The Filipino Times proudly announced Rosemari Roman as the winner of the Tagalog Spoken Word Poetry Contest, part of this year’s Buwan ng Wika celebrations, for her moving piece, Panakip-Tayo.
Panakip-Tayo captures the struggles of unrequited love, depicting the reality of being in a relationship where one person loves fully while the other remains emotionally distant. Roman uses the concept of “panakip-butas,” or someone who temporarily fills a gap, and connects it with “tayo,” meaning “us,” to illustrate the painful experience of becoming a shelter but never a true home.
The piece opens with a reflection:
“Hindi lahat ng ‘tayo’ ay pantay.
Minsan, may umiibig nang buo, habang ang isa’y nagpapagaling lang.”
Through these lines, Roman sets the tone for a story of imbalance in love, where intimacy masks emotional struggles and one partner silently endures in the hope of being chosen in the end.
Panakip-Tayo reflects on the complexities of love, the balance between giving and receiving, and the ways people navigate relationships that are not always equal. Its words linger, showing that care and sacrifice can hold deep meaning, while also hinting at the importance of self-respect, self-awareness, and finding strength and purpose even amid emotional challenges.
The video submission quickly gained traction online, accumulating 346 reactions, 10,000 views, and 87 comments, earning the highest engagement among all entries. As the winner, Roman will receive a round-trip Dubai–Manila ticket.
The contest, organized by The Filipino Times, invited Filipino talents in the UAE to showcase their mastery of the Filipino language through spoken word poetry during Buwan ng Wika. The event not only celebrated linguistic heritage but also provided a platform for personal expression and creativity within the Filipino community abroad.
