LAKE SEBU, South Cotabato(February 16) — In a lakeside town known for its rich Tboli heritage, twelve artists from across the Philippines came together not just to draw—but to listen.
“Sugilanon: Pambansang Palihan sa Pagguhit ng Aklat Pambata,” a five-day national workshop on children’s book illustration, transformed a quiet corner of Lake Sebu into a creative laboratory from February 2 to 6.
Organized by Room to Read in partnership with Soccsksargen-based publishing house Aklat Alamid, the workshop carried the theme “Pagdiriwang sa mga Tinig na Di Naririnig” (Celebrating the Voices of the Unheard).
The theme set the tone: this was not simply about mastering brush strokes or digital techniques. It was about translating marginalized stories into images children could see—and recognize themselves in.
Stories rooted in community
The narratives brought to life during the workshop were written in a national writing workshop held last year in Guimaras. They will soon be published by independent presses such as Kasingkasing Press, Aklat Mirasol, Pawikan Press, Piko Press, Savage Mind Publishing House, Ili Press, Isang Balangay Media Productions and Aklat Alamid.
For many of the illustrators, the project carried a sense of responsibility. Children’s books are often a child’s first mirror of the world. Whose faces appear on the page—and whose stories are told—can shape how young readers understand identity, culture and belonging.
Learning from masters
Senior Advisor Alfredo Santos of Room to Read led the facilitators, joined by multi-awarded illustrators Liza Flores and Rommel Joson, along with Noel Galon de Leon of Kasingkasing Press.
The workshop opened with a ritual and cultural performance by Linda Osman and Gono Sbung, grounding participants in the cultural rhythms of the host community. Lectures on Tboli traditional arts by cultural masters Myrna Pula and Maria Todi deepened the artists’ understanding of indigenous patterns, symbolism and storytelling traditions.
Beyond the classroom, fellows visited the workhouses of National Living Treasures Bundos Fara and Barbara Ofong—a reminder that illustration, too, is part of a long lineage of visual storytelling.
From sketches to spreads
Artist fellows — Cyrill Acuña, Ja Amores, Aaron Asia, Alyssa Babasa, Arvi Delos Reyes, Dani Go, Tin Javier, Gelai Manabat, Luce Melegrito, Arantxa Orig, Jeannelle Pita and Iggy Rodriguez — underwent intensive sessions on character creation, storyboarding, cover design, kid-testing and spread illustration.
Kid-testing sessions, in particular, offered real-time feedback from young readers, challenging artists to refine expressions, pacing and visual clarity. The goal was simple but demanding: create books that children not only understand, but love.
Building more than books
Parallel to the creative sessions, organizers and local stakeholders met to explore establishing a community children’s library in Lake Sebu. Representatives from local libraries, cultural hubs and social welfare offices joined the discussion, signaling that the workshop’s impact may extend far beyond its five days.
For Room to Read, which works globally to foster literacy and a love of reading among primary school children, the Lake Sebu gathering reflects a broader strategy: invest in local storytellers, strengthen independent publishers, and root literacy initiatives in community culture.
In a time when digital distractions compete for children’s attention, the illustrators in Lake Sebu were quietly building something enduring—pages where unheard voices can finally be seen, and young readers can discover that their own stories, too, deserve space in the world.
