In Dumaguete, writing is treated as more than a school requirement — it is treated as a vital skill, an art form, and a shared voice of the community. Today, October 21, the city joins the observance of Everyone Writes Day, a celebration dedicated to acknowledging the significance of writing in everyday life. What started as a simple reminder to appreciate writing has grown into a meaningful citywide movement in the country’s first UNESCO Creative City of Literature. The day brings together students, teachers, writers, and ordinary citizens to recognize that everyone writes, and everyone has a story worth telling.
Beyond One Form: Writing for Every Kind of Storyteller
Dumaguete’s approach to literature is not limited to one type of writer. Through Everyone Writes Day, the city highlights the diverse forms of writing we engage in — from journals and essays to poems, stories, letters, and social media posts.
It encourages everyone to appreciate and engage in writing activities, whether in schools, libraries, workplaces, or at home. This special day recognizes that writing happens everywhere, and that every form of writing contributes to how we learn, express ourselves, and connect with others.
Highlighting Writing’s Role in Society
This day is important because it aims to highlight the diverse forms of writing present in the community and to promote a broader understanding of writing’s role in society. For many, writing is a tool for communication, creativity, and civic participation.
For Dumaguete, known as the City of Stories and City of Literature, each piece of writing represents a voice preserved, a memory recorded, and a culture kept alive. The observance reminds residents that literature does not only live in books — it lives in everyday stories.
More Than Words
The message — “Everyone Has a Story” — is simple, but the real story is what it represents: a city that values every writer, whether seasoned or beginning, and believes that by writing our stories, we shape our community’s future.
In Dumaguete, the celebration of Everyone Writes Day is a celebration of people. And as the city continues to honor its literary heritage, it continues to show how a community can inspire creativity by giving everyone the chance to write today.
