12 Filipino Illustrators Spotlighted at Room to Read Workshop

LAKE SEBU, South Cotabato — Twelve Filipino illustrators from different parts of the country will come together for the first time for SUGILANON: 𝐏𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐮𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐚, to be held from February 2 to 6, 2026 at Sa Balai Lake View Resort in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.

The five-day national workshop is organized by Room to Read, an international nonprofit organization that promotes literacy and a love of reading among young learners, in partnership with Aklat Alamid, an independent press based in Mindanao. The workshop aims to strengthen illustrators’ skills in creating images that bring to life children’s stories rooted in the experiences of communities whose voices are often unheard.

With the theme “Pagdiriwang sa mga Tinig na Di Naririnig,” SUGILANON will focus on illustrating stories developed during last year’s writing workshop in Guimaras. The books produced from this workshop will be published by various local publishing partners, including Kasingkasing Press, Aklat Mirasol, Pawikan Press, Piko Press, Savage Mind Publishing House, Ili Press, Isang Balangay Media Productions, and Aklat Alamid.

The participating illustrators are Alyssa Denise T. Babasa, Daniela Louise Banal Go, Maria Angela Louise C. Manabat, Justine Gabriela S. Amores, Raoul Ignacio M. Rodriguez, Aaron Paul Asis, Arn Vian Alfonso Delos Reyes, Aldrin Cyrill Capulong Acuña, Jeannelle Eliza P. Abad, Luce Domini F. Melegrito, Arantxa Maccine J. Orig, and Christina Javier.

Leading the workshop are respected figures in literature, art, and education. Among the key mentors is Al Santos, an award-winning writer and Senior Advisor at Room to Read, internationally recognized for his contributions to children’s literature and works for stage, television, and film. Serving as Art Director is Liza Flores, an illustrator and designer whose books have received National Children’s Book Awards and have been included in the prestigious The White Ravens list.

Also joining the workshop are Rommel Joson, illustrator and faculty member at the UP College of Fine Arts; Noel Galon de Leon, poet, educator, and founder of Kasingkasing Press; and guest speakers Boi Myrna Pula and Boi Maria Todi, both Tboli cultural masters who actively work to preserve and promote Tboli culture in the Philippines and abroad.

The overall workshop coordinator is MJ Cagumbay Tumamac, a writer and reading advocate from southern Mindanao.

Through SUGILANON, the organizers hope to further strengthen the link between art, culture, and education, while creating more space for stories from marginalized communities to reach and inspire young readers across the Philippines.