Afro-Pinay writer and educator Elaine Joy Edaya Degale is helping expand access to books, literacy and community storytelling in her hometown of Santo Niño, South Cotabato, through a grassroots initiative aimed at underserved communities in Mindanao.
“Communities flourish when people have access to books and the opportunity to tell their own stories,” Degale told TOFA NEWS.
“We see imagination as a foundation for innovation, so our goal is not only to promote reading but also to create pathways for local writers to publish their work and have it recognized beyond their communities.”
Degale, a Black-Filipina writer, educator and cultural producer who divides her time between New York City and the Philippines, teaches English writing at City University of New York community colleges. She also leads community-based initiatives focused on literacy and food access.
She is the founder of Operation Ink Library & Publishing House and has partnered with the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the local government of Barangay Poblacion to establish a “Book Nook” site inside the Santo Niño Public Market. The site places books in a high-traffic community hub, offering residents free and convenient access to reading materials in an area long considered to have limited access to libraries and bookstores.
Operation Ink began as a small library café and has since grown into a community-centered publishing platform focused on literacy outreach, creative writing education and opportunities for emerging writers in Mindanao.
Working alongside its partner space, Edaya’s Star Terrace Cafe, the organization has hosted writing workshops, poetry readings, book launches and educational programs designed to encourage both reading and authorship among local residents.
Beyond programming, Operation Ink has developed a community publishing model that produces locally created zines and literary works. These publications have been presented at Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan and shared in international literary spaces, including the Disquiet International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal, and the Himalayan Literature Festival in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Degale’s broader work includes essays and commentary on diaspora, identity and class published in outlets such as Positively Filipino and the Philippine Daily Mirror. She has written short fiction and is working on a semi-autobiographical novel, Sunflower: Black Baby, currently under fellowship with Kinsman Quarterly. She is also the founder of Operation Merienda, a community initiative supporting food and literacy programs in Indigenous and rural communities in the Philippines.
Degale is expected to be recognized in New York this summer for her literacy and education work in Mindanao at Soccsksargen USA’s 3rd Biennial International Convention and Reunion Gala Night on Aug. 29 at the Sheraton La Guardia East Hotel in New York. She said the recognition reflects the efforts of volunteers, educators, local partners and national institutions to strengthen a culture of reading in rural areas.
As Operation Ink expands its role as both a library and publishing house, the organization plans to grow its community publishing initiatives, youth literacy programs, school partnerships, book donation drives and literary events across Mindanao, with a focus on increasing access to books and amplifying local voices.
