About Me

Jose Jason Llagas Chancoco is a language and literature instructor, PR practitioner, writer, critic, musician, blogger and podcaster. He was born to Bikolnon parents Jose C. Chancoco, Jr. and Sandra Ll. Chancoco on September 18, 1979 in Pasay City. However, his parents had to move back to Bicol and so he grew up in Iriga City. His love for literary arts was influenced by his late maternal grandfather, Procopio Llagas, who owned a vast collection of books. He would also join story-telling (osipon) sessions with his playmates and elders in their Tarusan neighborhood in San Francisco.

An Atenean, Tamaraw and Emilian, he is the first in the entire country to have ever produced a thesis using a regional language (Bikol-Naga). Writing in English, Tagalog/Filipino, Bikol-Naga and Iriganon, he has won membership and fellowship grants from Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo (LIRA), 2^nd Ateneo National Writers Workshop (English Poetry), Ricky Lee’s 14^th Scriptwriting Workshop for Film and TV (Writers’ Studio), 3rd UST National Writers Workshop (Filipino Poetry), 1st Juliana Arejola-Fajardo Workshop for Bikol Writing (Bikol Poetry), 2004 Iyas Creative Writing Workshop (Filipino Poetry) and 12th Iligan National Writers Workshop (Filipino Poetry). He also directed the 3^rd Juliana Arejola-Fajardo Workshop for Bikol Writing in May 2006 and would invite writer-friends to his apartment for literary discussions every month.

Jason’s works have appeared in Canadian National Free Press, Sunday Inquirer Magazine, Philippine Panorama, Philippine Star, Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Tribune, Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Mirror Weekly, Home Life, Pilosopong Tasyo Magasin, Kabayan, Tulay, Moist, Sands and Coral, Tomas, Ikatlong Bagting (LIRA Anthology), ANI, Bikol Reporter, Bicol Mail, Burak (Canada), Bangraw, Salugsog sa Sulog, In Our Own Words 4 (USA), Hingowa, The Pillars, The Flame, The Literary Apprentice, A State of Constant Beginnings: Proceedings of the 12^th INWW, Kotapress (USA), Likhaan on-line, Panitikan.Com.Ph, A Critical Survey of Philippine Literature, Wired Hearts (USA), Nuvein (USA), Little Brown Poetry (USA), Stagger (USA), Bayani, Fly on-line, Ambibo Quarterly, Muse Apprentice Guild (USA), Silangan Shimbun (Japan), Dalityapi Unpoemed The Arabesques Print Review, Latay sa Isipan: Mga Bagong Tulang Filipino and Sawi: Funny Essays, Stories and Poems on All Kinds of Heartbreaks.

He edits the literary section of OragonRepublic.Com and Dalityapi Unpoemed. He also edited the Filipino and Bikol section of Muse Apprentice Guild, an international literary e-zine. He co-edited the Tagalog section of Blank Paper Will Always be at the Ready, the first literary folio of Guniguni: The Absent Muse, a writers group led by Marie Bismonte of Albay (now based in New York). His pet project would always be the Salugsog sa Sulog, a small literary folio by Bikolnon writers published and distributed for free by OragonRepublic.Com.

His works have won distinctions from the Philippine Star, Maningning Miclat Award for Poetry (Shortlist-2003), Talaang Ginto: Gawad Surian sa Tula, Gantimpalang Collantes (2^nd Prize-2004, Hon. Mention-2007), Gawad Soc Rodrigo (2007), Juliana Arejola-Fajardo Workshop for Bikol Writing Fellow’s Achievement Award (2005), and the Premio Tomas Arejola para sa Literaturang Bikolnon (Finalist-2004, Double First Place-2005, Finalist-2006) and Homelife Poetry Contest (1^st Prize-2007), Achievement Award for Literature from Ateneo de Naga University and the Premio Bibiano Sabino para sa Librong Bikolnon for his first book and its contribution to Bikolnon letters.

As a critic, Jason has also served as a judge for the ASOG Literary Contest (Iriga City LGU, June 22, 2005), Congressional (Sipocot North District) Kulturang Bikolnon Literary Contest (March 26, 2006), Division (Camarines Sur) Kulturang Bikolnon Literary Contest 2006, Premio Tomas para sa Literaturang Bikolnon 2007 and the Transition Literary Contest 2008 (FEU).

A performance poetry enthusiast, he hosts the OragonRepublic Writers Night at Lolo’s Bar in Avenue Square, Magsaysay Ave., Naga City. And on December 7, 2007, ABS-CBN Reporter Ms. Rizza Mostar along with Cameraman Christopher Hermoso, featured him for the ‘Bicolano: Angat Ka!’ segment of TV Patrol Bicol.

Educated by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation on blogging/podcasting and free speech, he maintains a blog and poetry podcast at http://www.hagbayon.wordpress.com and http://www.gcast.com/u/hagbayon.

His first book is Pagsasatubuanan: Poetikang Bikolnon (National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 2009).  It is available at Museo de Caceres (inside Holy Rosary Minor Seminary), Kulturang Bikolnon (first level of the CBD-2 Hotel Building), and Basilica Souvenir Shop (Basilica Complex) in Naga City. Orders may also be placed.

Write him at tarusan22(at)yahoo(dot)com or hagbayon(at)gmail(dot)com.