
the stage. I wanted to tell a story. It doesn’t
necessarily have to be my story, but I wanted to tell a story. A good one? Perhaps, but not every story is. Nor does it have to be. A
moving one, most definitely. Something uncomfortable. Something that makes us think. No, not just think, feel.

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12. Janine Lloce 

*How would you describe your art form?: The
important part of being a Monologist and an Actor is
to always keep in your head that you finally have or
soon will have a strong grasp of how to show your
hard work, what acting is all about, and that you’re
absolutely serious that you love doing this.

What do you hope to achieve through this art

form?: As an Actor and Monologist, I just want to
cause a reaction, to connect to the people or
audience, hope to change their perspective by
sending them the message of what the writers want
us to interpret, improve, and change how it works.
Being engaged in this kind of craft is very therapeutic
to me.

11. Trevor Viloria

How would you describe your writing or what do you write most
about?: I write about ugly things. No frills. No romanticization. I write
about my abusive childhood, my struggle with mental illness, my anger,
and my relationship with religion (or lack of it). I’ve been told my
writing and performances make people uncomfortable, and I think that’s
a good thing. Occasionally, I will write about love and heartbreak, but I
don’t really do that anymore.

What inspires or informs your writing?: Besides my own experience,

I take inspiration from kindred spirits. I sometimes try to write on behalf
of people who went through the same things I did but unlike me, I never
had a platform to talk about it. My writing motifs usually come from
unusual places like science, meta stuff, and biblical stories among other things.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: I want to empower people, encouraging them to express their pain instead
of bottling it up inside. Whether what’s bothering them is personal or political, I want people to write about it. I want people to
write about the things and issues they care about, no matter how uncomfortable or awkward they may be.

10. Ram Malli

How would you describe your writing or what do
you write most about?: I enjoy using movements
as images in my writing since the themes that I
tackle in my craft are mostly about sex and
sexuality. I also write about abuses, some of them
rooted in my own personal experiences and the
things happening around me.

What inspires or informs your writing?: Deriving

from memory helps me a lot! I’m a homosexual, and
since I’m part of a marginalized sector, the
narratives of the people who belong in my
community provide me with enough rage to write
and fight simultaneously. The current state of the
country with the decline of human rights also drives
me to do what I do. 

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What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: I want to be able to empathize with a large group of people; art is the way
we connect with one another, and I hope that spoken word will effectively give me the pedestal that I need to do it. My job as an
artist is to feel emotions twice as hard, so I could articulate them and let people understand sensations that they can’t word
themselves.

9. Zuela Herrera
How would you describe your writing or what do you write most
about?: Most of my pieces are about struggles and self-love. Kind of my
way to remind, not only myself, but also everyone, if we really want to
change the world for the better, we need to start with ourselves, which has
always been the hardest.

What inspires or informs your writing?: The news and music.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: For people to learn
how to really listen and empathize through different stories of struggles.

8. Jonel Revistual
How would you describe your writing or what do you write most about?: Most of
my pieces revolve around the struggles of the masses. Back in college, I
became a part of the League of Filipino Students, a progressive group
in PUP, and that’s where I picked up a question that I still ask myself
until now: To whom do you make art for?

What inspires or informs your writing?: It’s my habit of reading

and watching the news.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: I hope that
my pieces can be an eye-opener for people. Most of the time, we are
afraid of what we don’t know, so we keep ourselves uninformed. I
wanted to somehow change that by explaining stories of oppression
through poetry.  

7. Angela Mae Pamaos

How would you describe your writing or what do you write most
about?: Most of the time, I write about social issues: political, women, mental
health, minority, and life.

What inspires or informs your writing?: Movies. Books. My personal

encounter to life in a daily basis or “danas” is number one. True stories of course
from the people who suffered from oppression (different kinds of it).

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: At least, to spark
something. To discuss the things we need. And, pag-isipin ‘yong audience.
Papiliin din sila. For me, you cannot do things for them to see what’s
wrong, hindi mo pwedeng i-impose iyon eh, but you let them realized it, to also
questioned things. And to move. Poetry, paper first then stage then out of the
stage.

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6. Henri Igna
How would you describe your writing or what do you write most
about?: I like describing my writing (and even my writing process) as
intuitive, thus most of what I write about are things that are very
personal to me like my struggles with love, being a member of the
LGBTQ+ community, etc.

What inspires or informs your writing?: I mostly get my inspiration

from things I see on the road while commuting. With the worsening
traffic situation in Metro Manila, you’re bound to form insights on your
way home. But whenever I write about things I do not have first-hand
experience of, I make it a point to read and research. Having a voice in
this platform requires a level of responsibility in how you express your
truth.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: At first it was
mostly selfish. I wanted to share. I wanted to express how I feel without being judged. I want to feel that my voice matters.
Stepping on to the stage less and less, now I want others to feel the same way I did. I want people to find their voice and realize
that their stories are important no matter what they have to say (of course, with a certain level of responsibility).

5. Kat Roxas
How would you describe your writing or what do you write most
about?: I’d always thought my writing is very personal since I usually
write about the things I value, my experiences and beliefs —  be it in
love, society, and even mental illness. These are the thoughts I wouldn’t
have the courage to say in any other way. I always thought my writing
was separate from the girl I project out into the world, but at the same
time it’s the most raw and unfiltered version of who I am.

What inspires or informs your writing?: Consume art to make art. I

get inspiration from movies, books, even snippets of music videos. I
think art awakens a new part of me that just begs to be let out into the
world. I also write from my anger with what’s happening to us as a
country, and to the world as a society.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: To make a

connection. I want for someone to hear me and find comfort in a shared
experience, to know that they’re not alone in whatever struggle or
sadness they go through.

4. Abby Orbeta
How would you describe your writing or what do you write most
about?: Most of my pieces come from personal experiences so there
really isn’t one theme that I write most about. I write to be able to
process things I do not understand or would like to get to know more. I
like telling stories and I wanted to be a stand up comic so my writing
style is mostly narrative with a bit of humor injected in them.

What inspires or informs your writing?: I feel like my writing

inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere but my writing is
heavily inspired by real-life experiences, personal or otherwise.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: To be honest,

when I first started performing spoken word I just needed a platform to
share my work, as a form of cleansing. I realized along the way that
spoken word, those that I have consumed and created, has helped me

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through so many difficult moments in my life. I keep creating and performing as a way to pay it forward and hopefully be able to
help others with my words as well.

3. Jihad Mambuay
How would you describe your writing or what do you write most about?: Most
of the time, I write based on personal experiences. It helps me process my own
thoughts and eventually put things into perspective. Spoken word has helped me
realize that sometimes, it is easier to share parts of ourselves kapag binihisan sila at
ipinakilala bilang mga karakter. In a way, each performance is a step towards
introducing yourself to others.

What inspires or informs your writing?: I have always believed that what makes
our work unique is the perspective we take. Which is why I take heavy inspiration
from things happening to me, around me.

What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: To share stories. Stories
shape us as people. It can spark wonder and inspire action. It can help you
understand where other people are coming from.

I’d also like to believe that what we do helps nurture a community of listeners. During these times when it’s so easy to focus on
ourselves, it’s also

2. Alfonso Manalastas
*How would you describe your writing or what do you
write most about?:  Honestly, I find it a bit hard to describe
one’s own writing. My body of work is made up largely of
socio-politically charged pieces as opposed to the thematic
“love poetry” stereotype that people tend to pigeonhole spoken
word artists in.

But I’ve never believed in their distinctions to begin with,

especially because I see love as a radical reaction to the things
we are predisposed to feel nothing but hatred for. But if I were
to categorize my writing, not that categorization is the point,
I’d say my work usually revolves around sociopolitical
concerns like rape culture, mental health, ecology, and
whatnot.

What inspires or informs your writing?: I think like most

people, I use artistic production as a reactionary tool. This is
because I realized in retrospect, I tend to gravitate towards the
themes that I feel most strongly about. Take, for example, one
of my pieces called “Boys will be Boys” is a persona poem written from the perspective of the male oppressor. What ultimately
prompted the narrative was a certain rape incident in Standford where a student-athlete named Brock Turner raped and abandoned
an unconscious woman behind a dumpster.

The aftermath of the incident resulted in a plethora of news headlines spewing from all corners that essentially blamed the victim
for getting too drunk or for having been dressed a certain way. I was furious about the whole thing and saw spoken word as an
outlet to exhaust my personal grievances on the matter.

1. Serge Gabriel
2.
How would you describe your writing or what do you write most
about?: Light and cheery, most of the time. Love, Pokemon, my
interests, etc. The heavier ones are usually about issues (historical
revisionism, bullying) I feel strongly about.

What inspires or informs your writing?: Strong feelings towards

people, things, issues, etc. Sometimes, I just want to write.
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What do you hope to achieve through this art form?: To have more people just enjoy writing.

Share with us your favorite Pinoy spoken word artist! 

ACTIVITY 1. PERFORMANCE
1. Create a spoken poetry among your members and perform in our class. Select from any of the
following topics:
a. Heartache
b. Self-Love
c. Friendship
d. Depression
e. Family
f. Studies/School
g. Politics/Election
h. Religion
i. Sexuality

“Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions

of his personality to the world he lives in.”
- Amy Lowell

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Always keep up the good work…

HONOR CODE
HONOR CODE
As a learner, ______________________________________ As a parent/guardian, ____ ________________, I
of Saint Joseph Academy of San Jose, Batangas understand the eligibility requirements for me to take part in
Incorporated: providing academic assistance and support to the learner
mentioned above.
I will conduct myself with integrity and honesty in all matters.

I will demonstrate respect and responsibility in all of my
actions.
I will uphold the values of active citizenship and abide by the
expectations set forth in the Academicians’ Handbook.
I submit myself to monitor the honesty, integrity and
discipline while doing and performing the assigned task to
my child/children.
I make this pledge in the spirit of HONOR and TRUST.

I make this pledge in the spirit of HONOR and TRUST.

________________ ____________________________
_________________ _________________________ Date Signature of Parent/Guardian
Date Signature of Learner over Printed Name
over Printed Name

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