‘Penned in just minutes’: Borlagdan’s Bicol poems win in Gawad Bienvenido Lumbera

TABACO CITY—Jaime Jesus “Jimple” Borlagdan, 46, was doing a Japa meditation when a poem came to mind. He wrote it in just minutes. Now it is one of his 10 other rawitdawit (Bicol poems) that won a coveted literary prize.

Borlagdan’s collection of poems, titled “Parapadaba,” won at in the National Committee on Literary Arts’ (NCLA) contest 2025 Gawad Bienvenido Lumbera on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

The poet from Tabaco City proudly posted his poem “Ang Ikos” (“The Cat”) on his social media account on Aug. 19 after winning the Grand Prize in Rawitdawit.

“You won’t believe it, because even I can’t, that this poem only emerged in just minutes,” he posted in Bikol, adding that this poem was closest to his heart among the 28 poems in “Parapadaba” because it reminded him of what it means to write.

“The true reward lies in leaving an eternal imprint on the universe through your craft,” Borlagdan later told BicoldotPH. 

Named after the national artist, Magsaysay awardee, and Martial Law survivor, who died in 2021, the Gawad Bienvenido Lumbera recognizes outstanding works in poetry, short stories, and essays written in Bikol, Filipino, Cebuano, Binukid, Hiligaynon, Iloko, Ibaloy, Kapampangan, Waray, and Zambal.

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Literary life

Born on March 6, 1979, in Tabaco City, Borlagdan, has become a multifaceted creative force, seamlessly weaving together his passions as a contemporary Bicolano writer, musician, graphic designer, arts professor, and cultural worker.

His literary journey began at 16, when he stumbled upon his father’s poems, igniting a spark within him. This spark was later fanned by his high school literature teacher, the late Ms. Nelia Brizuela. Under her guidance, Borlagdan mastered the art of crafting sonnets and poems, channeling his teenage emotions into verse rather than traditional love letters.

As he transitioned to college, Borlagdan’s creative output flourished, setting the stage for a career that would blend art, culture, and education.

At first, Jimple wrote poems in English, unaware of Filipino and Bikol literature due to his misconception that literature was exclusive to the English language.

Protest poems

Attending classes in Manila broadened Borlagdan’s perspective.

His love poems in English transformed into protest poems in Filipino, which he used to critique the Philippines’ socio-political systems. 

In 2000, upon returning to Bicol, Borlagdan was invited by the literary professor Dr. Paz Verdadez “Doods” Santos to participate in a Bicol writing convention in Naga City in Camarines Sur.
Having no expectations, he decided to take a chance and attended the event. 

Attending the convention proved to be a pivotal moment, as he met people who were regarded as luminaries of Bicol literature. This marked his introduction to the rich literary heritage of his native region. It was there, surrounded by fellow Bicolano writers, that his journey as a Bicolano writer truly began.

And it was then that he decided that he will write in his own language. For 25 years since then, Borlagdan has consistently written in Bikol.

For him, writing in Bikol has helped him express himself more and has helped him satisfy his desire to produce his work. 

“I found more satisfaction writing in Bicol than in English, and my body of work reflects this. Writing in Bicol allowed me to tap into my emotions and genuinely believe in what I was creating,” Borlagdan told BicoldotPH. 

Driven by a desire to spread the rich language and culture of Bikol to a wider audience, he actively participated and won in numerous writing competitions. 

Borlagdan’s literary excellence has been consistently recognized through various awards. He is a multi-awardee of the Premio Tomas Arejola for Bicol literature, garnering first prizes for his poetry collection “Karangahan”(2006) and “Ini an mga Buhay Ta” (2007). In 2009, his collection of short prose poems and stories, “Hamot kang Nakarumdom” and “Pagsarado,” respectively, won the Grand Prizes in the same literary contest. That year, he was also named Writer of the Year (Parasurat kan Taon) by the Tomas Arejola Foundation. Moreover, his short story “Daramlagon” won 2nd Prize in the Gawad Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino literary contest in 2008. 

His contributions to Bicol literature were further acknowledged with the 2015 Outstanding Albayano Artist for Literature award from the Provincial Government of Albay.

Apart from these accolades, Borlagdan has published nine book collections of poems and short stories, including “Libro ng Pobya” (1999), “Que Lugar” (2009), “Suralista” (2010), “Kakanon sa Aroaldaw” (2019), “Kalagnon” (2021), “Dios Mabalos” (2022), “Harina” (2022), and “Ako, Kalag, Okay” (2022). 

Meanwhile, his tenth, “Parapadaba,” is set to be published soon by the NCLA. (raro)

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