Prof. Joselito D. De Los Reyes, PhD, Chair of the Department of Creative Writing was among the roster of mentors in a seminar-workshop called Voices from the Sea: Strengthening Filipino Narratives on the West Philippine Sea from July 17-19, 2025, at Balay Tuko Garden Inn.
Bringing together professional and campus journalists based in Palawan, the three-day workshop honed young journalists in crafting narratives that humanize the complex issues surrounding the West Philippine Sea and deepen their skills in nonfiction storytelling anchored in science and lived community experiences.
The participants also engaged in intensive sessions on journalism ethics, environmental reporting, and story production, culminating in field immersions in the coastal barangays of Bagong Bayan and Aporawan.
The workshop gathered an interdisciplinary roster of mentors, including broadcast journalists Chiara Zambrano and Jervis Manahan of ABS-CBN, Esquire editor Christa Dela Cruz, and marine scientist Dr. Deo Florence Onda, who spearheaded the initiative.
De Los Reyes is an award-winning essayist and columnist who writes for Rappler and Abante. He has shared practical approaches to creative nonfiction, emphasizing narrative techniques, highlighting personal voices, and community perspectives.
Drawing from his background in literature and journalism, he guided participants in transforming field interviews and observations into compelling, human-centered stories.
The Voices from the Sea project is supported by the US Embassy in the Philippines in partnership with the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation, Inc. (MERF Inc.), and implemented by the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) Microbial Oceanography Laboratory.