 As an adult, Collantes worked in the government's Bureau of Lands where he was given a number of provincial assignments that gave him the opportunity to learn the Kapampangan, Ilocano and Visayan languages.His interest in poetry led him to write for the defunct Tagalog publications "Buntot Pagi", "Pagkakaisa" and "Watawat".He would later be an editor of the defunct publications "Pakak", "Balagtas", "Lintik" and "Ang Bansa".