SORSOGON, PHILIPPINES — In solidarity with fisherfolk, crab farmers, and other coastal community members from Gubat, Sorsogon, the Save Gubat Bay Movement (SGBM), in partnership with the Kurit-Lagting Art Collective and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines Bicol Chapter (CAP Bicol), has launched the Ink for Impact: An Editorial Cartoon Challenge. This artistic initiative seeks to amplify Gubat’s coastal communities’ voices, underscoring their environmental and socio-economic struggles.
Timed to coincide with World Fisheries Day on November 21 and Human Rights Day on December 10, Ink for Impact builds on the recent Faces of Creation exhibit by the SGBM, highlighting the resilience and resistance of coastal communities against environmental and development-related threats. The editorial cartoon challenge, themed “Voices of the Bay: Illustrating Fisherfolk’s Struggle for Environmental Justice,” invites artists and student journalists to illustrate the pressing issues endangering Gubat Bay’s rich marine life, delicate ecosystems, and the livelihoods of its people.
Call to action for artists and journalists
Through editorial cartoons, participants will spotlight the injustices facing Gubat’s fisherfolk — such as environmental degradation, land-grabbing, harassment, and harmful development projects. Man-made intrusions, including coastal roads, casinos, resorts, and other commercial complexes, pose severe risks to local biodiversity and community stability, especially in a region already vulnerable to natural disasters. The challenge encourages collective awareness and advocacy for sustainable, community-centered development by portraying these threats.
Submission guidelines
- Theme: Voices of the Bay: Illustrating Fisherfolk’s Struggle for Environmental Justice
- Format: Black and white editorial cartoons, created manually or digitally, on A4 or letter-sized paper.
- Submission Details: Digital entries as JPEGs at 300 dpi, or photos of manual illustrations, should be emailed to kuritlagting@gmail.com.
- Deadline: December 05
- Entry Limit: Each participant may submit up to two entries.
Outcome and recognition
Selected entries will be featured across local publications, online platforms, and on the social media pages of SGBM, Kurit-Lagting, and CAP Bicol, helping to drive environmental advocacy through art. Artists will retain rights to their works, and a special prize will be awarded to the top entry.
Join the movement
The groups call on artists to stand with Gubat’s communities, using their talents to illustrate the urgent need for environmental justice and the protection of Gubat Bay. Through this challenge, the Save Gubat Bay Movement hopes to inspire action to preserve the ecological and cultural heritage of Gubat, ensuring that its future generations can continue to thrive.
