Fisherfolk and artists in Gubat, Sorsogon, turned a photography and poetry gathering into an expression of opposition to proposed coastal road projects, drawing attention to concerns about the bay’s environment and the livelihoods tied to it.
The activity, ‘LAKAT-LENTE nan RAWIT-DAWIT SA BAYBAYON: Photowalk x Poetry Reading at Gubat Bay,’ held Oct. 3, brought together fisherfolk, coastal residents, photographers, artists, poets, environmental advocates, students and other community members.
Organized by the Kurit-Lagting Art Collective with the Save Gubat Bay Movement (SGBM) and Rhymes of PEG, the activity was part of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk 2026 and Design Week Philippines, in partnership with the DTI Design Center of the Philippines.
Participants walked from St. Anthony of Padua Parish toward Gubat Bay, documenting people, livelihoods, heritage and everyday scenes along the coast. The activity culminated in a poetry reading at Calayucay Beach in Sitio Gumang, Barangay Cota na Daco.
Organizers said the activity was designed to look at Gubat not simply as a destination but as a coastal community dealing with development pressures, climate-related challenges and environmental changes that could affect biodiversity, livelihoods and community resilience.
During the event, fisherfolk and coastal residents also held an environmental action, carrying placards calling for the protection of seas and coastlines and expressing opposition to proposed coastal road projects.
‘The bay is not just a backdrop. It is where people live, work and earn their livelihood. Through this activity, we were able to bring the voices of fisherfolk and coastal residents into a creative space where more people can see why protecting Gubat Bay matters,’ said Allan Espallardo, SGBM president.
Longstanding concerns over coastal road
Opposition to coastal road construction is not new.
In 2022, local fishers and residents raised concerns over the construction of a coastal road along a roughly 3-kilometer stretch of Kalayukay Beach covering the villages of Balud del Norte, Cota na Daco and Cogon in Gubat.
The project was being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and was divided into two packages worth about P21.9 million and P74.6 million, respectively, according to a report at the time.
The following year, activist fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to inspect the project after reports that dead corals were being used in its construction.
By August 2025, the Save Gubat Bay Movement was again calling for an investigation into the coastal road, saying the project could affect small and subsistence fisherfolk in at least 13 coastal villages.
The group also raised concerns about soil being dumped along the shoreline and the possible impacts on mangroves and marine habitats.
Art becomes a platform for coastal concerns
Against this backdrop, the photowalk used photography and poetry to document the coastal community and its concerns.
‘Photography can do more than capture what is beautiful. It can help us see what is at stake. When we photograph the people, livelihoods and ecosystems connected to the coast, we are also creating a visual record of what communities want to protect,’ said Allan Abrigo, walk leader and co-founder of Kurit-Lagting.
Kurit-Lagting co-founder Geri Matthew ‘Choi’ Carretero said the activity was also meant to create a space for discussion about the coast and its future.
‘Lakat-Lente gave us a chance to use art to pay closer attention to the coast and the people connected to it. The images can become a way of opening conversations about what we value, what we need to protect and what kind of future we want for places like Gubat Bay,’ Carretero said.
The photowalk was followed by a poetry reading in which participants responded to stories and issues encountered during the walk.
‘Poetry gives us another language for expressing what we feel about a place. After seeing the coast through photographs and hearing from the community, the poems became another way of giving voice to our relationship with the sea,’ said Jessa Erandio of Rhymes of PEG.
The project was developed under Design Week Philippines’ ‘Sama All’ theme, which organizers said emphasizes collaboration among different people and creative disciplines.
Its format combined a guided design tour with performance and exhibition components, bringing questions about ecology, development and spatial rights into the community activity.
Kurit-Lagting said the event builds on its community-based work since 2011 and its previous collaboration with the DTI Design Center of the Philippines for Lakat-Lente in Pampanga in 2025.
The collective is also a member of the Sorsogon Arts Council and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines Bicol chapter.