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Anak Mindanaw as his nom de plume, he orchestrates his craft by infusing his traditional Mindanaoan roots to his contemporary Industrial Engineering life. He is a fourth generation Mindanaoan.

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Anak – the local term for “offspring” – beckons a deeper meaning. Much like the Filipino cultural upbringing with our parents and older generations, the use of the term “anak” summons commitment and respect towards meritorious seniority. To be an “anak” goes beyond intergenerational responsibility, since it may also encompass the intrinsic role of the youth in nation-building, as exemplified by Jose Rizal’s “A La Juventud Filipina (1879).” To be an anak is to be the “justa esperanza de la patria” – fair hope of the motherland. Challenging as it is that the silos and misconceptions about Mindanao and its people have led to its economic problems for the past scores of time. Yet, to bring about change is to remain steadfast to the guiding philosophy of the “fair hope of the motherland,” for I am the anak of my land – Mindanaw.

Mindanaw – the land of my birth and the home of my people – is the melting pot of different cultures. It comprises a plethora of stories from the depths of the South Seas to the heights of the Oriental Mountains. It is the land beholden by the Lumads, Muslims and Christians. It is where people’s dreams are weaved into songs, dances and colors, making the artworks alive since time immemorial. It is the home of the great Dreamweaving Philosophy, where dreams do not remain in the silos but are instead celebrated in the current time and through the continuous acts of praxis.

Anak Mindanaw, a linguistic elliptical construction of Anak (ng) Mindanaw, serves as a nom de plume of the writer to foster his advocacies and works for Mindanao, particularly in his hometown. It is a symbolic cri de coeur of the overarching goal of refurbishing the Mindanaoan Identity as it evolves with the inevitable tides of contemporary internationalization.