“Follow artists, not influencers. Your entire outlook in life will change”—a friendly reminder once said. As the internet fills up and gets more saturated with prank videos, TikTok dance crazes, and influencer lifestyle vlogs, you may wanna reflect back on the beauty of words through poetry to serve as a refreshing break from all the chaos in social media. And why not? Now that we’re spending more time at home, it’s the perfect chance to immerse in the wonders of local poetry.

Tulalaan PH is a freshly-established YouTube channel that celebrates local and international poetry through its online readings, discussions, and multimodal content. As an avenue for imagination and creativity, it aims to cultivate its audience with a wide variety of voices and themes in poetry, and act as a resource channel of its practice. 

Currently, it exhibits two readings that include “Paghilom” by Benilda S. Santos from her 2005 poetry collection Kuwadro Numero Uno: Mga Tula; and then there’s “Kalatas” by Allan Popa from his 2019 poetry collection Autopsiya ng Aking Kamatayan—both read by instructor, poet, and The Feed contributor, Joey Clutario.

Santos is known for her reputation as a revered poet with an impeccable portfolio of awards including a Palanca and a National Book Awards, and also as a former dean of the School of Humanities in Ateneo de Manila University. Popa, on the other hand, holds a series of prestigious awards including a Philippines Free Press Literary Award and the Manila Critics Circle National Book Award.

While it works like a podcast on video, it offers wider accessibility and visibility for more audiences because YouTube is more known as a mainstream platform and the idea of podcasts is yet to emerge among younger and far-flung areas in the Philippines. There’s also an added experience with the videos that complement the drama of each piece taking its audience into a melancholic trance. Clad in monochromes and immersed in mellifluous sounds, each poetry goes beyond a masterpiece in words that also evokes a vulnerable experience for its audience. 

So, in case you’re in for a breather or simply interested with poetry, visit Tulalaan PH on YouTube. It’s best experienced in a calmer environment and played with immersive speakers or earphones so you can capture a better, undisturbed mood.