For the daily commuter, the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) bring back the much-loved Tulaan sa Tren to give the general public something to look forward to on their daily train commutes.

Tulaan sa Tren 2 features new poems by the country’s best poets and the winning entries of the Tulaan sa Tren 2 Poetry Writing Contest, launched by the NBDB in 2009. During the contest duration from June 22 to July 30 2009, the NBDB received a total of 262 entries (170 in Filipino, and 92 in English) from different parts of the country and the world. Featured alongside the works of revered poets like Bienvenido Lumbera, Rio Alma, Jose Lacaba, Marra Lanot, Marjorie Evasco, and Alfred Yuson are the winning entries by Joselito de los Reyes (1st Prize, Filipino category), Gexter Ocampo Lacambra (2nd Prize, Filipino category), Abdon Balde, Jr. (3rd Prize, Filipino category), Kristian Sendon Cordero (Runner-up, Filipino category), Danilo Diaz (Runner-up, Filipino category), Raymond Falgui (1st Prize, English category), Louella Santiago Suque (2nd Prize, English Category), and Raymund Reyes (3rd prize, English category). National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera and Italian Premio Feronia recipient Gemino Abad selected the winning poems.

Tulaan sa Tren 2 also brings back celebrities like Nikki Gil, Christine Bersola-Babao, Rhea Santos, Lyn Ching-Pascual, JM Rodriguez, Robi Domingo, Chin-chin Gutierrez, Julius Babao, Romnick Sarmenta, Harlene Bautista, and Lisa Macuja-Elizalde who read the poems that are now being heard in LRT Line 2 Stations. 

This year’s poems are all about travels and places, from moving house and leaving behind one’s childhood memories, to the OFW’s longing for his own country and family, the Filipino’s globalization experience, escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, and many more. The poems range from happy and nostalgic, to distressing and heart-breaking, so that even for just a few minutes, the train passenger gets a momentary break from the daily stress of every day commute. The featured poems are compiled in the book Off the Beaten Track, printed by Vibal Foundation.

Tulaan sa Tren was first launched in 2008 to bring Philippine poetry closer to the general public. Posters of poems are posted inside LRT trains, while the audio versions recorded by celebrities are played over the LRT’s public announcement system. -end-