Sheilfa B. Alojamiento began writing for Moro Kurier and National Midweek in the wake of the post-February movement. She took up AB Political Science in Mindanao State University in Marawi and finished AB English in Silliman University in Dumaguete.
Meizan Badrudin is a creative nonfiction writer from Cotabato City. She is the author of the 5 Polymath Project Book Series: Gift of Merci, Academic Asylum, Unchained Narratives, Twilight’s Veil, and Lady in the Countryside, which addresses her advocacy on education, mental health, healthcare, and poverty. She is also a contributor to the Philippine Inquirer Young Blood, with one of her notable articles titled “Being Muslim in a Catholic School.” She has contributed various essays nationwide, including Law of Reversed Effort, Living Inside the Box, Letters Buried Six Feet Underground, Gifted Kid Burnout, Where You At?, The Price of Being an Overachiever, The Sandwich Class, One Percent of the Class, and Apoptosis: We Die Every Day. Some of her research works have been accepted at national conferences, such as her study on Cyberchondriasis. Currently a third-year MedTech student at San Pedro College in Davao City, she passionately advocates for social awareness, embodying the belief that a love for medicine goes hand in hand with a love for humanity.
Joross Michael D. Bongcarawan is a fourth year Secondary Education student at Mindanao State University-Marawi, majoring in English. He is passionate about teaching as it has been his dream since he was a kid. He wants to be an effective educator both in Western and Islamic education, imparting beneficial knowledge to learners that will help them better navigate the complexity of today’s world. He aims to make a great contribution to the community through teaching. His interests include writing poems, short stories, and journals.
Lourd Greggory D. Crisol is a researcher, teacher, and emerging writer from the city of majestic waterfalls, Iligan City. Currently, he is affiliated with the English Department of the Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology. His works have appeared in Bisaya Magazine, as well as in the Beyond the Binary literary magazine. He was also a fellow to the 8th Amelia Lapena Bonifacio Writer’s Workshop organized by the Likhaan UP Institute of Creative Writing, and the TranSCRIPT playwriting workshop organized by Japan Foundation and the Center for Culture and Arts of MSU-IIT. He is passionate about works related to culture and folklore.
Nelson Dino is engaged in writing poetry, short stories, narratives, novels, and song lyrics in different languages. In addition to serving as a history and language faculty member at the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography, he is tasked with being the director of the Cultural Affairs Office (CAO), supervising the Tambuli Cultural Dance Troupe, Gusi Lumba Music Guild, Dolphin Ambassadors, and University Marching Band.
Ahmed ibn Djaliv T. ‘Amin’ Hataman is a provincial board member of the first district of Basilan. He graduated with a degree in Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University in 2023. He currently takes part in many pursuits aimed at youth development for a united and stronger Bangsamoro.
Omarjan Ibrahim Jahuran is an independent scholar and writer from Tabawan island, South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi. Two of his bilingual children’s stories (Sinama and Tagalog) were included in Ani, the 40th edition publication of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in 2018 and he was a contributing writer for the CCP Online Encyclopedia of Philippine Arts (CCP-EPA) in 2019 and 2021 for the architectural designs of the traditional Sama houses and the Langgal Wooden Mosque of Tabawan Island.
He is also a Mother-Tongue Translator (MTT) and language consultant for the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) Philippines Salinan Project in the development and publication of Central Sinama-English Dictionary, which is now available initially as an online version. He is also a co-administrator for the online cultural website www. kaumanSama.org. and Sinamalibrary.org as part of his advocacy in documenting the stories, oral traditions and practices of the Sama people.
From 2018-2019 He had a weekly radio program in Tawi-Tawi at DXGD AM Radio for Peace “Pusaka’ Kamatto’ahan” (legacy of our ancestors) to raise awareness about the Sama Cultural Heritage. He was one of the cultural consultants for the GMA Teleserye “Sahaya” and research assistant for 2 Gawad Urian-nominated Best Documentaries: The “Lepa and Other Watercrafts Boat Building Traditions of the Sama of Tawi-Tawi”; and “7 Dances of Life; A salient socio-religious practices of two Sama communities in Tawi-Tawi” He has training background on Language Translations, Lexicography and Ethnomusicology. Currently he is the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) and Co-Chairman of the Local Council for Tourism, Culture and Arts of South Ubian Municipality, Province of Tawi-Tawi.
Aisha L. Kunting graduated senior high school at Philippine International School in Riyadh, where she was the assistant editor in chief for the Campus Voice paper. She worked for DQ Living Magazine Riyadh as a Content Contributor, creating reels and posts for DQ’s social media accounts. Currently, she is pursuing a degree in Business Administration at Mapua Malayan Digital College. Her hobbies include creative writing such as poems and short stories, and food photography for her Instagram blog, Averenza.
Hussien C. Malawi, born on January 29, 2000, in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies at Mindanao State University – Main Campus. Prior to this, he completed his senior high school education at Al Khwarizmi International College Foundation, where he studied under the ABM strand. His passion for stories and language has driven him to explore various forms of writing, and he has always been fascinated by the way words can evoke emotions and build entire worlds.
Outside of his academic and writing endeavors, he enjoys reading manhwa and manga, sketching, and immersing himself in anime and movies. He also finds joy in listening to music and playing video games, both of which fuel his imagination. Guided by the belief that “Life begins at the end of our comfort zone,” he continuously seeks new experiences and challenges, pushing creative boundaries as he grows in his writing journey.
Rayyan Paglangan is a half Maguindanaon and half Blaan undergraduate student at Mindanao State University-General Santos City, taking up a Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies. She was raised in a Maguindanaon-dominated community in South Cotabato; hence, she grew up culturally inculcated and primed. Currently, she is an active youth leader, a community project implementor, and is affiliated with various organizations. She takes pleasure and finds purpose in partaking in civic and cultural organizations, especially in the amplification of marginalized groups’ voices. Apart from her background in journalism, she is also a creative writer aspiring to gain literary values for her works under Maratabat:MSU-GenSan Writers Guild. Beside writing fiction and essays, she also enjoys publishing brief literary criticisms on Facebook.
Jahara A. Solaiman is an instructor at the English Department of Mindanao State University-Marawi City, where she teaches English, literature, and art appreciation. Her earlier works have appeared in other literary anthologies, the most recent being Lawanen II (Gantala Press) and Ani 40: Katutubo (Cultural Center of the Philippines). In addition to creative writing, she loves imparting her love of art (she works with colored pencils, watercolors, and acrylic) to her students.
Almayrah A. Tiburon is a native Meranaw writer from Mindanao State University, Marawi City. She composed the official school hymn of Philippine Integrated School Foundation (PISF). Two of her books on fiction Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have e-book versions aside from printed ones. Her works have been published in respected periodicals and anthologies such as Umaalma, Kumikibo, In Certain Seasons: Mother Write in the Time of Covid, Likhaan: The Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature, Aruga: Mga Sanaysay ng Pagtanggap at Paglingap, Ani 40: Katutubo where she served as the editor of the Meranaw section of this book, BioLente: Mga Bagong Katha sa Danas ng Dahas at Banwa, Laoanen: Kababaihan/ Digmaan/ Kapayapaan, CNN Philippines’ Best Books of 2018 Lawanen 2: Mga Alaala ng Pagkubkob which she also served as editor of this book, Mga Haraya ng Pag-igpaw, Bangsamoro Literary Review, Liwayway, Danas: Mga Pag-aakda ng Babae Ngayon which was named among The Best Filipino Books of the 2010s by CNN Philippines, Likhaan’s Dx Machina: Philippine Literature in the Time of COVID-19, Sulatan sa Panahon ng Pandemya, Mindanao Harvest 4: A 21st Century Literary Anthology, and Asymptote Journal. She is the author of Thotholan: Mga Alamat at Pabulang Meranaw, and Salamin At Iba Pang Panglaw which was among the Top 5 finalists for the Best Books of Short Fiction (Filipino) in National Book Awards 2019. Her literary interests also cover the folk literature of the Meranaw people. She wants to encourage Meranaws and other Mindanaoans, whose voices are seldom heard in the literary scene, to write about their sentiments and be published.
Imadodin “Imad” Basar Dimao graduated from Zaid bin Thabit Quranic Institute. He’s been an expat for years in the Middle East. He is a tenured Bilingual (Arabic) Technical Support Analyst for Coursera since 2019. He contributes Islamic articles to Philippine Muslim Today.
Elijah Marvin Santos Guangco is a Bachelor of Arts in English graduate from the Mindanao State University in Marawi City. He has been published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer Youngblood (2016), Youngblood 7 (2019), and Mirar: Untold Scribbles (2021). Currently, he works as a Communications Officer and teaches Research at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Senior High School. He also teaches literature in the College Unit of the same University.
Shariful S. Mansul was born in Sulu, spent his high school years in Bulacan, and attends college in Zamboanga. He studies philosophy and occasionally scribbles. He likes reading stuff on history, language, and power—or just anything that makes him understand or that deepens and widens his already-placed understanding. He prefers to be called Perry.
Alminah B. Alyamen is a twenty-year-old first year college student at the Mindanao State University- Main Campus where she is taking up her Bachelor of Science Major in Physics. She was a former member of LANGKOM Official Student Publication of RC-AL Khwarizmi International College Foundation Incorporated, Senior High School. She loves to read books and writing is her best escape. For her, without books she can’t truly live well.
Bensar M. Saed is a graduate of Bachelor in Elementary Education. He just finished his Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration last June 2020. He is currently teaching at J. Marquez Elementary School. He is handling Grade Six learners and teaching Science.
Ahmad Shaid Jundam Sallim is a current second year law student at Western Mindanao State University, College of Law in Zamboanga City. He took his Bachelor of Arts major in Asian Studies in the same university. Born and raised in Basilan during the height of the island’s political unrest, his consciousness about outside world beyond his understanding and environment is vague and dimmed. Somehow, his inspiration to write was the book about the history of Sulu. As an aspiring lawyer and writer, he started his passion in reading and writing since he was very young. The urge to redefine the Basilan’s tumultuous past drive his passion to write his experiences about the island. He is currently engage with the non-government organizations (NGO) involving youth leadership and environmental conservation and currently working on his project about writing the local history of his hometown in Maluso, Basilan.
Maleeha Ampatuan Ansari is a medical student who has a passion for uplifting and inspiring people through her writing and creativity. She is the creator of Maleehini.art, the associate editor of her medical school’s publication and the co-founder of Muslimah Artist Philippines which is an online group created for female Muslim artists and aspiring artists to share and connect with one another.
Omira S. Abdulbasit is currently a senior clerk (fourth year) medical student at Liceo de Cagayan University. She is a professional civil service eligible and a licensed nurse. She is both a passionate advocate and a volunteer since undergrad and is affiliated with different organizations in line with academic or socio-civic associations. She excels both in public speaking and journalism, being the previous Editor-In-Chief of MSU-CHS The Lamp Publication and graduated with “Writer of the Year” and “Best Thesis Awardee” as part of her numerous graduation awards. She won multiple competitions in the fields of writing and public speaking. She also presented her paper focusing on mental health and got it funded and published internationally.
Amira R. Bagumbaran is a teacher from Marawi City. She graduated cum laude from Mindanao State University and ranked 10th place in the Licensure Examination for Teachers last September 25, 2011. With passion to teach, she enjoys teaching both children and LET reviewees as a part-time lecturer. She strongly advocates for respect and unity in diversity.
Adia Arianne A. Bangcola is a young M’ranao poet and writer. Her spoken word performances of her original work has granted her distinctions in competitions organized by Pilumbayan, Inquirer, and the Film Development Council of the Philippines. She is currently pursuing medicine, and would like to work with children in the future.
Bai Fairuz Candao is the youngest daughter of former ARMM Regional Governor Datu Zacaria A. Candao with his late wife Bai Saada Bajunaid Candao. Her exposure to the Bangsamoro struggle for self-determination all through the years has inspired her to express her views through writing. As a creative writer, she aims to appeal to the hearts of her fellow Bangsamoro with her thought-provoking short stories, poetry, and essays. She also specializes in speech writing and public speaking. As a current employee in the interim Bangsamoro government, she hopes to impart her skills to the younger ones and convince them to express their valuable thoughts.
Rohaina S. Dansal is a twenty-year old student in Mindanao State University Main Campus. She worked with student publications as part of the editorial staff from her past and present schools. Her written works were published in Banwag, Bedlisiw, The Worksheet, and Mindanao Varsitarian. She lives in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.
Jahara A. Solaiman is an instructor at the English Department of Mindanao State University-Marawi City, where she teaches English, literature, and art appreciation. Her earlier works have appeared in other literary anthologies, the most recent being Lawanen II (Gantala Press) and Ani 40: Katutubo (Cultural Center of the Philippines). In addition to creative writing, she loves imparting her love of art (she works with colored pencils, watercolors, and acrylic) to her students.
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