Photography and Poetry Bring Sorsogon s Coastal Stories to Life for Design Week and Worldwide Photowalk

SORSOGON, PHILIPPINES — Photography, poetry, and environmental advocacy will come together in “LAKAT-LENTE nan RAWIT-DAWIT SA BAYBAYON: Photowalk x Poetry Reading at Gubat Bay,” happening on October 3, 2026, in Gubat, Sorsogon, as part of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk and Design Week Philippines, in partnership with the DTI Design Center of the Philippines.

Organized by the Kurit-Lagting Art Collective in partnership with the Save Gubat Bay Movement (SGBM), a community movement composed of fisherfolk and coastal residents, with Rhymes of PEG as poetry partner, the activity brings together photographers, artists, poets, environmental advocates, and community members to explore and document the coastal heritage, livelihoods, and stories of Gubat through creative expression.

The collaboration connects people whose relationships with the coast are shaped by different experiences: the daily work and lived realities of fisherfolk and coastal communities, and the creative practices of photographers, artists and poets. Together, they will use photography and poetry to document the places, people, and stories that shape the community.

Anchored on the “Sama All” theme of Design Week Philippines, the activity highlights the role of collaboration in using the arts to foster community engagement, appreciate local heritage, and encourage greater care for the environment.

“Our coastal areas are not just landscapes. They are part of our heritage, livelihood, and identity. For fisherfolk, the sea is also where their livelihoods are rooted. Through photography, we can document what we have, show what is at risk and help more people understand why our bays and coastal communities are worth protecting,” said Allan Espallardo, president of the Save Gubat Bay Movement.

Photography also serves as a way to preserve community memory and create conversations about place. For Kurit-Lagting Art Collective, the photowalk provides an opportunity to bring people together through visual storytelling.

“When we photograph our communities and coastlines, we create visual records of our heritage while opening conversations about what we value and what we need to protect. Lakad-Lente is our way of bringing people together to look, create and tell these stories collectively,” said Allan Abrigo, walk leader and co-founder of Kurit-Lagting Art Collective.

Poetry adds another dimension to the experience, allowing participants to interpret the coastal landscape through words, memory, and emotion.

“Photography captures what we see, while poetry gives voice to what we feel. Bringing them together allows us to tell a deeper story about our bay, our community and our shared responsibility to protect it,” said Geri Matthew “Choi” Carretero, co-founder of Kurit-Lagting Art Collective.

The collaboration also creates an opportunity for photography and poetry to meet in one shared creative experience. Jessa Erandio, representative of Rhymes of PEG, said the group was looking forward to exploring this combination.

“This is the first time that photography and poetry will be combined in one event, and we are really looking forward to it. As artists, it feels like enjoying the best of both worlds in a single event, and that in itself is a masterpiece. We also hope that through this activity, we can raise greater awareness about the situation in Gubat Bay and encourage more people to join the cause,” said Erandio.

The same spirit of collaboration extends to the way participants will experience and interpret the place. Biernes Atrece, founding partner of MaLikhain Studio, said the photowalk would offer an opportunity to see the same landscape through different perspectives.

“This photowalk is a wonderful way of bringing diverse perspectives together, creating a collective experience where we not only capture the world through our own lenses, but also discover, learn, and share through the eyes of others,” said Atrece.

The creative process can also help amplify stories from local communities.

“Photography gives communities a powerful way to document and share their stories. We hope to help amplify these local narratives and bring them to wider audiences,” said Rey Anugon, president of Friends of Saint Mary MacKillop, Inc.

For Gadgetry City, supporting the photowalk is a way to support those who use photography to tell stories and preserve memories.

“Every photograph captures more than a moment. It captures a story. Gadgetry City is proud to support those who use photography to turn moments into memories and make Sorsogon worth remembering,” said Dudz Clotario, COO of Gadgetry City.

Through LAKAT-LENTE nan RAWIT-DAWIT SA BAYBAYON, participants are invited to see photography not only as an art form, but also as a means of documenting heritage, telling environmental stories and building community connections. By bringing artists and photographers together with fisherfolk and coastal communities, the activity creates space for local experiences and perspectives to become part of the stories being told through the event.

The activity builds on Kurit-Lagting’s continuing efforts to bring creative practice into communities and create meaningful conversations about place, culture and the environment. It also builds on the collective’s previous collaboration with the DTI Design Center of the Philippines, including Lakat-Lente in Pampanga in 2025, as well as Kurit-Lagting and SGBM’s earlier community engagement in Gubat in 2022.

Kurit-Lagting Art Collective and community partners gathered during an earlier community engagement in Gubat, Sorsogon, in 2022.

Participants of the 2025 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk in Sorsogon City, organized by Kurit-Lagting Art Collective.

Photo walkers explored and documented local stories during the 2025 photowalk in Sorsogon City.

Following the photowalk, Kurit-Lagting Art Collective and Rhymes of PEG, in collaboration with Save Gubat Bay Movement, are also planning an exhibition featuring works and creative responses generated from the activity. The exhibition will provide another platform for participants, fisherfolk and the wider community to share their perspectives on Gubat’s coastal landscape and the stories connected to it.

The event is supported by Delta Beta Omega Sorsogon (DBO), MaLikhain Studio, DigitalCrafters Printing Services, Gubat Photographers Club, Bicol Traveler, Friends of Saint Mary MacKillop, Inc. (FSMM), Anugon Water Refilling Station, Gubat St. Anthony Cooperative (GSAC), Gadgetry City, and the Chancery. Their contributions help make the community-based creative initiative possible.

LAKAT-LENTE nan RAWIT-DAWIT SA BAYBAYON is part of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk 2026, Sorsogon Edition, bringing together photography, poetry, and community participation in a shared creative experience along Gubat’s coast.

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For more information, please contact:

Kurit-Lagting Art Collective Secretariat
kuritlagting@gmail.com

Kurit-Lagting